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Jeni’s Picks for the week aheadDear Picks People… here are some events to help you stay sane and survive the busy season. Do take time out for yourselves. Happy Hannukah to all my friends celebrating this festival starting tomorrow. Also, a word about the upcoming fundraisers “Festival of Hope” put on by the tireless Jacques Lalonde (poster below). Jacques organizes these events to raise funds for his nephew, Boden, who suffers from a debilitating illness and a very shortened lifespan and whose home care is extremely costly. They are always raucous and tons of fun so please try to drop by Havana and support if you can.
And as usual, please check with venues for any last minute changes/cancellations. 
WISE Hall – Petunia & The Vipers By DonationThis event runs from November 6, 2017 until December 18, 2017.Petunia & The Vipers every Monday in the Lounge all winter long! Mondays are the new Fridays! A man rooted in as much talent as mystery, Petunia is a Canadian country treasure. His illustrious career began with busking his way through Canada and the NYC subways, playing over 150 shows a year to enthralled audiences. Since then, he has racked up the achievements with several celebrated solo releases and frequent tours spanning continents. Alone, Petunia is a talent unapologetically shocking fans with his versatility. Together with his Vancouver-based backing band, The Vipers, he is a fireball ripping and roaring with eclectic instrumentation and an energy only attainable through big band camaraderie. 
Cabrito Tapas – Noche Flamenca Free eventDecember 12, 2017 7:00 pmCabrito-Tapas Bebidas is proud to present Noche Flamenca – An evening of flamenco music and dance. Featuring…. Stephanie Pedraza(voice-dance) Marekito (Marek Wojtaszek) (guitar) Davide Sampaolo (percussion) Lili Laflama (Liat Harlev) (dancer) 
WISE Hall – Motown Party: Sing Stevie Wonder at an Instant ChoirDecember 12, 2017 7:00 pmImpromptu Rock Choir invites you to sing… What Christmas Means To Me by Stevie Wonder Show up and sing! The melody and harmony parts will be taught AND you do not need to read music or have any singing/musical experience! Beginners to professionals welcome! It’s all fun and low pressure. People with all levels of musical experience can join in. Doors open at 7.00 pm in the bar, singing at 7.30pm. A very social sing, so bring your friends and make it a fun and musical Motown night out! $10 entry 
The Cultch – Little Dickens:The Daisy TheatreThis event runs from December 12, 2017 until December 22, 2017.In Ronnie Burkett’s Little Dickens, the cast of The Daisy Theatre take on the beloved holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, in the merriest marionette mash-up ever. Faded Daisy diva, Esmé Massengill, plays the role of miserly, drunken, bitter Esmé Scrooge, encountering all your Daisy favourites (as Dickens’ familiar characters!) on her journey to redemption. Raucous!! Ages 16+ Tickets $22-49 
Gold Saucer – New Works Pay-what-you-canDecember 12, 2017 9:00 pmSawdust Collector is a weekly concert series taking place on Tuesday nights at The Gold Saucer. This week…. Robyn Jacob/Elisa Thorn + Aram Bajakian’s “Demons” + Maya Tenzer/Christoph Von Riedemann A new collaboration w/ Robyn Jacob – Piano/Vocals Elisa Thorn – Harp/Vocals ARAM BAJAKIAN’S “DEMONS” Aram – Guitar, new compositions! James Meger – Bass Kevin Romain – Drums “BLUE” Maya Tenzer/Christoph Von Riedemann – Dance 
Provence Marinaside – Hip Pocket with guest Nick Peck Free eventDecember 13, 2017 6:00 pmAdam Rohrlick’s Hip Pocket Trio with guest Nick Peck on the keyboards. 
Vancity Theatre – Meet Beau Dick: Maker of MonstersDecember 13, 2017 6:30 pmAdmirers and collectors of Pacific Northwest art are notably unanimous in their admiration of the oeuvre of Kwakwaka’wakw artist Beau Dick, who died this year far too young at the age of 61. His generous and prolific nature embodied the spirit of potlatch, the giving ceremony at the heart of Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw culture. LaTiesha Ti’si’tla Fazakas and Natalie Bolla share an intimate profile of this charismatic hereditary chief, with a particular focus on his work and his cultural-activist passion. In 2013, Dick organized a collective journey from Quatsino on the northern end of Vancouver Island to the BC Parliament Building in Victoria, a 10-day, 500-kilometre walk. There, he and others enacted a copper-cutting ceremony—a form of public shaming signifying the cleaving of a relationship, in this case a break between First Nations and the government. In 2014, he led a similar journey from UBC to the steps of the Parliament building in Ottawa. Tickets $12 
Cottage Bistro – Joy of Jazz: Plato/Reischman/MillerDecember 13, 2017 7:15 pmJOY OF JAZZ CONCERTS This small invitational concert series allows the audience to experience the artistry and nuance of a wide range of musical styles under the jazz umbrella. The 2nd in the series features jazz vocalist Karin Plato performing with acclaimed mandolin master John Reischman and highly regarded American guitarist John Miller. The trio will perform several of the songs that they recorded this past summer 2017 (intended for a 2018 release). They will also feature some new arrangements of standards and folk tunes and certain select seasonal repertoire to help get into the holiday spirit. Concerts begin at 7:30 PM Please arrive by 7:15 PM before the music starts. Admission $15.00 cash at the door. 
Andina Brewing – Breaking Boundaries Quartet Free eventDecember 14, 2017 7:00 pmBeer, music and dancing with Breaking Boundaries Quartet a local Vallenato band. (Popular music from Columbia) 
Rode House Jazz Series – Kaldestad, Rushka & ReynoldsDecember 14, 2017 7:00 pmThe Roedde House Jazz Series is proud to present Steve Kaldestad, saxophone, Paul Rushka, bass and Dan Reynolds, piano Tickets $15/12 
Heritage Hall – Music for the Winter SolsticeThis event runs from December 14, 2017 until December 15, 2017.Music on Main presents… Music for the Winter Solstice featuring: Nicole Lizée, composer & performer Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa, piano Wallgrin, violin & voice Carman J. Price, vocals Tickets $15/39 
Frankie’s – Saul Berson Quartet plays Michel LegrandDecember 14, 2017 8:00 pmTRIBUTE TO A FRENCH LEGEND Saul Berson is a native of Vancouver whose burnished tone has made him one Vancouver’s most sought-after alto saxophone players. He has performed throughout Canada, Europe, the Mid-east, and South Africa releasing five CD’s in the process. The quartet will play a compelling mix of compositions written by French composer and jazz pianist, Michel Legrand, who has written over 200 film and television scores. He is best known for his often haunting, jazz-tinged film music, many of which songs have become jazz standards. With Nick Peck on piano, Steve Holy on bass, and Buff Allen on drums. $15 cover 
Rickshaw Theatre – East Van Choir Collective WISH FundraiserDecember 14, 2017 8:30 pmThree East Van rock choirs. One annual fundraiser! Proceeds go to WISH drop-in center, a resource for women in the DTES. Kingsgate Choir, Eschoir & MPRIS All-original arrangements of songs by Sufjan Stevens, Hiss Golden Messenger, Sylvan Esso, Sade, This is the Kit, and more! Followed by a set of dancing tunes by DJ Pancakes. Tickets $15 at Highlife & Red Cat Records and online 
Jazz at Tangent Cafe – Michael Agranovich Trio By DonationDecember 14, 2017 8:30 pmGuitar virtuoso Michael Agranovich plays standards and originals with his longtime trio. With dazzling solos and introspective ballads, this will be a dynamic evening. With Eli Davidovici on bass and Mili Hong on drums 
Vancity Theatre – The Other Side of HopeDecember 15, 2017 6:30 pmThe Other Side of Hope. The Finnish master of the droll and the deadpan, Aki Kaurismäki, returns with a second feature (after Le Havre) that takes the European refugee crisis as its ostensible subject, this one set in his sombre homeland. Syrian Khaled (Sherwan Haji), having washed up on Finland’s disconsolate shores in a coal container, is anxious about securing refugee status and remaining in the country when he crosses paths with middle-aged travelling shirt salesman Wikström (Sakari Kuosmanen, essaying the classic Kaurasmäki anti-hero type with aplomb), a glum guy who is about to leave his wife and change his life courtesy of some cash won in a card game. An unlikely friendship begins, and soon Khaled is working for Wikström at the latter’s new pipedream—a hilariously run-down and badly operated restaurant. Tickets $12. 
WISE Hall – A Sumner Brothers Christmas X11December 15, 2017 8:00 pmA Sumner Brothers Xmas XII FEATURING…. The Sumner Brothers w/ Kenton Loewen & James Meger! The WILD NORTH DUSTIN BENTALL C.r. Avery Viper Central (Trio) Marin Patenaude Real Ponchos Mike Shaver Nick Colebrook Connor Foote Cody Larsen Lukas Behrndt Matt Kelly’s Steelin Xmas Tickets $12 advance & $15 at the door 
The Heatley – Old Time Blues Brunch with the Burying Ground By DonationDecember 16, 2017 12:00 pmOld time acoustic country blues! Jazz! Brunch! Boozy Coffees! What more could you want on a Saturday “morning”. Line up for this show will be: Woody Forster- Guitar/Vocals Devora Laye – Washboard/Saw/Vocals Bonnie Northgraves – Trumpet Wynston Minckler – Upright Bass 
Jazz @ The Pat – Hip Pocket plays Grant Green Free eventDecember 16, 2017 3:00 pmTake a break from the incessant Christmas music and get with the Hip Pocket Quartet as they pay tribute to Jazz guitarist Grant Green. Adam Rohrlick – guitar Nick Peck – piano Brent Gubbels – bass Jesse Cahill – drums Grant Green was the most recorded guitarist on Blue Note Records in the early to mid 60s, performing on dozens of recordings and winning Downbeat magazine’s Best New Star award in 1962. Green has been called the ‘Father of Acid Jazz’ and his later recordings have been sampled by artists including US3, A Tribe Called Quest and Public Enemy. 
Rickshaw Theatre – Keithmas 8: A Foodbank FundraiserDecember 16, 2017 8:00 pmKeithmas VIII – A Foodbank Fundrager presented by Hidden Charms and The Rickshaw w/support from Phillips Brewing and Malting Co. 100% OF THE PROCEEDS GO TO THE GREATER VANCOUVER FOOD BANK For the eighth consecutive year Hidden Charms Presents and the people of Vancouver will be joining together to celebrate the birth of the main offender himself, aka Keef aka one half of the Glimmer Twins aka the human riff, Mr. Keith Richards. And let’s not forget about that other holiday too…Christmas. With Rich Hope, The Pack A.D., Pointed Sticks, La Chinga, Elliot C. Way & The Wild North, Slip-Ons, The Knast, The Bad Beats Tickets $17 
The Heatley – Elkhorn Free eventDecember 16, 2017 9:00 pmElkHorn’s last show of 2017! Songs from the album plus some new stuff. Tom Wherrett – guitar/compositions Meredith Bates – violin/viola Sam Davidson – clarinet/bass clarinet Russel Sholberg – bass Mike Magnusson – drums Listen here 
China Cloud -Dálava LiveDecember 16, 2017 10:00 pmDálava’s only live concert in Vancouver this Fall. Guitarist Aram Bajakian and vocalist Julia Ulehla’s Dálava project is an homage to traditional Moravian folk music, taking melodies transcribed over 100 years ago by Ulehla’s great-grandfather, and reinventing them in extremely stirring, avant-garde and post-rock musical language. $20 cash at door 
St.Andrews Jazz Vespers – Old Time Christmas By DonationDecember 17, 2017 4:00 pmWhere the spirit meets Jazz every Sunday … this week The best musicians and Christmas music. Sing along. Hum along. Just enjoy yourself in a festive holiday environment. With Deanna Knight, Don Stewart, Wayne Stewart, Ada Lee and more. 
Rio Theatre – JaneDecember 17, 2017 4:15 pmDrawing from never-before-seen footage tucked away in the National Geographic archives for over five decades, acclaimed director Brett Morgen offers one of 2017’s most compelling documentaries with this profile of legendary primatologist Jane Goodall. Drawing from over 100 hours of footage, JANE offers an absorbing and engaging look at a woman whose chimpanzee research challenged the male-dominated scientific consensus of her time and revolutionized our understanding of the natural world. Set to a rich orchestral score from legendary composer Philip Glass, the film offers an unprecedented, intimate portrait of this trailblazer who defied the odds, becoming one of the world’s most admired conservationists. Tickets $10/12 
Jazz at Tangent Cafe – Brad Turner Quartet By DonationDecember 17, 2017 6:00 pmTrumpeter, pianist, drummer, composer, producer… Brad Turner leads an explosive cordless quartet. With John Gross on saxes, Paul Rushka on bass and Ethan Honeywell on drums. 
Britannia Community Centre – 5th Annual Winter Solstice Free eventDecember 17, 2017 7:00 pmBritannia Coffee House: 5th Annual Winter Solstice 2017 Celebrate the return of the light with a cozy community evening of beautiful local live music, storytelling, and refreshments to warm your soul. featuring…. :: Storytelling :: Renea Morriseau Vancouver Public Library’s 2016 aboriginal storyteller in residence :: Music :: Bergamasca Renaissance and Baroque Recorder ensemble Doug Thordarson East Van favourite on fiddle Songtree Earle Peach & Barbara Jackson & Doug Thordarson play eclectic collection of stories told in song At the 55+ Centre Lounge (across from Info Centre) 
Pat’s Pub Jazz Vocal JamThis event runs from August 28, 2017 until December 18, 2017.Every Monday is vocal night at the Pat’s Pub jazz jam! Bring your charts & your friends. Instrumentalists welcome too. 
Libra Room – John Korsrud Latin Band By DonationThis event runs from November 13, 2017 until December 18, 2017.Starting on November 13, every Monday John Korsrud (Goma Dura/Hard Rubber Orchestra) and some of Vancouver’s finest Latin music players will be in residency at the Libra Room |
"Jeni's Picks" is a curated list of eclectic events that I feel are of particular interest to my readership. If you know of an event of interest, let me know and I'll consider it for inclusion.
Jeni Mastin, JenisPicks.com
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