3745 replies to this topic

[Matt R.]

I won’t be attending this year, but the popular and well organized Sommo music + food festival in Cavendish, PEI has announced their side stage lineup for 2026, featuring your favourite elbows up band, Down With Webster. I guess Carney made these folks somewhat relevant again, if they ever were.

Ok, I googled them, turns out they have been nominated and even won quite a few awards.

[Victoria Watcher]

42 years ago this week, here’s what was playing on MTV.

 

https://x.com/ThatEr...4365752/photo/1

 

[Matt R.]

Quick rip over to sunny and overlooked Nanaimo yesterday for an appointment which required an overnight stay, so booked into the Quality Inn on Selby, whatever part of Nanaimo that’s in. South ish.

In search of alternate dinner recommendations I messaged a pal who mentioned a show at a bar he was attending. He knew I was solo so I took it as an invite. After taking care of business I wandered over to the Terminal Bar and paid the cover. Pretty dive-y, but the sound was good so I pulled up a seat and stayed a while.

Boy oh boy, I have not attended a punk show like that in a long, long time. Happy to report that the audience, and indeed many of the band members were well into their 40’s and beyond. A few local youths in attendance but I guess when I was going to punk shows in my early 20’s there were always a lot of old heads around too.

Triple bill of Nanaimo’s own Bad People, a power trio paying tribute to The Cramps, and a wild performance from Daddy Issues featuring Betty Blood - an absolutely crazy thing to see, cops checking it out as well, and last but not least Danezig, a Danzig cover band that definitely does not take themselves too seriously but also do a great job. These guys are in Victoria, fronted by local artist and wrestler Dane Loucks. If you were ever a fan of his or the Misfits etc, go check them out. They seem to play pretty regularly in small venues like Wheelies.

[Mike K.]

Dane and I were friends back in high school! He’s a good guy.

Thanks for the write-up, Matt.

How was the hotel?

[Matt R.]

Oh for real? Quite the performance on his part. At one point Bloody Betty came back up on stage and pulled a knife and carved into his forehead and chest. My assumption was that it was fake, but it sure wasn’t. I got his attention at the end as I wanted a tshirt and we chatted a couple of minutes, very soft spoken and polite haha.

He’s sounds more like Danzig than Danzig does, and I’m a huge fan from that era.

The hotel was very nice 3 star, seemed like an odd location in a residential area but a five minute walk down the hill and you are into a commercial district of some sort. Front desk staff were very helpful, room was spacious, clean and comfortable. Parking was included and easy. Onsite restaurant “the Breakfast Nook” was very good and very busy on a Sunday around checkout time, go figure. $130 plus taxes. If I need to stay in Nanaimo again I’ll book there.

Not sure why I always give Nanaimo a miss. Whenever I end up there I always have a good time.

[Mike K.]

Dane wasn’t into playing music in high school, that came much later. He picked it up and I guess he was a natural!

[Matt R.]

Mike, I am not sure how familiar you are with Danzig but musicality isn’t a huge concern. He does have a good singing voice and can do the blues-y sort of snarl Glenn does. I was quite intrigued to hear he is a wrestler!

[Mike K.]

A good musician makes the music sound easy to play!

[Matt R.]

Your pal and mine, Dallas Green, is playing a limited run of solo City & Colour shows this spring, stopping for two nights in Victoria to sell out the Royal x2.

Presale is on now, code is USEDTOBE.

https://www.rmts.bc....p&came_from=700

Edited by Matt R., 24 March 2026 - 09:11 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Chance the Rapper, Modest Mouse to headline Phillips Backyard music festival

https://cheknews.ca/...stival-1313460/

[Matt R.]

A good musician makes the music sound easy to play!

Oh! I did not intend to imply they weren’t good musicians, they certainly are! But with Danzig, the schtick is a big part of the show. It’s like going to see Ghost.

[Matt R.]

Chance the Rapper, Modest Mouse to headline Phillips Backyard music festival
https://cheknews.ca/...stival-1313460/

Local faves Jon and Roy, too!

[Victoria Watcher]

The Weeknd (5 nominations)

Tate McRae (6)

Bieber (6)

 

 

...... will all skip the Junos this weekend.

 

In 4 categories, all three of them are nominated.

[Victoria Watcher]

Royal Theatre:

 

 

Michael Jackson - May 25th - very close to sold out, $78 - LINK

 

See the famous music videos come to life, and hear all the hits performed live, including Thriller, Billie Jean, Smooth Criminal, Bad, Beat It, ABC, Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough, Human Nature, PYT, They Don’t Really Care About Us and many more.

Garth Field is electrifying in his role as Jackson, accompanied by a live band, choreographed dancers, authentic costumes, state-of-the-art sound and theatrical lighting, vision and effects. 

 

Taylor Swift - June 3 - $58 - lots of seats left - LINK

 

Showtime presents Josette with international band and dancers in this joyous, effervescent concert experience, complete with sparkly costumes, cosmic stage production and over 20 exquisite renditions of Taylor’s biggest hits from every era of her career, including Shake It Off, Anti-Hero, Cruel Summer, You Belong With Me, Love Story, I Knew You Were Trouble, Blank Space, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, Bad Blood, Our Song, Lover and more.

 

Prince - June 4 - $49 to $78 - a very large number of seats left - LINK

 

Dedicated live performances from talented multi-instrumentalist Dale Ray on vocals, guitar and piano, are a fitting commemoration in this world-class production that evokes the wondrous and quixotic realm of Prince - his music, his art, his vision. 

Expect a sensory spectacular created with a world-class 8-piece band, bespoke costuming and production, and a raft of iconic songs – Purple Rain, When Doves Cry, Kiss, 1999, Little Red Corvette, Raspberry Beret, Diamonds and Pearls, Cream, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, Let’s Go Crazy! and more.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 28 March 2026 - 01:42 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

The Weeknd (5 nominations)

Tate McRae (6)

Bieber (6)

 

 

...... will all skip the Junos this weekend.

 

In 4 categories, all three of them are nominated.

 

 

Musicians with ties to Vancouver Island took home a pair of awards at Saturday's Juno Awards.

 

Cameron Whitcomb of Nanaimo took home country album of the year for "The Hard Way" at his first Junos, while former Victoria resident Alex Cuba's “Índole” nabbed the inaugural award for Latin music recording of the year.

 

Neither Whitcomb nor Cuba were on hand to accept their trophies.

 

https://www.timescol...awards-12071940

[Blair M.]

Well, RUSH is back, and CBC actually turned the YouTube "comments" on for a change.

Featuring newest band member, and perhaps the most technically proficient drummer in the world right now, Anika Niles.

 

https://www.youtube....0&start_radio=1

 

After Neils passing, the guys said they'd likely never play again as a band - but then they met Anika - she doesn't replace Neil, she honours his memory by maintaining the excellence on percussion that he represented. 

 

I'll m make my prediction now (perhaps it's just wishful thinking, but I'll call it a prediction),

Because Victoria featured prominently in the formative days of RUSH, with multiple concerts in the old Barn back in a day when not that many people knew who they were - I will predict that, once they've mega-toured the world to sold out arenas, they will conclude their tour with a set of smaller shows across Canada, with the very last stop being Victoria. 

Edited by Blair M., 29 March 2026 - 06:57 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

 

 

https://x.com/ryange...460377034359058

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 30 March 2026 - 01:17 AM.

[Blair M.]

They do ASL for the deaf at lots of live concerts, including ones like Lollapalooza https://www.tiktok.c...613772406115639

 

It's nothing remotely new, and only those who aren't deaf (but apparently incredibly insecure) would have any sort of issue with it.

 

Considering that ASL broadcasts are intended only for the deaf, and further considering that you have to access CBC-ASL services quite specifically (they have nothing to do with the CBC main feed), why would anybody even care?

[Mike K.]

The Americans are starting to get really worked up over their coverage of Canada, lately. Lots of alarmism and misrepresentation going on.

They have major social problems with ICE right now that makes their cities look like nut houses, so the pundits are deflecting, I guess.

[lanforod]

It’s actually far more common to see it in the US than in Canada too. The American accessibility act has waaaay more teeth than any Canadian laws and a request for ASL is generally taken seriously and provided at no cost to the clients.