The summer-long Brentwood Bay Music in the Park kicks off tonight with a bit of local flavour.
Tonight, Wednesday, July 3, Impossible Bird will take the stage in Pioneer Park in Brentwood. The band features Tyler Carson, born and raised on the Saanich Peninsula and former fiddler with the Carson Kids, and Nick Drummond, former front man and songwriter for the hit Seattle band The Senate.
The rest of the season will feature a handful of entertaining acts, including Tom Richardson who hails all the way from Australia.
“This year we definitely hold the record for most distant musician booked,” said Leslie Gentile from Music in the Park. “He performs July 17,” she added.
Music in the Park is a free, all ages event organized each year by the Brentwood Bay Revitalization Committee. This year the event takes place for seven weeks over the summer — from today, July 3 until Aug. 14.
“Bring a picnic dinner, lawn chairs and a blanket, or you can buy dinner from one of our vendors,” Gentile said, adding that this year they are encouraging locals to ride their bikes or walk to and from the park.
The music gets underway at 6:30 p.m. and ends around 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.brentwoodbay.info.
Music in the Park schedule:
July 10 — Johnny Galactic
Johnny Galactic is a three-piece acoustic rock band from Victoria. Their music style is distinct yet dynamic; a coalescence of the timeless story telling of folk, the sunny strumming of acoustic guitars, the beats of power-pop and the raw energy of rock.
July 17 — Tom Richardson
Richardson has racked up a trophy‐room full of blues awards, mostly from Victoria, Australia! Richardson uses the latest in loop pedal technology to create a wall of sound, overdubbing four part vocal harmonies, complicated percussion grooves and lead and rhythm guitar parts, all live on stage.
July 24 — Bill Johnson Blues Band
Bill Johnson has spent a lifetime immersing himself in the Blues. He’s a master of the form and live, is a blast of majestic Blues power. As of February 2012, Johnson’s most current CD Still Blue has won two Blewzzy Awards and been nominated for one Western Canada Music Award, three Maple Blues Awards and made numerous Best of 2012 music reviews and lists world wide. Most recently, Still Blue was nominated for the 2012 Juno Award for Blues Album of the Year.
July 31 — The O’Briens
Celtic musician Paul O’Brien tours internationally from his Victoria home base. He is now having way too much fun performing with his very talented children, who are now garnering music awards in their own right.
Aug. 7 — Ridley Bent
He’s back! This singer-songwriter is one of Canada’s strongest Roots-country artists. Called “an exceptional lyricist who seems to have an endless cast of oddball characters running around in his head,” by reviewers, this is one you don’t want to miss!
Aug. 14 — Shaky Ground
It’s tradition to close the season with Victoria’s premier party band. Over the past 15 years they’ve entertained over 250,000 guests at virtually every venue in southern Vancouver Island. One for the books!