Forget the mothers, guitars and brigades. Wolf Parade drummer Arlen Thompson, surely an expert on all things lupine, has two picks for the leaders of the wolf pack.”I love our (former) rehearsal-spacemates, AIDS Wolf,” he laughs. “And Steppenwolf.” But Haligonians don’t echo that sentiment. “This Heart’s On Fire” isn’t “I’m on Fire,” but Kijiji’s invisible […]
Paragon Theatre
Posted inBest of Halifax
Best Live Music Venue
Bring out the can of frosting, The Paragon Theatre celebrates its first anniversary next week with a Best of Music win and a bunch of shows, including Wolf Parade (already sold-out, slowpoke). Taking a walk back through musical memory lane, last year the Paragon hosted Thunderheist, Kid Koala, Mixmaster Mike, Hey Rosetta!, Elliot Brood, King […]
Posted inArts + Music
Straight Thrush
After over 10 years apart, Thrush Hermit returns to life with a nearly sold-out nine-date tour and an eight-disc box set chronicling the life and times of the Hermit. And questions abound: will the band’s trademark “Rock” sign make an appearance? Will the box set have the Street Cents theme song? Yes, if the delivery […]
Posted inArts + Music
Contrived’s comfort
I first heard of Contrived as an undergraduate student in Kingston, Ontario. Some friends who grew up in Cole Harbour were gushing one morning about a band of fellow Haligonians who had stayed at their broken-down student house on Albert Street and shared their beer. The day after the show at the now-defunct 477 Club, […]
Posted inArts + Music
One of a kind
Halifax is no stranger to the one-man band. BA Johnson comes to mind, leaping beer-soaked and shirtless from Casio to guitar, or Shotgun Jimmie, who sings like an angel while strumming away and pumping a bass drum with his feet. Then there’s Mike Silverman, AKA That 1 Guy. Though Silverman falls under the same “one-man […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Green beer cheer
If you’re not sure where to go this year for green beer and Irish food, here are a few emeralds. Hart & Thistle Hart & Thistle’s owners happen to be the same as O’Carroll’s—the beloved Irish pub that’s closed for renovations. “St. Paddy’s was always a grand time at Halifax’s first Irish pub, and we’d […]
Posted inArts + Music
Slate Pacific makes waves
Funswick Slate Pacific makes waves Fredericton’s Slate Pacific found shelter in creating their latest musical harbour, the EP Safe Passage. It’s “the idea that everything ends up OK,” says guitarist/vocalist Logan Hawkes. “That there’s a perpetual connection, responsibility even, between the living and the dead—the dead and the dying. The title was meant to be […]
Posted inArts + Music
Thrush Hermit tickets on sale now
WOWEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! March 19 and 20 at the Paragon Theatre! The above is the best music video ever made, by the way. UPDATE: tickets go on sale Friday, January 15, 10am at ticketpro.ca or Ticketpro outlets ($21.50adv/$29 day of show).
Posted inBest of Halifax
Best Party Venue
The continuous popularity of this establishment over time is astonishing—not because it’s not deserving, but because there is so much competition for dancing, socializing and picking-up across the city. Still, Reflections reigns supreme over the scene, winning three categories last year and four in 2009. Maybe it’s the inclusive nature of the place, the kind […]
Posted inLifestyle
Northern lights
King-in-exile of the local music scene, Sloan was the highest-profile band to come out of the mid-’90s Halifax music explosion. Though they’re longtime Toronto scenesters—it even says as much on their website—Sloan often sang of its hometown experience, as on a few key tracks from the 1999 release Between the Bridges. The bridges in question […]
Posted inArts + Music
D.O.A. back on the right coast
talk – action = zero. Photo: Phive Photography D.O.A. came to Halifax a few years ago during a snowstorm and loyal fans trudged over the snowbanks to take in the gospel of Joey Shithead. This time fans are rewarded with a lovely stroll in the balmy September weather to see them, September 11 at the […]
