Yes, yes, the nights are getting longer and the days colder, but that excuse isn't gonna cut it this weekend: There is simply too much interesting, noteworthy stuff happening in Halifax as the holidays creep in for you to spend time couch-bound. Instead, light up the group text with some of the following options—including concerts featuring everyone from indie rock darlings to fire MCs to the buzziest local names in classical music—and find yourself some fun that's yours for the taking.
Watch Lighthouse: Live At The Playhouse on Dec 15
Maureen Batt and
Gregory Harrison's 2022 ECMA winning classical album
Lighthouse continues to shape-shift as the project's concert film is released this Thursday. Stream it from the couch and see for yourself why soprano Batt is considered one of the hottest scenesters in east coast classical music today—and why NPR can't get enough of composer Harrison. The album-turned-performance is an exploration of grief and hope, based on real-life loss and journal entries.
Tickets for the 8pm livestreamed event
are $10-$20 and available via Ticket Halifax.
See Matchstick Theatre and Hello City's comedy-slash-theatre show, Punch Up, Dec 15-18
Matchstick Theatre's latest production (a co-venture with award-winning improv group Hello City!) sees the lengths a man will go to in order to make a sad woman laugh—including kidnapping a comedian when he can't think of any jokes of his own. Melding form and content, the production takes a turn for the meta by having a live stand-up set proceed each evening's theatrical performance. Local laugh-getters like Travis Lindsay (who writes for
This Hour Has 22 Minutes) open each performance before three HC members take the stage to perform Kat Sandler's tragicomedy. Showtime is 7pm and tickets start at $10 plus fees,
available via Ticket Halifax.
See Heavenly Blue w/Absolute Losers, Washing Machine, Sisters Dec 16
This Radstorm show reminds us of live music pre-pandemic in the best way, with a bunch of local bands sharing an ever-unfurling bill. The scruffy garage rock of Heavenly Blue will make instant fans out of anyone who's ever owned a CBGBs shirt, while Washing Machine distills the sound of Halifax indie to sudsy perfection. The $10/pay-what-you-can gig kicks off at 7:30pm.
See Postdata w/Michael Terrence, Kary at the Cape Records launch party Dec 16
Wintersleep front person Paul Murphy isn't done shaping the scene in Halifax: Last month, he launched Cape Records alongside collaborators Michael Murphy and Adrienne Butcher, after the trio kept hearing local records that didn't have a home. Now, the official celebration for the new song-house is underway, with Cape Records' first signee, Michael Terrence, performing alongside Murphy's project Postdata. A re-issue from Kary—the band Paul and Michael Murphy began in their early days in Yarmouth—was Cape Records' debut release; a solo set of the former band's songs caps off this Marquee party. The fun starts at 9:30pm and tickets are
$14 in advance and $15 at the door.
See musicians Zamani and Owen O'Sound Lee at the Evergreen Festival Dec 17
The Halifax waterfront is hot no matter the weather thanks to the Evergreen Festival and its jam-packed event slate. This weekend proves no different: Aside from the seasonal market and lush vibes, a rescheduled live music showcase caught Team Coast's eye: At Saturday's 1-9pm free set, African Nova Scotian Music Award winner Zamani headlines the R&B-soaked fun, while rapper-singer Owen O'Sound Lee provides a can't-miss supporting slot.
See LDN w/DJ Hiiigh Kee Dec 16
We can't think of a sweeter cap to the weekend than catching a live set from LDN, the group of up-and-coming MCs that's Halifax's answer to Odd Future. The night of hot bars and bumpin beats kicks off with a set from DJ Hiiigh Kee. Doors for this Good Robot Brewing show are at 7:30pm and cover is
$10 in advance or $12 at the door.
