COUNTRY-FOLK
What: The Jim Cuddy Trio with Sam Polley
Where: McPherson Playhouse, 3 Centennial Sq.
When: Saturday, Jan. 11, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $68.25-$83.25 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or
Why: Jim Cuddy, the Blue Rodeo frontman, will perform in Victoria for the second time in five months Saturday with a unique roster of collaborators that includesguitarist Colin Cripps, fiddler Anne Lindsay and his son, singer-guitarist Sam Polley, who will also open the show with a set of his own. Touring behind Countrywide Soul, his latest solo offering, Cuddy can be counted on to offer both new songs and Blue Rodeo classics, the lot of which will be delivered by one of the purest voices Canada has ever known. Highest recommendation, especially considering the on-stage excellence he brought to his performance at the Butchart Gardens in August.
INDIE ROCK
What: Daniel Romano鈥檚 Ancient Shapes
Where: Upstairs Cabaret, 15 Bastion Sq.
When: Sunday, Jan. 12, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $13.50 from
Why: The chameleonic Daniel Romano has never met a left turn he didn鈥檛 like, which adds a layer of intrigue to each of his live performances. Romano is bringing Ancient Shapes, a new project that bounces between the jangle-pop of the Byrds and the East Coast indie rock of Sloan. However, if there鈥檚 one thing fans know about Romano at this point in his career, it鈥檚 that he can shift direction at any minute. Those attending Romano鈥檚 show 鈥� and you should be making plans to do so, if you haven鈥檛 already 鈥� will be kept on their toes throughout.
CLASSICAL
What: Forces of Nature featuring Kati Debretzeni
Where: Church of St. John the Divine, 1611 Quadra St.
When: Friday, Jan. 10, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $30 (seniors $25) from the Royal McPherson box office (250-366-6121) or
Why: A Victoria Baroque Music Society presentation featuring Vivaldi鈥檚 iconic Four Seasons and French Baroque composer Jean-F茅ry Rebel鈥檚 Les 脡l茅mens, Forces of Nature is made imminently more impressive by the involvement of celebrated violinist Kati Debretzeni, who currently teaches violin at the Royal Conservatory in the Netherlands. Debretzeni will be on the Island for three concerts, including stops in Nanaimo at St. Andrew鈥檚 United on Saturday and Mill Bay at Brentwood College School on Sunday, but it鈥檚 her performance in Victoria at the Church of St. John the Divine on Friday that is expected to go down as one of the early highlights of 2020, classical music or otherwise.
