SKA
What: The Slackers
Where: Capital Ballroom, 858 Yates St.
When: Thursday, Dec. 2, 9 p.m.
Tickets: $23.50 from admitone.com
Why: Manhattan six-piece The Slackers are touring North America to celebrate their three decades as a unit, and have a stop in Victoria pencilled-in for tonight. That a local show made it onto their itinerary was a forgone conclusion, given that they have been playing Vancouver Island for the better part of their time together. Led by longtime members Vic Ruggiero (keyboards, vocals) and Dave Hillyard (saxophone), The Slackers return to the Capital Ballroom for a show that won’t necessarily be rambunctious — it is capped at 250 people, per provincial health rules — but is expected to be memorable.
SEASONAL
What: Home for the Holidays – A Nat King Cole Christmas
Where: Charlie White Theatre, 2243 Beacon Ave., Sidney
When: Tuesday, Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $45.15 from tickets.marywinspear.ca or 250-656-0275
Why: If you’re going to celebrate the mellifluous music of the one and only Nat King Cole, the month of Decemeber is an opportune time in which to do so. Cole is a Christmas staple, which makes Home for the Holidays – A Nat King Cole Christmas the perfect tonic for weary shoppers. James Rich, a Connecticut-bred, New York-based performer who played Cole in an Off-Broadway production based on the singer’s life, will give the Mary Winspear Centre stage a celebratory sheen on Tuesday, with a seasonal soundtrack unlike many others. The show is also scheduled for Nanaimo’s Port Theatre on Sunday.
COMEDY
What: Cat & Nat — In Real Life & Real Clothes
Where: McPherson Playhouse, 3 Centennial Sq.
When: Monday, Dec. 6, 8 p.m. (doors at 7)
Tickets: $32 from rmts.bc.ca or 250-386-6121
Why: The duo of Catherine Belknap and Natalie Telfer — Cat & Nat to their legion of fans — are the bad moms of social media, with videos about drinking (which they dubbed “quarantini” during the COVID-19 lockdown), parenting, drinking, relationships, and more drinking. The longtime friends are on the road with a multi-media show that mixes music, dancing, and party-themed antics aimed at supporting and celebrating women. With seven kids between them, there’s plenty of truth mixed into their humour.
mdevlin@timescolonist.com
