Mark Allan
Special to The Record
For the second straight year, a scenic outdoor Comox venue will be filled four times with the sounds of outstanding local singer-songwriters.
Music at Anderton Gardens features Coast to Coast on July 11, Helen Austin on July 25, the Lunchbox Legends on Aug. 8 and a double bill with Nathan T. Senner and Sue Pyper on Aug. 22.
Coast to Coast
Lainie Laughlin and Scott Lyle have been playing together since 2009, when the band 5Play came into existence. When the group disbanded five years later, they formed a duo and have been working together since. After moving to Courtenay in 2016, Sarnia native Corey Francis joined Coast to Coast. The trio’s sound includes roots, folk, country, swing, Americana and original tunes. Laughlin plays guitar and bass as well as adding percussion and harmony. Songwriter Lyle plays guitar and sings, while singer-songwriter Francis plays guitar and bass.
Helen Austin
After crossing the Atlantic from England, she’s earned many awards, solo and as a member of the folk-pop duo Big Little Lions with Paul Otten from Ohio. After years of writing songs while busy as a musical stand-up comedian in the U.K., Austin moved to Canada in 2002, jump-starting her musical career. While most of her time is focused on Big Little Lions, she also writes exclusively for Riptide Music Publishers and has had countless placements on TV, ads and film. Her awards include a Juno and John Lennon Songwriting Competition Song of the Year.
Lunch Box Legends
The band’s music has its roots in the songwriting of Chris Hansen (acoustic and electric guitar, vocals), the world travels of violinist Blaine Dunaway (violin, chin cello, flugelhorn and cahon), the creative bass lines of Bruce Wing (bass, flute, vocals), frayed on the edges with Judy Wing’s soulful vocals (keyboard, accordion, guitar and vocals) and Brian “Fuzz” Morissette on the drum kit. Their eclectic mix includes a little blues, gypsy groove, Latin and jazz.
Nathan T. Senner/Sue Pyper
In addition to performing in the first Music at Anderton Gardens series a year ago, Senner also released his second CD, Wings of Change, in 2020. His style has been compared to James Taylor, Marc Cohn and Jim Croce. A three-time finalist in the Cowichan Folk Guild songwriting competition, he’s been nominated for Song of the Year and Vocalist of the Year at the Vancouver Island Music Awards. Pyper is a talented singer-songwriter who has released two CDs. The native of London, England, is a warm and humorous live performer with poignant lyrics and a haunting voice. Her resumé includes an award for Best Song at the Vancouver Island Music Awards. Senner and Pyper will each perform a set.
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Each show runs from 2 to 4 p.m. at The Gardens on Anderton, a scenic outdoor venue at 2012 Anderton Rd. behind the Anderton Nursery. Admission to each show costs $20. Tickets are available at Blue Heron Books in Comox or by emailing dstevenson659@gmail.com.
The series is presented by Centrepiece Productions in partnership with Comox Valley Arts.