Playland opens this weekend
By Steve Newton
FRIDAY: Rodney DeCroo and his band the Metaphors celebrate the publication of his new poetry collection Fishing for Leviathan with a performance of his songs and poems at Backspace, with guests CR Avery and Fraser Mackenzie.
FRIDAY: Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden tribute bands Calm Like a Bomb and Bad Motor Finger play the Roxy.
FRIDAY: Program One of the Vancouver Short Film Festival features screenings at the VIFF Centre of works by directors Adriana Marchand, Danilo Albero Sánchez & Juan David León, Riley Davis, Arnold Lim, Ian Kamau, Murry Peters, Clara Salameh, Ryley O’Byrne, and Matthew Rankin.
The Cure plays Rogers Arena
FRIDAY: British pop-rock band the Cure, featuring singer-guitarist Robert Smith, plays Rogers Arena, with guests the Twilight Sad.
FRIDAY: East Van Laugh Riot at the Rio Theatre, presented by Charlie Demers and friends, features performances by comedians Erica Sigurdson and Simon King, with guests Carter Selinger and Mike McGuire.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY: Renegade Arts Co. presents Spring Awakening, the Tony-winning pop-rock musical about German teens discovering sexuality and navigating adolescence, at the Shop Theatre.
FRIDAY TO SUNDAY: the Vancouver Canadians take on the Eugene Emeralds in Minor League Baseball action at Nat Bailey Stadium.
Ndidi Cascade performs at the Q.E. Theatre Plaza
FRIDAY TO SUNDAY: Black Music Month Vancouver at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza celebrates African Canadians who have taken music to new heights, with performances by Michie Mee, Missy D, Kia Kadiri, Ndidi Cascade, and Kara-Kata Afrobeat.
SATURDAY: the BC Cider Festival is a four-hour tasting event at the Pipe Shop in North Vancouver that features more than 30 cideries from B.C., the Pacific Northwest, and abroad.
SATURDAY: the Vancouver Whitecaps take on Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer action at BC Place Stadium.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: opening weekend for the Playland amusement park, featuring more than 30 rides and attractions, including the Skybender and The Beast. Rides, mini golf, and climbing wall are included with admission; Haunted Mansion and games are not. Also: the wooden rollercoaster is currently not operating.
Walk for the Kitties at Jericho Beach
SUNDAY: the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association hosts its five-km fundraising Walk for the Kitties at Jericho Beach to support the non-profit, no-kill cat-rescue organization.