CLASSICAL GUITAR: Pepe Romero and Friends
Where: Dave Dunnet Theatre, 2121 Cadboro Bay Rd. (at Oak Bay high school)
When: Saturday, April 23, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $35 from the Royal McPherson box office, by phone (250-386-6121) or online at rmts.bc.ca
Why: Classical guitar legend Pepe Romero has a relationship with Victoria that dates back several decades, resulting in packed houses each time the native of Málaga, Spain performs here. Romero, 78, is rumoured to be retiring from the road at some point in the very near future, so you can expect the few tickets that remain to his concert Saturday with Alexander Dunn, who is head of guitar at the University of Victoria, Randy Pile from California and Robert Ward from Boston to have disappeared come showtime. With a decorated career spanning more than 70 years, the guitarist has certainly earned some respite from the road.
PUNK AND METAL: Cancer Bats with Comeback Kid and Misery Signals
Where: Capital Ballroom, 858 Yates St.
When: Saturday, April 23, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $39.92 (incl. fees) from admitone.com
Why: Heavy music gets a much-needed showcase with this towering triple-bill at the Capital Ballroom, which combines the metal of Toronto’s Cancer Bats with the punk of Winnipeg’s Comeback Kid and metalcore of Milwaukee’s Misery Signals. Though technically a co-headlining tour between the two Canadian acts, the beauty of this bill is its malleability — any one of the three acts could be the standout on any given night.
BLUES: Jim Byrnes with Simon Kendall
Where: Mary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Ave., Sidney
When: Friday, April 22, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: Sold out
Why: One of the truly good guys in Canadian music, Jim Byrnes has managed to get better — and more musically diverse — with age. Fans of soulful blues rooted in both Mississippi and Chicago should never pass up the opportunity to see Byrnes in concert, as the St. Louis-born artist makes each performance unique. Come for the music, but stay for the banter — Byrnes is one of the all-time greats when it comes to storytelling, and he fills in the spaces in between songs with humorous and heartwarming asides. He’ll be joined at this performance by Simon Kendall, the keyboardist for another Vancouver musical institution, Doug and the Slugs. Tickets are reportedly sold out, but it would be worth calling to see have some have been released closer to showtime.
