HIP-HOP
What: Snotty Nose Rez Kids with Lex Leosis and DJ Kookum
Where: Capital Ballroom, 858 Yates St.
When: Friday, 9 p.m.
Tickets: $25 from admitone.com
Why: A Victoria performance by Snotty Nose Rez Kids has been a long time coming, after several COVID-related cancellations have kept the group from performing on local soil for the better part of two years. The wait will be worth it. The Juno Award-winning Vancouver duo is a show-stopping entity in concert, and has amassed a strong local following. Islanders who miss out Friday will have several chances to see Snotty Rez Kids perform down the road, with sets confirmed for Nanaimo’s Malaspina Theatre on Saturday, and appearance July 10 at the Phillips Backyard Concert Series, and a May 8 set booked for The Waverly in Cumberland. That’s what you call making up for lost time.
CLASSICAL
What: Music of the Emerald Isles
Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton St.
When: Saturday (8 p.m.) and Sunday (2:30 p.m.)
Tickets: $20-$90 from rmts.bc.ca or 250-386-6121
Why: Everything principal pops conductor Sean O’Loughlin touches turns to a pot of gold for the Victoria Symphony, which makes him a fitting choice for a pair of Royal Theatre performances showcasing Irish music this weekend (his last name only adds to his credibility on this particular weekend.) Guest soloist Maria Kaneko Millar, a veteran of Riverdance tours, will join the orchestra on a range of Celtic favourites, including Scotland the Brave. But the time Danny Boy is performed, there won’t be a dry eye in the house.
ROOTS
What: Ryan McMahon
Where: Charlie White Theatre, Mary Winspear Centre , 2243 Beacon Ave.
When: March 30, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $34.65 from tickets.marywinspear.ca or 250-656-0275
Why: The last album Ryan McMahon released prior to the pandemic was In Line For a Smile, a collection of songs about the lack of human social connection. I shudder to think what his new songs (currently being recorded in Vancouver) will be about, especially coming on the heels of a two-year pandemic. The Ladysmith songwriter will no doubt find a direction that suits his skillset, having made a half-dozen excellent folk/roots recordings. His show is Sidney next week is one of several on the horizon, including March 31 at The Queens in Nanaimo, April 1 at the Duncan Showroom, and April 2 at the Civic Centre in Port Hardy.
