CRITICS’ PICKS
MUSIC
What: Burton Cummings Up Close and Alone Tour When: Saturday and Sunday, 8 p.m. (doors at 7:30) Where: Mary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Avenue, Sidney Tickets: Sold out Why: Fans should take any opportunity to see the former Guess Who frontman in concert. Cummings hasn’t lost a step vocally, and his between-song stories are illuminating. The problem with his upcoming solo tour (which began last night in Campbell River) is not the $160 ticket price — it’s that tickets are all gone. Five sold-out shows on Vancouver Island makes sense, given the enduring popularity of his music. But it doesn’t make the reality any easier to stomach for those left out of the loop. Cummings also performs tonight in Nanaimo at the Port Theatre and Tuesday in Duncan at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre. — Mike Devlin
MUSIC
What: Don Ross with Calum Graham When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (doors at 5:30) Where: Hermann’s Jazz Club Tickets: $35 at the Royal McPherson Box Office, by phone at 250-386-6121 or online at rmts.bc.ca
Why: Finger-picking legend Don Ross is touring a new brave new album, A Million Brazilian Civilians, which counts among its influences an EDM trio (Swedish House Mafia), a Scottish rock band (Biffy Clyro) and an ’80s icon (Janet Jackson). That the recording sounds nothing like the aforementioned groups should tell you something about the unpredictable and irreverent Ross, who is adept at playing everything from lap steel and fretless bass to piano and drums. The Halifax native is bringing along for the ride Alberta-bred, Quebecbased phenom Calum Graham, a rising star who has been scorching hot of late, with many millions of views for his YouTube videos. — MD
MUSIC
What: Tei Shei and Dizzy When: Wednesday, 8 p.m. Where: Capital Ballroom, 858 Yates St. Tickets: $15 at Lyle’s Place and ticketfly.com Why: Tei Shei spent much of her childhood in Bogotá but lived during her formative years in Vancouver. Strange though it might seem, her music sounds like what you would expect from a New York-based singer born of such disparate environments. Her performance at the former Sugar nightclub will be rich with atmosphere, with her elastic voice at the centre of the storm. Crawl Space, her debut album this year, is an electro-pop pastiche of layered vocals, prompting The Guardian to champion the record’s “glacial sultriness.” See her now before she blows up into a performer worthy of a room far bigger than the Capital Ballroom. — MD