MUSIC
Thursday, March 28
Class Lecture/Recital: Issues in Suppressed Music
If you’re a fan of musical history, you’ll no doubt find this lecture/music recital very interesting, and most likely somewhat disturbing. “Issues in Suppressed Music” will present the lives and music of noted composers who were affected by the Second World War or who perished in the Holocaust. This multi-faceted presentation by students of UVic’s Suppressed Music class, who come from a variety of academic disciplines besides music, will include composers such as Pavel Haas, Erwin Schulhoff, Leo Smit and Petr Eben. You probably aren’t aware of those names now, but you definitely won’t forget them after the lecture.
For more info, email concert@uvic.ca or call (250) 721-8634.
UVic MacLaurin Building: Philip T. Young Recital Hall (Room B125), 12 – 1:30 p.m. Free.
Friday, March 29
Polar Fundraiser
I’ve seen a lot of musical trends come and go in my time, but some stuff sticks around, like metal and punk. Why? Because nothing can beat its energy. Get someone to teach you how to play any Ramones song — even if you’ve never picked up a guitar before in your life. It won’t take too long. Trust me. Go do it! Right now! I’ll be waiting right here . . . see, that didn’t take too long, did it? And it’s really fun, powerful and awesome, isn’t it? Anyway, that guitar lesson should have given you sore fingers and an appetite to see some sweaty, live punk bands! The Polar Fundraiser, featuring Frostbacks, Speed Garbage, Keg Killers and Orange Krush should satisfy that appetite. The show is raising funds for Frostbacks to fly to Ontario to play shows there. But in my imagination, a true Polar Fundraiser would be to raise money to import an army of polar bears here, whose leader I could then saddle up and ride around on while commanding the other bears on my conquest of Greater Victoria. We all can dream, can’t we?
For more info, visit loganspub.com.
Logan’s Pub (1821 Cook St.), doors at 9 p.m. $10.
Saturday, March 30
All-Star Bluegrass Celebration
In my music-playing career, I’ve noticed two types of musicians: those with great rhythm, and those with not-so-great rhythm. A common thread in those with good rhythm is that they were once into Metallica, because if you’re trying to play that stuff, you have to have flawless rhythm or else you’ll sound like total crap. But if you’re a musician who wants to improve your timing and learning, and Metallica tunes aren’t your thing, you could always try playing bluegrass. I’ve sat in on a bluegrass jam, and trust me, that stuff is so precise and difficult to play that you wonder what kind of demented hillbilly genius invented it in the first place. So, if you put in the time to become proficient at bluegrass, everyone will think you’re awesome, and what could beat that? Here’s a chance to get some inspiration along the way. This show, featuring local acts including the Clover Point Drifters, The Sweet Lowdown, The Riverside Trio and The Moonshiners, is a fundraiser to support the Sooke River Bluegrass Festival, which will take place in mid-June. Even if you have never touched an instrument before in your life, this show just might inspire you to do so. No one should miss out on the chance to experience banjo-playing awesomeness.
For more info, visit sookebluegrass.com/festival or oakbayunitedchurch.ca.
Oak Bay United Church (1355 Mitchell St.), doors at 7:30 p.m. $20.
FILM
Wednesday, March 27 – Thursday, March 28
How to Survive a Plague (Cinecenta)
This stirring documentary covers the history of the AIDS activist movement, particularly within the United States. How to Survive a Plague tells the story of how hard people were willing to fight a complacent government that was unwilling to deal with a horrible epidemic in which so many lives were at stake.
For more info, visit cinecenta.com.
Cinecenta (UVic Student Union Building), 7 p.m. & 9:20 p.m. $5.75 UVSS students ($3.75 UVSS students for 9 p.m. shows or later).
MISCELLANEOUS ENTERTAINMENT
Friday, March 29 – Monday, April 1
April Fools’ Weekend Scavenger Hunt
“One of these things is not like the other” — so the saying goes, which I think comes from Sesame Street. Guessing which thing didn’t belong was a fun game to play as a kid, so this event, where odd items are placed in Royal B.C. Museum displays, should be a lot of fun, too. I guess it kind of depends on the difficulty level at which the museum staff will set the game. I mean, I don’t know offhand what dinosaurs co-existed with other dinosaurs, so I wouldn’t get that game right. But I do have a few hints for those who go — Optimus Prime and the Nintendo Entertainment System didn’t exist until the 1980s, so keep an eye out for them if they show up in a time period before that. On the other hand, Tony Danza’s career spanned multiple decades, but had lost relevance by the ‘90s. Hope that helps.
For more info, email reception@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or call (250) 356-7226.
Royal B.C. Museum (675 Belleville St.), 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Free (with admission or membership).
Sunday, March 31
Easter Vintage, Retro & Collectible Show & Sale (Sidney)
What is considered collectible can be an interesting phenomenon. Take old Nintendo games, for example. I’m old enough to remember when no one wanted them anymore. Now, old and rare games can cost a fortune! While I appreciate that people like the old games and systems, the fact that they can cost as much as they did when they were new irks me a little bit. But that’s life. Anyway, everyone has their “thing” they like to collect — it doesn’t matter who you are, how old you are, or what your interests are. So, if you’re jonesin’ to collect some more cool old crap, then it’s time to take a trip out to Sidney for this event! And if you’re already in Sidney anyway, then it’s time to take a short walk or a very short drive out to this event (but I suggest walking — that way, you won’t have to worry about finding somewhere to park, and it is good exercise).
For more info, email dnlock@shaw.ca or call (250) 744-1807.
Mary Winspear Centre (2243 Beacon Ave.). 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. $3.
EDUCATION
Wednesday, April 3
Lansdowne Public Lecture: “Everything from nothing,
or how our universe was made”
Professor Carlos Frenk of Durham University will be talking to us about the universe. Whoa — that’s a pretty big subject to take on! Humankind has come a long way in deepening its understanding of the universe and how it was formed, but there is still much we don’t know about . . . like dark matter, for instance. Frenk will be speaking to some of this in his lecture. If you’ve seen every episode of Star Trek: TNG enough times that the thrill is starting to wear off and you need to find something new to watch, then you should check out this lecture, man. It’ll blow your mind. I mean, he’s talking about the universe.
For more info, email phast@uvic.ca or call (250) 721-7698.
UVic Bob Wright Centre Room A104, 7–9 p.m. Free.
