Langley’s Bez Arts Hub, a local facility popular for hosting musicians from around the world, has posted its May lineup of events.
The next concert at Bez features Josh Smith and Bex Troock, a Canadian dream folk duo from the Okanagan, on Friday, May 12 at 8 p.m.
The couple met in 2016 and started collaborating after their first date performing a show together.
“We found we had a lot of the same musical interest and we grew up listening to a lot of the same genres, so, we just naturally fit together really well,” Smith said.
They take inspiration from human experiences to create music.
“Love, loss, light, pain, connection, future, and even going into the metaphysical and spiritual side of the human experience,” Troock explained.
Friday’s event will start with Smith and Troock sharing their story, including playing some of their original songs that inspired them to be songwriters.
Smith hopes to take the audience on a journey of their growth as musicians.
Their performance at Bez kicks off their tour to Vancouver Island, which will last a couple weeks.
Russ Rosen, co-founder and artistic director at Bez, said the events are open to everyone and are a great opportunity to celebrate music as a community.
As curator and presenter of the Bez concert series, Rosen teaches song creation and performance through weekly open mic nights.
“It’s a really supportive environment, everybody’s here for each other to share their songs or stories,” he said.
Open mic nights started in 2019, but were limited over the last two years due to pandemic restrictions. Now, Rosen hopes to reignite the fun evenings.
“It’s a well lit theatre with curtains, lighting, and good sound, and everybody is focused on what the community is presenting.”
Some people on their musical journey are professionals testing new songs and others are everyday citizens getting on stage for the first time. Students from elementary and high school often attend open mic nights, Rosen added.
“We think it’s pretty special that Bez open mic is a unique experience.”
Rosen starts the evening by greeting every audience member by name and plays two or three songs of his own. He plays guitar, drums, and harmonica.
Open mic nights with Rosen are every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. until June 22.
Bez is located at 20230 64th Ave.
Tickets for Bez events can be booked or purchased online at bezartshub.com.
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