DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO AND CHA WA
Where: Bullen Park, 527 Fraser St., Esquimalt
When: Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $42.50 from or 250-386-6121
Why: Shows of this calibre are a rare breed around these parts, so take note. Seattle’s Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio — impossibly funky, irrepressibly smooth — take the musical model of Booker T. & The M.G.’s and give it a shot in the arm, while the Louisiana funk of Cha Wa, a Grammy-nominated seven-piece, mines a New Orleans gumbo groove for the 21st Century. That this incredible double-bill at the TD Victoria International Jazz Festival takes place outdoors in the greenspace of Bullen Park in Esquimalt should seal the deal for the undecided.
ONE LOVE FESTIVAL
Where: Transfer Beach Park, Ladysmith
When: Saturday, noon to 8 p.m.
Admission: Free
Why: The amphitheatre at Transfer Beach in Ladysmith will be home Saturday to one of the few Vancouver Island events dedicated exclusively to reggae music. Staged by the Cowichan Reggae Society, the third annual One Love Festival is an all-ages event and free to attend, with sets by Omolara, Maffie and the Volcano, Cheko, Phonosonics and more. If the weather co-operates and the sun is shining, the results will be magical.
RED ARROW SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
Where: Red Arrow Brewing Co., 5255 Chaster Rd., Duncan
When: Friday, 2 p.m.
Tickets: $20 from (children 12 and under are free)
Why: A lineup topped by Australian folk favourite Kim Churchill is the first of multiple positives this celebration has going for it. Families are welcome to attend the all-ages event, and with additional sets by Sunny and the Dudes and Aaron Wylder, there won’t be a lack of things to see and hear. Food, games, and a post-show dance party with Marty Boggs of Surely Sound help push this celebration at the home of Duncan’s Red Arrow beer company way up the ladder of long weekend priorities.
