For those of you going through live music and Village party withdrawal this week, you only have to hang on another eight days or so before the celebration returns — bringing acts such as Spirit of the West, The Weakerthans, The Trews, 5440, The Paperboys and many more along.

Sure, the Olympics seemed to wrap up just as you got into a nice little routine of rock out, drink coffee and/or beer, cheer for medalists from all countries, rock out some more — repeat, repeat, repeat. But the Paralympic party is still to come and, if you can believe it, the celebration includes even more free concerts each day than the Olympics.

Whistler Medals Plaza will rock again, too, with Victory Ceremonies and free shows every night from March 13 to 18.

“This is just as big a party as the one we’ve experienced in the second half of February,” John Rae, executive producer of Whistler Live, said of the Paralympic programming starting March 12. “Whistler Live will remain pretty much as it (was during the Olympics).”

The concert lineup for Medals Plaza was released on Tuesday (March 2), with singer/songwriter Kathleen Edwards kicking things off March 13, followed by The Weakerthans on the 14th, Francophone composer Antoine Gratton on the 15th, The Trews on March 16, singer/songwriter Justin Hines on the 17th, and Juno-winner Serena Ryder on March 18.

“We are honoured to celebrate the athletic achievements of the competitors at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games with a lineup of talent worthy of both our medal winners and the world,” Christy Nicolay, VANOC’s VP of Victory Ceremonies, said in a statement.

Following a similar format to the Olympic Victory Ceremonies, the nightly celebrations will start with local favourite DJ Chili Thom warming up the crowd, followed by medal presentations honouring Paralympic champions in alpine skiing, biathlon and cross-country skiing, and capped off with a live concert.

No tickets are required to enter the free events — access will be granted to the first 5,000 people who line up outside the venue. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. and security will be similar to what was experienced during the Olympics, said Maureen Douglas, VANOC’s director of Sea to Sky communications.

After March 18, medals for Whistler Paralympic events will be awarded to the athletes inside the competition venues as organizers of the Closing Ceremony prepare Medals Plaza for the March 21 event. Douglas said everyone is expecting a “spectacular show” in Whistler to cap off the Paralympic Games, and the Closing Ceremony is already sold out.

While most days of the Olympics included two bands or artists on the Village Square stage, three acts are slated for each afternoon of the Paralympics, Rae said. The roster of local and national acts was released today (March 4) and includes favourites such as 5440, Spirit of the West, The Paperboys, Hey Ocean, and the Jim Byrnes Trio.

Whistler and Sea to Sky bands are set to kick off the afternoon shows between 2:30 and 3 p.m. each day with Whole Lotta Led, Kostaman Band, She Stole My Beer, Papa Josh, Still Smokin’ and more.

Kristen Robinson, festival director for Whistler Live, said organizers are “thrilled” to be able to showcase local bands on the Village stage. With many local singer/songwriters getting stage time during the Olympics, it was important to include the band component, she said.

The nightly Fire and Ice show of ski and snowboard acrobatics will also return for the Paralympics — stay tuned to whistler2010.com for a list of legendary DJs that will spin each night.

Whistler Live will continue to be a fusion of sport, art and entertainment through the Paralympics, with broadcasts of sport coverage on the big screens throughout the Village, street performers and theatre skits in Town Plaza, and a special interactive Paralympic exhibit in Mountain Square.

Stay tuned to The Question for more details on Whistler Live, and visit whistler2010.com for schedule updates.