Track Arrows at the Railway / Butter and Egg All Over the Place!

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Lets face it, for a girl who loves yachts, writing, and Vancouver, maintaining a blog about Boating in Vancouver is about as much fun as can be had this side of heaven. I research boats and issues pertaining to them, spend time on beautiful yachts and enjoy great exchanges with people who actually read what I post. As a way to pay it forward  for being able to enjoy this experience, I decided each week I would post details about arts and cultural events that readers may want to attend. Hopefully this provides a bit of useful info to readers and also gives some extra free exposure to local Canadian artists who do so much to add to the quality of life in Vancouver. If you  know of groups or individuals who would benefit from this exposure, please have them send in the details of their performances or events, and (space permitting) I will do what I can to get the word out to readers who may be interested. Whenever possible I try to get out to the events I post about, so if you decide to go, be sure to introduce yourself so that we can connect in person.

 Press releases can be sent to: katrinaboguski@laetareconsulting.com

This Friday (June 15th) The Track Arrows will release their CD “All Kinds of Time” at the Railway Club in Vancouver. I heard these guys play last December and they put on a great show. They will be joined by several other bands so it will be a jam-packed evening at a fun venue in the heart of Vancouver. The Railway Club has been around since 1931 and has hosted many a fine gig in its time; no doubt this will be a great one too.

If you are unable to get out to hear the Track Arrows  in person, you may want to download their CD and support them that way.

And just a little further down the line you, might want to check out these performances by Michael Coury and friends including his local Jazz group Butter and Egg Band. I haven’t quite figured out when these guys sleep; their many upcoming shows include:

• June 21st @ ~7:30pm: Butter and Egg Band Kitsilano Showboat (weather permitting)
• June 24th @ ~8pm:  Butter and Egg Band  (Jazz Fest) @ Ouisi Bistro
• June 28th @ ~8:30pm:  Butter and Egg Band  (Jazz Fest) @ Ouisi Bistro
• June 30th @ ~8:30pm: Mike Coury Trio featuring Caitlin Toom (Jazz Fest) playing standards at @ Ouisi Bistro
• July 1st @ ~7pm: Kitsilano Showboat w/Bob Liley’s Sanctuary All-Stars
• July 3rd @ ~8pm: Jam session @ The Kozmik Zoo
• July 4th @ ~7pm: Bob Liley’s Sanctuary All-stars in Mission
• July 12th @ ~8pm: Butter and Egg Band @ Ouisi Bistro
• July 26th @ ~8pm: Butter and Egg Band @ Ouisi Bistro
• July 28th @ ~8pm: Butter and Egg Band Kitsilano Showboat

To grab some tunes to play on board and support them that way,  you can download their 7 track album online

Redeemer Pacific Chamber Choir Supports Outstanding Performance by Evanko

It is a testament to the power of the human imagination and to the skills of one fine actor that a full house at Holy Rosary Cathedral was transported back  a century and a half to the Hawaiian Island of Molokai to hear the story of Fr. Damien, “Apostle to the Lepers”. The one man play “Damien” received a standing ovation as cassock clad  Fr. Edward Danylo Evanko delivered a captivating performance supported by the Redeemer Pacific Chamber Choir and organist Marc D’Anjou . With a single chair serving as his only prop Evanko took us through the key points in the life of Fr. Damien; the story often included various boats which transported Damien, throughout his life. The ships served as a key means of moving the plot along, first recounting the 5 month voyage that brought the priest from Belgium to the Pacific, then  telling of trips to and from the island, and finally taking his incorrupt body home. The vessel of his body which first withstood the rigors of missionary life, and then succumbed to the horrors of leprosy would lay incorrupt amid the overpopulated shallow graves of Molokai; it was eventually exhumed and returned  to Belgium. Evanko’s performance was so convincing that it seemed that same body stood before us waiting expectantly for its final resurrection.

As Evanko held the attention of the audience, the choir of angelic voices coming from the choir loft did its part to set the scene and sustain the beauty of this production. Amongst other pieces, they sang “How Great Thou Art” and “Dies Irae” which is considered to be one of the most significant hymns of the Medieval Church; Dr. Chris Morrissey’s English translation and the 13^th century Latin version of the hymn were provided in the program so that the audience could join in. The beautifully renovated interior of the cathedral built in 1900 provided the stunning visual and acoustic setting to stage the play.  Scenes which had Damien in “his cathedral” were made particularly real as Evanko delivered his lines from the sanctuary where he himself had been ordained.

Thanks to Pavel Reid of CFS for supplying the ticket to this performance and to Cathedral Rector Fr. Glenn Dion and Dr. Christine Jones (president of Redeemer Pacific College) for bringing this performance to Vancouver. Holy Rosary Cathedral plays host to a number of great concerts throughout the year check back to Boating Vancouver for updates on these performances, or view their website for further details. To find out more about the college or to support the Redeemer Pacific Chamber Choir visit their website at www.redeemerpacific.ca. Under the direction of Anne Loch future performances of this choir will be well worth attending.

9th Annual In the House Festival

If you plan to be in Vancouver on your yacht June 1-3 be sure to check out Vancouver’s own In The House Festival and remember to buy your tickets early as they will no doubt vanish fast. The 9th Annual festival is the brainchild of Vancouver producer Myriam Steinberg who inevitably attracts fine talent due to her own creativity and artistic vision. The In the House Festival will not only introduce you to 20 shows and over 60 acts, it will give you the chance to view them in the intimate setting of 12 private homes and backyards located in Vancouver’s trendy Commercial Drive district.   The talent is diverse so choose the individual performances that suit your taste, or buy a weekend pass and take in the entire experience. The full schedule gives details of each act . Genres range from bluegrass, jazz and Gypsy violin; to dance, spoken word, vaudeville and circus acts. This festival is sure to be a highlight of your trip to Vancouver; it will give you a sense of the cultural diversity which makes this one of best places on earth to live and definitely will give you something to write home about. Locals interested in volunteering can apply on-line or support the festival through purchasing merchandise or by making donations. As an added bonus this year’s festival t-shirt sports a picture of a boat!

Amongst other details found on the website, you will see that the mandate of the festival is to:

1) Increase audience awareness of the immense variety and talent of performers in Vancouver through culturally and stylistically varied acts.

2) Create strong communities by getting home owners to open their homes as venue hosts and bringing together people from both the neighborhood and the rest of the city in the intimate setting of the home.

3) Bring recognition and exposure to artists based in the Lower Mainland in a non-traditional way.

Date: June 1-3, 2012

Time: Box office opens at 5 pm on Friday, June 1 and noon on Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3. The first show is at 7:00 pm on June 1st and 2:00 pm on June 2nd + 3rd.

Address: The box office will be located on Napier and Victoria

Tickets: Single tickets: $15 adults / $10 kids 4-show pass: $50 adults / $30 kids Weekend pass: $95 adults / $75 kids
Tickets are available at Highlife Records (1317 Commercial Dr.) or on-line at http://www.inthehousefestival.com/index.php?article=purchase tickets

Help Assemble “Great Tunes for Boating Play List”

Watching the Beach Boys on Jimmy Fallon the other night it occurred to me that I had never known a summer that didn’t include the Beach Boys; they’ve been around even longer than I have. They were promoting their new album “That’s Why God Made the Radio” which is scheduled for release on June 5^th. Like the rest of their work, it will surely become a classic part of summer; most of their tunes seem to be synonymous with sunny weather, sailing and good times with friends.

For a long time I’ve thought about assembling a “Great Tunes for Boating” play list and The Beach Boys’  “Sloop John B” will no doubt make the cut, along with Harry Belafonte’s “Banana Boat Song (Day O)” and a few other old standards that just seem perfect for boating. It made me wonder what songs readers of Boating Vancouver would include on their “Great Tunes for Boating” play lists. If there is a tune that you crank up each time you start the engine or hoist the sail we would love to know what it is…suggest your favorites so that others can add them to their lists too.

Galley Cook’s Night Off?

If you are stepping off your yacht tonight to pick up some butter and eggs for the galley, why not stop by Ousi’s on Granville  Street in Vancouver where the Butter and Egg band will be playing some of their favourite tunes. The band features vocalist Caitlin Toom, Michael Coury on Trumpet, Will Goede on Saxaphone, Cole Tinney on Piano and Marc Lindy on Tuba. Ousi’s serves Cajun and Creole dishes made with tasty BC ingredients. So if it’s the galley cook’s night off and you are at loss for what to do about it, this might be a good option to pursue. Show starts at 8PM. Reservations are recommended.

Thanks to Michael Coury for letting us know about this event. If any readers have other events or venues that local boaters or maritime visitors might enjoy attending, please drop us a note or leave a comment; remember to follow this blog and share a link with boaters you may know.

Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Members of Vancouver’s yachting community are for the most part a generous and fun loving crowd, therefore it comes as no surprise to me when I run into folks I know from yachting at a variety of interesting events around Vancouver; it also comes as no surprise to learn that many boaters are a active and generous patrons of the arts and higher learning in the city. So to all of those readers who fall into either of those categories, a hearty thank you for all you do to support access to cultural events in the city; and a special thank you to any boaters who might be supportive of the Vancouver Public Library or the VCC Jazz Orchestra. On behalf of everyone in the packed room of jazz lovers who came out to hear the free concert on April 2^nd , “THANK YOU!!!”.

I attended this concert last night and managed to snag one of the last remaining seats; those who came after me had to stand, and whether sitting or standing there was an ample amount of toe tapping and handclapping to indicate that everyone in attendance was having a blast listening to Alan Matheson and his crew as they offered up a hearty performance for us all. The program included songs such as “Rocks in My Bed” by Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael’s “Skylark” and Gershwin’s “I got Rhythm”.   The program was also to include “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,” but that tune had to be skipped in the interest of time. As someone who has spent a fair bit of time between the devil and the deep blue sea, or at least the devil and the local marinas of Vancouver, I was disappointed to realize that this was the song that had to be sacrificed in order to keep the evening on schedule. It’s a great tune and I am certain the VCC Jazz Orchestra would have done wonders with it. My disappointment was tempered by the fact that the rest of the tunes were played, and were played wonderfully.

As I got to the concert just at 7:00 I only caught the tail end of Sue Moor’s appeal to the audience at the beginning of the program where she encouraged people to speak up if they wanted to see programs such as these free concerts continue at the library. So this is me speaking up to say that I for one think these events are a fabulous asset to our city; locals and visitors alike benefit from the enjoyment of great music and from the community that is built around such programs. If you are visiting Vancouver on your yacht you might want to checkout the events page to see what’s going on at our beloved library; the building itself is worth a visit if you are at all into architecture. It is also a good place to meet the locals of this town including many boaters. The Library’s ample assortment of books on cruising, boat buying and maintenance are always treasured resources for any current or would be boat owner in the city.

To Alan Matheson and crew: “We want you back!” We want to know all about your next several performances and we want to support this wonderful Jazz Orchestra that has attracted and cultivated the talents of so many great performers.  A special shout out to Alison Gorman, Marlena Kurek, Caitlin Toom, Cary McCaffrey and Michael Coury who added so much to the performance. As a special request I’m asking you to include “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” at the next performance I attend.