Inside Vancouver

Speaking Strings Utter Things – traditional Chinese music vs. improv comedy May 26

by Shawn Conner in Entertainment on May 9, 2013

Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble at their 2012 Transformations concert. Photo courtesy Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble.

Speaking Strings Utter Things combines two facets of Chinese culture – well, one facet of Chinese culture, and a Chinese adaptation of what is arguably a Western art form, improv comedy.

The unorthodox combination should prove to be a fascinating experiment (read: it could go either way) as two improv comics from the Fictionals Comedy Co. join members of the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble on traditional Chinese violins called Hu’s.

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Speaking Strings Utter Things – traditional Chinese music vs. improv comedy May 26

Free parking lot concert May 4 – The New Pornographers!

by Shawn Conner in Entertainment on May 3, 2013

Neko Case with the New Pornographers at Summer Live in Stanley Park, Vancouver, July 9 2011. Photo credit: Anja Weber

However you feel about energy drinks – vital pick-me-up or insidious marketing ploy – their parent companies certainly know a thing or two about promotion. Case in point: Red Bull, perhaps the best known of all the energy drinks, is sponsoring a series of free shows. What better way to get the brand’s name in the minds of its target demographic of music lovers with disposable income? The first in the series of what the brand is calling “the Red Bull Tour Bus Hometown Concerts” is in Vancouver tomorrow, Saturday May 4, in a parking lot at Georgia and Cambie. The band: local (never mind that at least two prominent members live in the U.S.) indie-rock heroes The New Pornographers. Continue reading:
Free parking lot concert May 4 – The New Pornographers!

Six under-the-radar shows for May

by Shawn Conner in Entertainment on April 26, 2013

T. Nile at the Red Room, Vancouver, Oct 18 2012. Photo credit: Christopher Edmonstone

April showers bring May flowers – and some pretty good shows. This May seems particularly heavy in the “veteran singer-songwriter” category, along with some up-and-coming Vancouver talent. Let’s look at some of the music acts that might not have the marquee value of Rihanna but are worth checking out.

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Six under-the-radar shows for May

Record Store Day April 20 – what’s happening at Vancouver record stores

by Shawn Conner in Events on April 15, 2013

The Balconies at Neptoon Records in Vancouver, Oct 20 2012. Photo credit: Robyn Hanson.

Each year, Record Store Day celebrates brick-and-mortar outlets still clinging to the time-honoured but probably doomed business model of selling music as a physical object. Special releases, sales on old and new stock and live bands are usually part of the festivities to help lure in new customers and show appreciation to regulars.

In honour of this year’s Record Store Day on April 20, we’re looking at some of Vancouver’s top music sellers and what they’ve got planned.

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Record Store Day April 20 – what’s happening at Vancouver record stores

10 under-the-radar concerts for April

by Shawn Conner in Entertainment on April 5, 2013

Anna Bulbrook with Airborne Toxic Event at the Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, Oct 28 2009. Photo: Sandra Minarik.

This month, Vancouver benefits by sharing a time zone with Coachella, the annual California music festival. Here are some shows worth checking out, including great international talent as well as some stellar local and Canadian talent as well.

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10 under-the-radar concerts for April