If you have not experienced Fado music, you are missing out. What is Fado? Wikipedia describes it as “a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor, and infused with a sentiment of resignation, fatefulness and melancholia.” We can tell you it is passionate, emotional and relatable. This month and next you have the chance to experience it firsthand. Elaine Ávila, an acclaimed Portuguese-Canadian playwright, brings her play new FADO to the stage at the Firehall Arts Centre. The production “is a tale of love and ghosts set in the back alleys and brothels of old Lisbon. Part concert, part theatre, the story of a young woman confronting her country’s Fascist past and her own identity is interwoven with the heartbreaking national music of Portugal known as Fado, which means “fate.” For tickets to this beautiful production, visit Firehall Arts Centre. For a taste of Fado music, we invite you check out Amalia Rodrigues singing Abandono.
Fado: The Saddest Music In The World At The Firehall Arts Centre November 21 to December 14, 2019
6 Nov
Artful Sundays Return To The Napier Greenway August 11th to September 1st
24 Jul
Artful Sundays return to the Napier Greenway this summer. If you aren’t familiar with this event, it is weekly outdoor visual art market which happens over 4 Sundays in the Napier Greenway. It happens in a great community space by the Britannia Community Centre located at Commercial Drive & Napier Street. The first event kicks off Sunday, August 11th from Noon to 5:00 pm and for the next 3 Sundays following. We do know that a couple of personal favourites artisans will be at the August 11th event, BagItUpBy Kate to help you reduce plastic use while shopping and Perching Art Clay with some stunning pieces of jewellery. Each Artful Sunday brings a variety of local artists, workshops, artist demonstrations, live music and more. Lots to do and see and it’s free to wander and take in the art that surrounds us. The event takes place in the Napier Greenway at Napier Street & Commercial Drive from Noon – 5:00 pm each Sunday from August 11th to September 1st.
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Vancouver Greek Summerfest July 4th to July 14th, 2019
2 Jul
The Vancouver Greek Summerfest is back for its 33rd consecutive year at the edge of East Van, 4541 Boundary Road. Vancouver Greek Summerfest kicks off Thursday, July 4th and runs till July 14th. This is a free fun community event with great Greek food including BBQ Lamb, Loukoumade, souvalaki, gyros and more available for purchase. The event features dozen of live singers and dancers on the Performance Stage including belly dancing, folk dancing and Serbian dancing. Organizers also have a great music line up including performances by bands Zougla, Urban Myth, Asi Somos, Dolphin Jazz and legendary Blues musician Jim Byrnes. If you love George Michael, you may wish to mark July 6th on your calendar, Gotta B George Michael will be performing that day kicking off the fun at 7:30 pm. When there are not live performances, a DJ will be spinning tunes. The event takes place in the parking lot behind the Greek Orthodox Community Church of East Vancouver at 4541 Boundary Road which is located on the border of Vancouver and Burnaby. If you are coming from Vancouver, the intersection is 29th Avenue. If you are coming from Burnaby, it is Moscrop. The event is free to attend. Note, as there is food and lots of moving bodies, pets are not permitted. During the week, Monday to Wednesday, activities take place from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm and from Thursday to Sunday, things go from Noon to 11:00 pm. To learn more about the event, what’s available for food or which musician is playing on which date, check out Greek SummerFest. Opa! Live and eat like a Greek for a day.
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Car Free Day On Commercial Drive Sunday July 7th
26 Jun
You are invited to another great street party on The Drive. On Sunday, July 7th Car Free Day happens from Noon to 7:00 pm. The event stretches 15 blocks along Commercial Drive between Venables and The Grandview Cut. Car Free Day will feature activities for all ages, great food, entertainment, local artisans and advocacy for car free and green spaces. This is a free family friendly event which is very accessible by bus, Skytrain and cycling all of which are encouraged.
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Tiki Nights At Odd Society Spirits July 4th & August 1st
24 Jun
Summer is officially here and should you feel like you need a bit of a tropical vibe in your life, you may wish to mark a couple dates on your calendar. Local distiller, Odd Society Spirits, 1725 Powell Street, is hosting Tiki Nights this summer on Thursday, July 4th and Thursday, August 1st. You are invited to join them for a BBQ, music and refreshing Tiki drinks made by Barman Chad Rivard. We hear some special Tiki recipes will be available using their spirits. No ticket purchase required, just put on your best tropical dress or Hawaiian shirt and come down between 6:00 pm and 11:00 pm to take a little break from the everyday that’s not very far away.
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Trout Lake Outdoor Summer Concert Series Returns July 3rd
17 Jun
The Trout Lake Outdoor Summer Concert Series is back for another year starting Wednesday, July 3, 2019. If you have not checked out this great free summer event, you are missing out on the perfect summer evening. This annual event is hosted by the Trout Lake Community Center at 3360 Victoria Drive. Concerts happen every Wednesday evening throughout the summer rain or shine. If it rains, concerts go indoors to the Grandview Room. We’ve had the opportunity to take in some of the concerts on a nice summer evening and we have to say, it is a pretty perfect way to spend an evening. Bring a blanket, your friends, family, kids or the dog or all of the above and a picnic and you are set. If you aren’t able to organize a picnic, you can grab some food at the Carousel Café. We have set out the musical line up for this summer below. Each evening kicks off at 6:30 pm. By the way, dancing is encouraged.
For those that love the lantern processions around Trout Lake, take note. On th
e very last concert of the summer, August 28th, there will be an opportunity to make lanterns from 6:00 pm to 8:15 pm after which there will be a lantern procession along with performers and musicians around Trout Lake at dusk (8:30 pm). Keep an eye out for the Lantern Tent to make yours that evening, or bring your own creation from home.
July 3
SANCTUARY ALL STARS
A 17 piece big swing jazz band led by Bob Liley.
July 10
EAST VAN CHOIR
July 17
YOUTH EAST VAN MARIMBA ALL STARS
July 24
BLACKTHORN CELTIC BAND
July 31
CHAR HUNTER AND GEORGE FAULKNER
AUGUST 7
KATHARA SOCIETY
AUGUST 14
NORINE BRAUN WITH BAND
AUGUST 21
SODA CRACKERS
Vintage country, jazz and roots music.
AUGUST 28
CHECO TOHOMASO & Gospel Choir
Motown music.
Note: Performances are subject to last minute changes.
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Did You Miss Vancouver Craft Beer Week? Nicole Alivojvodic Runs Down What You Missed
12 Jun
Kicking off on the last weekend of May every year, Vancouver Craft Beer Week (VCBW) is a 10-day celebration of craft beer, culminating at the historic PNE fairgrounds for a massive festival. Now celebrating its 10th year, VCBW festival saw thousands of craft beer and cider enthusiasts from all over the Lower Mainland and beyond this past weekend. This is a huge leap from the first festival, which started at a small venue hosting about 100 beer aficionados and 15 breweries. Over the past 9 years, it has evolved from Canada’s first-ever craft beer week into a multi award-winning cultural engine that showcases music, food, art, and craft beer at events across the city.
Not a beer drinker? You might want to consider becoming one. With brews like Fuggles & Warlock’s “The Last Mango Witbier” and the “Wide Mouth Watermelon Wheat Ale” courtesy of Foamers’ Folly (my two personal favourites) you might as well be drinking boozy fruit juice while lounging on the grass listening to live music. Beer connoisseur? Choose from more than 300 brews from 100+ breweries and cideries. With so much choice, you’re sure to find something new. And let’s not forget about the food. There were more than 15 food trucks throughout the festival grounds ready to satisfy any craving, be it mac n’ cheese, Triple O’s, or traditional pierogies. I have to say I was nearly as excited about getting a Bandidas burrito as I was to taste the beers.
If you haven’t yet attended the Vancouver Craft Beer Week Festival, mark you calendars for next year because this is the perfect way to kick off summer in Vancouver.
By Contributing Writer Nicole Alivojvodic
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Italian Market At The Italian Cultural Centre Friday June 14th
4 Jun
The Italian Cultural Centre invites you to their outdoor Italian Market happening for one evening only this summer Friday, June 14th from 4:30 to 9:30 pm. This market as you might expect has a very distinct Italian feel with Italian food products available offering olive oil, balsamic vinegars, pasta, tomato sauces and more. There will over 30 vendors on hand including local artisan with handmade items. Their will also be live music and we suspect some food trucks in case you get hungry.
Also on site will be Hives For Humanity with a Hive Tours. This is a hands-on workshop which is an introduction to urban beekeeping. The 30-minute tour is open to all ages veils and equipment will be provided, but wearing light colour long sleeves and pants with closed toed shoes are required. Cost is $15 and there are 2 time slots available at 5:30 pm and 6:15 pm. A jar of locally made honey is included. To purchase your ticket for the Hives Tour, visit Hive Tour.
Lots of free parking will be available at the Italian Cultural Centre and the site is close to the Renfrew Skytrain Station for those coming by transit. If you are interested in being a vendor, contact Benedetta at benedetta@iccvancouver.ca.
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What’s On East Van: May 31st Edition
31 May
Our weekly feature What’s On East Van sets out some cool events for the upcoming weekend. Beyond the weekend, we invite you to check out our Event Listing which is updated daily and features events for the month and beyond.
Storytelling With Drag Queens – Café Deux Soleils – May 31st
You are invited for an evening of sexy readings about love this Friday night at Café Deux Soleils when they host Storytelling with Drag Queens. Entertaining and fun is what we expect this night to be. Fun kicks off at 8:00 pm. Admission is by donation.
Custom Cocktail Class – Everything Wine Vancouver – May 31st
Want to learn how to make some top notch cocktails? This Friday night, Everything Wine Vancouver in the new River District is hosting a class using Roots & Wings Distillery line up. You will learn how to make an Old Fashioned, Gin Sour, Whiskey Sour, Last Word, Dark Angel, Vodka Martini. Cost is $25. Class gets under way at 6:30 pm.
Ritchie’s Bakery Pop Up Les Amis Du Fromage (East Van) – June 1st
Ritchie’s Bakery celebrates it’s 1st birthday ‘popping up’ at les amis du fromage’s East Van location 843 East Hastings Street from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm or until they sell out.
Container & Small Space Gardening – Trout Lake Community Centre – June 1st
Want to do some gardening but don’t have oodles of space, maybe just your balcony? Trout Lake Community Centre is offering a new program this Saturday ‘Balcony, Container & Small Space Gardening’ from 2:00pm – 4:00 pm.
Historical Walk Cedar Cottage – Trout Lake Community Centre – June 1st
If you didn’t already know Cedar Cottage is rich with Vancouver history. This Saturday, local historian Peter Finch, will take you on a Historical Walk and learn about the Lakeview Disaster, Vancouver’s first transit accident, forgotten street names along with local folklore. Cost is $2. Meeting spot is the Lobby of the Trout Lake Community Centre. Walk runs from Noon to 1:00 pm.
rEvolver Festival – The Cultch – Until June 2nd
It’s the last weekend to catch The rEvolver Festival on at The Cultch, 1895 Venables Street. The festival that brings a wide variety of contemporary theatre from emerging companies and artists wraps up Sunday. To see the full line up and for tickets, visit The Cultch.
The Plant Market – The Garden Strathcona – June 1st & 2nd
If you are looking for plants or plant based items, The Garden in Strathcona has an upstairs studio with a Plant Market happening this Saturday & Sunday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Plants will be available along with plant based skin care products, flowers by some local florists, handmade ceramics and woven textiles and fiberglass planters. The Garden is located at 868 East Hastings St. in Strathcona.
Landscape & Planting Party – Lord Selkirk Elementary School – June 2nd
If you love gardening and/or beautifying the streets of East Van, then you may wish to come out and join the All Ages Landscaping & Planting Party this Sunday, June 2nd. The location is the roadside garden in front of Lord Selkirk Elementary School, 22nd Avenue and Commercial Street from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. All experience levels welcome whether you have 10 minutes or a few hours to help. All hands welcome. If you want more info, email t_scaman@yahoo.com.
Carrot Cake Ice Cream Sandwiches – Earnest Ice Cream (Frances St.)
Love carrot cake? Love ice cream? If you answered yes to both, we recommend heading down to Earnest Ice Cream’s Frances Street location (1485 Frances Street) for a Caramel Carrot Cake Ice Cream Sandwich. How amazing does this sound?! This location is open daily Noon to 10:00 pm. Get your fix while they are available.
LIVE MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT & COMEDY
Looking for more live music, did you know The Heatley in Strathcona regularly features live music? Every Sunday they offer bluegrass music with brunch 11 am – 3 pm.
Also 7 days a week, you will find live music at the Libra Room on The Drive. Tangent Café hosts live jazz Sunday nights from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Saturday, Pat’s Pub has live jazz Saturday afternoons from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm, no cover.
Looking to shop local? Be sure to check out one of the farmer markets happening this weekend. Saturday is Riley Park Farmers Market at 30th & Ontario from 10 am – 2 pm and Trout Lake Farmers Market from 9 am – 2 pm at John Hendry Park. Sunday, Mount Pleasant Farmers Market is back in Dude Chilling Park from 10:00 am – 2 pm. To see more of What’s On in East Vancouver, check our Event Listing. We also have a separate listing of Free Events for those on a budget and in Vancouver, who isn’t.
Image Credit: June Hunter
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34th Annual TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival Hits The Imperial June 21st to July 1st
27 May
Coastal Jazz & Blues Society announced the Imperial Series performances taking place at The Imperial, 319 Main Street, during the 2019 TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival which runs this summer from Friday, June 21st to Monday, July 1st. There is an amazing line up of talent coming to Vancouver. We’ve run listed the artists coming to The Imperial. If you wish to see the full list of performances during the festival including free ones, visit TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival.
The Comet Is Coming June 21 • The Imperial @ 9pm • $28
“Powered by Arkestral cosmic forces, The Comet Is Coming. Brace for impact”—The Guardian. Debuting music from their Impulse! Records release, The Comet is Coming is the soundtrack to an imagined apocalypse. In the aftermath of widespread sonic destruction, what sounds remain? Who will lead the survivors to new sound worlds? Who will chart the new frontier? In a London warehouse circa 2013, three musical cosmonauts built a vessel powerful enough to transport any party into outer space. It’s after the end of the world, the stage is a spacecraft, and the mic is an accelerator — brace yourself for The Comet is Coming, featuring King Shabaka saxophone, Danalogue keyboards, Betamax Ohm drums.
Jonathan Wilson (with guest Ben Rogers) June 22 • The Imperial @ 9pm • $35
Jonathan Wilson has had a busy couple of years, producing Father John Misty’s Grammy- nominated Pure Comedy, touring the globe as a guitarist and vocalist for Pink Floyd legend Roger Waters, and releasing his sublime new album, Rare Birds. “Dizzying in ambition, dazzling in execution” (All Music), it diverges from his 70s-Laurel Canyon-inflected work and takes cues from the high density 80s British production of early Peter Gabriel and mid- career Kate Bush. Regardless of what era his influences come from, Wilson’s richly detailed and sprawling music hits like an emotional tidal wave. “He’s an utterly original and irreverent thinker who’s evolving with blinding speed” (NPR).
The Suffers June 24 • The Imperial @ 9pm • $28
“The sort of neo-retro group you never knew music was so badly missing” (Spin Magazine), eight-piece wonder-band The Suffers are a fired-up, contemporary version of the great R&B/funk bands of ‘70s and ‘80s like Earth, Wind & Fire, Rufus, and Kool & The Gang. Coming in hot out of Houston, Texas, The Suffers pack elements of reggae, jazz, salsa, rock, and hip hop into their trademark Gulf Coast soul. Brimming with contagious grooves, combustible energy and Kam Franklin’s powerhouse voice, this is “soul, straight from horn to heart” (NPR).
Makaya McCraven (with guests Eli Davidovici’s Shapes) June 26 • The Imperial @ 9pm • $28
“Jazz is dance music again.”—Rolling Stone Makaya McCraven is a beat scientist. The bleeding edge drummer, composer, producer, and sonic collagist is one of Chicago’s savviest cultural players and a multi-talented force whose inventive process and intuitive, cinematic style defies categorization. Blurring the boundaries of jazz and electronic music, his “hypnotic, wholly new and radically communal” (Pitchfork) Universal Beings—featuring collaborations with Shabaka Hutchings, Tomeka Reid, Jeff Parker, and other greats—made “’Best Jazz Albums of 2018” lists in the New York Times, Billboard, NPR, The Guardian, Pitchfork, and more.
Thus Owls, Jo Passed, and Unnatural Ways featuring Ava Mendoza June 27 • The Imperial @ 9pm • $25
Blending artful chamber pop with “swirling, forceful and textured modern rock” (Wall Street Journal), Montreal’s ever-morphing, Polaris Prize-nominated Thus Owls’ “mystical and enchanting” (Huffington Post) sound finds Simon Angell’s charismatic guitar meeting the urgency of Erika Angell’s voice, stretching their already unusual indie-pop/avant-jazz compositions into new and surprising shapes. With Samuel Joly drums.
What would happen if Lennon and McCartney somehow got really into Sonic Youth, Neu!, and XTC? Vancouver’s Jo Passed have a pretty good idea. With a knack for dreamy melodies, chord progressions that sound like they’re from a land far, far away, and philosophical lyrics with counterculture bite, Jo Passed is “rich in bombast and noise on the one hand and clever musicality on the other” (Under The Radar).
Ava Mendoza is “a wizard on a semi-circle of effects pedals, but equally adept with FX-less technique” (NPR). The Brooklyn-based experimental guitarist/vocalist/composer has collaborated with Carla Bozulich, Nels Cline, Mike Watt, Matana Roberts, the Violent Femmes, and more. She brings next-level shredding and waves of jagged visceral expression to the heavily deconstructed jazz, metal, blues, and post-punk of her trio Unnatural Ways, with Tim Dahl (Lydia Lunch Retrovirus, Child Abuse) bass and Ches Smith (Marc Ribot, John Zorn, Secret Chiefs 3) drums.
Anteloper, Ilhan Ersahin’s Istanbul Sessions, and Gordon Grdina’s Haram June 29 • The Imperial @ 9pm • $25
“What if tribal music was from space?”—TinyMixTapes Anteloper is trumpeter Jaimie Branch (“Fly or Die”) and drummer Jason Nazary (Little Women), two musicians who have been collaborating with each other for years, both playing their chosen instrument plus synthesizer. With deep rhythmic passages, telepathic improvisations, and effortless melodic negotiations, Anteloper bounds freely over the grassy plains of jazz, electro, and free music.
New York-based Swedish/Turkish saxophonist, impresario and general scene-maker Ilhan Ersahin’s exploration of his Turkish roots began in the ‘90s and continues to this day with this Istanbul-based creative take on dance music. Eschewing electronics, this super funky band gets people up and dancing with “real playing.” With Alp Ersonmez bass, Turgut alp Dekoglu drums, Izzet Kizil percussion.
“The music’s backbone is traditional, but wild outbursts of free improvisation and subtle injections of noise make it quite unlike anything you’d hear in the shisha dens of Cairo or Baghdad,”—Georgia Straight. A phenomenal culture-mashing juggernaut led by JUNO Award winner Gordon Grdina on Iraqi oud, Haram pays homage to traditional Arabic music while mixing elements of noise, electronic soundscape, and western free improv into their explosively self-expressive sound. With creative heavy-hitters JP Carter trumpet, Jesse Zubot violin, Kenton Loewen drums, Tommy Babin bass, Emad Armoush vocals, François Houle clarinet, Chris Kelly saxophone, Tim Gerwing, and Liam MacDonald percussion.
Jacob Collier June 30 • The Imperial @ 9pm • $42
“This is serious music that puts a massive grin on your face – and Collier should rightly have the world at his feet in years to come,”—JazzWise. Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, and k.d. lang are big fans of young phenom Jacob Collier, and once you hear his virtuosic, multi- layered sound, you’ll be hooked too. An omnivorous sponge for inspiration, the multiple GRAMMY-winning Londoner combines elements of jazz, funk, folk, classical, Brazilian music, gospel, and soul (to name a few). “Jazz’s new prodigy” (London Jazz News), Jacob’s tour de force live show sets his unbelievable vocal/piano/harmonizer/bass/guitar and percussion chops loose alongside MARO.
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