One of the Sunshine Coast’s fastest-rising bands will perform at the Artesia Coffee House on Friday, Jan. 17 at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre. Paradox (Rhiannon Marsh, drums; Isla Nicholson, bass/vocals; Isaac Kelly, guitar; and Connor Murawsky, guitar) has been playing together since 2023, and are all students at Elphinstone Secondary.
“I’d been learning bass and Rhiannon had been playing drums for a long time,” said Nicholson. “We were like, we could actually do something with this.” The pair saw Kelly play at a school talent show in late 2022; he then recruited Murawsky.
The group specializes in mainstream pop punk, especially of the early 2000s vintage. “A lot of our songs are slower, some of them are alternative, some of them punkier, so I feel like each of us have our influence in each song,” explained Marsh. While the group routinely performs covers by Weezer, Green Day, Blink, and Fallout Boy, the players have also built up a sizable repertoire of original numbers.
“I feel like we write a lot of music about problems that teenagers have, about how complicated your feelings are as a teenager,” explained Nicholson.
The group has already chalked up a 2025 gig at Tapworks in Gibsons. For Kelly, the reward comes in seeing audience reactions: “I love to see smiles on their faces, clapping, cheering when they recognize a song when we’re playing a cover, and I like when they sing along.”
Marsh, Nicholson, Kelly and Murawsky plan to record an EP in the coming year, and capitalize on their growing confidence. “Now we really understand each other,” said Nicholson. “We’ve gotten a lot closer, and that’s made it easier to cooperate and communicate.”
The Artesia Coffee House is an initiative of the Coast Cultural Alliance in partnership with the arts council, and is now in its 23rd season. The evening will also feature vocals and percussive guitar from Dee Brown, author and humourist David Roche, bassist James Meger and guitarist Mike Aganovitch. Meger and Aganovitch will blend folk and jazz influences while demonstrating musical dexterity.
Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Tickets ($20) are available at the door or online via coastculture.com.
Matriarchs in the Creek
A month-long art show by Sandy Buck and Candace Campo will culminate on Jan. 30 at the Gumboot Café in Roberts Creek. “Celebrating the Matriarchs” is an event that will provide a place of gathering and warmth to reflect on the meaning of relationship — and to explore how to support next generations.
Tea and bannock will be served. The event (which runs from 6 to 8 p.m.) will also include a sneak peak of the second annual anti-fashion cabaret to be organized by Deer Crossing the Art Farm.
Ripped Open 2 is planned for May, following the example of last year’s exuberant anti-couture debut. Organizers are raising funds to bring the cabaret to reality, giving youth the opportunity to express themselves and gain experience in the arts, theatre and event management.
More information and a donation portal are available online at deercrossingtheartfarm.org.
Camaro 67 drives jazz festival support
Sunshine Coast Jazz and Entertainment Society — organizers of the Gibsons Landing Jazz Festival and Beyond — are producing a fundraiser show on Jan. 30 that features one of the top acts from last year’s festival.
The explosive nine-piece instrumental band Camaro ‘67 will perform at xwesam-Roberts Creek Community Hall on Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. The group features a distinctive Afrobeat and modern Afrofunk/Groove sound. “Think Antibalas, Budos Band, and The Herbaliser, and prepare for a propulsive, high-energy experience that’s heavy on the funk,” writes organizer and Art Beat correspondent Paul Hood. “This is the perfect way to start 2025.”
Between sets, DJ Sam Pulpo will spin an eclectic mix of ethno-funk, Lati and Afrobeat.
Tickets ($30) are available at One Flower, One Leaf in Gibsons, at the Sechelt Visitors Information Centre, or online via EventBrite local listings.
