Tag Archives: Sobeys Live

News Flash

Live Goes Live

Leave a comment

thumbnail_image005

Sobeys LIVE @ The Centre! returns with a bang this October and the line-up is chalk-full of dynamic performances that appeal to a wide range of Islanders, visitors, and beyond.

“This season truly has something for everyone,” says Darcy Campbell, director of LIVE @ the Centre, a long-standing program of Confederation Centre of the Arts. “The program includes A-list musicians from a wealth of genres, family entertainment, contemporary dance, several first-time holiday concerts, and more!”

The 2019-20 line-up includes artists and performers that truly showcase the wealth of talent in this country, including Basia Bulat, Crash Test Dummies, and Steven Page, as well as local award-winning performers, The East Pointers, Catherine MacLellan, andAndrew Waite.

“Because LIVE is not a long run of single shows, a great variety can be enjoyed. So, take a chance on something new this season–there’s so much to explore!” adds Campbell.

As part of their new album launch, long-time Island rock icons,Paper Lions present a thrilling ‘Super Show’ on Saturday, October 19, using all the bells and whistles of the Homburg Theatre and welcoming a line-up of special guests and local musicians.

Calgary-based dance company, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks makes their long-awaited return November 6 with Juliet & Romeo. The company’s high-energy, unique jazz style has caused people to describe their work as “music for the eyes.”

Two Canadian country music superstars come together to celebrate the holidays with an acoustic collaboration:The 12 Days of Christmas Tour. Multiple CCMA Award-winning artists George Canyon and Aaron Pritchett have teamed up to share  a night of stories, songs, and family-friendly comedy.

Other special holiday programming includes Sing Noël and Handel’s Messiah from the Choral Music programme; Christmas with Matt Andersen & Friends on December 19; and Fortunate Ones Christmas on December 22.

On January 18, Barenaked Ladies (BNL) co-founder and Canadian icon Steven Page brings an arsenal of songs from his 30-year catalogue for a special concert featuring the lush accompaniment of the P.E.I. Symphony Orchestra.

PEI Professional Theatre Network

28660348_162333201093170_735205771249634989_n

PEI Theatre is the Guild, Harbourfront Theatre,
Confederation Centre for the Arts,
Watermark Theatre, and the Victoria Playhouse
Music

Guitar Bliss at the Mack

Leave a comment

Shaun Ferguson Brings Instrumental Guitar Bliss to The Mack

Sponsored by La Voix Acadienne, April 26 concert is one of the final LIVE @ the Centre events of the season

thumbnail_image005

Acadian musician Shaun Ferguson will be in performance with Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre next Friday, April 26. Through his modern and at times transcendent instrumental music, the guitarist and composer captivates his audience with soaring songs that enchant both music enthusiasts and less-experienced spectators.

Born and raised in Caraquet, in the Acadian Peninsula of New Brunswick, Ferguson has been navigating and exploring various musical fields for nearly 20 years. His latest album, Résilience, released last winter, is an acoustic album, mainly instrumental, rooted in a range of contemporary folk music. At its heart lies the guitar, “a beacon guiding other strings and sometimes vocals, bearing them up from the earth and into the ether” he says in a recent release on the album.

A self-taught musician, Ferguson has always relied on his instincts to learn how to play, compose and explore different musical forms, which are harmonized to his musical impressions. Through various collaborations, he was able to transfer his guitar-playing skills to many other string instruments, namely the cello and bass guitar, as well as various percussion instruments. With a true passion for art in all its forms, the Acadian loves to involve himself in projects that combine poetry, visual arts, dance, and music.

Through Intermède Média, a Montreal-based company, some of the artist’s pieces have travelled the world for the last decade. To this day, audiences have had the chance to hear samples of his compositions in documentaries broadcast all over the world, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Australia, Spain, France, South Korea, Japan, China, the Czech Republic and the United States. 

Shaun Ferguson performs at the Mack on Friday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 plus fees and taxes, and are available at the door, at Confederation Centre’s box office, online at confederationcentre.com, or via phone at 902-566-1267 (toll free at 1-800-565-0278.)

PEI Professional Theatre Network

28660348_162333201093170_735205771249634989_n

PEI Theatre is the Guild, Harbourfront Theatre,
Confederation Centre for the Arts,
Watermark Theatre, and the Victoria Playhouse

 

Music

Opera Queen Style

Leave a comment

Queen’s ‘A Night at The Opera’ will be LIVE @ the Centre 

Classic Albums Live returns to the Homburg Theatre with 1975 Queen Masterpiece

thumbnail_image006.jpg 

On the heels of Bohemian Rhapsody becoming the highest-grossing music biopic of all time, Classic Albums Live returns to P.E.I. with the Queen masterwork, A Night at the Opera. Confederation Centre of the Artswelcomes the much-celebrated touring act for its second performance of the Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre 2018-19 season, taking to the Homburg stage this Saturday April 6 at 7:30 p.m. This must-see show is sponsored by Charlottetown Inn & Conference Services.

A perennial Centre must-see, Classic Albums Live presents skilled musicians recreating the greatest albums of the ’60s and ’70s live on stage—note for note, cut for cut. The concerts are delivered as a pop symphony. The first half of the show presents the album in full, then the second act stages a ‘best of’ from Queen. Don’t look for costumes and look-alike theatrics at these ‘rock recitals’, just pure musicianship and the songs that shaped a generation.

“Nothing succeeds like excess—at least that’s the case with Queen’s breakthrough classic,” says music historian, Daniel Durchholz of A Night at the Opera. The 1975 full-length is regarded as Queen’s quintessential recording and includes the timeless hit ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Widely seen as one of the most significant rock songs of all time, the six-minute single was championed by head-bangers a generation before being revived by the Wayne’s World fans. 

The album is remembered for its precisely produced anthems, but it contains a wide variety of material, from the gorgeous piano-based ‘You’re My Best Friend’ and the Paul McCartney-esque ‘39’ to the volume-11 rockers ‘Death on Two Legs’ and ‘I’m in Love with My Car.’”

Tickets are selling very well for this show but there is still some availability. To order, connect via the Centre’s box office, in person, online at confederationcentre.com, or by phone at 902-566-1267 (toll free at 1-800-565-0278.)

Special thanks are extended to the Department of Canadian Heritage; the Province of Prince Edward Island; the City of Charlottetown; to Sobeys; and to media sponsors Ocean 100, Hot 105.5, and The Guardian.

PEI Professional Theatre Network

28660348_162333201093170_735205771249634989_n

PEI Theatre is the Guild, Harbourfront Theatre,
Confederation Centre for the Arts,
Watermark Theatre, and the Victoria Playhouse
News Flash

A Stacked Sobeys Season

Leave a comment

Confederation Centre has pulled back the curtain on a dazzling lineup for the upcoming season of Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre. Centre officials are proud to present their most dynamic season of LIVE to date, including contemporary dance, chamber music, Indigenous performance, choral concerts, rock’n’roll, family fun, and live theatre.

The advance ticket sale for Members of the Centre’s Founders’ Circle is available as of noon on Monday August 14. E-news subscribers will be able to purchase tickets as of Tuesday August 15 at 9 a.m., while tickets for the general public will be available as of 9 a.m. on Wednesday August 16.

 

image012

The ’17-18 season kicks off on October 16 with major pop-rock icons, The Barenaked Ladies and their Canada 1-FIVE-0 TOUR, presented by the National Arts Centre. October 24 marks the return of Canadian troubadour Joel Plaskett, joining his father Bill Plaskett for a collaborative show in the Homburg Theatre to celebrate their duo album, Solidarity.

November is jam-packed month with 11 shows on deck. These include Liam Corcoran’s album release for Nevahland; the Island premiere of A Passage to Bollywood, a rollicking family musical experience; the return of Classic Albums LIVE with the prog-rock classic 2112 by Rush; and a one night only musical comedy performance of the international hit, Menopause the Musical.

The holiday season is equally busy in December with Tomato/Tomato’s A Maritime Christmas channeling old school holiday concerts with special guests Heather Rankin and Dave Gunning. From December 14-16, Adam Brazier’s Holiday Spectacular variety show brings big laughs, guest stars, stunning dance and musical numbers, and sketches to the mainstage.

Sprinkled throughout December, the Choral Music Programme – under the direction of Donald Fraser – presents three beloved annual concerts, with Handel’s Messiah, Sing Noël, and Sing Along Messiah.

The 2018 portion of the LIVE calendar is equally exciting, and more stacked than ever with the theatre renovations now complete and no more closures planned. January offers critically acclaimed Indigenous artist Susan Aglukark as well as the return of Toronto Dance Theatre (TDT). TDT has produced an exceptional body of original Canadian choreography and had a major impact on the development of national dance audiences.

Other highlights in 2017 include Island artists The East Pointers, Dennis Ellsworth and Kinley Dowling, and The Atlantic String Machine. The Songwriters Series also returns with three heavy hitting raconteurs from Canada’s East Coast: Old Man Luedecke, Hillsburn, and Fortunate Ones, each performing for one night only in the intimate listening space of The Mack. Fellow Maritimer, Classified makes a rare Charlottetown appearance on April 14, with a special acoustic performance with guest artists entitled Classified and Friends.

The Centre’s own dance umbrella program culminates their 2017-18 instructional season with four public performances — musical theatre romps The Nifty Fifties and All the World’s A Stage in March and April at The Mack, and the matinee and evening Annual Showcases, May 5 on the mainstage.

For ticket information and the entire Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre season calendar please visit confederationcentre.com/live or contact the Confederation Centre box office at (902) 566.1267 or toll free, at 1-800-565-0278. Special thanks are extended to the Government of Canada for their support of Confederation Centre; as well to Sobeys, the returning title sponsor for LIVE @ The Centre. Media sponsors are The Guardian, Hot 105.5, and Ocean 100.

Music

Songwriter Series Launches at Mack

Leave a comment

Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre returns in February with three first-class concerts at Confederation Centre. The first of these is also the kick off to a three-part Songwriter Series at The Mack, sponsored by Fly PEI.

On Thursday February 2, Vancouver folk-rock trio Lion Bear Fox bring a grit-tinged sound to the Centre’s intimate cabaret hall. Drawing comparisons from everyone from Royal Wood to Bruce Springsteen, Lion Bear Fox is three huge voices joined as one musical beast, telling compelling stories with unbridled passion.

image010

Originally known for their respective solo careers, Christopher Arruda, Ryan McMahon, and Cory Woodward joined forces under one name in 2012 and was immediately selected as one of the top 20 unsigned bands in British Columbia The trio are described as “a musical force of nature”, an “emotional awakening” that’s sure to “be around for a lifetime” (Nanaimo Daily News/ Terry David Mulligan).

2016 saw the trio further cementing themselves as the new Canadian band to watch and their single “Battle of Me” has been described as a “manthem’ for the ages”. With their new album and national touring on the docket Canadian Beats recently named the trio one of 17 Canadian artists to watch in 2017.

Their debut record, Lion Bear Fox, comes out this month — a collection of songs steeped in character and full of warmth. One part folk, one part rock – a pinch of gospel and a dash of growl, the self-titled LP is a testament to the trio’s strength as songwriters. Lush acoustic guitars are bookended by buzzing electrics and sizzling organs; all tied together by rich percussion and three voices in harmony. It’s a sound that harkens back to an era when the song was paramount.

The Mack Songwriter Series runs February 2, March 18 (premiere roots duo James Hill and Anne Janelle), and concludes April 1 with East Coast emerging star, Mo Kenney. All are available under a package deal until February 2. If patrons book all three, the package offers savings of 25%. For more, visit the Confederation Centre box office in person, online, or via phone, 902.566.1267.

News Flash

All Live Dance and Music at the Centre

Leave a comment

November is the busiest touring month in many artists’ calendars, and Confederation Centre will see 16 different performances over a jam-packed few weeks for Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre.

image011
The Homburg Theatre hosts virtuosic violinist James Ehnes tomorrow, November 2 for a performance the Ottawa Citizen has called “the very best kind of chamber music experience.” This Grammy Award and 10-time JUNO-winning artist is considered one of the world’s finest violinists and to celebrate turning 40, he is throwing a super-sized birthday party in the form of a national tour. Joined by acclaimed pianist Andrew Armstrong, they will perform ‘Stream of Limelight,’ by Bramwell Tovey, Handel’s ‘Sonata in D major,’ Beethoven’s ‘Spring’ Sonata, and a selection of dazzling pieces that are sure to bring down the house at the Homburg Theatre.

On the other side of the sonic spectrum, Canadian mainstays Theory Of A Deadman have been a major force in rock’n’roll for more than 15 years, touring the world and sharing the stage with everyone from Godsmack to Daughtry, to Nickelback and Mötley Crüe. The Delta, British Columbia-spawned band have the ability to transform their set into an acoustic landscape as well, maintaining the emotional intensity and timbre of their biggest hits. The road warriors visit the Homburg on November 17, playing selections from six different albums.

The Mack will also be busy in November welcoming P.E.I.’s rising star Dylan Menzie on the 12th for his first headlining performance since he released his full length album Adolescent Nature this summer. Fellow East Coast songwriter, Christina Martin returns to The Mack on November 19 while November 18 boasts two shows LIVE @ the Centre: Jill Barber and brother Matthew Barber bring their siblings tour for The Family Album to the main stage that night, while The Mack hosts Clip!, a must-see comedy performance from circus artist, Philippe Trépanier

Clip! is a clown solo show aimed at a young audience, from 4 to 101 — the young at heart. Philippe plays an employee in a theatre preparing for a major international conference. He is constantly distracted from his task, attracted by the only thing that interests him: playing. Playing in a theatre, playing at being a guest speaker, playing with a diabolo, playing the video producer. Will someone finally discover his many talents or will Philippe ‘drop the ball?’

On November 25, the Centre will host its most significant dance performance of the 2016-17 LIVE calendar. Out Innerspace Dance Theatre is a Vancouver-based contemporary company dedicated to the creation of innovative and integral dance works. Major Motion Picture explores timely themes of surveillance, otherness, propaganda and belief through eccentric characters. “The dancing is athletic, satisfying and accomplished,” says a recent Times Colonist review. “You will see things that you have never experienced before – abstract, visceral and challenging – this is bold and exciting contemporary dance.”

For the full Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre calendar, visit confederationcentre.com or drop by the box office. Confederation Centre wishes to recognize the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Government of P.E.I., and the City of Charlottetown for their continued support. Media sponsors are The Guardian, Hot 105.5, and Ocean 100.

News Flash

All LIVE Tickets $20.00 Today Only

Leave a comment

Confederation Centre Offering 1-Day Sale for Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre

To give thanks to patrons, all LIVE Tickets are $20 today only

Confederation Centre is giving thanks to patrons and the local community with a one-day Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre sale. For today – October 11 only – all tickets are $20 for all LIVE @ the Centre shows offered in the 2016-17 calendar. Simply visit the box office online, via phone, or in person and quote the promo code “thanks” and this special promotion will be applied.

image008

This one day sale applies to all shows listed below in addendum. The 2016-17 LIVE season kicks off this week with The Nylons Farewell Tour on Friday October 14 followed by internationally-acclaimed performer Tanya Tagaq on Saturday October 15.

Please note, this sale excludes Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy, Classic Albums Live: The Beatles-Abbey Road, Classic Albums Live: The Eagles-Hotel California, and all ‘rental productions’ in the Centre’s theatres (rental shows are unlisted below.) Also, please note that there are limited quantities available; that taxes and fees are extra; and that this sale applies to select seating.

$20 Tickets to Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre performances
Promo Code: “thanks”

October 14 – The Nylons – Farewell Tour
October 15 – Tanya Tagaq
November 2 – James Ehnes – Turning 40 Tour
November 8 – Toopy & Binoo: Fun & Games
November 17 – Theory of a Deadman
November 18 – Matthew Barber & Jill Barber
November 18 – Clip! Solo Clown
November 19 – Christina Martin
November 25 – Out Innerspace
November 27 – Choral Music – Handel’s Messiah
December 03 – Mittentime Revue
December 9-17 – Robyn Hood: This Tale’s Even Fairlier
February 14 – Valentine’s Cabaret
March 9 – Jayme Stone – Lomax Project
March 17 – Vienna Boys Choir
March 24 – Port Cities
March 31 – BOOM
April 7 – Samantha Martin
April 8- Rose Cousins
April 14 – Choral Music – Choral Music on a Holy Day
April 19 – Bubble Guppies
April 21 – Sons of the Pioneers
April 25 – This Is That LIVE

Music

Inuk Punk Comes to MainStage

Leave a comment

Tanya Tagaq‘s music isn’t like anything you’ve heard before. Unnerving and exquisite, this Inuk punk’s vocal expression may be rooted in throat singing but her music has as much to do with electronica, industrial, and metal influences as it does with traditional culture

image009

The celebrated Canadian singer, recording artist, and Inuk advocate is known for delivering arresting, elemental performances that are visceral and physical, heaving and breathing, and alive. Her shows draw incredulous response from audiences worldwide, and Tagaq’s tours tend to jump back and forth across the map of the world. From a Mexican electronica festival to Carnegie Hall, her music and performances transcend language.

Now ahead of the release of her new album Retribution, Tagaq is set to make her Island debut this month, hitting Confederation Centre’s Homburg Theatre on October 15 at 7:30 p.m. for Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre.

The first new single from Retribution is now available — a hip-hop song about metaphysics, molecular biology, and the female cycle. ‘Centre’ features Canadian rapper Shad, raucous ravens recorded in Nunavut, trombones, and rare lyrical moments from Tagaq.

As told to The Fader online, the singer says, “Our lyrics are about electrons, gravity, the fundamental forces, looking at how physical laws can be applied spiritually and emotionally, and how to centre yourself. As a woman, I know my centering happens where I make my babies, it’s not in my head, it’s in the cavities of my body where I hold blood. It’s where we create.”

Tagaq makes musical friends and collaborators with an array of like-minded talents: opera singers, avant-garde violin composers, experimental DJs, all cutting edge, ranging from Björk to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet to Owen Pallet. Her albums make for complex listening, but her string of Juno nominations and winning of the Polaris Prize attests to her ability to make difficult music speak a universal tongue. Enticing, unsettling, and utterly compelling, Tagaq’s music consistently delivers.

For ticket information and the entire Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre season calendar, visit confederationcentre.com/live or contact the box office at (902) 566.1267. Tickets for all shows are now available.

Appreciation is extended to Sobeys, the returning title sponsor for LIVE @ The Centre. Confederation Centre wishes to recognize the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Government of P.E.I., and the City of Charlottetown for their continued support. Media sponsors are The Guardian, Hot 105.5, and Ocean 100.

Music

Cy Rolls Into Studio 1

Leave a comment

The members of Cy blend stunning vocal and guitar harmonies to create acoustic music that is at once edgy yet rooted in traditional Acadian and Celtic music. Children of the new wave of Acadian indie-folk, Cy bring their salt-licked sound to Studio 1 for Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre on Wednesday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m.

image006
Made up of Jacques Blinn, Jacques Boudreau, Eric Dow, and Guyaume Boulianne, Cy first came together while all living in the French Acadian Shore in South West Nova Scotia. With three guitars and four voices, the quartet – who now call Moncton home – manage to unite folk, traditional, and progressive styles to create folk and folk-pop songs that are warm and harmonious.

Adding mandolin, percussion, and keyboards in recent years, the group toured their self-titled 2014 record to numerous Quebecois and Acadian music festivals, and as far as France.

They draw their name from a local Baie Saint Marie folk hero from the early 1900’s named Celestin Trahan a Amateur, or ‘Cy a Mateur’ for short. “He was a man who was supposedly possessed by the devil who could be in many places at the same time and whose cup of wine was never empty,” explains Boulianne with a laugh in a recent interview. “He loved gambling and chasing after women, so we wanted to channel a bit of that.”

Tickets are available at the Studio 1 doors and at the box office, via telephone at (902) 566-1267, or toll free at 1-800-565-0278. Book online and review the full LIVE calendar for April and May at confederationcentre.com