SLOAN
Where: Mary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Ave., Sidney
When: Thursday, March 2, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: Sold out
Why: Has it really been 30 years as group for Sloan? The enduring quartet from Halifax (now based in Toronto) is touring Canada in support of its 13th studio album, which practically puts them in a class by themselves at this point. It isn’t without merit, either: Sloan’s brand of riff rock is underscored by near-perfect harmonies, a killer combination that has produced some truly memorable moments. Members Patrick Pentland, Jay Ferguson, Chris Murphy and Andrew Scott have sold out their two shows on Vancouver Island, which is to be expected, but dates at the Mary Winspear Theatre in Sidney (tonight) and the Waverly Hotel in Cumberland (tomorrow) are going to be amazing. It would be wise to keep an eye out for secondary tickets being sold. Trust me, these shows won’t disappoint.
THEATRE SKAM’S FASHION MACHINE
Where: SKAM Satellite Studio, 849 Fort St.
When: Friday, March 3, 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 4, 2 p.m.
Tickets: $10 ($5 for kids) at the door or skam.ca
Why: Theatre SKAM’s satellite studio on Fort Street will have audiences members in stitches — and shreds — at this madcap event on Friday and Saturday, which completely overhauls and remakes outfits worn by audience members. Children between the ages of nine and 13 (known in this context as “designers”) will have an hour to use, at their whim, sewing machines, scissors, and other fashion-making equipment. The end result? Inspired lunacy, at the absolute least. Someone is getting at makeover at this show, whether they intended to or not.
SOUTH ISLAND VINYL RECORD SHOW
Where: Mary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Ave., Sidney
When: Saturday, March 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: $2
Why: The halls of Sidney’s Mary Winspear Centre will be alive Saturday with the unmistakable buzz that is the South Island Vinyl Record Show. Dozens of sellers will be on hand with tens of thousands of LPs, CDs, cassettes and related music ephemera, the results of which are a music-hound’s dream. Not only is the people-watching incredible — if you’ve never seen crate-digging up close and in person, it’s worth the trek to Sidney for that alone — there will deals to be had. In a world overwhelmed with online shopping, the tangible art of in-person record hunting never goes out of style.
mdevlin@timescolonist.com
