New Year’s Eve hotel-wide bash at The Waldorf will feature…

SWS is one of this year’s Peak Performance TOP 20 Artists!
Since the 2007 inception of Vancouver based Sex with Strangers the band has been gaining local, national and international attention with a mention in Spin Magazine naming them one of “7 Undiscovered Bands Worth a Listen to” and now as a Top 20 Finalist in the 2011 Peak Performance Project. I sat down with the contest finalist (Hatch Benedict and Isabelle Dunlop) before their recent Peak showcase at the Red Room to talk about their third full-length album Frontier Justice, Isabelle’s fashion line (see their upcoming Fashion and Music for Memories event below!) and of course the Peak Performance Project Contest.

Aug. 31, 2011 @ the Waldorf Hotel – No Cover Charge

It’s the official launch of a new book and CD from Phil Smith & Corsage called The Longest Days of the Year with a gig at the Waldorf on Aug. 31.
Gord Nicholl from the Pointed Sticks will be joining the band playing keyboards and other surprise guest musicians will be making appearances through out the evening.

It should be a rocking (end of) summer party and there will be no cover charge! If you haven’t checked out the fabulous new/old Waldorf yet, it’s a great chance to do this as well.

Tropidelica takes place every last Friday of the month at the Waldorf

But before going anywhere, I stopped by a friend’s place for a visit where I was offered this ginger tea with mushrooms. I had to go to a magazine anniversary party, Tropidelica at the Waldorf and the release party of Tyranahorse at the Cobalt. When I hit Nanaimo street, two or three blocks later my head exploded. By the time I went to the celebration I was feeling disconnected from the world.

Using the catharsis of song writing and performing as an exploration of his own feelings William Fitzsimmons has the ability to transcend pop music with its surface expression of physicality, instead he hits you in the heart and he breaks through to your emotions. He tends to write songs of a somber note and his fourth album Gold in the Shadow is no exception. When we chatted William told me the album is about balance, of what’s clear and what’s in shadow, of what’s dark and what’s light. Check out the audio interview for William’s own words and wisdom…

For the 2nd edition of TROPIDELICA – Waldorf´s monthly Tropical Cabaret they are presenting a multi-room party with dancers+performers and a guest DJ from Brooklyn, NY – UPROOT ANDY

Chico Mann played at the Waldorf at the first Tropidelica with DJs Operacion Bikini.

He played at the Waldorf putting everybody to dance, the energy was high during the night. He just released his solo album called 22 degrees of Beautitude with ten songs that sound a little trippier than the regular Dehli to Dublin. The concert was to promote the CD. It is a gem for the lovers of world music and fusion experiments that involve electronic beats. Tarun, also a Vancouver-based DJ/producer has travelled across the globe touring and collecting sounds for the last ten years for his Asian-fused electronica music. As you can see Tarun was joined by some talented musicians to make memorable night. He also took his sounds to the east of Canada.

The Waldorf will be transformed into a real Mexican cabaret from the 50s, so expect to find a lot of surprises, including an electric shock machine, Cuban sensual dances, tacos, tequila specials, old music, new music, dance music, electronic music, its going to be madness. Toy Selectah was member of the legendary hip hop, rock band Control Machete who went to sell more than 100,000 units in Mexico and 400,000 in Latin America of their debut CD Mucho barato at the end of the 90s. Their second album also went Platinium.Now Chico Mann or the first Cuban in space as he calls himself is the electronic alter ego of Maruitos García, an accomplished musician, he was the guitar player of Antibalas, one of the most popular Afrobeat bands in the world.

William Fitzsimmons is touring in support of his new album Gold In The Shadow.

And VanMusic has tickets to give away!!!

Jacksonville Illinois’ indie troubadour William Fitzsimmons’ new release, Gold In The Shadow, is a musical reflection of the personal resuscitation and psychological renovation, which took place in the years following his divorce. Based on a specific set of psychopathological disorders from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV), he describes the songs as “a real and long coming confrontation with personal demons, past mistakes, and the specter …

That is right boys and girls. Colombian Cumbia is coming to heat up the Waldorf on April 22. One of the most popular bands from Bogota, Colombia is touring these latitudes and they will stop in Vancouver to put everybody to dance.

Thank Delhi 2 Dublin for having a small break in their otherwise intense worldwide touring schedule to allow time for Tarun Nayar to showcase his beautiful new album live for Canadian audiences this spring, with dates starting in Nelson on April 7th, Vancouver April 10. With over 10 years of travelling the globe, collecting sounds and experiences, Tarun compiled 22º of Beatitude, his first solo project, released on March 1st.

The Waldorf Hotel will be hosting a comic book and zine fair on Sunday, December 19th featuring a book signing and special musical performance by Portland based multi-disciplinary artist Dame Darcy. The Fair will also showcase talented local magazines, comic presses and zine makers including: Ed Brisson, Colin Upton, Cloudscape Comics Collective, Mongrel, Melanie Coles, Discorder Magazine and Robin Bougie (Cinema Sewer).

Mr. Pablo (Profesor Bikini), El Garzita (Agente Bikini) and Ernesto Gomez (Inspector Bikini) are playing Latin Jazz, Cumbias,Easy Listening, Psyche and whatever else they feel like from 8 to 2 am!