JULY 05 – WESLEY SQUARE

The Tony Turner Trio is Nanaimo-based acoustic based trio that perform original songs penned by Tony. The trio consists of Tony Turner on acoustic guitar, harmonica and lead vocals, Arlene Carson on piano, accordion supporting vocals and Joe Spinelli on upright bass. While anchored in the roots tradition, the trio’s repertoire has touches of blues and pop and the songs often have a twist of humour.

JULY 12 – WESLEY SQUARE

Ty Koch, vocals, and Nico Rhodes, keyboard, perform a mix of everything from crooner tunes, popular ballads, original songs with a blues vibe, classical art song, funky jazz, and vintage R&R!

At a Ty & Nico show, you might hear… Sinatra, Handel, the Righteous Brothers, Scott Joplin, Chopin, Schönberg, Boublil, Paul Anka, David Foster, Bobby Darin, Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers, and the blues, accompanied by Ty on slide guitar performing his original and Nico’s improvisations on the keys.

JULY 19 – WESLEY SQUARE

After spending 2023 recording and releasing his 7th studio album and touring as Burton Cummings' and Tom Cochrane's support act, Ryan McMahon is enjoying spending some time close to home. This summer, Ryan's calendar is full of semi-local, close-to-home concerts all over his native Vancouver Island and lower mainland, including a stop-in to Nanaimo's Old City Quarter on July 19th. A 25-year veteran of Canada's musical landscape, Ryan has long been a genre fence-sitter, blending the boundaries of folk, rock, roots, and country; he's shared the stage with everyone from Mother Mother to Lisa Loeb to Aaron Pritchett, and at the age of 44 has just begun writing music for his next album. Catch him at his most relaxed; acoustic and at home.

JULY 26 – WESLEY SQUARE

The Tony Turner Trio is a Nanaimo-based acoustic trio that performs original songs penned by Tony. The trio consists of Tony Turner on acoustic guitar, harmonica, and lead vocals, Arlene Carson on piano, accordion, and supporting vocals, and Joe Spinelli on upright bass. While anchored in the roots tradition, the trio’s repertoire has touches of blues and pop, and the songs often have a twist of humour.

AUGUST 02 – THE STATION

The Westlanders embrace and celebrate the essential vitality of the traditional music of Ireland and Scotland. Founded by singer and guitarist Joshua Gillingham, former frontman of the Edmonton-based Celtic group The Ugly Mugs, their lively performances are infused with the energy of Scottish jigs and reels, the heart-wrenching tragedies of classic Irish ballads, and a wee spritz of the Gaelic language.

AUGUST 09 – THE STATION

A contemporary and eclectic sound of jazz, funk, folk, and original music. The music is joyous and full of hope.

AUGUST 16 – THE STATION

Announcing the Benson Brass Collective (BBC)! After a successful inaugural performance on May 19 at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, the members of this newly formed brass ensemble are looking forward to sharing their love of fine brass music with Island residents and visitors as part of the Sounds of Summer Concert Series. The repertoire is varied, ranging from Bach to the Beatles, and beyond. The group is comprised of professional musicians and music educators, and a serious hobbyist who wisely (??!) abandoned a career in music midway through his music degree to become a lawyer. Members include Nick Ross (trumpet, whom you may have heard as a violinist with the VI Symphony), Ed Wasiak (trumpet), Basil McCormick (French horn), Andrew Clayden (trombone), and Nancy Cox (tuba). These busy musicians also perform with and, over the years, have performed with many other groups. Together, they have accumulated several lifetimes of musical credentials and experiences. While essentially a standard brass quintet, the concept of a ‘brass collective’ leaves the door open to many exciting collaborations with other musicians. ‘We’ve only just begun!'

AUGUST 23 – THE STATION

The trio of Tami Blaser (vocals), Kelly Fawcett (guitar), and Carson Maertz (guitar) mixes old and new, rock and blues.

AUGUST 30 – THE STATION

Just Us is a group of four like-minded friends who love to sing together. The fun for them is in learning new music and rehearsing to improve their ensemble. They sing all genres of music but are especially drawn to folk and jazz.

SEPTEMBER 06 – HERITAGE MEWS

Renovation Blues Band is a dynamic guitar/bass/drums trio featuring Paul Gorosh, Howard Mallett, and Sean Kilback. The group was formed in late 2006 on Vancouver Island with a mandate to deliver authentic and exciting music to audiences eager to dance or just soak up some tasty tunes. Swingin' grooves, shufflin' beats, funky rhythms are the calling card... so kick back and relax and enjoy.Description goes here

SEPTEMBER 13 – HERITAGE MEWS

The Palace Band was born from an era of rum smugglers and late-night cabaret, when music bubbled with swinging emotion and soul. The raw sounds of old school jazz return with an energy that will put your feet into motion and a smile on every face, combining soaring vocals with a flash of trumpet and the thunder of drums to make the old-time new again.

It’s impossible to talk about the creation of The Palace Band without first describing the production that formed them, A Night at the Palace. Every year, for the past 17 years, in the depths of winter, the community of Errington comes together to don their sequins, feathers, flapper dresses, and frock coats to put on a completely original night of Vaudeville, Comedy, and Burlesque Theatre. While there was always music involved, somewhere around the middle of this dynasty, a solid core band was formed, to be known as The Palace Band. It soon became apparent that performing two sold-out weekends a year was not going to be enough to satisfy the appetites of these musical mavericks. Drawing on their collective history of musical theatre, jazz programs, and a wealth of other musical projects, they created a repertoire inspired by the jazz music of the 20s to the 40s.