A Juno-nominated pop singer is coming to audiences in Penticton, Revelstoke and Vernon.
Winnipeg pop star Begonia will play the Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre Nov. 18, the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre Nov. 19, and Penticton’s Cleland Community Theatre Nov. 21.
The shows come as part of the Route97 Culture Road Trip Series. Tickets can be purchased here.
Begonia launched into the Canadian music scene on the strength of her critically acclaimed 2017 EP Lady in Mind. The indie pop singer has received media praise and numerous awards, while having two No. 1 songs on the CBC national radio chart.
As Begonia, Alexa Dirks has blossomed into a glittery supernova who feels like music’s best kept secret to her fans.
Begonia released her debut full-length album Fear in 2019. The album is deeply personal with ruminations on solitude, self-doubt, anxiety and panic, all bundled up with the serene feeling that comes with an artist fully embracing their past and present self. Begonia wrote and co-produced the record with a close-knit team of collaborators: Matt Schellenberg and Matt Peters of Royal Canoe, along with Marcus Paquin, who has previously worked with The National, Arcade Fire and Local Natives.
Fear was nominated for a Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year and was longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. The album spent 10 straight weeks as the No. 1 album in Canada on Earshot’s Top 50 chart. Songs from the album can be heard in productions on Netflix and the Oprah Winfrey Network. NPR has also named Begonia as one of 10 artists you need to know.
Mark Greenhalgh of Penticton’s Misty Mountain Productions is one of the co-creators behind the Route97 Culture Road Trip Series.
“We’re delighted to have Begonia coming to the region! Our vision is not just about our series. We are striving to build the region as a viable touring option and a venue ‘ladder’ where artists, both emerging and nationally recognized, can find routing and opportunities for amazing shows in unusual venue settings,” Greenhalgh said. “To see a series of regional presenters working in sync to create a tour through the region is something that really excites me, and I can’t wait for the Begonia shows!”
Erin Kennedy, artistic director for the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre, believes the Route97 Culture Road Trip is key to helping bring certain artists to the area.
“Working collaboratively with the other presenters in the Route 97 Culture project has helped build sustainable concert tours into the interior of B.C. It enables us to draw fantastic artists into the region that we couldn’t bring in alone,” Kennedy said.
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