Singer and songwriter Dan Davidson says it’s hard to grow up on the prairies and not have a little country in you. He’s got 40 shows on the horizon for 2018 but he took some time to chat with me earlier this week about how he went from a rocker to a successful independent country artist, and how Vancouver once broke his heart but has since made amends – which is a good thing since he’s here for two shows in March.
“I grew up listening to my parent’s music, as most people do, and for my dad it was always Willy Nelson, Johnny Cash, Lyle Lovett, and Blue Rodeo and bands like that so that’s always been on for me, and it’s always been in the back of my brain.” Dan has been a part of St. Albert/Edmonton, Alberta’s post-grunge rock band Tupelo Honey since 2003 but the transition to country came naturally for him.
“After the band shut down I started writing on my own a little bit. I didn’t really mean to make it country but everything that was coming out of me was just naturally that way.”
This year his single Found was GOLD-certified, making him one of the only truly independent artists to earn this status in 2017.
“I just have my head down and I’m just swinging and it’s feeling right at home. Stuff is just kind of clicking more than it’s ever clicked for me.”
Having switched gears and genres, Dan gives a lot of credit to the Canadian country music scene – and Canadian country radio. “Everybody’s so cool in country, that was the first thing I noticed what I started becoming part of the scene is that it’s way more of a collaborative feel than a competitive feel.”
“It’s weird I’ve never been a part of such a fun collective before, it’s inspiring and it really charges me up to work hard and show my friends what I can do.” Along with that hard work comes a lot of fun and good times as well, as evidenced in Dan’s music videos. In particular, the Star Trek-themed video for Say We Did which involved $400 worth of cardboard, and a cameo from his wife and daughters.
Or the video for Found which won the Alberta Country Music Award for Video of the Year in 2016:
And the video for Barn Burner in 2017:
For Dan, being a solo country artist is something new, however the time spent on the road is very familiar. “I kind of settled in after the band slowed down and I was trying to get the country thing on its feet a little bit. But now it’s just back to go time!”
He has spent a fair share of time in Vancouver, and while the first few visits left a sour taste in his mouth – a van break-in or three can do that to an artist – he’s changed his tune in recent years.
“Every time I’ve been [to Vancouver] it’s been gorgeous and sunny. I’ve had the best food and the best craft beer, and great musical experiences with so many fantastic studios.” On top of connecting with industry friends, his sister is also based in Vancouver and his wife will be coming along for the two shows at the Vogue. “I have totally, 100% changed my view on Vancouver and I love it out there.”
With his family, friends, industry, and a growing and enthusiastic fan base cheering him on – not to mention being the recent recipient of 4 Alberta Country Music Awards and first place ($10K) prize at the Edmonton Music Prize gala – I’d say that little bit of country is doing Dan a whole lot of good.
See Dan Davidson at the Vogue Theatre
Dan Davidson will be performing at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver on March 23 & March 24 as a part of the Brett Kissel We Were That Song Tour 2018. Tickets are on sale now. Follow Dan on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for his latest updates.
Vancouver sure is going to be fun in March! On top of the Juno Awards and Spring Break festivities, JFL NorthWest – Vancouver’s Comedy Festival has just announced the JFL NorthWest Block Party which will take place outdoors at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza from Wednesday, March 7th to Friday, March 9th.
JFL NorthWest Block Party
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza (695 Cambie Street) When: Wednesday, March 7 to Friday, March 9th from 5:00pm to 10:00pm Admission: FREE!
JFL NorthWest Block Party patrons will be entertained by various Just For Laughs stand-up specials plus Just For Laughs GAGS, presented by Tim Hortons, on the big outdoor screen and will be treated to performances by Coldwater Road’s Patrick Spencer and music by Adrienne featuring Drix. Audiences can expect a few surprise special guests as well as meet and greets with Victor, the Just For Laughs mascot!
In addition to the outdoor entertainment, JFL NorthWest Block Party-goers can look forward to tasty food truck treats from The Reef Runner and Cheese Street Grill along with complimentary beverages from Tim Hortons, and libations from Sleeman Breweries and Hopping Mad Cider in the beer garden. The JFL NorthWest Block Party will also feature an LED Games Tent for anyone wanting to satisfy their ping pong and foosball needs.
Taking place March 1-10, Vancouver’s Comedy Festival, JFL NorthWest is set to host over 100 comedians and performances across 30 venues throughout the city. This year’s Festival will also feature the first edition of the “Vancouver Just For Laughs Film Festival” and the inaugural Vancouver Comedy Awards. With a total of six performances, from comedy giants Bill Burr, Trevor Noah and Jo Koy, taking place at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre over the course of the Festival.
To kick off this tour de Force, Science World invites you to join us for an out-of-this-world evening, in a science centre that’s not so far away. The event will feature the actual Lightsaber used by Luke Skywalker in Episode V, The Science of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! feature exhibition and a series of costume contests, plus appearances by Vancouver’s 501st Legion and other local organizations.
The Original Lightsaber® Event Schedule:
7:00pm – Doors Open
8:00pm – Rebel Costume Contest
8:30pm – Empire Costume Contest
9:00pm – Other Costume Contest
9:30pm – Costume Contest Finals
Please note, this is a 19+ event. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Triple O’s will be open for dinner service until 9:00pm. For everyone’s safety, there will be a weapons check at the door. Any Nerf®-related weapons cannot be functional.
Follow Science World on Twitter and Facebook for the latest event information.
You can visit Vancouver’s only ecology centre, right in the West End on the edge of Lost Lagoon. From street level, just off Alberni and Chilco, the top of the old boathouse at Lost Lagoon is a nice lookout platform, with views of Grouse Mountain poking through Stanley Park’s evergreen peaks. Down below, accessed either by a flight of stairs beside the structure or from a fork along the Lost Lagoon trail, there are exhibits, information, and tools for exploration at the Stanley Park Nature House.
Stanley Park Nature House
Stanley Park Nature House on Lost Lagoon is Stanley Park Ecology Society’s presence in the park and it’s the meeting place for their public programs. It’s where volunteers develop valuable skills on community action.
Admission is FREE to the public and hours are 10:00am to 4:00pm (weekends only September to June), and 10:00am to 5:00pm (Tuesdays through Sundays in July and August).
The ACT Arts Centre and The Ridge Film Studios, with the support of the City of Maple Ridge, are thrilled to present the second edition of the Maple Ridge Festival of BC Film. Highlighting films created in beautiful British Columbia, the festival is scheduled to take place at The ACT Arts Centre during the last weekend of March.
Maple Ridge Festival of BC Film
When: Friday, March 23 to Sunday, March 25, 2018 Where: The ACT Arts Centre (11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge) Tickets:Available online, by phone at (604) 476-2787, or in person at The ACT Arts Centre (11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge). Ticket prices range from $10 for single film tickets to $20 for opening night (opening night films + reception) and $50 for a Festival Pass (all films throughout the 3 days + opening night reception).
Primary
The Maple Ridge Festival of BC Film kicks off with an Opening Reception on Friday, March 23 at 6:30pm and features a total of six shorts, four feature films, and one documentary over the course of three days.
Film Lineup
FRIDAY, MARCH 23 at 8:00pm Feature Film: The Prodigal Dad
2017 | Comedy/Drama | Filmed in Vancouver & Squamish
Director: Robert Wenzek | Starring: Brad Dryborough, Krystyna Kozlowski, Ryan Cashin, Allie Pev, Andrea Bang, Mackenzie Gray, Jacqueline Samuda, David Lewis, Fred Ewanuick, & Beverley Elliott
Synopsis: After losing his wife, George arrives uninvited at his daughter Lily’s shared college house, but she is less than thrilled. Surprisingly, Lily’s roommates embrace George and he soon becomes the life of the party – and the instigator of mayhem.
Short Film: No Reservations
2017 | Comedy | Filmed in Maple Ridge
Director: Trevor Carroll | Starring: Lorne Cardinal, Bradley Duffy, & Denise Jones
Synopsis: When Peter and Marilyn Whiteman’s peaceful existence is uprooted by an unforgiving yet jovial corporation, they take matters into their own hands to stop the disruptive installation of a pipeline underneath their house.
SATURDAY, MARCH 24 at 5:00pm Feature Film: Primary
2014 | Thriller | Filmed in Vancouver
Director: Ross Ferguson| Starring: Dustin Milligan, Michael Eklund, & Katharine Isabelle
Synopsis: An insurance executive, seen simultaneously in the future and in the present, is betrayed and left penniless, and then must battle his closest friends to try to gain back his life.
Short Film: The Prince
2017 | Drama | Filmed in Vancouver
Director: Kyra Zagorsky | Starring: Lee Majdoub, Ashé Sabongui, Bodhi Sabongui, Brendan Taylor, Kim Villagante, Scott McGrath, Jennifer Copping, & J. Alex Brinson
Synopsis: Young tap dancer Olivia and her uncle Amir, an actor, struggle with what it means to be Middle-Eastern Canadian in today’s racially divided world. When Amir books a role on a film, Olivia uses her dance routine as a way of expressing her true feelings.
SATURDAY, MARCH 24 at 7:30pm Feature Film: Drone
2017 | Drama/Thriller | Filmed in West Vancouver, Langley, & Mumbai
Director: Jason Borque | Starring: Sean Bean, Patrick Sabongui, Mary McCormack, & Maxwell Haynes
Synopsis: Ideologies collide with fatal results when a military drone contractor meets an enigmatic Pakistani businessman.
Short Film: Cypher
2017 | Drama | Filmed in Burnaby & Vancouver
Director: Lawrence Le Lam | Starring: Jerome Yoo, Alex Barima, James R. Baylis, & Angela Palmer
Synopsis: Tensions still linger in 1997 LA between the Korean-American and the African-American communities after the riots of 1992. After an incident in his father’s restaurant, Jay, a Korean-American high school student, finds himself pulled into LA’s underground hip hop scene where the two worlds collide.
SUNDAY, MARCH 25 at 5:00pm Feature Film: Hello Destroyer
2017 | Drama | Filmed in Prince George & Vancouver
Director: Kevan Funk | Starring: Sara Canning, Ian Tracey, & Jared Abrahamson
Synopsis: A young junior hockey player’s life is shattered by an in-game act of violence. In an instant, his life is abruptly turned upside down; torn from the fraternity of the team and the coinciding position of prominence, he is cast as a pariah and ostracized from the community. As he struggles with the repercussions of the event, desperate to find a means of reconciliation and a sense of identity, his personal journey ends up illuminating troubling systemic issues around violence.
Short Film: The United Guys Network
2016 | Comedy | Filmed in Vancouver
Director: Tabatha Golat | Starring: Georgie Daburas, David Mackenzie, Meghan Hemingway, Dustin Finerty, John Kerrigan, & Tara Webster
Synopsis: Loving newlywed husband, Paul Seger, is making the other guys in the neighbourhood look bad. Time for the United Guys Network to step in and teach him how to be a “real” husband.
SUNDAY, MARCH 25 at 7:30pm Documentary: Primeval: Enter the Incomappleux
2016| Documentary | Filmed in the Selkirk Mountains
Director: Damien Gillis | Starring: Craig Pettitt & Toby Spribille
Synopsis: From award-winning documentary filmmaker Damien Gillis (Fractured Land, Oil in Eden) and Valhalla Wilderness Society, Primeval: Enter the Incomappleux is the story of the majesty, magic, and endurance of one of the world’s last truly ancient inland temperate rainforests – the incomparable Incomappleux.
Short Film: Send Us Smokes
2017 | Fantasy | Filmed in New Westminster & Mission
Director: Michelle Kee | Starring: Sara Canning, Matthew MacCaull, & Ada Jones-Kuranko
Synopsis: When 7-year-old Adelaide finds that the care package of cigarettes she prepared for her father won’t be delivered to him, as he serves on the front lines of World War I, she decides to embark on a fantastic adventure to take it to him herself.
Short Film: Scattered
2017 | Comedy | Filmed in North Vancouver
Director: Ellie Harvie | Starring: Kalyn Miles & Debra Sears
Synopsis: Two women venture into the woods to scatter their friend’s ashes and fumble for a way to say goodbye.
Win Passes
I have a pair of passes to give away ($100 value) that will give one lucky winner at their guest access to all films throughout the 3 day festival, plus the opening reception. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
Click below to post an entry on Twitter
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win a pair of passes to the Maple Ridge Festival of BC Film at @mapleridgeact http://ow.ly/6yry30iCO7H” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Friday, March 2, 2018.
