Arts & Culture

With each week offering a different act, there is something for every musical taste, like Harpdog Brown.

Photos courtesy Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site

Warm summer Fridays mean evening concerts at this National Historic Site. Rain moves the concerts inside the cozy cannery.

Photos courtesy Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site

With each week offering a different act, there is something for every musical taste, like The Beauty Shop Dolls.

Photos courtesy Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site

Affordable fun at the Cannery for summer Friday evenings

By Lorraine Graves

Published 4:01 PDT, Tue July 2, 2019

Last Updated: 2:13 PDT, Wed May 12, 2021

After a booming Canada Day that saw 6,000 people get out of the heat at the Cannery Museum in Steveston, affordable summer concerts are again returning to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site.

After a booming Canada Day that saw 6,000 people get out of the heat at the Cannery Museum in Steveston, affordable summer concerts are again returning to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site.

Music at the Cannery is a great way to kick off a summer weekend. For $7, concert-goers get a full evening’s entertainment.

Every Friday evening features a wide range of genres from folk, jazz, swing, blues, rock and more.

Doors open at 6 p.m. at the 150-year-old historic cannery's outdoor tank deck; a half hour before the musicians take the stage. On rainy Fridays, the concert moves inside the cozy cannery itself.

A non-profit, community organization, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society operates the museum on behalf of Parks Canada. The museum is located on the southwest corner of Steveston Village at 12138 Fourth Ave. (at Moncton St.). The cannery itself is open every day of the year, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., when the cannery whistle blows.

For more information call 604-664-9009 or http://gulfofgeorgiacannery.org/.

This summer's line-up features both past favourites and new acts:

July 12: Irish Waker and Friends offer Irish and Maritime music featuring the fiddle, Irish flute, mandolin, guitar and bodhran, with nods to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and seafarers everywhere

July 19: Halifax Wharf Rats: A Vancouver band featuring Irish and Scottish pub tunes, East Coast Maritime songs, and folk rock reminiscent of a toe-tapping kitchen party around the bay.

July 26: Rock Line is a long-time favourite of Music at the Cannery. It’s the father and son duo of Gerry and Trevor Layton. They bring the best of Brit Rock along with their own original releases.

Aug. 2: Harpdog Brown Quintet features an award-winning harmonica player and one of Canada's premiere blues singers to bring blues and roots music to the Cannery.

Aug. 9: Steve Kozak Band features Maple Blues Award-winning guitarist Steve Kozak who performs west coast style soul and roots music.

Aug. 16: Beauty Shop Dolls, performing dance hall classics from decades past. This vintage vocal trio take on the classic stylings reminiscent of The Andrews Sisters and The Chordettes.

Aug. 23: Willy Blizzard is an indie folk/roots trio. They bring you classic Canadiana with the warm sounds of double bass, acoustic and electric guitar, banjo.

Aug. 30: Illiteraty is a Vancouver-based folk band. They offer an eclectic set including blues, jazz, folk and more.