Before or after film screenings, stop by the Empire Theatres Lounge. It’s a hip place to eat, relax, casually discuss the films you’ve seen, and rub shoulders with the Festival’s movers and shakers. Musicians will also be performing at the Lounge throughout the Festival.

We’ve booked some of the city’s best musicians and Whitebird has some great food, special Festival cocktails and coffees available. So catch some tunes or some chat before or after your movie. Whitebird is right beside the theatre, below Lyle’s on Yates St.

Here’s the who’s who of the talent that you can catch at the Lounge every night starting at 8 PM:

SCHEDULE
KAREL ROESSINGH - FRI JAN 30
www.roessong.com
Karel Roessingh has been a professional performing musician since 1970 and a professional composer, arranger and producer since 1985. He has played everywhere from country pubs to concert halls, and has recorded more than a dozen of his own well-received albums. He has also composed extensively for award-winning films and television programmes.


HEMANT RAO - SAT JAN 31 & SUN FEB 1
www.hermantrao.com
Hemant Rao is a singer/songwriter originally from Montreal, now residing in Vancouver, who has toured the US west coast and NYC.  Performing songs from his first two CDs as well as new songs from his upcoming third album. Hemant’s performances are all about “living the song” and his recordings have been compared to the likes of George Harrison.

MEMBERS OF THE TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD ORCHESTRA - MON FEB 2 & SAT FEB 7
www.thetequilamockingbirdorchestra.com
Victoria’s legendary gypsy-ska band will once again be breaking genre boundaries in one fell swoop at the Victoria Film Festival!  Their material is an unexpected fusion of gypsy and ska based music, mingling with tribal beats, classical overtones, small feats of punk, west coast energy, and the band’s linguistic versatility, delivering their stories in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

ERIC HOGG - TUE FEB 3
www.myspace.com/erichogg
Eric Hogg taught himself to play guitar at the age of ten and recorded his first cassette “album” of original songs within a couple months of playing.  His music resembles a mix of the Beatles, Radiohead, and Devin Townsend.  The Critics over at Hybrid dubbed his music “Jellyfish style pop, only darker & more introspective.”

JENNIFER LOUISE TAYLOR AND
PAULA MCGUIGA - WED FEB 4
www.myspace.com/jenniferlouisetaylor
Jennifer Louise Taylor is a singer/songwriter whose music embodies generosity in the form of musical sound.  Jennifer has toured Canada and the US, and been a guest studio musician for CBC national radio. Focus Magazine describes Jennifer Louise Taylor’s “velvety contralto [as] magical.”  She will be joined by Paula McGuigan, on stand-up bass and vocals, who has toured Canada extensively with the award-winning band Barley Wik

GEOFF LUNDSTROM - THURS FEB 5
www.myspace.com/geofflundstrom
Geoffrey Lundstrom is a talented singer/songwriter originally from Nelson B.C.  In his short time in Victoria, he has created quite a buzz for his guitar playing, vocals and clever songwriting.  Spotlighted in Nexus, his Debut CD ‘Standard Lines’ features some of his original tracks that he will perform along with covers from The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen and John Mayer.

RANDY WALDIE - FRI FEB 6
www.loungerino.com
Randy Waldie brings a roots-blues sensibility to the jazz standards. Quoting from many different styles he infuses a fresh take into the familiar. David Augustine is a Berkeley graduate who was music director for the Princess Cruises for several years. Together, their particular brand of improvisation is both unusual and exciting.