St. Vincent to play 2014 Winnipeg Jazz Festival

White-hot St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) is the first act announced for this year's Jazz Festival. It's the 25th anniversary, so this is a pretty solid get for the festival. She'll be at the Burt on Sunday, June 22nd.

Tickets run $32 plus fees. Presale gets going on Tuesday for "Friends of Winnipeg" (costs ya $60 to join) while public kicks off on Thursday morning. I'll likely see ya there.

Read more...

Afternoon Headlines: Sharon Van Etten to play Folk Fest? Del Barber adds second show; Prairie Kitchen Party

First up, hometown hero Del Barber has added a second Winnipeg show at the Park Theatre. He'll now be rocking the joint on March 20th AND 21st. I'm hearing some good things so far about his recently released record, Prairieography .

The 2014 Prairie Kitchen Party goes down at the WECC on Saturday, May 10th featuring Emma Cloney, Patti Lamoreux, Jeremy Rusu, and Red Moon Road.

The Darcys will be at Union Sound Hall on Saturday, March 29th.

Fearing & White are at the WECC on Saturday, April 26th.

The Glorious Sons pop by the Pyramid on Monday, March 17th.

And finally, the rumour du jour: Sharon Van Etten is playing Winnipeg Folk Fest this year. Want a strong indicator toward proof? See the big gap in her tour itinerary.

Read more...

Evening Headlines: NO @ Union Sound Hall; Sons of York EP release/fundraiser

First up, NO (now under the Arts & Crafts banner) is at Union Sound Hall on Saturday, March 29th.

Add Half Moon Run to the City and Colour MTS Centre show on May 17th.

In just a couple days from now (February 22nd) Sons of York is releasing an EP, Forever Potential, at the Park Theatre w/ Bear Clones, The Hours, and Until Red. The event serves as a fundraiser for "Save a Child's Heart" benefiting cardiac surgery for infants & children.

And finally, Greg Rekus is at the Windsor on Wednesday, March 5th w/ Sugarsick and Panicland.

Read more...

Afternoon Headlines: Wildlife, Against Me, Sunparlour Players, Go For The Eyes

First up, Wildlife is at the Park Theatre on Tuesday, April 1st with Boy & Bear.

Speaking of April Fools Day...Against Me! return to Peg City for a date at the WECC on this prankalicious day w/ Laura Stevenson and Cheap Girls.

Sunparlour Players drop by the WECC on Thursday, April 17th.

Psychedelic blues-rock (!) band Go For The Eyes is at Times Changed on Saturday, February 22nd w/ The Nobel Thiefs.

Read more...

Rocking The River Trail

Resident indie-rockers Federal Lights

Easily the best part of Winnipeg winters is skating/walking the Assiniboine River trail.

Having recently moved out of the Corydon area, I rue not being able to walk home each day on this majestic path, but I am going out of my way to hit the trail on Sunday, February 16th. After all, there will be live freakin' music happening on the trail!

Organized by the good folks at Manitoba Music, a genuine cross-section of Winnipeg talent will bare the Polar Vortex (aka winter) to perform some tunes for the heavily-clothed crowd from 1 to 4 p.m.

The acts slated to perform include:

• The Bros. Landreth
• Neil Watson's jazz trio
• Andrew Neville
• Claire Morrison
• Cassidy Mann
• Chris Bennett & DilltheGiant featuring live art by Brian G
• Federal Lights
• DJ Nathan Zahn 
• DJ Kasm  

Oh, and don't use the Canada v. Finland men's hockey game as an excuse not to get out. The puck drops at 11 our time.

Read more...

Contest: Enter to win tickets to see Mark Berube @ The West End Cultural Centre

Courtesy of our friends over at the West End Cultural Centre, I've got a pair of tickets to giveaway for the Mark Berube (with full band) show going down on Friday, February 21st. 

If you're interested in checking out the event, fire me off an email (on the right hand side, below the concert listings) by noon CST on Monday, February 17th with the subject line "Mark Berube Ticket Giveaway" and your name in the email's body. Winning name will be drawn randomly sometime that afternoon and contacted shortly thereafter, with the first name and last initial published on my Twitter account.

Read more...

Afternoon Headlines: Ridley Bent, New Country Rehab, Hopsin, and much much much much more.

Here we gooooooo.....

First up, country troubadour Ridley Bent is at the Park Theatre on Saturday, April 5th.

Edmonton punk rockers Slates will blow the roof off the Windsor on April 4th.

I dig these guys: New Country Rehab is at Times Changed on Thursday, March 20th.

Hopsin is at Union Sound Hall on Monday, May 12th w/ DJ Hoppa.

Jian Ghomeshi is bringing Q to the Burt on Thursday, March 27th as part of the Juno festivities. Musical guests TBA.

Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Dave Hause is at the Park Theatre on Louis Riel Day (Monday, February 17th).

Local artist Luke Reimer is launching his debut EP, Miles on this Truck, at the Park Theatre on Saturday, February 8th.

The Wilderness of Manitoba is at the Park Theatre on Thursday, February 13th.

Old Man Luedecke is also there on Sunday, March 2nd.

China's Car Sick Cars is at The WECC on Wednesday, March 26th w/ White & Cannon Bros.

Speaking of which...folk band The Fretless is there on Saturday, March 8th.

And singer-songwriter Lennie Gallant is there on Sunday, February 16th.

Victoria-based indie-roots foursome West My Friend is also there on Tuesday, March 18th.

And finally, Winnipeg-based 'ultra-rock' trio Northern Elms play the Park Theatre on Saturday, February 15th.

Read more...