Initially not much more than a good natured musical one-off between friends, the West Coast
quartet In Spite of Ourselves has evolved into a highly entertaining act with a mission— to keep
alive the deep and timeless catalogue of songwriter John Prine.
An unspoken understanding of this mission is the belief that there are only two kinds of people
in the musical world: those whose lives have been profoundly changed by Prine, and those who
haven’t heard him yet.
In Spite of Ourselves: A Celebration of the Music of John Prine brings together the interpretivetalents of multi-instrumentalist/producer Doug Cox, Juno Award-winning Tom and Kalissa
Landa from the Paperboys, and Nashville/Vancouver Island songwriter/artist Steve Mitchell.
All lifelong Prine devotees, the members of In Spite of Ourselves take turns diving deep into the
Prine songbook. With a twinkle in his eye, Doug Cox leads the band through a joyously loose
reading of Prine’s “You Got Gold” featuring a drunken-sounding orchestra of fiddle, harmonica,
and melodica. Tom Landa finds the tender and contemplative heart of “Long Monday,
” and
Steve Mitchell goes over to the other side of the tracks on the funky “Mexican Home.
” And on
“Picture Show,
” Kalissa Landa follows up the song’s insanely hooky chorus with a fiddle solo
that’s as combustible as an old film projector.
Tragically for all of us, John Prine left this world at the beginning of the pandemic. But thanks to
his songs, music fans everywhere have a permanent portal into the little universe of his singular
mind.
In Spite of Ourselves takes you through that door and shows you the house that John Prine built.
You’re never going to want to leave.
Date & Time
Sun, Apr 19, 2026 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Venue Details
Bez Arts Hub
20230 64 Avenue Langley, British Columbia V2Y 1N3
Bez Arts Hub
Events
Bez is an intimate live performance venue which hosts some of the most notable artists from all around North America and beyond. With an inspiring sense of community, the warmth of great sound and the close personal engagement with the artists, Bez offers a unique and inviting atmosphere for enjoying live performances.
Classes
Whether you have had years of formal dance training or have never danced before, our studio is the place to build on your technique in the best ways possible and love it! Our staff are here to equip you in whatever style you want to pursue whether it's ballet, hiphop, tap, jazz, contemporary, ballroom or break. Try a few or focus on a couple, it's your choice! AND are now highlighting ADULT CLASSES (recitals are optional and there’s no dress codes). We’ve now added acting classes, songwriting classes and Gospel choir to our list of offerings!
Post-Secondary Training in Dance, Acting and Music
We know that navigating your life in the arts has so much possibility and Bez Arts mentorship would love to be a part of that adventure with you! Skilled mentors are here for equipping, coaching and partnering with you as you craft your creative life. Choose your specialty with individual classes, intensives or our full program - dance, acting or music - take a course or two, part-time or take a gap year to try out a bit of everything in our Bez Arts Intensive.
