The Great Halloween Swindle
The Great Halloween SwindleOctober 30 at The PavilionWhile the big kids had packed The Attic on Saturday, The Great Halloween Swindle reconvened for an encore performance, giving the kids a taste of the cover band action. With the exception of Neville & The Nickersons, a makeshift group slapped together to pay homage to Weezer, the…
The Proclaimers
Published September 15, 2005.The ProclaimersSeptember 10 at Casino Nova Scotia.Funny thing about The Proclaimers is that anyone who knows their music via the Benny and Joon or Shrek soundtracks have sound reasons to imagine them some one-hit wonder novelty act. As the lights dimmed and the smoke machine kicked in under purple and blue lights…
Songwriter’s Circle
photo David Cieplinski Songwriter’s CircleSeptember 17 at Hamachi Steakhouse.Because of the threatening forecast Halifax was experiencing due to Ophelia, Ruth Minnikin, Dale Murray, Norma MacDonald and Nathan Wiley’s Songwriter’s Circle was moved from outside into Hamachi Steakhouse at Bishop’s Landing. The restaurant provided an intimate setting for the acoustic quartet, while the wall-sized window provided…
Pearl Jam
photo Chris Smith Pearl JamSeptember 22 at the Halifax Metro Centre.“You’ll only need to write two words to review this show,” slurred the drunken gentleman behind me moments before Pearl Jam hit the stage. “Fuckin’ great.” Three hours and 30 songs later, it was pretty tough to argue with that assessment. With a stripped-down stage…
Pop Montreal
Published October 06, 2005. Pop Montreal September 30 – October 2 Halifax culture popped in Montreal last weekend when Brent Randall and his Pinecones, City Field, Wintersleep and North of America all hit la belle province for the Pop Montreal festival. With all the familiar Haligonian faces in the crowd, Wednesday night’s City Field show…
Gypsophilia
GypsophiliaOctober 7 at Ginger’s TavernGypsophilia is the hottest jazz combo in Halifax these days, with its variation on Django-style small-group swing that also incorporates such diverse elements as Klezmer, stride piano and Bird-like explorations of a melodic line. And they are rightly attracting both a young audience as well as seasoned jazz fans. But watching…
Ted Leo + Pharmacists
Ted Leo + PharmacistsOctober 14 at The PavillionTo those who only saw Ted Leo + Pharmacists’ Marquee set at last week’s Pop Explosion: You saw good, but you missed out on great. The Pavilion show, their second of the festival, was a sweat- and spit- drenched mix of scathing social commentary and a tight-like-Speedos setlist,…
JT Donaldson
JT DonaldsonOctober 22 at ReflectionsHalifax as the next Chicago? Not a crazy notion when one counts the Windy City DJs who have graced SuperCity stages. Recent appearances by DJ Colette and Johnny Fiasco — and check out this week’s Derrick Carter gig — featured the smooth mid-west sound. Although relocated to San Francisco, former Chicagoan…
Dolly Parton
photo Michael Tompkins Published September 01, 2005.Dolly PartonAugust 27 at the Halifax Metro CentrePromoting her upcoming album of golden oldies in collaboration with contemporary musicians, Dolly Parton sparkled (literally) on the Halifax stop of her Vintage Tour. Parton charmed with her between-song banter, engaging the audience members, cracking wise and attempting to fill requests shouted…
Avril Lavigne
Avril LavigneAugust 31 at the Halifax Metro Centre.Thousands of girls singing “It’s a damn cold night” in their squeaky, pre-pubsecent voices, en masse, is an oddity you’d never hear in Halifax clubs. So the Metro Centre — alight with signature A. Lavigne glowsticks and $15 blinking devil horns — played host to the biggest, most…
Clumsy CD release
photo David Cieplinski Clumsy CD releaseNovember 5 at Ginger’s TavernThe Good Times, Hard Times Picket Line Band set the tone for a folk-infused evening as CBC purveyors, employees and listeners, gathered to celebrate the release of Clumsy’s debut album. “It seems CBC’s workforce came out more cohesive since the lockout,” said Clumsy, AKA Kevan Corbett.…
50 Cent
Published December 15, 2005. 50 Cent December 14 at the Halifax Metro Centre After pumping the marketing machine with a preview for his film Get Rich or Die Tryin’ and a clip reel that showed A-list celebs name-dropping him, Curtis Jackson quickly confronted his politician critics with what else — a hail of repetitive recorded…
Pavement/Pixies tribute
Pavement/Pixies tribute November 10 at The AtticIt is a sad state of affairs when the biggest concert draw in this town (for local talent) is to put on a “tribute” show. Like this one — which featured members of the Jon Epworth Band, Montgomery Moth and the Dean Malenkos taking a stab at the Pixies…
Simple Plan
Simple PlanDecember 17 at Halifax Metro CentrePerhaps no band in the country knows their target audience better than Montreal’s Simple Plan — and their strategy is as straightforward as their name suggests. 1. Design a stage production making such elaborate use of a variety of different pretty lights that it distracts from the quality of…
Behemoth
BehemothNovember 19 at The Marquee Club Since this all-ages show started an hour before the advertised time, a number of people missed Halifax’s mighty Hellacaust. Burning Moon played a fantastic, too brief 15-minute set. They’re highly technical without being cold, atmospheric without being Viking drama queens. NecronomicoN brought extreme noise from Montreal — not to…
The Establishment/Alewives/GCO
photo David Cieplinski The Establishment/Alewives/GCODecember 29 at Gus’ PubIn a city where bands of similar genres often stick to their own, it’s refreshing to hear different sounds mixing together. And what better place to hold an eclectic rock fiesta than local hole-in-the-wall Gus’ Pub? Fuelled by a handful of their scathing rock epics, including the…
Matt Mays and El Torpedo
photo Michael Thompkins Matt Mays and El TorpedoFriday November 25 at The Marquee ClubIt’s impossible to play your A-game every night, as illustrated by Matt Mays and El Torpedo’s first of a two-evening home stand at The Marquee Club. Looking as though they had left pieces of their mojo across the country on their three…
Matt Mays and El Torpedo
Matt Mays and El TorpedoSaturday November 26 at The Marquee ClubIf you needed proof that Matt Mays has completely won over the ears and throats of his audience, the final show of the six-week Wicked Come Winter tour should have erased any doubt. For the second sold-out night in a row, the show started with…
City Field with “Secret Guest”
photo Tara Lee Witchen City Field with “Secret Guest” December 3 at The PavilionThe ’60s rumpus-room-party vibe, complete with gumballs, balloons and tambourines, began with the dapper lads in The Stance — love those Gordon Gano-like vocals! — and The Porcelain Gods. Admission to this party included a “secret” appearance by Buck 65. Sitting cozy…
Holiday Toast
Holiday ToastDecember 10 at The Khyber ClubIt must have been “three hun-dred six-ty five de-grees” on stage when The Jeff Coll Five filled the Khyber dance floor for a xylophone-happy cover of “Burning Down the House” — a sadly appropriate song for the last Holiday Toast. The annual Khyber Arts Society fundraiser is indeed toast.…
Sarah Slean
Published December 15, 2005. Sarah Slean December 8 at Ginger’s Tavern Without the audience-performer divide of a stage, Sarah Slean came into the second of a two-night stand at Ginger’s minus the breathy voice and dippy theatrics that can bog down her bigger, full-band shows. Strip that shit away and you’ve got a mesmerizing storyteller…
A Speaking Engagement with Mark Black
A Speaking Engagement with Mark BlackJanuary 5 at Gus’ PubA minute into Mark Black’s illustrated talk, someone shouted “You suck!” Didn’t matter; most of the 50 or so people at the pub were on his side, though folks at one table wondered if this was “supposed to be some kind of a stand-up routine.” Black…
Feist
FeistSaturday January 14 at The Marquee ClubOnly Feist could throw together an all-white/transparent ensemble, accessorize with a skinny spotted tie and turquoise pearl stud earrings and be a knockout beauty. Beyond her aesthetic elegance, she seduced listeners with “Secret Heart,” “Gatekeeper” (dubbed “Spaceheater” on the set list), “Inside and Out” and “Mushaboom” (“Sha-boom!”). Feist roamed…
Feist
FeistSunday January 15 at The Marquee ClubAlthough sold out, the Feist show felt intimate and perfect for an all-ages Sunday performance where attendees ranged in agefrom eight to 80. The charismatic singer and her three-piece band performed mostly the same set as the night before, with highlights being a groove-filled version of “When I Was…
In-Flight Safety
photo Jon Hutt In-Flight SafetyJanuary 21 at Stage Nine It’s not often that a Halifax rock bar is near-capacity by 10pm, but In-Flight Safety managed to pull it off for their CD release show. While there was barely any room to move, the attendees were mostly courteous, making a relatively uncomfortable experience more bearable. After…
Geoff Berner/Barmitzvah Brothers/Ruth Minnikin
Geoff Berner/Barmitzvah Brothers/Ruth MinnikinJanuary 28 at Gus’ PubSaturday night at Gus’ Pub, the performances combined for an evening of energy, creativity, innocence, irony, warmth and an utter lack of pretense. Minnikin led the evening, accompanied by her brother Gabe, with a cozy, intimate set. The stage was quickly surrounded by a group of people sitting…
Burning Ears for Tuesday
An oddly cool day on the web for Metro, as the city is linked to a painful skateboard fall that goes prime time tonight, and preparations continue for the world lacrosse championships. But don’t worry, all’s not big and extreme on the east coast, as a couple travel mentions make clear. Full links for these…
Central Nova’s three-way
The New Democratic Party saw Elizabeth May selling Kool-Aid — at her cute stand made from 90 percent post-consumer recycled cardboard — but decided not to drink any. So unlike the Liberals, the NDP will run a candidate in Central Nova against Green leader May and Conservative lunk hunk Peter MacKay. Louise Lorefice, a mom…
Burning Ears for Monday
The Titanic gets Kelly Ripa’d, the mumps meets dog flu and they’re wild about local crystal in the land of Oz. It’s a promising start to the week. Full links below. THAT SINKING FEELINGfrom PittsburghThe weekend gathering of Titanic enthusiasts in Halifax has gotten pretty wide play, but the single best line about it comes…
The Last Day
Proving that he can work with humans too, check out the trailer for Jacob Owens’ new film, The Last Day, which he created for a three-day film competition. And while you’re there, relive the magic of Copain.
Burning Ears for Friday
Major yawns today as Halifax lives up to its reputation as the city that sleeps. The only vaguely unusual mention of our town on the world’s wonderful web comes from a site based in Washington, DC, that appears to specialize in telecommunications news. According to TeleGeography.com, some Canadian phone companies are trying to…actually, I’ve got…
Liberals see Green
Some time this morning, national Liberal Party leader Stéphane Dion is supposed to announce that the Liberals won’t be running a candidate in Central Nova if/when the next election is called. This should make things easier for Green Party leader Elizabeth May, who chose a high-profile battle by running in Central Nova against Conservative cabinet…
Burning Ears for Thursday
Today we’re going on strike, to protest any attention that Stockwell Day’s stupid stowaway search receives, whether local, national or international. The guy is not a spy, who had to come to Halifax under “news blackout” to surprise a couple hundred hungry stowaways. He is a glory grubbing loser who tried to find a spotlight…
El Torpedoed
Matt Mays and El Torpedo, who moved to the States last fall, have found a replacement for founding singer and guitarist Jarrett Murphy. “I regret to announce that singer, guitarist Jarrett Murphy has decided to leave El Torpedo,” says Mays on his management’s blog. “His departure is on good terms, and we all support the…
Thar she blows
Hey Dan, about your response to HACB: I upset a few women before I realized I couldn’t get off from head alone, no matter how great it got/felt. When I figured it out and started to explain to women that head didn’t do it for me, most just tried harder. They wanted to be the…
Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose.
I’ve held off on writing about Friday Night Lights because I haven’t been able to articulate how it makes me feel. Now that NBC has done the right thing by taking a chance and locking down the low-rated but awesome 30 Rock for a second season, I’m adding my voice to the rising chorus of…
Reading is sexy
With Easter blizzards and spring winds comes lots of book news, on the heels of another successful Writers’ Festival. Beginning April 29 and hitting all four provinces through May 12, the Atlantic Book Festival celebrates local authors via readings, panels, workshops and of course a big honkin’ awards show on May 11 at Pier 21.…
Bike hero
Halifax lost a local bicycle legend this past week with the passing of Jack Nauss. Nauss died of a heart attack on Friday at the age of 79. Nauss had owned and managed the Jack Nauss Bicycle Shop Ltd. on Agricola Street since 1969, and was a well known figure on the Halifax bicycle scene.…
Just ducky
The Thirsty Duck is all grown up, or so I’ve heard. With lots of attention focused on how it’s “new and improved,” I have to see for myself what the buzz is about. The Duck was better known for cheap draught and excellent nachos than its somewhat minimalist, threadbare though always comfy decor. There’s been…
Grindhouse
Replicating the style of the ’70s B-grade genre and exploitation films that often played as double-features, Grindhouse is an more-than-three-hour tribute to the badass appeal of schlock. The pair of movies by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino come packaged with retro-style horror and action trailers—including, in Canada, my bud Jason Eisener’s Hobo with a Shotgun.…
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Take your inner armadillo for a walk, Capricorn.
SAVAGE LOVE
Dan Savage talks a little bit about goats.
A sinking ship
I went to Bedford to talk to Bob Kerr, a lone citizen-activist fighting Sobeys’ plan to build a gas station in the parking lot of its store at Mill Cove Plaza. But I came away thinking there’s a much bigger issue: our society just can’t seem to structure itself in a rational fashion. Specifically, we’re…
Break-up breakdown
What started as a concert for an influential California avant garde electronic band soon became a festival showcasing some of the best hardcore, experimental, punk and metal-influenced music the east coast has to offer—and the local label that releases it. The ironically named Obey Convention festival, hosted by Divorce Records, goes from April 13-15, featuring…
Their fare share
Metro Transit is getting some long-overdue tender loving care. The GoTime system will be going through a major overhaul during the summer, to relaunch as an improved departure-time service this September. As part of the GoTime changes, 3,000 new signs will go up at the city’s bus stops, replacing the current ugly and confusing signage.…
Revving for a fight
As far as Kevin Moynihan is concerned, there’s a battle going on in HRM these days between people and cars. “As of right now,” he says, “cars are winning.” As one of the residents directly affected by the Chebucto Road widening project, Moynihan is in a position to know. If the project, approved in an…
Where goes the neighbourhood?
Imagine dozens of tourists passing by the Public Gardens and Peggy’s Cove—and making a bee-line for what’s left of one of the oldest surviving inner-city neighbourhoods in Canada: peninsular Halifax’s north end. They’d come to see the area’s saltbox-shaped houses; its Georgian architecture; its tiny one-and-a-half storey houses; its four-storey decaying Brunswick Street mansions; its…
Moss lady
It’s hard not to envy Australia. Its film industry produces a healthy number of talented performers who go off to Hollywood to become international stars, just like ours do here in Canada. But then Guy Pearce goes home to make The Proposition, Cate Blanchett does Little Fish and Heath Ledger stars in Candy—all antipodean stars…
