SOOK-YIN LEE WITH ORA COGAN & PESEWA
Where: Centennial United Church, 612 David Street
When: Friday, Feb. 24, 6 p.m.
Tickets: $22.63 from eventbrite.ca
Why: Sook-Yin Lee has been a TV host, podcaster, director, actor, musician, and radio host at various points during her 40-year career, without ever being exclusively tied to one medium. That imbues each of her many projects with an air of intrigue that has kept her career humming on several fronts as of late. Lee’s tour to support her new album, jooj two, brings the longtime Torontonian to Centennial United Church on Friday for an all-ages concert with Ora Cogan and Pesewa, during which she will perform songs written and recorded with her longtime partner, Adam Litovitz, who died suddenly in 2019. The pandemic has delayed the tour to support the album, but the emotions are still raw for Lee. Fans can expect a heartfelt performance by one of Canada’s most enduring provocateurs, who rarely performs around these parts.
TWIN PEAKS EVENING
Where: Victoria Event Centre, 1415 Broad St.
When: Friday, Feb. 24, 9 p.m.
Tickets: $27.30 from victoriaeventcentre.ca
Why: When you think about it, there aren’t enough theatre/music events dedicated to Twin Peaks, which makes this a must-attend event for both David Lynch devotees and those who like their nights on the town wildly erratic (but in a good way). Lynch’s seminal 1990 television series has an immense cult following, and this fifth annual showcase has myriad components based on or inspired by the series and subsequent films, including table games, burlesque, and a costume contest. Lily Fawn, David P. Smith, Casey Ryder, Teenage Violets, Emily DeKorte, and Paper Street Theatre are among the collaborators. Prepare to be overwhelmed. But in a good way.
THE MCDADES
Where: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 680 Courtney St.
When: Friday, Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $40.06 from beaconridgeproductions.com
Why: More than two decades after their debut, Edmonton’s The McDades are still creating meaningful work. The siblings earned their second Juno Award nomination (and first in 16 years) for The Empress, and the 2022 recording has the band back on Vancouver Island for a series of shows. Traditional folk music is the foundation for the group, and while The Empress features covers of both Gordon Lightfoot and David Francey, their music incorporates everything from jazz and Celtic to bluegrass. Don’t miss it. The McDades also perform tonight at Courtenay’s Old Church Theatre and Saturday at the Quadra Island Community Centre.
