PHOTOS: Jody Glenham, Kylie V, JP Maurice at Car Free Day on Main Street - September 15, 2024
Jody Glenham, Kylie V, JP Maurice
Car Free Day - Main Street
September 15, 2024
Spice Girls vs Backstreet Boys @ Biltmore -- 11/17/16
It's been about a year since the last David Vertesi-helmed tribute night, but the wait was worth it. While past nights centred around one musician (Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon) and featured a revolving door of lead singers, this one was a little... different. It still featured ten local musicians, but instead of all filling the shoes of one legendary musician, they each had their own role to play as the night pitted two 90s pop icons against each other; Spice Girls vs Backstreet Boys.
On the Boys side, they had Omar Khan as AJ, Tom Van Deursen (The Boom Booms) as Nick, JP Maurice as Brian, Benedict Marsh as Howie, and the man himself, David Vertesi (Hey Ocean) as Kevin. And for the Girls, there was Ashleigh Ball (Hey Ocean) as Baby Spice, Tonye Aganaba as Scary Spice, Kaylee Johnston as Ginger Spice, Narai Dawn (Star Captains) as Sporty Spice, and Louise Burns as Posh Spice. Each musician not only dressed the part (and put on a fake accent if necessary), but they also learned some sweet dance moves. Or, in some cases, probably still knew them all these years later. They were backed by brothers Mike and Dave Young on bass and keys, respectively, Tristan Paxton on guitar, Raphael Geronimo on percussion, and the inimitable Johnny Andrews on drums.
For more about the show, including photos from Christine, just click through!
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Weekly Photo Roundup - August 31, 2016 ft. The Wild Romantics, The Folk Road Show, JP Maurice
Weekly Photo Roundup for the week preceding August 31, 2016
The Folk Road Show rolled back into Vancouver last week, with a brand new album, and brought the Wild Romantics and JP Maurice with them for a show at the Fox Cabaret.
Let me just say, that's a whole lot of babe for one stage. Check out the photos above.
Check out the concert calendar for what is coming up this week!
Photos by Christine McAvoy
We Are The World, We Are The Biltmore: Michael Jackson Tribute Concert @ Biltmore -- 11/25/15
David Vertesi and friends are at it again. The same folks behind 'The Biltmore Phil-harmonic' and 'Biltmore Over Troubled Water' -- tribute nights to Phil Collins and Paul Simon, respectively -- are back, this time with a night honouring the King of Pop. And like the other nights, it was all benefiting Sing It Forward and the St James Music Academy, leading up to the final Sing It Forward concert, this time TWO nights at the Vogue Theatre, January 14 & 15th.
The usual "house band" of Johnny Andrews on drums, Andrew Rasmussen on keys, Mike Young on bass, and Tristan Paxto on guitar were joined by Katie Schaan on backing vocals and Raphael Geronimo on percussion, with a rotating lineup of Vancouver singers to hit the highs (or attempt to anyway, in some cases).
The night started with some children from the St James Music Academy for an instrumental "Smooth Criminal" on violin, before the band took the stage. Like the other months, I won't give a song-by-song account, just some highlights with Christine McAvoy's photos below.
I hadn't seen Katie Schaan perform live in a long time, so it was nice to see her providing backing vocals all night, as well as belt out "The Way You Make Me Feel". If you're a fan of Bend Sinister, then it shouldn't be a surprise how good Dan Moxon was for his cover of "Smooth Criminal", Parker Bossley had the moves when he did "Rock With It", and Danielle McTaggert from Dear Rouge did a really fun "Billie Jean".
Lots of the performers were in costume, and there were even props, like when Hey Ocean! performed "Will You be There" and loosed a large inflatable orca into the crowd (sadly, the Biltmore ceiling is too low to reenact the famous ending to Free Willy).
The highlight of these tribute nights always seems to be Tonye Aganaba. She was on stage a few times, playing MJ to Chin Injeti's Paul McCartney, doing a beautiful "Man in the Mirror", but my favourite came early on as she and JP Maurice did an amazing "Beat It".
My other favourite performance was one I think should have ended the night (instead of the "better-in-theory" version of "We Are The World"); the lights dimmed and Zach Gray hit the stage in ghoulish makeup for a killer rendition of "Thriller", complete with dancers coming out from the back and into the crowd for the choreographed dance number.
And as the night ended, David Vertesi teased the next tribute night, for Hall & Oates, though didn't say when, so it sounds like these nights won't be slowing down any time soon. Who do you want to hear them do for a future tribute night? Let me know in the comments.
(Me, I suggested to Vertesi, in all sincerity, that they should do a "Weird" Al Yankovic tribute night. It would be amazing.)
Click through for a gallery of Christine's photos, and the full setlist!
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Weekly Photo Roundup - November 25, 2015 ft. Peak Performance Project Finale!, Sam Weber
Weekly Photo Roundup for the week preceding November 25, 2015
That's a wrap on the Peak Performance Project for both 2015 and as a whole! Bed Of Stars came away with 1st place in the comp, JP Maurice in 2nd and Van Damsel in 3rd, all of whom performed at the Commodore Ballroom last week.
Check out Kirk's review here.
Also this week was Vancouver Island's Sam Weber at Guilt and Co for the Roundhouse Radio recording. Be sure to tune in on Sundays, or better yet, head to Guilt for a live show!
Photos by Christine McAvoy
Jess also checked out Taylor Swift Tribute Night at the Biltmore Cabaret last Wednesday with the likes of Sarah Jickling, The Response, Gina Loes, Jocelyn Price, Shylo Sharity, Savvie and more. It was also a fundraiser for the Women's Health Collective, and we're happy to say it sold out, so thanks to everyone who filled the house for the awesome renditions of T-Swift and a good cause.