Valentine's Day event coming to Semiahmoo Resort

By Gwen Roley

Locals are invited to celebrate Valentine’s Day with an evening of live music and refreshments.

The Pacific Arts Association will host the “Love is the Answer” show on Thursday, February 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Semiahmoo Resort, located at 9565 Semiahmoo Parkway. The event will feature live jazz performances and guests will be able to indulge in Chuckanut Bay Foods cheesecake with the purchase of their ticket

“This will be a rare opportunity because we’re getting four musicians from New York,” said Kitty King, co-president of the PAA.

New York-based musician, Nick Biello, has put together a set which will be a tribute to jazz artists Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and Michael LeGrande. Biello is the leader of the Nick Biello Vagabond Sextet, which also features brassmen Charlie Porter and David Marriott, who are both from the West Coast.  The other three members of the sextet hail from New York.

Aside from the artists they will be paying tribute to, the group will be performing other favorites from the American songbook.

“I want to present the concept of love in music in as much of a multifaceted way as possible, exploring the nuances of how these composers and lyricists dealt with the ups and downs of love in all its flavors,” Biello said.

Biello’s goal is to capture the essence of each composer with his own arrangements of their music, he said.

“We’re hoping to start a conversation about the different composers’ different interpretations of love,” King said.

This performance is a part of the Vagabond Sextet’s tour of the West Coast.

The PAA hosts different cultural events in the Blaine and Birch Bay area. In previous years, they have organized a variety of Valentine’s Day events such as auctions, dances and concerts. While the PAA primarily promotes local acts, King hopes people will come to “Love is the Answer” to experience some artists from out of the area.  The PAA is also planning an event for the spring, with more details to come, King said.

Tickets cost $30 and can be purchased in advance at blaineharbormusicfestival.org. For more information call 360-988-3019.