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A&E column: 2 very different musical acts, and a book makes the shortlist

What’s going on in Cowichan arts and entertainment
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Raincity is scheduled to hit the stage at the Duncan Showroom with their rage funk-rock on May 1, 2022. (Photo courtesy of Raincity)

The Cowichan Camerata String Orchestra is getting ready to celebrate spring.

Spring Serenade hits the stage at St. Peter’s Church (Quamichan) on April 30, under the musical direction of Chris Redsell, and if you miss that concert, you can find them performing again on May 1 at Oceanview Community Church in Ladysmith.

According to a press release, the program includes two movements from Antonin Dvorak’s Serenade No. 1 in E Major, the Concerto Grosso, ‘La Follia’ by Francesco Geminiani, John Rutter’s ‘Suite for Strings’ and other “light” pieces.

The concerts start at 3 p.m.. Tickets are $15 for adults, with children under 12 getting in free. Get them by emailing info@cowichancamerata.org or from any orchestra member. Ten Old Books and Volume One in Duncan will have tickets for the Duncan performance, and Salamander Books in Ladysmith will have tickets for the Ladysmith performance.

Any public health orders in force at the time of the concert will be followed.

“The CCSO is a ‘strings only’ orchestra, that offers musicians of various abilities the opportunity to experience playing in an orchestra and performing in public,” the group says. “We invite anyone interested in joining us to connect through Facebook, or visit our website for more information.”

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Also on the musical front, Raincity is headed to Duncan for a concert at the Duncan Showroom on May 1.

Self-described as a rage funk-rock band the group is performing on Vancouver Island before heading out on their first cross-Canada tour to promote their debut album A Proper Latte.

The five-member group is fronted by female leads on saxophone (Kaylar Chan) and vocals (Clare Twiddy), and claim influences ranging from Moon Hooch to Amy Winehouse, Queen and Rage Against the Machine.

“Their live shows are unique, explosive, and a platform to share their values of feminism, empowerment, and freedom of expression,” says a press release for their show.

They’ve opened for big-name acts including Our Lady Peace, Bif Naked, and Five Alarm Funk.

“The album A Proper Latte is a response to pigeonholing that the group has experienced as individuals and as a band,” the press release explains. “Life is so much more rich and complicated than the labels that we give each other to define our genre, our sexuality, our heritage and so on. The album is a mosaic of human experience that we hope will inspire others to look beyond labels and appearances to see the deeper threads that connect us all.”

The show starts at 7 p.m., and tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. To reserve them call 250-748-7246.

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Got Pop? Concerts is presenting Cobblestone Comedy Night at the Cobblestone Pub in Cobble Hill.

Featuring Leland Klassen, with special guest Andrew Mack, the show begins at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 28.

You must be 19 or older to attend, and you must show two pieces of ID. Tickets are $15 plus service charge in advance. Get them at gotpopconcerts.com

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Remember back in October when we told you about the book Luschiim’s Plants, by Dr. Luschiim Arvid Charlie and Nancy J. Turner?

Well the book has now been shortlisted for the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize and the Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award at the 2022 BC and Yukon Book Prizes.

If you missed it or need a refresher here is a description of the book: “Luschiim’s Plants: Traditional Indigenous Foods, Materials and Medicines represents the dedication of respected Cowichan Tribe Elder and botanical expert, Luschiim Arvid Charlie, to the survival of the Hul’q’umi’num’ language and traditional knowledge of plants for future generations. From the healing properties of qaanlhp (arbutus) to the many practical applications of q’am (bull kelp), the information presented in this remarkable guide shares knowledge of plants that Luschiim is familiar with through his own Elders’ teachings and by way of direct experience over the course of his lifetime and compiled from field outings and interviews with notable ethnobiologist and botanist Nancy J. Turner.”