Petunia & the Vipers hit the Kay Meek stage, February 16
There’s nothing like the Vancouver-based band self-described as “Tom Waits meets Elvis at Woody Guthrie's Hobo junction”
Petunia & The Vipers.
Kay Meek Cabaret presents Petunia & The Vipers on February 16 at 7:30 pm at McEwen Theatre—Kay Meek Arts Centre (1700 Mathers Avenue, West Vancouver
PETUNIA & THE VIPERS is one of those musical acts that’s one-of-a-kind. Is it hillbilly, swing, ragtime, blues, rock, Mexicana, jazz, folk, or country? The answer is yes. The Vancouver band draws from all of those influences and more to create a sound all its own, old-timey yet fresh and contemporary, one the group sums up as “something in between 1920s and steampunk” and “Tom Waits meets Elvis at Woody Guthrie's Hobo junction… Avant-Country night club scene music…”
Petunia.
Petunia is the proudly enigmatic lead vocalist-acoustic guitarist, self-described this way: “Imagine that David Lynch and Nick Cave had a hillbilly baby, that yodeled… or Tom Waits meets Elvis at Woody Guthrie’s hobo junction.” Once called the “Savior of Country Music”, he grew up in rural Quebec, and has spent most of his adult life wandering and playing music across Canada, the U.S., Europe, and South America.
When he hits the Kay Meek stage, Petunia will accompanied by his decade-long bandmates Jimmy Roy (lap-steel guitar, vocals), Stephen Nikleva (electronic guitar), Joseph Lubinsky (upright bass, vocals), and Paul Townsend (drums). Together the band has released several albums, with their last four reaching top spot on Canadian folk/blues/Americana charts.
Related Articles
Visitors can hit gamelan and percussion rooms, plus custom DJ sets and more, at the Roundhouse on February 15
Each show is an immersive cinematic experience featuring a live band, film, and dance
Three B.C.-connected directors bring distinct visions to Tosca, The Barber of Seville, and La Traviata
Tracey Power’s new show features songs by Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, and other folk icons
Organist Neil Cockburn and theorbo player Konstantin Bozhinov join the choir to play Schütz’s monumental final composition
AO Roberts’s installation for Vancouver New Music creates oscillating drones that are equal parts comforting and unsettling
Musicians present the premiere of Dorothy Chang’s new composition, in this brief moment together
Artists like Dee Daniels, Brandon Thornhill, and Krystle Dos Santos are performing around the city this February
Partners in music and life, the pianist-singer and sax master share a love of jazz’s rich history, plus a fresh warmth and energy on their first album together, At Home
Songs on the program range from Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky” to John Denver’s “Country Roads”
Performers include Nicolas Pellerin et les Grands Hurleurs, Delhi 2 Dublin, and bluegrass band Bagatelle
Vancouver Bach Family of Choirs’ Valentine’s fundraiser program spans Christopher O’Riley’s arrangements of the band’s songs and Mozart’s Fantasia in C minor
At Cantata Gold, a new commission by Sam Dabrusin honours bass Doug Colpitts’s 50th year of singing with the choral ensemble
Performance features soloists Marianne Bertrand, Julia LoRusso, Lyndon Ladeur, and Mihnea Nitu
Tribute to one of Canada’s most important large-jazz ensemble vocalists stars two Vancouver greats
Stops include a three-night residency at Austria’s Salzburg Easter Festival, as well as Croatia, Slovenia, Liechtenstein, and Germany
Among the 28-year-old’s recent achievements is winning the Terence Judd-Hallé Award for young pianists on the cusp of international fame
The Winnipeg artist brings experience as a tenor to a Mozart opera reimagined in a 1930s Rockies resort, complete with Mounties and log drivers
Romance, deception, and mistaken identities abound in Gioachino Rossini’s beloved comic masterpiece
Based on Adrian Glynn McMorran’s album of the same name, the show at the Arts Club’s BMO Theatre Centre is more than just a concert
Han-Na Chang conducts Beethoven’s revolutionary Third Symphony
The renowned theatre artist and composer offers a stirring collection of tunes from acclaimed shows such as Children of God and Starwalker
Long-time UBC and CapU faculty member puts on a show featuring dozens of local musicians, plus vocalists Dawn Pemberton and Khari McClelland
The Winnipeg-based artist looks forward to onstage exchanges with diverse musical peers on International Guitar Night
Event hosted by Michael van den Bos features Hollywood film projections and live music by the Laura Crema Sextet
Sonic architecture of Winnipeg’s AO Roberts explores the interplay of performance, installation, and layered auditory experiences
Collaborating with vocalists taught the acclaimed, formerly all-instrumental group new ways of listening and working
