Live, Local and Open for Business

Jan. 28, 2022 — Press release from the Burlington Centre for the Performing Arts

BPAC Box Office re-opens February 1; Performances return February 20

The Burlington Performing Arts Centre (BPAC) officially re-opens February 1, returning to its role as the city’s music and cultural hub with three performances in its Community Studio Theatre to delight BPAC patrons in-person and online.

“Our 2021-22 Season was put on hold during the latest round of pandemic restrictions, so we went to work re-scheduling the amazing talent booked to play our stages and we’re proud to present our updated lineup,” said BPAC Executive Director Tammy Fox. “From local artists to musical legends, our patrons can expect the same first-class entertainment we have delivered for the past 10 years, in an atmosphere where they can feel safe.”

February performances (listed below) will all be presented in BPAC’s Community Studio Theatre and each includes the option of attending in person or livestreaming the performances from the comfort of your home. Please visit burlingtonpac.ca for show times and ticket pricing.

As per Ontario guidelines, all patrons must show proof of COVID-19 double vaccination to be permitted entry into the facility. The Burlington Performing Arts Centre is pleased to accommodate our patrons at 50% capacity in our facilities at this time.

BPAC’s LIVE & LOCAL SERIES returns Sunday, February 20, when STEVE STRONGMAN, JAMES OLIVER BILJAK and THOM ANTHONY join our musical hosts, THE MARK LALAMA TRIO. Experience the energy, spontaneity and magic of musical cross-pollination, as emerging and established homegrown talent combine with a house band made up of the area’s most highly sought-after touring and studio musicians.  

Award-winning Canadian blues man STEVE STRONGMAN is a versatile talent, and a restless one. By constantly pushing himself in new directions, he has kept himself vital. His talent is huge and impossible to miss, and it’s matched by his staggering musical ambition — as a guitar-slinger, songwriter or vocalist. The same structures and progressions that animate blues and roots music can also choke the air out of it, smothering it in caricature and cliche. But Strongman is a subtle shape-shifter who manages to slip that trap without betraying the music he loves. Throughout, he never sounds an inauthentic note or loses touch with the essence of the Blues.

JAMES BILJAK is The Burlington Performing Arts Centre’s own venue technician as well as an amazing musician, and his brother, THOM ANTHONY, is the frontman for the band Tenth Planet.

Find James Biljak on Score Exchange and Soundcloud.

Find Thom Anthony on YouTube and Instagram.

The MARK LALAMA TRIO consists of Mark Lalama on keyboards and vocals, Davide DiRenzo on drums and vocals, and Rich Moore on bass and vocals — all in-demand session and touring musicians who have played on hundreds of stages and studio recordings with top artists ranging from Tom Cochrane to Holly Cole and just about everyone in between. This trio is fast earning a reputation as one of the most engaging and intuitive bands around, and together they create a unique brand of incredible, genre-defying original music that never fails to inspire those who are there to take it all in.

STEVEN TAETZ brings his repertoire of contemporary roots, jazz, blues, swing and neo-soul music to BPAC on Friday, March 11. As a lyricist and composer, he has written for many internationally renowned artists, and led a cross-Canadian collaborative project, where he co-wrote a concept album with JUNO-award-winners from each province of Canada. Since 2014, Steven returned to his training and early performance roots, focusing on the American Songbook and jazz standards, writing and recording traditional-pop, and swing originals. His musical style has been compared to greats like Roy Orbison, k.d lang, Norah Jones, and Chet Baker, and performances include innovative interpretations of classic hits, as well as signature originals co-written with top Canadian artists.

The LIVE & LOCAL SERIES returns to the Community Studio Theatre stage on Sunday, March 13, featuring Canadian music icon SUSAN AGLUKARK, as well as singer/songwriter and BPAC Board member PETE VAN DYK, with the MARK LALAMA TRIO expertly supporting this evening of musical collaboration.

Inuk singer/songwriter SUSAN AGLUKARK is one of Canada’s most unique artists and a leading voice in Canadian music. She blends the Inuktitut, Indigenous and English languages with contemporary pop music arrangements to tell the stories of her fellow people, the Inuit of Arctic Canada and her fellow Indigenous groups. The emotional depth and honesty of her lyrics; her pure, clear voice and themes of hope, spirit and encouragement have captivated and inspired listeners from all walks of life. Susan was invited into the Order of Canada and was presented her Officer of the Order of Canada award in September of 2005 for her contribution both musically and as a workshop facilitator and mentor in the Indigenous community and was awarded the Governor Generals Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award in June of 2016.

PETE VAN DYK is a singer/songwriter from Hamilton, ON performing an eclectic mix of blues, folk, rock, and country. As a solo artist and alongside the Second Hand Band, Pete has performed across Ontario and Canada and released a number of albums and EPs alongside his brother Ed Van Dyk.

With world-class talent appearing at the BPAC as winter turns to spring, check out the BPAC’s Events Listing for the complete lineup of shows in this 10^th year on stage at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.

21/22 WINTER/SPRING ‘BPAC PRESENTS’ SEASON:

21/22 Season Performances RESCHEDULED to the 22/23 SEASON:

The Burlington Performing Arts Centre
440 Locust Street, Burlington, Ontario
The full schedule of BPAC Presents events is available here:
https://burlingtonpac.ca/events/
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