Month: January 2010

Cultural Olympiad: Meet Steve Earle

Lacy

The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, January 22 to March 21, comprises of 122 ticketed events showcasing rich talent from Canadian and international performing arts and culture. The events come in the form of music, dance, film and theatre to name a few, and promise to deliver something for everyone. Soak up as much as you can !

Day Two: Introducing the Performers
Meet Steve Earle

Dynamic singer/songwriter Steve Earle is one of the great storytellers in the music industry. Born in Virginsteve earleia, Earle spent his formative years in and around the southern United States, represented in his twangy sound. Part writer, part actor, part political activist, Earle has a colourful resume.

Early in his career he established the term “New Country” with the pop/country style in his debut album Guitar Town. Although he has experimented with all types of music, Earle is known best for his heartfelt lyrics and rockabilly style. His songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, The Pretenders, and numerous others.

Earle was recently featured in a new series called Innovators in Music. In an interview, he said, “People knew me as the kid who took a guitar everywhere… It was Texas, and I didn’t play football. I had to find a way to distinguish myself.” As modest as he sounds, Steve Earle has definitely found a way to stand out among his peers.

Steve Earle will be performing at The Orpheum at 8:00pm on January 23rd. For Steve Earle tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com or ShowTimeTickets.com.

The show will open with Canadian indie-rock performer, Joel Plaskett.

Find out about other great performers in town for the Olympics below.
January 14th Blogpost: Meet Phoenix
January 18th Blogpost: Meet City and Colour
January 19th Blogpost: Meet Feist
January 20th Blogpost: Meet Stars
January 22nd Blogpost: Meet K’naan
January 25th Blogpost: Meet Gomez
January 26th Blogpost: Meet Raphael Saadiq

Colin James’ Performance Last Night in Vancouver

Lacy

colin

What: Colin James
Where: Orpheum Theater
When: January 13, 2009
Status: Sold Out
Rating: 4 out of 5

I’ve seen Colin enough times during my young life, at least 6 times including special appearances, showcases, and freebies, to know what to expect, just straight honest old-school organic blues rock. I was, however, surprised that he threw some curve balls into the set list, covers from Bob Dylan and Van Morrison and a small tribute to Stevie Ray. Rarely does he inject so many covers into a set list. I guess when you’re Colin you can make anything work, including Green Day’s Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

Currently he’s on an ambitious cross Canada tour. He made Vancouver feel welcome by making fun of the city, and reminiscing on home town memories. He kept the chatter to a bare minimum so that more tunes fit into the two hour evening. Colin threw in some b-sides and songs off the new album, Rooftops & Satellites, which although not as good as his previous works in comparison, still rocked the house.

No one goes to a Colin James concert to see a theatrical spectacle, however, it’s the music that is the marvel. Colin has always been the vehicle that drives the emotion and the feeling of the genre. He’s been one of my favorite performers/guitarists along with Slash, Zakk Wylde, and Jimmy Page since I was 10.

The back up band consisted of 2/3rd’s “The Odds” and a mini horn section, which added dimension to some of the songs, especially with the earlier commercial rocker singles. There was a point in the show when Colin strapped on an acoustic guitar and performed a mediocre song off his new album. It was odd to see him play four basic chords on an acoustic for an entire song. Colin himself looked uncomfortable like a child heading to their first day of school.

This was the first time I actually sat down at a Colin James concert. I was literally intimidated to stand up and dance ’cause everyone else in the audience looked angry and bored. Most didn’t even bob their heads to the rocking tunes. The audience was very casual and rock friendly. It surprised me that for most of the show, everyone sat down.

The opener was rock star INXS contestant Suzie McNeil. Although I missed most of her set, what I did catch was soulful and decent.

Written by: Sheila Bhimji

Colin James is on tour in Canada throughout the month of January. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com or ShowTimeTickets.com.

Nickelback Extends Dark Horse Tour

Lacy

377794-nickelbackRecently named “Band of the Decade” by Billboard Magazine,  Nickelback has extended their 2010 Dark Horse Tour. The Canadian rock group has added nineteen dates. This laregly successful group has sold nearly thirty million albums worldwide. The newest of six, Dark Horse, has already reached double platinum status.
The Dark Horse tour will continue through the month of June, with the final show taking place at GM Place in Vancouver, BC on June 3rd.
For a full list of dates, check the listings below. Nickelback tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and ShowTimeTickets.com, where we are never sold out. And remember to continue checking back for more information on ticket sales for other upcoming shows.

Canada Tour Dates:

Toronto Nickelback Tickets: Apr. 8 – Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
Montreal Nickelback Tickets: Apr.9 – Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Ottawa Nickelback Tickets: Apr.11 – Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, ON
Saskatoon Nickelback Tickets: May 29 – Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon, SK
Calgary Nickelback Tickets: May 31 – Pengrowth Saddledome, Calgary, AB
Edmonton Nickelback Tickets: Jun 1 – Rexall Place, Edmonton, AB
Vancouver Nickelback Tickets: Jun 3 – General Motors Place, Vancouver, BC

U.S. Tour Dates:

Apr. 13 – Verizon Center Washington, Washington, DC
Apr.14 – Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
Apr. 16 – Bi-Lo Center, Greenville, SC
Apr. 17 – Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
Apr. 19 – Amway Arena, Orlando, FL
Apr. 21 – Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
Apr. 23 – Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO
Apr. 24 – BOK Center, Tulsa, OK
Apr. 26 – Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
May 5 – Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA
May 7 – Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
May 8 – Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR
May 10 – Idaho Center, Nampa, ID
May 14 – InTrust Bank Arena, Wichita, KS
May 15 – American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
May 18 – Allstate Arena, Rosemont, IL
May 19 – Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI
May 21 – Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
May 22 – Verizon Wireless Music Center, Noblesville, IN
May 24 – Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
May 25 – Qwest Center Omaha, Omaha, NE
May 27 – Fargodome, Fargo, ND

U.K. Tour Dates:

Jan.17 – Echo Arena, Liverpool, UK
Jan. 19 – Wembley Arena, London, UK

Cultural Olympiad: Introducing the Performers

Lacy

PhoenixThe Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, January 22 to March 21, comprises of 122 ticketed events showcasing rich talent from Canadian and international performing arts and culture. The events come in the form of music, dance, film and theatre to name a few, and promise to deliver something for everyone. Soak up as much as you can!

You will not want to miss the great musicians that will be performing around town. Over the coming days, I will be introducing you to some of my favorites. See a full list of our featured Cultural Olympiad musicians at bottom of the page.

Up first, we have the Parisian indie rock group, Phoenix. Phoenix has four albums out. Their newest, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix received a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album. Their music has been featured in movies such as Where the Wild Things Are and Lost in Translation. Their upbeat tunes are sure to get you on your feet!

Check out Phoenix performing their song 1901 at http://www.myspace.com/wearephoenix.

Phoenix will be performing at The Orpheum at 8:00pm on January 22nd. For tickets, visit ShowTimeTickets.com.

Find out about other great performers in town for the Olympics below.
January 15th Blogpost: Meet Steve Earle
January 18th Blogpost: Meet City and Colour
January 19th Blogpost: Meet Feist
January 20th Blogpost: Meet Stars
January 22nd Blogpost: Meet K’naan
January 25th Blogpost: Meet Gomez

Tegan and Sara Kick off North American Tour

Lacy

0305_tegan_and_sara_b_wbAfter releasing their sixth album, Sainthood, Tegan and Sara kicked off their 2010 North American tour in Vancouver on January 5th. The sister duo played to a sold out crowd at the Orpheum Theatre. With seven dates scheduled, they will continue to play across Canada during the month of January. The tour will continue through the month of April, with the final show taking place at Keller Auditorium in Portland, Oregon on April 8th.

For a full list of dates, check the listings below. Tegan and Sara tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.ca and ShowTimeTickets.com, where we are never sold out. And remember to continue checking back for more information on ticket sales for other upcoming shows.

Canada Tour Dates:

Saskatoon Tegan and Sara Tickets: Jan. 13 – TCU Place, Saskatoon, SK
Winnipeg Tegan and Sara Tickets: Jan. 14 – Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, MB
Winnipeg Tegan and Sara Tickets: Jan. 15 – Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, MB
Montreal Tegan and Sara Tickets: Jan. 18 – Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Montreal, QC
Toronto Tegan and Sara Tickets: Jan. 19 – , Toronto, ON
Toronto Tegan and Sara Tickets: Jan. 20 – Kool Haus, Toronto, ON
Ottawa Tegan and Sara Tickets: Jan. 22 – Bronson Centre, Ottawa, ON
Ottawa Tegan and Sara Tickets: Jan. 23 – Bronson Centre, Ottawa, ON
Halifax Tegan and Sara Tickets: Jan. 27 – Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax, NS

U.S. Tour Dates:

Feb. 12 – Calvin Theatre, Northhampton, MA
Feb. 13 – Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA
Feb. 16 – Tower Theatre, Upper Darby, PA
Feb. 17 – Warner Theatre, Washington, DC
Feb. 18 – The National, Richmond, VA
Feb. 20 – Tampa Theatre, Tampa, FL
Feb. 21 – Sunset Cove Amphitheater, Boca Raton, FL
Feb. 23 – Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
Feb. 24 – Tipitinas, New Orleans, LA
Feb. 25 – The Pallidium Ballroom, Dallas, TX
Feb. 26 – Bass Concert Hall, Austin, TX
Feb.27 – Warehouse, Houston, TX
Mar. 2 – House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV
Mar. 3 – Copley Symphony Hall, San Diego, CA
Mar. 5 – Fox Theatre, Oakland, CA
Mar. 24 – Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
Mar. 26 – Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL
Mar. 28 – Lakewood Civic Auditorium, Lakewood, OH
Mar. 30 – Lifestyles Communities Pavilion, Columbus, OH
Mar. 31 – Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
Apr. 2 – The Pageant, St Louis, MO
Apr. 3 – Uptown Theatre, Kansas City, MO
Apr. 4 – Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
Apr. 6 – , Salt Lake City, UT
Apr. 8 – Keller Auditorium, Portland, OR