LANGFORD ROCKS
Where: Starlight Stadium, 1089 Langford Pkwy., Langford
When: Saturday: Aug. 31, 1-9 p.m.
Tickets: $64.90 from ($24.99 for children 12 and under)
Why: A festival built around the song catalogues of several classic rock staples is set for Starlight Stadium on Saturday. Tributes to Creedence Clearwater Revival (via the band Completely Creedence), David Bowie (A Night of Bowie), The Tragically Hip (Nautical Disaster) and Tom Petty (Mary Jane’s Last Dance) will gather before fans who no longer have the opportunity to see the iconic acts responsible for the source material. That makes this first-year event (which will be held in the plaza area and not on the soccer pitch) a can’t-miss proposition. The day gets underway with the 100-member Victoria Rock Choir, the calm before what is sure to be a storm of nostalgia.
BRAD WILLIAMS
Where: University Farquhar Auditorium, University of Victoria
When: Friday, Aug. 30, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $50.80 from
Why: California-bred comedian Brad Williams does not shy not away from the fact he was born with achondroplasia, a type of dwarfism. From the titles of his stand-up comedy projects (Coming Up Short and Fun Size) to the content therein (“You see [me] and you’re smiling, you’re laughing, because you know there’s a good shot you’ve got a parade and some candy coming your way”), he’s an open-book orator. He’s also a sharp observationist, and finds the funny in everything, from parenting a daughter with dwarfism to working as a security guard at Disneyland. The show is close to being sold-out, so act quickly.
HELADO NEGRO
Where: Upstairs Cabaret, 15 Bastion Square, Victoria
When: Thursday, Aug. 29, 9 p.m. (doors at 8)
Tickets: $38.39 from
Why: There’s a lot going on inside the music of multi-instrumentalist Roberto Carlos Lange, who was born in Florida to Ecuadorian parents. As the shape-shifting Helado Negro, he mixes dreamlike pop with art-school experimentation, the results of which are carefully layered on top of a hypnotic rhythmic foundation. Sung in both English and Spanish, his is a high-brow output, with zero concessions for commercial appeal. But there’s a lot to like about the end product, which should have the audience at Upstairs Cabaret in rapturous awe during his local debut on Thursday. Don’t miss it.
