CRITIC’S PICKS: TOM PETTY TRIBUTE; DANIEL LAPP PARTY; CLOWN FISH
THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF TOM PETTY
Where: McPherson Playhouse, 3 Centennial Square Sq.
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $58 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or rmts.bc.ca Why: Clayton Bellamy of country-rock act The Road Hammers leads this tribute to American icon Tom Petty, whose collection of hits is among the most beloved in music history. That could make for some difficult terrain when Bellamy dips into Petty’s more tender moments tomorrow night, yet while
Bellamy doesn’t look or necessarily sound like the titular performer, The Legendary Life of Tom Petty is presented as a life-and-times travelogue, with plenty of background and enough video to overcome most obstacles. His was a fascinating life, and to hear about it with soundtrack accompaniment will make for a fine Friday night, indeed.
DANIEL LAPP’S WEST COAST KITCHEN PARTY
Where: Hermann’s Jazz Club, 753 View St.
When: Sunday, 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $40 ($20 for students) through hermannsjazz.com Why: If an event has the word ‘party’ in the title, and boasts Celtic singers, dancers and musicians, Daniel Lapp is most definitely involved. And if Lapp has signed on to be the organizer, for an event that takes place on St. Patrick’s Day, you’d be wise to grab your tickets in advance. The bandleader and master fiddler has a knack for assembling the best of the best, and during his afternoon and evening concerts Sunday at Hermann’s Jazz Club — both of which will sell out — he will deliver on cue. Audiences will be treated to a range of performers and styles, from penny whistler Tasia MacKay and bagpiper Jamie Troy to Mairead O’Brien’s Irish Dancers and the B.C. Fiddle Orchestra. Lapp will be at the centre of it all, which is where his talent shines.
CLOWN FISH
Where: The Belfry Theatre, 1291 Gladstone Ave.
When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 4 p.m., 8 p.m.
Tickets: Pay What You Want, available at 250-385-6815 or online at tickets.belfry.bc.ca Why: Paul Tedeschini is a Vancouver Island producer, musician, sound designer, editor and mastering engineer whose job titles have expanded with Clown Fish. For the purpose of his new one-man audioplay (which The Belfry is staging this week, with direction from acclaimed actor-playwright TJ Dawe), the writer-performer will also handle music, sound design and projections; if nothing else, it will be interesting to witness the full scope of Tedeschini’s talents on display during the early stages of the production.