“It’s going to be very acoustic,” says Sarah Harmer, calling from her home just outside Kingston, Ontario. “I’m playing with my band, it will be more like a kitchen-party tour, not much electric, with a clarinet, accordion, mandolin and stand-up bass. We’ll be playing a lot of songs from my latest record.” Harmer hits the […]
Shannon Webb-Campbell
Posted inArts + Music
Rogue wave
The last time Luke Doucet was spotted among the streets of his hometown was during the Junos frenzy. Now the handsomely boyish troubadour returns for a solo stint at Stage 9 on August 26. “It certainly will be a less chaotic affair than the Junos, though that was a good chaos,” says Doucet, calling from […]
Posted inArts + Music
Placing Bette
The bilingual duet Bette & Wallet have brought their kitchen parties into the living room, and the two will take their traditional down-home party to Ginger’s Tavern on July 6 with Ruth Minnikin. “We’ve been performing our living room tour—the venues have ranged from student dwellings to my parents’ house,” says Mary Beth Carty, calling […]
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All aboard
VIA Rail passenger Allison Crowe makes a triangle pit stop in Halifax this week. The menage a trois spreads from Thursday to Saturday, as she appears June 1 at Fairview Heights Elementary School, June 2 at The Music Room and June 3 at Pilot House Cafe and Cottages in Boutilier’s Point. “I’ve been touring by […]
Posted inLifestyle
Honour roll
When conversation leans towards outlandish thoughts like skateboarding across Canada, the ideas don’t usually materialize. But East Coast Longboarding founders Rob Lewis, Carlos Koppen, Jason Pelley and Aaron Jackson aren’t your typical skater boys; this summer, they will be carving their way across Canada to raise money for breast cancer. “When we were sitting around […]
Posted inArts + Music
The French third
Montréal’s Torngat are lugging their armloads of instruments into town to create ambient, experimental and instrumental sounds at Gus’ Pub on April 7. “The concept of the album *La Rouge* reflects our live show,” says Mathieu Charbonneau. “The songs are like structured improv; although, we play a lot of other material which is free-change improv […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
The Khyboshed Club
the chalkboard that hangs above the bar of the Khyber Club says everything: “The HRM has decided to close The Khyber Club. Saturday, February 4, is it. No, we don’t know why.” In spite of an agreement made by the city to keep the bar open until February 20, Heather Gibson, manager of The Khyber […]
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The quiet one
“I’m growing a bit concerned as I’m still waiting for the records to arrive from Nashville,” says Richard Lann, over a bottle of pulp-free orange juice at Uncommon Grounds. “I wish that they were being made over in Dartmouth so I could just pick them up.” While these wrinkly details are being ironed out, Lann […]
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Fletcher won
Jon-Rae, minus the River, will flood Gus’ Pub with his elated gospel-country tunes on January 12. “There are so many references to rivers and water in my old songs,” says Jon-Rae Fletcher over the phone from Toronto. “Whether it’s crossing over the river or going into the river. To me it’s about abandonment; letting the […]
Posted inLifestyle
Life’s a Riche
According to Newfoundlander Edward Riche, no writer is an island. The award-winning novelist is making the trek from St. John’s to the mainland to read from his latest piece of fiction The Nine Planets. Riche is stopping in Halifax on October 27 to read at the Dalhousie University Club. “I’ve dared myself never to read […]
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Hers to discover
Montreal songstress Neema’s debut album, Masi, is highly intellectualized pop music accompanied by probing philosophical insights. She is making two intimate stops in Halifax: at The Economy Shoe Shop on August 30 and on September 1 at One World Cafe. “The talented François Turgeon is joining me at both shows,” she says by phone […]
Posted inArts + Music
Heart act to follow
BA Johnston finds inspiration in the most unusual places. His fourth record, My Heart is a Blinking Nintendo, is a collection of quirky, sad songs about pirates, poutine and the CFL. On January 20 at Tribeca, Johnston will be celebrating the release of his record, and the performance will also mark his 30th birthday. “It’s […]