By Lexi Bainas
Black Press
Enjoy the brisk, sea-tanged music of Canada’s Maritimes as Edmonton-based Derina Harvey Band comes to Duncan.
With their signature Celtic rock sound, transplanted directly from the East Coast, the band is headed to the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre in Duncan April 25 to close out the second season of the CPAC Cabaret Series.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m., when the venue is transformed into a speakeasy style space and one of the coolest places to catch live music in the Cowichan Valley.
Seated on stage with the band, the audience will be transported to an authentic East Coast kitchen party with a high-energy show that will leave the audience out of breath and hollering for more.
Derina Harvey Band has been likened to a rockier version of Great Big Sea. With a fresh, unique twist on traditional Celtic tunes and traditional East Coast maritime music, as well as their own original jigs and reels, their rocky, rhythmic undertow is layered with guitars and fiddles topped by Harvey’s powerful voice, whose range gives Adele a run for her money.
Many east coasters are now living out west, just like the band itself, and for some fans, Derina Harvey Band is like a taste of home. The band was formed to have fun on the weekend and Harvey believes that translates to the audience.
She met her husband and drummer Steve Pinsent, and guitarist Scott Greene in the ’90s at the College of the North Atlantic in Stephenville, NL. After school ended, the band members all popped up in Edmonton years later. From there, the band grew and now consists of Pinsent on drums, Greene on guitar, Ed Smith on bass, Jessica Bleenis on fiddle and Harvey herself.
Although the band was born for fun, they have consistently built a loyal fan base, which has led to two albums (with a third to be released this year) and most recently a People’s Choice Award at the 2018 Edmonton Music Awards.
In recent years, the band has been making waves throughout Canada but is also poised to break into the United States having been selected for three U.S. showcases in the past year including one at the Arts Northwest Conference in Tacoma, which garnered them the Best Showcase Award resulting in numerous U.S. bookings.
Tickets are $32 each, available online at cowichanpac.ca or by phone at 250-748-7529.
editor@mondaymag.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter