Live music fans on the Saanich Peninsula aren’t singing the blues after Tom Lavin and the Powder Blues announced their return to Sidney.
The Vancouver-based blues band will be performing at the Mary Winspear Centre on Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Attendees can expect to see hear hits such as Doin’ It Right, Boppin With the Blues and Thirsty Ears.
“A lot of people come to the shows expecting to hear their favourite Powder Blues tune,” Lavin said. “We’ve had a number of hit records on the radio. We might be playing the same songs, but we’re playing them at a higher level. I really want to make sure that no one goes away disappointed. You owe that to your audience.”
Lavin wrote Doin’ It Right on the back of a pizza box in 1978.
“After ordering that pizza we recorded it right there and then,” Lavin said. “I wish I kept that pizza box, but we got rid of it that night. I should have framed it.”
The band doesn’t have any definite plans to record new music in the near future.
“At a certain point, we will eventually get back in the studio,” Lavin said. “There’s no rush, but I’ve got some songs.”
Powder Blues concerts are quite spontaneous.
“We approach shows with improvisation,” Lavin said. “People are on their toes. I think there is an element of spark and magic that you don’t find in many other forms of music outside of blues or jazz. That’s something different about our show.”
There won’t be an opening act for the Mary Winspear Centre show.
“This gives me time to stretch out and tell stories about how tunes came about,” Lavin said. “I can’t do that when I play festivals or dance parties. In a theatre situation, you can get a little more intimate.”
The band is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, and they’ve toured every single year.
“We never took a break,” Lavin added. “We’ve spent our whole lives playing music. It’s been an amazing run. I’ll probably hang it up once I start having to sit and play. I’m going to continue to do it as long as my health and energy hold up.”
Lavin still loves performing, and he feels lucky to do it.
“There’s a lot of smiles at our shows. We can still really burn it up. I really enjoy it. Music is as important to me as eating or breathing. It keeps me going.”
Tickets for the show can be found at marywinspear.ca.
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