Just a Season plays Guilt & Co.
By Steve Newton
MONDAY: screening at the Rio Theatre of Chunky Shrapnel, a feature-length live music documentary from the Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Love that name.
MONDAY TO FRIDAY: the City of Vancouver’s annual Festival of Lights is a winter wonderland featuring more than one million lights decorating 15 acres of VanDusen Botanical Garden. Goes good with hot chocolate.
TUESDAY: Vancouver folk-rock band Just a Season, featuring singer-songwriter and guitarist Scott Smith, plays Guilt & Co., performing tunes from latest album Leave to Come Home.
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY: the Vancouver Symphony performs John Williams’ score live to a screening of the Christmas comedy classic Home Alone at the Orpheum Theatre. “Keep the change, ya filthy animal.”
THURSDAY: the 604 Records Christmas Party features performances by JoJo Mason, Mathew V, Andrea Clute, and Chase the Bear at the Roxy Cabaret. (The 604 Records label was co-founded by Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger and Nickelback’s lawyer, Jonathan Simkin, in case you didn’t know.)
Zoso plays Zeppelin at the WISE Hall
THURSDAY: Zoso – The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience performs at the WISE Hall, celebrating 50 years of Zeppelin. I still say Physical Graffiti is the best Zep album ever.
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY: Goh Ballet presents The Nutcracker at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, with Tchaikovsky’s score performed by members of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra.
FRIDAY: the grand reopening of the Cobalt Hotel features performances by Vicious Cycles MC, Little Destroyer, Rempel and the Rousers, and DJ Your Man Flint. Welcome back Cobalt, you crusty old punk-rock hangout you!
Zappostrophe’ plays Zappa at the Fox
FRIDAY: eight-piece Vancouver band Zappostrophe’ performs the music of Frank Zappa at the Fox Cabaret. Remember: don’t eat the yellow snow.
FRIDAY: screening at the Cinematheque of director Alain Resnais’ 1959 landmark of modernist cinema, Hiroshima mon amour.
FRIDAY: local blues-rock quintet Incognito, featuring vocalist Nadine States and guitarist Rob Montgomery, plays Frankie’s Jazz Club. Anybody remember those Saturday blues jams down at the Yale?
Tom Cochrane and Newt back in the day
FRIDAY: Canadian rock legend Tom Cochrane performs at the Pacific Coliseum as part of the PNE Winter Fair, which includes holiday-themed food and beverages, an outdoor marketplace, live kids’ shows, and ice-skating in the Agrodome. If Cochrane doesn’t play “Life is a Highway”, feel free to bust stuff.