MATT RIFE
Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton St.
When: Wednesday, March 13, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Tickets: $85.75-109.50 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or rmts.bc.ca
Why: Matt Rife is not unlike fellow comics Brendan Schaub and Chris D’Elia: Immensely popular, but with critics and supporters in equal amounts. Rife, who is originally from Ohio, is currently the biggest of the three, with an audience of 18 million followers on TikTok. But for what it’s worth, the 28 year-old’s viewership on YouTube has dwindled in recent years, an indication that his talent and ability is suited to bite-sized samplings. It’s hard to know what fans in attendance will get during his Victoria debuts this weekend, as he’s known mostly for his “crowd work” — riffing with fans as the ideas come to him in impromptu fashion. He’s an expert in that area, so he could blow the doors off the Royal Theatre or bomb spectacularly. Therein lies the danger with a $110 ticket.
GRANT LAWRENCE AND FRIENDS
Where: Mary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Ave., Sidney
When: Thursday, March 7, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: Sold Out
Why: Making readers aware of an event they have zero ability to attend does nothing more than create a tidal wave of FOMO, which is never the intent. But in this case, spotlighting Grant Lawrence and Friends is a tribute, more than anything else. Tours by Lawrence, the popular Vancouver author, podcaster, and CBC host, feature an embarrassment of riches and his Sidney appearance is no different. Lawrence will be joined by Halifax legend Joel Plaskett, Victoria singer-songwriters Ashleigh Ball and Lindsay Bryan, and BUM frontmen Rob Nesbitt and Andrew Molloy. Impressive, to say the least. No wonder the event has been long sold out.
DIYET & THE LOVE SOLDIERS
Where: Farquhar Aditorium, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd.
When: Saturday, March 9, 8 p.m.
Tickets: Pay What You Can ($5 minimum)
Why: Yukon performer Diyet van Lieshout sounds like she has roots in Texas, based simply on the sonic qualities of her classic country music. But when you pair Japanese and Scottish ancestry with her Tlingit and Southern Tutchone First Nation roots, the results are Canadian by no other definition. Her bandmates in the Love Soldiers (which features her husband, guitarist Robert van Lieshout, and multi-instrumentalist Bob Hamilton) are exceptional, which will give Diyet’s much-anticipated performance Saturday at the Farquhar Auditorium an extra element of awesomeness. Don’t miss it. This trio is the real deal.
