The Cowichan Performing Arts Centre in Duncan is getting ready to come alive again in September with some big name performers scheduled to take the stage.
First up is comedian Derek Edwards with a show called In Praise of the Ostrich, so you know you’d better get your head out of the sand and book your tickets for Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
“Derek Edwards moseys back into town on horse-drawn comedy wagon; a searing meander down life’s twisting trails, steered effortfully by this 30-year veteran,” says a press release for the show. “He returns with a payload of blissfully funny personal stories — a cacophony of shenanigans — set to tickle the ribs and warm the heart.”
Edwards is a Just For Laughs veteran, winner of Best Standup Comic at the Canadian Comedy Awards, and has been nominated for the Gemini for Best Performance in a Comedy.
Tickets to the show are $55. Get them at cowichanpac.ca, or call 250-746-2722.
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Next up is Corb Lund with his solo acoustic tour on Sunday, Sept. 18.
Lund has won and been nominated for numerous CCMA and JUNO awards. He’s known for tackling cowboy themes while “embracing both his Western heritage and his indie rock past,” says a press release for the show.
His most recent release is Songs My Friends Wrote.
The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $49.50 for regular tickets or $124 for VIP tickets, which are only available by phone (250-746-2722) or in person at the Cowichan Ticket Centre at the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan. VIP tickets include admission, access to a preshow acoustic performance, limited edition tour poster autographed by Lund, a specially designed exclusive merch item and commemorative VIP laminate.
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If great guitar is more your thing, the next night at the Performing Arts Centre see Jesse Cook take the stage with his Tempest II Tour.
On Monday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m., Cook and his band will bring their “unique brand of rhythm and rhumba”, says a press release.
Cook’s made his first album, Tempest, more than 25 years ago.
“Jesse could not imagine that such a humble recording, in which he played all the instruments, would spark into a music legacy with thousands of concerts performed around the world, over two million albums sold, five PBS TV specials, and tens of millions of content views and streams across the internet.”
Tickets for the show are $52. Get them at cowichanpac.ca, or call 250-746-2722.
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If that wasn’t enough, a third big name in music hits the stage the very next night on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
Serena Ryder, described as a “Toronto-based vocal powerhouse” starts her live show at 7:30 p.m
“Serena Ryder is a platinum-selling artist adored by fans, peers and critics alike, in part due to her raw and earnest songwriting, and beautifully electric live performances,” says a press release for the show. She has won seven prestigious JUNO Awards, including the 2022 Adult Contemporary Album of the Year for her recent record The Art of Falling Apart,” along with many other accolades.
“With The Art of Falling Apart, Serena invites listeners to join her mental wellness journey and helps us understand the importance of sitting with the uncomfortable moments and the wisdom in their messages,” the release said. “Over a driving pop sound bursting with irresistible rhythms, pulsing bass lines, and the full range of her powerful and expressive voice, she pulls listeners through her own winding, transformational journey, detailing despair, toxic relationships, and breakdowns alongside hope, joy, and big, big love.”
Tickets to the show are $52. Get them at cowichanpac.ca, or call 250-746-2722.
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Classical music lovers are in luck on Saturday, Sept. 24 when the Victoria Symphony, takes to the big stage with Astronomy Pictures and Music.
Tanya Miller will conduct, with Dr. Jose Francisco Salgado, astronomer and film maker also featured.
“A captivating program that dances along the border between fact and fancy,” is how a press release describes the show. “Guided by an astronomer and filmmaker, Aurora Triptych is a multimedia blend of music, photography, and storytelling that follows the Northern Lights on a far ranging journey from the Sun to Earth’s upper atmosphere. This celestial voyage is complemented by Maestra Miller transporting us to realms of imagination.”
Tickets for the show are $55 for adults and $10 for children.
Get them at cowichanpac.ca, or call 250-746-2722.
You can also subscribe to the entire symphony season and get five shows for $250 ($50 for students and children). Subscriptions are available by phone and in-person at the Ticket Centre in Duncan.
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The month closes out with Abra Cadabra: A Tribute to the Music of Abba on Sept. 28.
“Featuring a live band, powerful vocals, dancers and costumes, this interactive stage show will have you smiling, moving and singing along to hits such as ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Take A Chance’, ‘SOS’, ‘Waterloo’, ‘Fernando’ and ABBA’s brand new song ‘I Still Have Faith in You’,” promises a press release for the show.
The group has been touring for more than 20 years, including shows for royalty and rabble alike.
Tickets are $55, and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.
Get them at cowichanpac.ca, or call 250-746-2722.
