Three upcoming events will entertain the ears and eyes as musicians team up with a local visual artist.
Talent from across the Lower Mainland will perform a wide range of genres featuring rock, folk, pop, and swing during the Music Night Series.
“We want to involve local performers in the event and give them opportunities to showcase themselves as well. The focus will be on artists’ original music that they produced and they will perform it in an interesting way,” said organizer Tom Hammel, with the Fort Langley Community Improvement Society.
So far, three showcases are planned.
All will take place at Fort Langley Community Hall, 9167 Glover Rd., with the first taking place on Friday, Oct. 25 starting at 7:30 p.m. The performances are open to all ages.
The music nights will be produced by the Fort Langley Community Improvement Society, largely with volunteer assistance.
“One of our mandates is to support arts and culture in the community. It's right in our constitution. This is part of meeting our mandate in supporting local arts and culture, as well as supporting local musicians,” he said.
Funds raised from these events will go to the performers and some to the non-profit charity society to maintain and upgrade the hall’s lighting systems.
At the first event, Langley professional landscape artist Janice Robertson will showcase her artwork. Canadian folk award nominee Jessica Mai, a self-proclaimed ‘pixie pop’ artist, will be performing on the opening night. She will be singing pop anthems including her new single “Cool Kids”, which is set to be streamed on all platforms this fall.
“The music series is a celebration of the talents of emerging talent and creativity in our local music scene. We are excited about bringing live music to the local community in such a beautiful setting,” he added.
In between performances, guests are encouraged to check out Robertson’s artwork as well and have a discussion with the artist. The artwork will also be on sale, Robertson noted.
“The pieces are of acrylic and impressionistic style, and they all feature West Coast landscapes. It's a chance to introduce people that don't know what kind of artists are out there to see what we have in the community,” Robertson added.
Leah Barley a Vancouver-based singer and guitarist, will also be performing folk and country. Jason Mitchell, an artist from Surrey, will also be singing folk, while Langley’s singer and songwriter Dave Mercer will be the host for the evening, showcasing his talent on guitar.
At the second event, the Rocket Revellers will perform a rockabilly and swing dance on Friday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. Dennis Brock, the vocalist of the Rocket Revellers, said the community has a lot to look forward to.
“We’ll be doing a combination of western swing and rockabilly music, and we’re a group of legendary players that still have that '40s and '50s sound. These guys have played all over the world and have partnered with Ray Condo. They're quite talented, and it's a really seasoned band. It's going to be a real treat to get up and dance for sure,” he said.
“Anybody familiar with the band can expect a high-energy show that features some amazing musicianship. Jimmy Roy is a legendary lap steel player who's played at the Grand Ole Opry, and Stephen Nikleva and Mike Van Eyes will be on the piano. Those three guys have been playing together in various bands for 50 years,” he added.
The final event will feature internationally acclaimed songwriters Suzie Ungerleider and Sarah Jane Scouten on Monday, Dec. 16. It has a 7:30 p.m. start.
Ungerleider and Scouten will bring a unique performance to the hall, added Hammel.
“They'll be singing each others' songs and talking about each other's song writing processes and how they write songs.… They've both been nominated and won various awards over the years. Susie Ungerleider been nominated for a Juno Award,” he noted.
Tickets for the first two events on Oct. 25 and Nov. 22 are $20 online or $25 at the door. Dec. 16’s event can be purchased for $30 in advance or $35 at the door. Tickets for all events can be purchased at fort-langley-community-hall.tickit.ca/.
