THE WASHBOARD UNION
Where: Upstairs Cabaret, 15 Bastion Sq., Victoria
When: Saturday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $43.93 from eventbrite.ca
Why: Vancouver’s Washboard Union is touring Vancouver Island with a series of shows in soft-seat venues; in Victoria, however, the group is playing Upstairs Cabaret, a lively club that plays into the band’s more raucous side. That’s a good thing for fans of the Juno Award winners, as the band knows how to bring the country thunder in concert, and will respond accordingly. The trio is touring to support its new album, Westerly, and its cross-country tour also stops at Courtenay’s Sid Williams Theatre on Thursday, Duncan’s Cowichan Performing Arts Centre on Friday, and Nanaimo’s Port Theatre on Sunday. Don’t miss them.
KLUXEN : MOZART & BARTÓK
Where: Farquhar Auditorium, University of Victoria
When: Sunday, Nov. 10, 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $34-$92 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or rmts.bc.ca
Why: A performance of music from Mozart and Bartók in the Farquhar Auditorium — framed by organizers as “colossal contrasts of orchestral colours” — is a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon, especially when it’s the Victoria Symphony, led by conductor Christian Kluxen, providing the sounds. Programming under the Sundays at the Farquhar banner is meant to be easily digestible, but by no means should that imply a sense of levity. Mozart’s Gran Partita and Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta are fit for any occasion.
STEVE PATTERSON
Where: Mary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Ave., Sidney
When: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $49.35 from 250-656-0275 or marywinspear.ca
Why: Toronto’s Steve Patterson is known widely as the quick-witted and long-serving host of the hit CBC Radio program, The Debaters. His tenure with the improv program, however, is a pittance compared to the several decades he spent on the road as a stand-up comedian. Patterson has returned to the road with PatterDad, a 90-minute set he spun off from his successful 2021 book, Dad Up! He returns next month with a touring version of The Debaters — which stops Feb. 9-10 for shows at the McPherson Playhouse — so take the opportunity to see him perform on his own Tuesday in Sidney and Nov. 15 in Courtenay at Sid Williams Theatre.
