Even the juiciest secrets have to reveal themselves eventually. It’s official, Ace Burger Co. (2605 Agricola Street) will be taking over the kitchen at Bearly’s House of Blues, Burgers and Ribs (1269 Barrington Street), and the switch will happen just in time for Burger Week (March 20-26). Mimi Iatrou, Bearly’s owner, “had seen what we […]
Gus’ Pub & Grill
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Jinx the Cat luck and roll
They’re bad-luck tokens that will charm their way into your good graces. The members of Jinx the Cat didn’t just choose an apt name for their band—it sometimes feels like a self-inflicted curse. “We have definitely seen our fair share of bad luck,” says Drew Albert, vocalist of the Saint John-based indie jam band (who […]
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Julie Doiron’s loud lullaby
“The thing with this show that people need to know is that we’re super-loud,” says Julie Doiron, the sometimes-loud, sometimes-quiet veteran alternative rock hero. This tour is definitely in the loud category thanks to backing band The Wrong Guys. Made up of emerging songwriter Eamon McGrath and Cancer Bats’ rhythm section Mike Peters and Jaye […]
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Kings of the Nihil
The songs are very philosophical, apocalyptic, thoughtful, cerebral,” says Brett Campaigne, vocalist of Halifax heavy metal band River Nihil. For the last two years, River Nihil has been crafting songs for its debut five-track album, and you can pick one up at Gus’ Pub on Friday. With Christian Oulette (guitar), brothers Dan Dorran (guitar) and […]
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Insurrection is for the fans
Crowd-funding, especially popular in the last few years, is the best way for fans to show support because investing in a forthcoming project really puts your money where your mouth is. To finance Insurrection’s third studio album, Prototype, the Quebec-based death metal quintet turned to its fans, which ended up being a huge success for […]
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Obits and bites
“Ninth Street, we need a right,” says Sohrab Habibion, guitarist for Brooklyn-based rock outfit Obits, as he and his bandmates scour Philadelphia for a particular Burmese restaurant. “It’s cool to kind of discover things in other cities that we either don’t have in New York or that make us feel at home,” he says. “We’re […]
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Pub to club
All over the world, female DJs light up the clubs to create space for female EDM, hip-hop and soul DJs behind the booth. In Halifax, with DJ Gwen West (AKA Gwen Westell) and DJ Swayback (AKA Katie McKay), Bodywork has been rocking the mixers and tables since 2011. A semi-regular event at Gus’ Pub, Bodywork […]
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Freak Heat Waves freak out
It’s been nearly a year since Victoria’s Freak Heat Waves has graced our fair city. Last October, the band played a sold-out show during Halifax Pop Explosion in the Bus Stop Theatre. Clad in chameleonic black clothing and lit solely by a strobe light, the trio mesmerized its audience with a striking combination of sonic […]
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Miesha & The Spanks’ one-woman wolf pack
Women rule. Miesha & The Spanks prove it. Calgary’s garage-rock two-piece is on tour with its latest, Girls, Like Wolves. Produced by Ian Blurton (C’mon, Cowboy Junkies), the band’s seventh album finally captures the ferocious, wild atmosphere of Miesha Louie and Stuart Bota. “We’ve been playing harder live for awhile, but not quite pulling it […]
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Piper time
“The last time we played Halifax was in 2010 with A.A. Wallace’s former band, Sleepless Nights,” says Brad Weber, the force behind Toronto’s organic-electro outfit, Pick a Piper. “It’s really neat to play together again at this next stage of our work, if you are looking at us now and then. We still like to […]
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Pop simplicity
It’s sort of the holy grail of new bands—Samuel T. Hill’s songs were making the rounds online when Jessi Frick of San Francisco’s Father/Daughter Records came a-calling. “She asked if it would be cool if she put it out and I said ‘Definitely,’” says Hill, all matter of fact. The former member of Spooky Campers […]
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Gianna Lauren’s On Personhood of interest
Do you believe in magic? On Friday at Gus’ Pub, Gianna Lauren releases On Personhood, her enchanting new six-track album. Recorded at The House of Miracles, a converted 1860s horse stable in Cambridge, Ontario, Lauren says the experience was charmed. The CKDU staffer can’t wait to show off her new studio band, Justin Nace, JJ […]