He’s a little bit country.
He’s a little bit rock ’n roll.
And folk and soul and R&B and pop and jazz and the blues.
“Genres have always been a challenge with me,” the legendary B.C. musician Roy Forbes said. “It’s been that way for 50 years. I love all kinds of music. It’s hard to pin me down.”
From his days as Bim and one-third of the band UHF, with Shari Ulrich and Bill Henderson, to his country music covers and Christmas tunes, Forbes spans nearly every style in his songwriting and in performing.
And on Saturday, April 27, music lovers can hear him play and tell stories at his one-man show that closes the second season of the Inlet Theatre Music Series — a production organized by Forbes’ longtime friend Bill Sample and his partner Darlene Cooper, both Port Moody residents.
In an interview with the Tri-City News, Forbes said he’s honoured to have been selected to wrap up the season that has featured top acts such as Dee Daniels, Norman Foote and Blue Moon Marquee.
A North Vancouver resident, Forbes said his acoustic show at the Inlet Theatre follows two sold-out performances in Courtenay and Victoria on April 12 and 13 — “just warm-ups for Port Moody,” he said with a laugh.
He’ll be playing about half of his album Edge of Blue, released in 2020, as well as his hits from the past half century plus a new song, too.
He’ll also play "Lifting My Heart," a song he wrote with UHF that’s now highlighted in Dianne Whelan’s new feature documentary 500 Days in the Wild.
Although it’s the same set list as his Vancouver Island gigs, “it’s not the same show. Every time I sing a song, it’s slightly different vocally … It’s a fluid situation.”
Being alone on stage is how Forbes likes it, he said, comparing a solo performance to a “tightrope walk. I’m playing the bass and the lead parts. I am the band.”
Still, “I’m the most alive when I’m on stage. It’s a creative act in itself. If you can push all the stuff aside and be in that two-set moment, who knows what’s going to happen and how I sing any given song?”
Forbes said his spring tour gives him a chance to not only promote his work, but also to connect with his audience, many of whom have followed the JUNO Award nominated singer–songwriter through the years.
"We can’t think of a better way to wrap up the second year of the Inlet Music Series than with a concert by the great Roy Forbes, aka Bim," Sample told the Tri-City News today, April 18.
"Thanks to all who came out and supported live music in Port Moody and we look forward to seeing you Sept. 21 as we kick off Year 3."
Tickets are now on sale to see Roy Forbes at the Inlet Theatre (100 Newport Dr., Port Moody) on Saturday, April 27. You can visit Eventbrite for details.
Save the dates for the next Inlet Theatre Music Series:
- Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024
- Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024
- Friday, Nov. 15, 2024
- Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024
- Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025
- Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025
- Saturday, March 22, 2025
- Saturday, April 26, 2025
