BY ROBERT MOYES
Special to Black Press
In terms of classic Canadian music, the stuff that had an impact, from bands that formed 20 or 30 years ago, some of the most interesting work appeared on the West Coast.
And then, when you get to music that had its roots a half-century ago, you are almost certainly talking about a quirkily sublime singer-songwriter-guitarist named Bim (although he鈥檚 long reverted back his real name, Roy Forbes). Back in 1977, then-Bim went to L.A. and recorded Thistles, which went on to become a classic equal to the iconic 鈥�70s-era albums of other artists like Joni Mitchell, John Prine, and Carole King.
鈥淣ot only is Roy a great, great songwriter but he is a very original guitar stylist because he grew up totally isolated in Dawson Creek,鈥� says Vancouver Island Music Fest artistic director Doug Cox. 鈥淭he guitar parts on Thistles challenged what James Taylor was doing at the time.鈥�
Mostly because it is nearly impossible to say no to Doug, he was able to persuade the man long since known as Roy Forbes to recreate Thistles in its entirety on the mainstage 鈥� something he has never done before.
鈥淭his is a once-in-a-lifetime event,鈥� notes Cox, before adding that Forbes will make a few other appearances at the festival to play his more recent material. 鈥淎 lot of people are aware of him as the weekly radio host on Roy鈥檚 Record Room but have forgotten that he鈥檚 an incredibly influential star of Canadian folk music.鈥�
The Paperboys
It鈥檚 been 30 years since Vancouver鈥檚 The Paperboys pioneered a genre-blending approach to music that has earned them ardent fans around the world.
The brainchild of Mexican-born singer-guitarist Tom Landa, the Paperboys fused a mix of folk, Celtic and bluegrass that they then further revved up with pop hooks and a rockin鈥� backbeat. As well as Landa, the core of the band includes wife Kalissa, a quicksilver fiddler and emotive singer; and flautist/guitarist/vocalist Geoffrey Kelly, already famous as an early star of those other party-band icons, Spirit of the West. As the Junos and other awards piled up, these festival favourites continued to evolve, adding elements of ska, soca, Cuban son, and African highlife.
鈥淭he Paperboys have an organic sound, a great sound, the sound of a band that has been together for a long, long time,鈥� notes Cox. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe that this is just the first time they鈥檝e ever played our festival.鈥�
Critical darlings who were regularly heard on the CBC and NPR, The Paperboys have never seemed destined for mainstream success. No matter. This six-piece powerhouse is an unbeatable live act that will make you dance your head off.
LappElectro
And it was two decades ago that renowned B.C. multi-instrumentalist Daniel Lapp temporarily traded his fiddle for a trumpet and pioneered a trippy fusion of jazz and electronica that was very much in flow with the just-emerging sounds of acid jazz/hip-hop/house music.
With the equally talented co-founder Rick May on bass and keyboards, LappElectro was laying out a trance-like, propulsive groove evocative of Egyptian Lover and mid-period Miles Davis, while blending in drum machines, MIDI keyboards, DJ beats, and sampled loops. This was state-of-the-art improvised sonic sculpting 鈥� and great for dancing! Aside from their legendary Sunday night jams at Steamer鈥檚 Pub in Victoria, LappElectro released several live albums, toured extensively at both jazz and folk festivals around North America, and even made it as far as Australia in 2004 before fading away. After a very successful mainstage reunion last year at Rifflandia, that was all the encouragement that Cox needed to book them for MusicFest.
鈥淭hey were one of the first bands in the world to be doing these wonderful, sound-bending improvisations when nobody had heard that kind of music before,鈥� says Cox. 鈥淎nd they are even better, more seasoned musicians now.鈥�
The 2023 Vancouver Island MusicFest runs July 14-16 at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds in Courtenay.
For more information, or tickets, visit
鈥揜obert Moyes is an arts journalist with a particular interest in music
