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What's On: Loads to do this weekend on West Coast

The West Coast is an exotic draw for many people. There are any number of reasons

to visit or make your home here; the surf, the fishing, the forests, the whale, the food. It's such a draw that many working musician will come to Tofino and Ucluelet to play small venues just

for the excuse to come out.

Ukee Days This week, in addition to the myriad of great entertainers at Ukee Days - folks like Smalltown

Empire (Friday), Myles Morrison Big Beach, High Tide Collective, San Felix, Quoia (Saturday) and

Slack Tide String Band, Poor Pistols and Carolyn Mark (Sunday) -we'll be visited by (at least) two such musical groups.

Wendy Biscuit

They may not be Vanilla Ice or Spirit Of

The West (in town this week for a private party, see pic of Vanilla Ice with Rhino owner Duane Bell at left) but I'll bet jazz and swing musician Wendy Biscuit and progressive folk band The Tourist Company will raise a smile or two.

Vancouver's Wendy Biscuit is bringing her "interactive lounge" set to Jamie's Rainforest Inn. She says her music draws from a number of universal themes like "heartache, love, growing old, mean waitresses and beautiful bartenders."

The interactive part comes from Wendy's encouragement of audience participation. She says the intimate nature of the smaller venues and more personal connections that she can make with audiences when playing her duo shows bring a different kind of satisfaction than the swing band shows she's played over the years.

Wendy will be joined by celebrated jazz drummer John Nolan and says the audience should expect a night of very listenable original music, jazz standards and swing. If my phone interview is any indication it's bound to be an engaging show. Wendy Biscuit plays an all ages, no-cover-charge show at Jamie's Lounge, Tuesday July 29 starting at 8 pm.

The Tourist Company This weekend the West Coast also plays host to The Tourist Company. Behind their curiously West Coast suitable name this progressive folk-rock group's expands beyond simple acoustic guitar-driven folk music with the addition of glockenspiels, strings and surf-rock electric guitars.

On Friday, July 25 the show at Blackberry Cove starts at 8 and is open to all "by donation". The band will also be playing at The Tofino Public Market in the Tofino Village Green from noon to 2pm Sat.

Ballistic Pig Finally, if you're just looking for some down and dirty rock-androll fun after the Ukee Days stage shuts down this weekend, local rocker Ballistic Pig will be playing classic rock and dance covers this Friday and Saturday starting at 10 at Official's, 19+, $10 at the door.

Geoff Johnson is the Westerly News advertising representative.