The Brain Porter & Kim MacGregor - Live at Barkerville Brewing

Live Music with The Brain Porter & Kim MacGregor
Saturday, August 8th
Show @ 6:30 pm (doors @ 6:00pm)
Tickets: $20 +$1.42 Shopify Fee
(GST calculated at checkout)

ARTIST BIO:

The Brain Porter:

Strapped with an upright bass, a 40-gallon suitcase on one foot, a pile of antler bones on the other, and enough FX pedals to kill a bear, The Brain Porter conjures a sound that baffles anyone devoted to "tradition" — and frankly, a few people who aren't. The story starts at age nine with an upright bass that was nearly as tall as he was.

From there he moved through jazz groups where he learned to listen harder than he played, orchestras where discipline met reverence, folk circles where a song's only job was to tell the truth, and rock bands where the truth got turned up to eleven. Each world left its fingerprints. None of them could fully contain him. Years working as a sound and lighting technician taught him how rooms hear, how light moves bodies before brains can object, and how to run cable in the dark without swearing too loudly. That hard-won expertise now powers a light show that isn't bolted onto the performance — it is the performance, co-conspirator to whatever chaos is unfolding onstage.

The instrument list raises eyebrows. Upright bass remains the anchor. Surrounding it: theremin, harmonica, guitar, a homemade stompbox built from actual antler bones (the hardware store options were deemed insufficiently weird), and a suitcase that serves as percussion, luggage, and occasional conversation piece. It's not a gimmick. It's load-bearing infrastructure. Influences include Beck, Tom Waits, Ween, Beefheart, and Zappa — artists who collectively never once agreed to pick a lane. The songs reflect that lineage. Humor is treated with surgical seriousness. Serious subjects get enough salt to scorch the original flavor.

The Brain Porter occupies a singular frequency: strange enough to stop a conversation, just barely accessible enough to start a new one. He could make Prine chuckle. He could make Primus headbang. Both Saturday-night festival crowds and intimate houseconcert audiences stumble into a musical void they didn't know they were missing.

Kim MacGregor:

A reformed bank manager, Kimberley realized she was doing a successful job of living someone else’s life—and a poor job living her own. In 2013, she launched her original songs into the world and took centre stage.

She has since released three full-length albums, and was awarded Female Artist of the Year at both the 2015 and 2016 Edmonton Music Awards. In 2022, she relocated to Vancouver Island, residing in Qualicum Beach.

She lovingly crafts and passionately performs songs that will move your heart, change your mind and stomp your feet. Weaving seamlessly between blues, folk and rock, her common threads are strength, vulnerability and badassery, always sizzling with soul. 

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THE VENUE:
Barkerville Brewing Co. is fully licensed and serves locally sourced artisanal pizza and other snacks, along with a rotating selection of our beers. We also serve wine and cider, and non-alcoholic options. The brewery is family-friendly; all minors must be accompanied by an adult. 

Physical tickets will not be sent to ticket buyers. Instead, our staff will assist with check-in at the Taproom counter on the night of the event. Please use your order number or name when arriving at the event.