Name: Hard Rubber Orchestra
Start: 2025-05-31T19:30:00-07:00
Location: The Rio Theatre

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Hard Rubber Orchestra, Canada’s 18-piece jazz powerhouse, will reprise the music of the famed Mahavishnu Orchestra. In the early 70’s, this five-piece unit, lead by guitarist John McLaughlin, blew minds and drew a cult following with their ground-breaking fusion of jazz, Indian ragas and high volume rock.
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Hard Rubber will perform original arrangements by John Korsrud, Fred Stride, Bill Runge and others, with guests; drummer Randall Stoll, and Chris Gestrin on keyboards, along with the 18-piece orchestra. HRO last presented this popular tribute more than a decade ago, and is excited to once again give audiences a chance to see the Mahavishnu Orchestra re-visited and re-imagined by Vancouver’s one and only Hard Rubber Orchestra. Special guests: The Fits (Veda Hille and Patsy Klein), and more!
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7:30 pm: Short music films
8:15 pm: The Fits
9 pm: Hard Rubber Orchestra
Schedule subject to change
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“John Korsrud likes a good challenge. Last year, he and his Vancouver-based 18-piece Hard Rubber Orchestra performed two big-band concerts of songs by the Mahavishnu Orchestra, the 1970 jazz-rock quintet that favoured odd time signatures and high-octane delivery. To these ears, that second concert was the best show at last year’s jazz festival.” (Marke Andrews, Vancouver Sun)
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Saturday, May 31
Doors 6:30 pm | Event 7:30pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Main Floor (Assigned Seating) – Sliding Scale $15+ s/c | $20+ s/c | $25+ s/c (‘Sliding Scale’ pricing = Pay what you can while supporting local, Canadian artists)
Balcony (General Admission) – $10+ s/c
All tickets available at www.riotheatretickets.ca
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Formed by artistic director John Korsrud in 1990, the Hard Rubber Orchestra has consistently been one of Canada’s most active and unpredictable ensembles of creative music, presenting concerts of original music by some of Canada’s most exciting composers, performed by Vancouver’s finest musicians. The orchestra has recorded five albums, toured across Canada and to Europe. In 2005, they were the recipients of the Alcan Arts Award, the largest arts award in Canada for the creation of new work. They have produced several large theatrical works such as operas, avant ice shows, and arts raves and commissioned nearly 100 new works by composers such as Kenny Wheeler, John Hollenbeck, Darcy James Argue, Christine Jensen, Peggy Lee, Marianne Trudel, and Brad Turner. @hardrubberorchestra
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*All ages welcome. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
*Sorry, Rio Theatre Groupons and passes n/a for this event.
*Unless otherwise noted, tickets are always available for purchase at the box office on the day of the show prior to showtime (subject to availability). Our box office is typically open 60 minutes before showtime.
*Please arrive 30-45 minutes prior to showtime to ensure time to locate seats and purchase drinks and snacks at concession.
*All Rio Theatre tickets are final sale. No refunds, no exchanges.