Have a cousin you’ve never met? Marc Gladstone did, and wow, do they have things in common.
He and John Hall are both keyboardists who have played with Prism, the Vancouver band that launched in 1977 and continues to perform across Canada.
The two finally met in Toronto during the Canada’s Walk of Fame festivities in September when Prism was among the 13 rocking inductees.
“We were both there and I guess it was just time we met,” Gladstone said with a laugh. “The night before the concert, he was having a late dinner with Al Harlow and Bill Allman at the hotel restaurant. I went over and sat down, and he goes, ‘Hey, cuz!’ So it went from there.
“It’s funny,” he added, “because we’re both keyboard players and both of us played in the same band at different times.”
Gladstone plays in the current version of Prism, while Hall is an original member of the band.
On Oct. 21 they met again and posed for a photo during the F**K Cancer 2 benefit concert at Vancouver’s The Centre theatre, where close to $300,000 was raised for BC Cancer Foundation’s PROFYLE program (Precision Oncology for Young People).
“John’s aunt was my dad’s first wife,” Gladstone reported. “My dad married a few times and I’m a child of the second marriage. Nora was my dad’s first wife, and that’s John’s aunt.
“John was here when Prism started in 1977, and I grew up in Burnaby,” Gladstone added. “I was aware of him, and I assume he was aware of me, I don’t know for sure, but my older sister Ann used to babysit him — both of us, actually, at different times.”
Perhaps he and Hall will play music together one day, but for now Gladstone is busy with Prism and also Stone Poets, a trio that also features wife Cherelle Jardine and Scott Jackson. Songs from their new “Human” LP are being released monthly until January, when the entire album drops on all platforms.
JAZZ CONCERTS RETURN TO CHURCH
Sunday-afternoon concerts are back at Surrey’s Northwood United Church, in Fleetwood, where the Jazz Vespers in the Valley series relaunched Oct. 1 with Dan Reynolds Band.
The hour-long, by-donation performances start at 3:30 p.m. at 8855 156 St., every second Sunday from fall to spring. Yes, the music comes with a religious message, and typically people pay around $10 for entry, or whatever they can afford.
The musicians are usually A-grade including the likes of Aaron Hardy Quartet (Nov. 5), Linda Szentes and Jazzlinks (Nov. 19) and The Soda Crackers (Dec. 3).
Early next year look for Vespers dates featuring Diane Lines, Marcus Mosely, Jennifer Scott with Rene Worst and other local jazz standouts. The calendar is posted on northwood-united.org, under Events. Questions? Call 604-581-8454.
‘TIME WARP’ AGAIN
Halloween is a perfect time to see “Rocky Horror Picture Show” — the movie or the stage musical, take your pick, or both.
Last weekend we took in the musical (shortened to “The Rocky Horror Show”) staged by Ann Matterson’s fledgling Delta Players Theatre company at Genesis Theatre in Ladner.
In a good way, I was reminded how Richard O’Brien’s memorable songs are so 1950s-influenced, starting with “Science Fiction/Double Feature,” cruising through “Hot Patootie, Bless My Soul” and more.
It was a super chilly night in the theatre (zero heat, maybe even the AC on), but the Aidan Sharpe-conducted band helped heat up the place with all those time-warp riffs (kudos to Jayda Grant, Julian Neufeld, Knight O’Connor, Lars Sans).
On stage, standouts were Will Davis as Frank N Furter, Saxony Eccleston as Magenta, Kaitlyn Zarin as Columbia and McKenna Swensrude as Janet Weiss. Larissa Dawn was good as Eddie, too, though it’s a shame there’s only one song for that doomed character. All night, the ensemble’s backup vocals were fantastic.
Surrey residents Eccleston (as Maria) and Dawn (Elsa) were last on stage together in “The Sound of Music” at Langley’s Theatre in the Country, to which Dawn will return in “A Christmas Carol” starting Nov. 29, cutting into gig time singing with the hard rock band Celestial Ruin.
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