The Bulkley Valley Concert Association’s (BVCA) 2019/2020 second show of their season is coming up Oct. 24.
Their first show held earlier this month was incredible, according to BVCA arts director Miriam Colvin. Krystle DosSantos opened the season and Colvin was happy with the turnout.
“It was really great,” said Colvin. “There was an arc to the evening, her playing, her musicality, her voice warmed through out the night so by the end of the evening she was full on powerful and had the whole audience engaged and singing along.”
Jay Gilday is next on tap and will perform at the Della Herman Theatre on Thursday.
The singer-songwriter now lives in Edmonton but grew up in Yellowknife.
Gilday told BVCA board members he was excited to be returning to northern B.C., which he recalls fondly from his days of touring with his Juno award-winning sister, Leela Gilday. He also said that Witset was a favourite stop.
His website says his voice is a raw and gorgeous siren of the Canadian north, fusing hymnal anguish with driving rhythm and blues. He mixes Dene spirituals and Irish ballads with Canadian folk and rock.
“I found him to be very engaging with a very strong, sometimes raspy voice,” said Colvin. “He has a real range with his musicality.”
Jay will be joined on stage by Andrew Stewart on bass, Geoff OBrien on drums, David Aide on keys, and Edmonton jazz legend Dave Babcock.
“He [Gilday] calls himself folk and soul rock,” said Colvin. “He has an underlying rock edge. He is both an accomplished singer-songwriter and performs solo gigs, so I think that is where the folk rock comes into it and he performs with a full band so I think that is where we are going to get what he calls soul and his roots in blue.”
Colvin is also hoping he shows off his hidden talent and the story that goes along with it.
“When I heard him perform he said that somehow at every performance he gets asked to whistle. So in the showing of his work, of course we asked him to whistle. And he was a virtuoso of whistling,” she said. “He had this amazing tune that went all over the place.”
Tickets are now on sale at Mountain Eagle Books or available at the door. Adults are $28, $23 for seniors and $15 for students.