Critic's picks: Seaside Django Festival, Hayden, The Importance of Being Earnest

SEASIDE DJANGO FESTIVAL

Where: Hermann’s Upstairs (753 View St.) and the Mary Winspear Centre (2243 Beacon Ave., Sidney)

When: Friday, Nov. 10 (8 p.m.) and Saturday, Nov. 11 (7 p.m.)

Tickets: $50 from folknfiddle.ca

Why: The Seaside Django Festival — formerly the Victoria Django Festival — is bridging the gap between Sidney and Victoria with shows at two locations through the weekend. The line-up of Lache Cercel & The Roma Swing Ensemble, Petunia & The Vipers, and Club Voltaire is scheduled for both Friday at Hermann’s Upstairs and Saturday at the Mary Winspear Centre, with a dancefloor and seating available both nights. Both venues are excellent, as is the line-up; my recommendation is to take in both nights, as one can never have enough Django Reinhardt-inspired folk, blues, and gypsy jazz.

HAYDEN

Where: Capital Ballroom, 858 Yates St.

When: Wednesday, Nov. 15, 9 p.m.

Tickets: $32 from thecapitalballroom.com

Why: Hayden Desser has been releasing literate, moving, and slightly dour records for more than a quarter-century, and despite a recent break, maintains his excellence with Are We Good, his first new album in eight years. Feist joins him on the record for On a Beach and Matt Berninger of The National co-wrote Are We Good, but Hayden’s ninth album is a showcase for his singular talent. The Toronto artist doesn’t make it to Victoria with regularity, so seize the opportunity and see him next week at the Capital Ballroom.

IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

Where: Phoenix Theatre, University of Victoria

When: Nov. 9-25

Tickets: $17-$32 from 250-721-8000

Why: There’s always a good reason to see the work of Oscar Wilde on stage, but the Phoenix Theatre’s fresh take on The Importance of Being Earnest has several positives in its favour. UVic theatre alum Alistair Newton returns to direct, and has taken on a project “excavating the hidden histories and secret codes” of the Irish poet and playwright’s classic work, by introducing characters (some in drag) inspired by real-life 19th Century performers. This is the first time The Importance of Being Earnest has been staged at the university, adding another layer of interest to this must-see engagement.

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