Top Five "Must Attend" Events this May in Peg City

Welcome to a regular feature on Painting over Silence that previews the month ahead on the Winnipeg concert front: each month we'll be spotlighting five local shows/festivals deemed as "must-attend." This month's "must-attenders" were selected by contributor Stefani-Raine Allan, and, without further adieu, here are the five she selected, in chronological order:

Purity Ring (above)

Wednesday, May 1st

West End Cultural Centre

8 PM

I have this neurotic fear that if I miss a potentially great show, the opportunity may never present itself again in quite the same way. Last year I wasn’t able to see Purity Ring, and I’m so excited (and relieved) the band is headed back to the West End for another go in the ‘Peg. This electro-pop twosome, comprised of Megan James and Corin Roddick, is touring in support of their debut release Shrines. Kicking off the night is Blue Hawaii – more electronic deliciousness from Montréal, not an Elvis cover band – playing tunes from their ethereal album Untogether.

$17 at Music Trader, Into the Music, and online at northerntickets.com 

Masaki Batoh

Thursday, May 9th

West End Cultural Centre

8 PM

Masaki Batoh’s got his music down to a science – literally. Also known as the driving force behind Ghost, a Japanese psych rock group circa the ‘90s, Batoh creates music from human brain wave patterns through a machine he created specifically for this project. The process is a tad complex, and frankly, the mix of mechanics and musicianship has my left and right brains confused! This might go down as one of the most oddly transcendent, Suzuki-esque shows Winnipeg’s seen. If anything, you’ll have a guaranteed conversation starter for patio season. If that ever comes…

$15 @ WECC and Ticketmaster

Fleetwood Mac

Sunday, May 12th

MTS Centre

8 PM

Growing up, Fleetwood Mac albums were among the many classic rock records my parents kept on the shelf in the living room. I used to listen to Songbird repetitively, and fawn over Stevie Nicks’ billowing sleeves and long, blonde locks while I sang along. But even if you don’t have childhood memories of this Grammy-award-winning, rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-inductee band, you might be surprised at how many of their songs you actually know. This world tour, the first since 2009, will pull all the hits from their 17 studio albums, and it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser. Don’t miss out!

$49.50 - $179.50, Ticketmaster

Mayworks Festival

Throughout May

Various locales

Mayworks is a labour festival utilising various art forms to focus our attention on working class issues. Inspired by 1919 General Strike, the festival showcases our diverse, prairie talent pool in multiple expressions ranging from poetry to amateur theatre. During the month of May, there are a few concerts that sound interesting – and educational! These include:
- Mayday Cabaret: United in Song ft. RasTamils. Mondragon,  7:30 PM. May 1st
- Festival of Mandolins ft. The Mandolin Orchestra. Ukrainian Labour Temple, 7:30 PM. May 11th
- The Songs & Music of Pete Seeger ft. Red Moon Road. WAG, 8:00 PM. May 24th
You can check out the event calendar here for more information about costs and other events.

P.S. Tune in to CKUW every Monday at 5:30PM for special Mayworks radio programming!

A Night of Original Music

Thursday, May 23rd

Folk Exchange

7:30 PM

Well, I was going to suggest going to see MGMT at the Burt, but that show sold out eons ago (I’m a little upset about it, hence the melodramatic italics). I can’t really find anything that feels comparable, so here is my suggestion: Make your own music! The Manitoba Independent Songwriters Circle presents a monthly event called – you guessed it – A Night of Original Music. This is an opportunity to perform your original works at an open mic and have others provide constructive criticism for your lyrics. Everyone’s gotta start somewhere, right? Except Andrew VanWyngarden. He was born a genius.

See website for more details; first two events are free, after that it’s a mere two bucks at the door.

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Now it's your turn, Dear Readers. What shows/events are you looking forward to this month?