Festival announcements are coming fast and furious these days as programmers prepare for what should be one of the busiest summer music seasons to date.
Organizers of the fourth annual Vancouver Island Cultural Festival — VIC Fest for short — went public with their lineup on Friday, and it’s a strong one. VIC Fest will bring more than a dozen acts (mostly local) to St. Ann’s Academy on June 14, including Said the Whale, Bear Mountain, Towers & Trees, The Roper Show, Pigeon Hole, Man Made Lake, Hawk & Steel, Robbie Ayelsworth, Scotty Hills, Lola Parks, Evan Bourque, DJ Boitano and DJ Murge.
A combination of music, art, beverages and food, the outdoor event is spread across four stages. The interior of St. Ann’s Chapel will be the site of a songwriters’ circle and workshop sponsored by Music B.C., while local food vendors and restaurants will offer a pairing menu in the wine garden.
More information will be released in the coming weeks. Tickets are on sale now for $45 at vicfest.ca, Lyle’s Place and Ditch Records.
For information, visit vicfest.ca.
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Victoria power couple DWhiz and Georgia Murray have a new project that is already seizing radio spots across the country.
The first single from LIINKS has been added to a number of Bell Media radio stations across Canada, including CHUM FM in Toronto, QMFM in Vancouver and MAJIC 100.3 in Ottawa.
The Break, which the couple co-wrote, is the latest success from the duo that co-wrote Hold It Down for dubstep producer Datsik. Hold It Down is be released April 15 on Firepower Records, Datsik’s label. The EP will feature remixes from North America and Europe.
To hear more from the group, visit soundcloud.com/LIINKS.
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Former advertising copywriter Terry O’Reilly will be in town later this month for an action-packed two-day engagement.
The event, produced by the Victoria Film Festival, will see the popular CBC host explore the role of advertising in feature films. He will be at The Vic Theatre to discuss such matters April 26-27.
Film festival organizers will also host a reception with O’Reilly at the Fairmont Empress. Space is limited to 40 guests, so those interested in attending should inquire early.
For more information, visit thevic.ca.
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The final hurrah for the Duncan Garage Showroom in December brought to a close Longevity John Faulkner’s successful run as the Cowichan Valley’s biggest live music booster.
Following the closure, he moved briefly to Duncan’s Silverbridge Inn after 10 years and 2,600 shows at the Garage, but the new location never really took hold with audiences. Faulkner now has a new spot for the Garage and a five-year lease to go along with it. To help get his dream venue off the ground, he has started a crowdfunding campaign that will help ease startup costs. He hopes to open the venue May 1.
To learn more about the project, or to donate, visit indiegogo.com and search Longevity John.
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The TD Victoria International Jazz Festival has added three more Royal Theatre headliners to its 30th anniversary edition, including Hiromi and the Brandi Disterheft Quartet, Angélique Kidjo and Cassandra Wilson.
Tickets for each performance are available now at the Royal McPherson Box Office, 250-386-6121, or rmts.bc.ca.
Tickets for Hiromi (June 20) are $32.50 and $42.50. Kidjo (June 24) and Wilson (June 28) are $38.50 and $48.50 apiece.
The full artist lineup will be announced May 1.
In the meantime, visit jazzvictoria.ca to learn more about Vancouver Island’s longest-running professional music festival.
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Seattle production duo ODESZA is the first electronic act on deck in what should be a storied run of dance-friendly acts scheduled to appear at Club 9one9 in the coming weeks.
Montreal duo Adventure Club is booked for April 10, Florida’s Borgeous for April 17, California’s Seven Lions for April 20 and New Zealand’s Mt. Eden for April 24. For information, visit blueprintevents.ca or club9one9.com.
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Vancouver ska-metal act Ninjaspy is hoping its own Indiegogo campaign will ensure their new record gets into stores before 2014 is off the calendar.
The rock band is on the road to help drum up further interest, with a tour that stops twice on Vancouver Island next week. The group will perform Friday at Nanaimo’s Cavalotti Hall and Saturday at Victoria Event Centre. Both performances will feature music slated to appear on the new album.
The band’s goal is to raise $10,000. For information, visit indiegogo.com and search Ninjaspy.
