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Critic's picks: Quinn Bachand, Secrets of Friendship, July Talk

Our Arts reporter's top picks for the week ahead: Quinn Bachand's Brishen hits town; The Secret of Friendship documentary airs; July Talk opens its tour.
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Quinn Bachand, second from left, and his band Brishen perform twice this week on Vancouver Island.

QUINN BACHAND’S BRISHEN

Where: Christian Science Church, 1205 Pandora Ave.

When: Saturday, March 25, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $40.06 from beaconridgeproductions.com

Why: If you haven’t caught Quinn Bachand in concert recently, you’ll have two opportunities to do so this week. The Victoria-bred, Montreal-based wunderkind and his band, Brishen, are performing tonight in Courtenay at the Old Church Theatre and Saturday in Victoria at the Christian Science Church, both of which are must-see events. Bachand will be joined by top-flight musicians Rueben Wier (guitar), Noah Gotfrit (bass), and Eric Vanderbilt-Matthews (piano), whose presence will give the setlist of bluegrass, western swing, and gypsy jazz extra punch. Bachand has been busy with a range of projects of late, so there’s some potential for left-field magic here.

THE SECRET OF FRIENDSHIP

Where: CBC TV, The Nature of Things

When: Friday, March 24, 9 p.m.

Why: Victoria-raised, Vancouver-based filmmaker Judith Pyke steps into the spotlight Friday with her documentary, The Secret of Friendship. The project by the University of Victoria graduate will premiere on The Nature of Things, which is a fitting landing spot for a documenatry of this kind: Pyke looks at friendship and social connections through an academic lens, with scientists and psychologists offering their insights (even canine friendships get some screen time.) The Secrets of Friendship will also screen Sunday at 1 p.m. on The Nature of Things, before moving over to streaming services.

JULY TALK

Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton St.

When: Tuesday, March 28, 8 p.m.

Tickets: $40.50-$57.50 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or rmts.bc.ca

Why: July Talk is now officially a six-piece, which ups their potential for acuity in concert. That’s good news for Victoria audiences as the Juno Award-winning outfit opens its 2023 tour at the Royal Theatre on Tuesday. July Talk is touring to support its new album, Remember Never Before, which asks plenty of hard, pandemic-related questions about society and human nature, and gives singers Leah Fay Goldstein and Peter Dreimanis plenty to rail against. The sum of the band’s rock ‘n’ roll parts — which includes guitarists Ian Docherty and Josh Warburton, and drummers Danny Miles and Dani Nash — results in an effective wallop, so those in attendance Tuesday should expect the aural equivalent of an earthquake.

mdevlin@timescolonist.com