What’s Up

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/11/2017 (3235 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

 

Rory Taillon

Ottawa-based folk-rock musician Rory Taillon is currently on a 33-date tour across the country in support of his newest album, Only Whispers, and will make a stop in Winnipeg Friday, Nov. 10, playing a free show at Half Pints Brewing Co., 550 Roseberry St.

Taillon released Only Whispers in October, and though he’s spent much of the last six years as a full-time touring musician, this current leg of his tour will be the first time he’s tackled any dates in Western Canada.

And it’s fitting he’ll be playing at a brewery — earlier this year, Taillon collaborated with 5 Paddles Brewing Company in Whitby, Ont., to create unique packaging for the brewery’s coffee vanilla stout; the label for the bottle was a removable (and playable) 45 single of Taillon’s song Jukebox, from his 2013 album, It’s Not Black & White.

Taillon, whose voice is as full-bodied as the stout his name is attached to, will start his set at 7:30 p.m. and there is no cover charge.

— Erin Lebar

 

Suspiria

Italian giallo master Dario Argento’s movie Suspiria (1977) is, at times, laughable and absurd for its over-the-top performances and its baroque violence.

Yet anyone who has seen it would be hard-pressed to deny it deserves its place on multiple lists of the scariest movies ever made.

The plot is the stuff of lurid B-movies. An American dance student (Jessica Harper) comes to a German dance academy and uncovers a witches coven that has already claimed the lives of one suspicious student, and will claim more (as well as one unlucky accompanist) before they’re through.

But even if the story seems nonsensical, it doesn’t diminish the scare factor as it takes on the qualities of an especially rich nightmare, enhanced by extraordinary use of colours and an unforgettable soundtrack by Italian prog-rock band Goblin.

The overall movie is such a cinematic experience, it has on occasion transcended horror lists to land, for example, at #100 in Village Voice’s 100 greatest films of the 20th century.

A remake is in the works starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Dakota Johnson, but in the meantime, Cinematheque is screening a new 4K restoration of Argento’s original beginning Saturday, Nov. 11 at 9 p.m. and continuing for five more random screenings until Nov. 26.

— Randall King

 

The Glorious Sons

Rock five-piece the Glorious Sons, from Kingston, Ont., were scheduled to play one show at the Garrick Centre this weekend, on Saturday, Nov. 11, but tickets went so fast and demand was so high, a second show was added for Sunday, Nov. 12.

The band has been gaining quite a following since the release of their debut full-length, The Union, in 2014. The album was nominated for a Juno Award for Best Rock Album and spawned the single Mama, a catchy, classic-rock infused jam that had its fair share of spins on Canadian rock radio.

The journey from their debut release to their sophomore record was a long one, however, with the band spending 18 months recording bits and pieces until finally making a pilgrimage to Los Angeles to hook up with production team Fast Friends, who ultimately sparked the inspiration needed to hammer out 10 songs in 12 days, and then record them all in just two weeks.

The result is Young Beauties and Fools, a record vocalist and principal songwriter Brett Emmons describes in a news release as, “Basically the story of a 24-year-old kid… They’re simple songs about alcoholism and the mostly autobiographical story of my life. The whole thing is derived from the thoughts, actions and feelings of a kid who doesn’t really know himself and the consequences of those actions.”

Tickets for Saturday are sold out, but there are still a few left for Sunday’s show at a price of $25. Music starts at 9 p.m. and both shows are all-ages.

— Erin Lebar

 

Bike Winnipeg fundraiser

Winnipeg isn’t exactly known for being a cyclist-friendly city, but Bike Winnipeg is aiming to change that. The local advocacy group’s goal is to provide people on bikes with safe, comfortable and convenient ways to get around town, whether they’re fair-weather leisure cyclists or four-season hardcore commuters.

The group wants to educate the public about bike safety and make put policy research and cycling infrastructure on the radar of politicians. To support its work, it’s holding a fundraising concert this weekend, featuring the sibling folk duo Roger Roger. Twins Lucas and Madeleine Roger come from musical stock — their dad is longtime local producer and performer Lloyd Peterson — and both write their own songs, play guitar and sing.

Also on the bill is indie-folk act Heartbeat City, led by singer-songwriter Ian La Rue.

Concert-goers will also have a chance to learn about Bike Winnipeg’s ongoing initiatives, including efforts to speed up development of a Downtown Protected Bike Lanes Network, working to include protected lanes during the replacement of the Arlington Street Bridge and efforts to extend those lanes from Portage Avenue to Inkster Boulevard.

The show is on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 8 p.m. at the West End Cultural Centre (doors at 7:15 p.m.). Tickets are $15 at the WECC, Music Trader, Into the Music and online at bikewinnipeg.ca.

— Jill Wilson