There is barely time to take a breath from a busy Lethbridge Jazz and Blues festival week. This week not only features several shows and dances for Pride week, but it is Dragon boat weekend over at Henderson Lake park, June 23-25.
This is also the week to welcome back long lost friends.
Darryl Düus, who returned home from B.C. to play several blues festival shows with Papa King, hosts the Slice open mic, June 22 with Taylor Ackerman, who returns from Halifax this week. Ackerman also premieres his new band Global Acid Reset at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, next week, on June 30.
This week though the Owl Acoustic lounge hosts a couple of pride week shows including Victoria pop band Smoke Eaters and Toronto garage rock/pop band Peeling with local band Wint on June 20.
The Owl also host a pride week show featuring Vancouver moody pop band Supermoon and local synth pop band Open Channels, June 21.
The Owl features Megan Brown’s band Makiisma and Dempsey Bolton on June 23.
And if you remember the ’90s and the popular Big Shiny Tunes compilations, local musicians will be performing their favourite Big Shiny Tunes songs at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, June 24.
Club Didi has a pride week open mic on June 21.
Coyote Joes also has their open mic with Dayan Delaney, June 23.
The Slice has a variety of music this week. Local singer songwriter The Cody Hall band are doing double duty on Saturday, June 24 with a 3 p.m. slot at the Dragon boat races and an evening show at the Slice at 9 p.m.
They will be playing with Ontario folk rock duo Artemis in the Summer (Justin Kennelly and Danica Sommer).
The Slice features the Lethbridge debut of long standing ambient indie rock/dream pop/atmospheric/ post punk Hamilton based band Sianspheric, with local acts Grey Scale Manor and Bryan Horvat, Monday, June 26. Sianspheric are touring in support of their new CD Writing the Future in Letters of Fire. Admission is $10 or pay what you can. The show begins at 8 p.m.
The big classic rock show of the week is at Average Joes on Saturday, June 24 with Prism, who play Lethbridge almost every year. they will be playing an array of their hits including “Spaceship Superstar,” “Take Me to the Kaptain,” “ See Forever Eyes,” and “Armageddon,” to name a few. The Bashed Tatties open at 8 p.m. or $25 at the door.
There are a variety of local musicians performing for the Rotary Dragon Boat Festival at Henderson lake Park on the weekend. Local country singer Dusty Dee Litchfield begins the festival at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 23. Local rock band Who’s Yer Daddy follow at 6:30 p.m,and Alyssa McQuaid and Coyote Junction close of Friday night at 8:30 p.m..
The music begins at 11 am. on Saturday with blues band Coda followed by the Rose Ceremony at noon, local rock/ country band Dory and the Weathermen, Hibikaya drummers, local funk rock trio Adequate at 2 p.m., country singer Cody Hall, Chinook high’s Diversified, and Fast Times at 5:30 p.m. Local dance troupes are performing throughout the event.
Sunday begins with E-Free at 11 a.m., followed by Marissa Van , Chinook High School band Rough Around the Edges, Shane Painter and the Chevelles closing things off at 3 p.m. before closing ceremonies at 4 p.m.
The other big event coming up is Shakespeare In the Park’s westernized version of A Comedy of Errors, opening at Galt Gardens, June 29. So get in the mood for Shakespeare with Shakespeare in the park’s annual singing night, June 23 at the Mocha Cabana beginning at 6 p.m.
