The Howe Sound Performing Arts Association (HSPAA) will soon kick off its 30th-anniversary celebration with a concert series.
Along with their co-sponsor the Squamish Arts, the organization is hosting the Elemental Concert Series which begins on Feb. 11 with a show titled Air at the Eagle Eye Theatre inside Howe Sound Secondary.
The concert will showcase some of Squamish’s most recognizable musicians: Mat Bergeron, Marc Charron, Cat Madden and Will Ross along with a special youth guest, Danaé R.
“All four of them bring something slightly different to the table and their songwriting,” said Brian Marchant, who serves as the treasurer as well as production coordinator of the HSPAA. “But it’s all rooted in the same sort of identity and their history and love of music.”
And, he says Danaé R. is no exception to that either.
Marchant said he “was just absolutely gobsmacked by how talented” Danaé R. already is at only 17 years old.
“She's an upstart singer-songwriter, but honestly there's an old soul in there,” he said.
The show will be unique, as the artists will be sharing the stage altogether while they perform four or five songs apiece. Marchant said they’ll briefly talk before each song about the meaning behind it to give the audience an inside look at their process.
“We want to make you feel like you're in their living room, listening to these artists create their song for the first time and then sharing that,” he said.
Air is just one of four shows the association will be showcasing.
Another, titled Fire, is set for March 4 also at the theatre and will feature jazz musicians from the Justin Glibbery Quintet and other guest musicians, Connor Lum and Stan Thomson.
“It’s going to be a fun show,” he said. “And we think that one will probably sell out pretty quickly. Our jazz performances have been pretty in demand.”
Having been with HSPAA for about 21 of the 30 years, Marchant said it felt amazing to still be hosting events. With instances like COVID-19 causing challenges for them and other arts organizations, he said there was a real sense of accomplishment to be able to push through that.
Plus, they’ve hosted a lot of talented musicians, especially when it comes to classical performers.
“Over these 30 years, some of the performers that have graced our stages have been pretty heady,” he said. “Some of the classical performers that have played on our Yamaha C7 are considered world-renowned.”
The doors for Air open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for both of the events can be purchased at HoweSoundArts.Tickit.ca.
