Sound is the colour they know. Part Mexican funeral band, part bloated brass section, The Rip Tide balances out subtly by being over the top. Zach Condon’s infatuation with accordion oozes throughout. “East Harlem”’s warbly wordplay takes listeners uptown, downtown. Having left home for Paris, Condon muses about the inevitable return to Santa Fe. He asks […]
Shannon Webb-Campbell
Posted inArts + Music
Outskirts
[image] Whether she’s exploring the coastal shorelines, sleeplessness or the harbours of humanity, Goyette is a deep sea diver of a poet. She doesn’t swim near the surface, her underbelly touches the ocean floor. Outskirts is a collection exploring people, place and poetics. Goyette dives deep into what it means to be human from various […]
Posted inArts + Music
Parchetypes puts piano in the park
Point Pleasant Park is a natural respite from urban Halifax—tall trees, well-worn hiking trails, greenery and soulful ocean views. William Robinson could sense the magic and intrigue when he first visited with his father’s old Konica 35mm camera years ago. He honours the keepers of the park with Parchetypes, one of HRM’s Cultural Affairs department’s […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Sunshine Delivery Trio: Picnic Edition
Halifax and summer go together like picnics and Sunshine Delivery. One Wednesday a month Jessica Ross and Ben Gallagher ride their bikes around town delivering homemade grub. Last week was their official summer picnic edition, featuring a three salad medley—purple cabbage coleslaw with creamy vinaigrette, classic potato salad, green onions, pickles and all, and zippy […]
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A parade everybody loves
Everyone loves a parade, but Halifax’s Pride co-chair Ed Savage caused some consternation over Halifax’s Pride parade when earlier this month he declared it non-threatening to conservative social mores. “That’s what we strive for, to make it less promiscuous than other prides across the country,” Savage told Metro reporter Alex Boutilier. “Our way of life […]
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Halifax a Pride destination for rural Maritimers
Halifax Pride is the biggest queer celebration east of Montreal, rousing folks out of the woodwork to celebrate. Tina Scanlan and Ramona Westgate have been making the trek from Pictou County for several years. “It’s the only time of year that I don’t feel like a minority,” says Westgate. “I believe in and support rural […]
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Digable Planets, Alex Pangman
Halifax made some noise with 90s throwback Digable Planets‘ closing show. Hip hop infused with samples of Art Blakey and Freddie Hubbard, Digable Planets are a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Whether their rapping about Jean-Paul Sartre or sunshine, Digable Planets are cool like dat. They had the entire place off […]
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Elisapie Isaac
Some singers sing, others take listeners out of this world into spiritual beyond. Montreal-based Inuk songstress Elisapie Isaac stole this year’s Halifax Jazz Festival. Anyone who was lucky enough to be at last night’s sold out show could attest to this. Both darling and daring, Isaac is one of the most understated voices in this […]
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Shauntay Grant
Curating a Jazz Festival can be an incredible opportunity to showcase a plethora of artists from an array of genres. The melding of music is inherent to jazz. Presented by Word On The Street, local poet and performer Shauntay Grant‘s Wordrhythm fuses spoken word, melody and heart. Her collection of guest performers at last night’s […]
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Jill Barber shines
It’s not all big hair and costume changes, Jill Barber‘s grown into a bona fide jazz diva. A sweetheart and a chanteuse who Halifax adores, she’s got splashes of all the greats—Edith Piaff, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday. More importantly, these days she’s all Jill Barber. Part persona, part performance, all heart. Barber had stars in […]
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Doris Mason, Preservation Hall Jazz Band
For those with a curfew, the Halifax Jazz Fest free concerts are a perfect way to spend an afternoon. Sunshine, a cool breeze and Ella Fitzgerald tribute—Doris Mason‘s Ella-vation made for a swoony Sunday. For anyone who adored the original First Lady of Song, Doris Mason is a pretty good make-shift Ella. One of the […]
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The Pharcyde
Halifax holla’d back. As a last minute line up change, The Pharcyde trumped Jazz Fest’s opening weekend on the waterfront with their 90s throwback. High energy, dynamic and dance-party inspiring, what else could a humid summer’s night in Halifax call for? Los Angeles’ Pharcyde offered up a refreshing spin on the jazz fest’s roster. The […]