The Carnival Band

Well the weather outside is frightful, but the Carnival Band is sooo Delightful.

The band had a great performance for the Granville Island winter solstice and lantern festival on the evening of December 21st. Complete with Morris singers, fire dancers, shadow puppets, and lots of other live music, the event was a snow-covered evening to remember.

But there’s still lots more to come! Warm up with our Boxing Day show at the Anza Club, with a drum circle, live performances by the Carnival Dancers, and a dance set by DJ Terry Klein.

Then for New Year’s Eve, join BurnBC and the Carnival Band as we take over a skytrain car, decorate it all up for the new year, and celebrate with live music and merriment as we zip around the lower mainland on public transit. Meet at 8pm at the VCC skytrain station in your best party dress. Go to www.publicdominion.com for details and a look at last year’s antics.

We’ll then be disembarking at Stadium Station around 9:45 to carry the party into Gossip, Vancouver’s biggest nightclub, for a collaboration with Circus Aerials, an aerial silk trapeze troupe. Tickets to this show are upwards of $100 just to get in the door, so if you’re looking to save a buck and still have an amazing new year, you’d better join the band soon!

On Friday, November 28th, a large peaceful demonstration was held on Commercial Drive to promote “The Laramie Project“. A high-quality video of the event can be viewed here. The Laramie Project is a play written by Moisés Kaufman discussing the brutal 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay student attending the University of Wyoming at the time. The demonstration was held in response to threats from the Westboro Baptist Church, a group from Kansas infamous for attending the memorial services of queer men and women and creating disruptions as a way of expressing their disapproval of homosexuality.

Although the group was not allowed passage through the border because of their affiliation with hate crimes, the demonstration was still held out of recognition that intolerance still exists in both Canada and the United States. The group of hundreds of supporters gathered together in Grandview Park in the rain to discuss the complex questions of social equity and to celebrate that works such as The Laramie Project are able to be performed.

The Carnival Band was invited to perform at this important event due to its long history as advocates of nonviolent protest. The band played several sets of music, adding levity and building unity among the crowd which assembled from all over the lower mainland and included as many straight as gay supporters.

The Open Air Orchestra Society presents the Carnival Band, with guests Punch Charming and The Pages in an all-night dance party Friday, November 21st at the Waldorf Hotel (1489 Hastings Street, near Clark). Doors at 8pm, show starts at 9.

Punch Charming is an alternative garage rock band that is gaining some serious traction in the Vancouver music scene. Led by vocalist, lyricist, and on-stage acrobat Casey Wei, this band knows how to pack a dance floor.

The Pages are an 11-piece funk/drum&bass ensemble with a full horn section and a smoky, rocking sound. Among their top influences: Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.

Both bands play all original material, and have more energy than you can handle! Round it out with a two-set explosion with the Carnival Band and the Carnival Dancers, and you have a Friday night to remember. Cost is only $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Contact Cory for ticket information at 604.454.8308 or at vancouvercarnivalband@gmail.com.

This Thursday, November 6th, The Carnival Band is pairing up with Pivot Legal and the Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society to bring you Passion For Justice. The event is a fund raiser for Pivot, a non-profit law society based in the downtown eastside whose mandate is to take a strategic approach to social change, using the law to address the root causes that undermine the quality of life of those most on the margins.

What’s even better than supporting a fabulous cause like this? Doing it with burlesque in the Supreme Court! Come on down for a fabulous evening of entertainment. The address is 800 Hornby, and the event will run from 6 to 9 pm.

The street party of all Vancouver street parties is coming to Commercial Drive this Saturday, October 25th. The Parade of Lost Souls will overflow the Drive from 1st to Venables, filling the air with mysterious, whimsical dark. The festivities begin around sunset and last well into the night. Watch out for the Carnival Band as we cook up our magic with samba dancers, fire spinners, and you!

A group of eclectic artists added their energy to the Vision Vancouver campaign launch yesterday, and hit the front page of 24 Hours today. Hula-hoopers, contact jugglers, and of course the Carnival Band added a dose of celebration to this group of politicians and supporters.

Led by Gregor Robertson, Vision Vancouver promises an end to homelessness, the growth of a green economy, and an investment in creativity. The party has forged an alliance with COPE to avoid splitting the progressive vote and unseat the NPA.

The Carnival Band has again been invited to perform at the annual Public Dreams event, Parade of Lost Souls. This night of darkness and wonder is a “lively commemoration of the cycle of life and death, and of facing fears in order to live life to its fullest”. The audience are the performers in this uniquely Commercial Drive tradition.

Parade of Lost souls will be held around Grandview Park, starting at 6:30 on the evening of October 25th. This year, the Carnival Band is collaborating with it’s new dance troupe for an especially spectacular performance. Wear your most ghastly things, and join us in the fun.