Inside Vancouver

Juno Award winner tops francophone bill at this year’s Festival d’été

by Shawn Conner in Events on June 13, 2018

Daniel Bélanger plays songs from his 2017 album Paloma, as well as some of his francophone hits at this year’s Festival d’ete.

This year’s winner of the Juno Award for Francophone Album of the Year headlines the annual Festival d’été (June 14-23). Now in its 29th year, the Vancouver festival is an inclusive event that welcomes anglos, francophones and anyone else who wants to experience the cultural diversity of la belle province, and French talent from across the nation.

This year’s Summer Festival features not only Juno winner Daniel Bélanger but also a fellow nominee for Francophone Album of the Year, Patrice Michaud, and several other local and national artists. See below for a rundown of this year’s guests. All shows are at Studio 16 (1551 W. 7th Ave.) unless otherwise noted.

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Juno Award winner tops francophone bill at this year’s Festival d’été

Musicians from all over the world explore Chinese music at Sound of Dragon Festival

by Shawn Conner in Events on March 28, 2018

21 Strings Plus perform at this year’s Sound of Dragon Festival.

Local and national artists mix it up with guests from Taiwan and China in the 3rd Sound of Dragon Music Festival.

Featuring innovative music collaborations, the biennial festival celebrates diverse music with Chinese roots or influences. It is Vancouver’s first festival devoted to Chinese music, and showcases diverse musical styles, from ancient folk to contemporary compositions, as well as jazz, world, fusion, and avant-garde improvisation in solo, chamber, and orchestral performances.

This year’s edition features four evening concerts at the Annex Theatre (823 Seymour St.) and the Roundhouse Community Centre ((181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver), as well as free workshops at SFU Harbour Centre and the Roundhouse.

Find out more about the performers below.

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Musicians from all over the world explore Chinese music at Sound of Dragon Festival

Billboard’s #1 hip-hop act headlines inaugural outdoor festival in Vancouver

by Shawn Conner in Events on February 6, 2018

Migos, which has become the fifth hip-hop act with more than two #1 albums, headlines a new music festival in Vancouver in June.

Migos and Tory Lanez top a bill that includes some of today’s hottest hip-hop artists at this spring’s Breakout Festival. The inaugural edition takes place June 9 and 10 at the PNE Amphitheatre.

The outdoor hip-hop and R&B event also features 6lack, Lil Pump, A-Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Ski Mask the Slump God, Ybn Nahmir, Kodie Shane, Pressa, Wondagurl, Brevner, Manila Grey, Illyminiachi, Mcevoy Withinroots, Acdatyoungn****, Daamcp, and 2hunnit. Below is a look at some of the artists.

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Billboard’s #1 hip-hop act headlines inaugural outdoor festival in Vancouver

Quiet please? An army of electric guitars at the library, and more with World New Music Days 2017.

by Shawn Conner in Events on October 19, 2017

The Bozzini Quartet performs as part of ISCM2017.

ISCM World New Music Days is the world’s foremost festival of new music. This year, Vancouver is hosting the annual event, which is overseen by the International Society of Contemporary Music.

ISCM2017 features over 30 new music events, over 135 composers, and music from 50 countries. From Nov. 2-8, at various venues in Vancouver, music lovers will have a chance to see what’s new and what’s next in the worlds of new and neo-classical music. The seven-day celebration promises to provoke, excite, and engage audiences long after the final note has sounded.

Besides the concerts, ISCM World New Music Days is also hosting special events including a series of talks, a festival hub and streaming video. Here are some highlights.

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Quiet please? An army of electric guitars at the library, and more with World New Music Days 2017.

Who’s who at this weekend’s Asian pop music festival

by Shawn Conner in Events on September 13, 2017

South Korean pop star Kim Tae-yeon plays the Albatross Music Festival this weekend at Hastings Racecourse.

Albatross Music Festival is a two-day outdoor music festival happening this weekend (Sept 14-15) at Hastings Racecourse. What’s unusual about this music festival—which happens the same weekend as the Westward Music Festival—is the lineup, which is predominantly Asian.

The musicians come from as far away as the Philippines, Hong Kong and South Korea, and as near as Vancouver and Surrey, B.C. Genres run the gamut from hip-hop to K-pop to traditional Mongolian music. For more info, including the complete lineup and ticket info, visit the Albatross Music Festival Facebook page.

In the meantime, here’s a brief rundown of some of the acts coming to Hastings Racecourse (188 N. Renfrew St.) this weekend.

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Who’s who at this weekend’s Asian pop music festival

Five acts to catch at this year’s Westward Music Festival

by Shawn Conner in Events on August 23, 2017

Toronto’s Charlotte Day Wilson is a buzzed-about artist coming to Vancouver for the Westward Music Festival.

Vancouver hasn’t had its own music multi-venue, multi-genre music festival since the late lamented Music West went under shortly around the turn of the century. (Music Waste has tried to fill the gap, but the event is focussed on local punk and underground acts.)

This year’s Westward Music Festival will attempt to fill that void. From Sept 14-17, the four-day event populates various venues with 15 live music events, including acts from all over North America. The shows all take place within a 2.5 km radius of one another at locations such as the Vogue Theatre (open to all ages), the Biltmore Cabaret, The Imperial Theatre and Fox Cabaret. (Note: sets originally scheduled for a two-day outdoor event at Red Truck Brewery have been moved to the Vogue and Venue.)

Headliners include Vince Staples, A Tribe Called Red, and Gov’t Mule. Here’s a look at five of the undercard players.

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Five acts to catch at this year’s Westward Music Festival

Talent from near and far puts the squeeze on Vancouver at this year’s Accordion Noir Festival

by Shawn Conner in Uncategorized on August 17, 2017

Russian ethno-rock quartet Iva Nova plays this year’s Accordion Noir Festival in Vancouver.

In the not-your-baba’s-accordion-festival department, the Accordion Noir Festival is back with more fun-filled squeezebox adventures.

This year’s lineup includes talent from as far away as Finland Russia, as well as an accordion fixer from Montreal. The event takes place Sept. 7-10 at various venues around town, with the four evenings arranged by theme. These include Accordion Drink-o-Bingo (Sept. 7), Accordion Alchemy parts I & II (Sept. 8), Accordion Community Day (Sept. 9, the same night as an album release party from local accordion sensation Geoff Berner), and Underdog Instrument Grudge Match: The Millennial Edition (Sept. 10).

Here’s some more of what to expect.

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Talent from near and far puts the squeeze on Vancouver at this year’s Accordion Noir Festival