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This article was published 19/09/2024 (725 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

moonGARDEN

• Sept. 20-28, 7:30 p.m.-midnight
• Old Market Square
• Free

Old Market Square will be transformed into moonGARDEN — the ethereal world-touring public art installation by Montreal’s Lucion Media composed of giant, glowing spheres.

The garden is also where you’ll find Spectra, a mesmerizing new work by Winnipeg multidisciplinary visual artist Anna Binta Diallo. Inspired by ancient myths and folktales, Spectra uses projections and soundscapes (created with Tyler Fitzmaurice) that invite the viewer to get lost in time and space.

Born in Dakar, Senegal and raised in St. Boniface, Diallo is an assistant professor at the School of Art at the University of Manitoba who has had her work exhibited in Canada and internationally.

In 2021, she won the Barbara Spohr Memorial Prize and received the Black Designers of Canada Award of Excellence, and in 2022 was longlisted for the Sobey Art Award.

Friday’s opening will feature a singalong at 7:30 p.m. led by the ECCO Singers. Spectra and moonGARDEN will be on view until and including Nuit Blanche on Sept. 28.

— Jen Zoratti

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Tired Cossack at the Blue Note

• Friday, 8 p.m.
• Blue Note Park
• $19 at reallovewpg.com

Winnipeg has missed Tired Cossack and Tired Cossack has missed Winnipeg. It’s been seven months since Stephen Levko Halas’s project has played a local show, with Halas fighting through a Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis this past spring.

After going into remission, Tired Cossack returned to the road for a late-summer tour, bringing its sound — a thrumming combination of singable post-punk and industrial Ukrainian rock — throughout western Canada. On Friday, the band plays its first set in Winnipeg since the Festival du Voyageur, and you can bet Halas will be all smiles and loosey-goosey dancing.

With a new single on the horizon in October and an EP planned for later in the winter, Halas says he’s happy to be back doing what he loves.

Joining Tired Cossack are a pair of standout bands, one of which released what Halas considers the album of the summer. Jamboree — Sky Parenteau, Alex Braun and Nick Lavich — released Summerland in June, but it’s not too late to ride the wave. Also on the bill is the bright “pop-ish indie” group sundayclub, fresh off a set at Harvest Moon Festival this past weekend. Led by Courtney Carmichael and Nikki St. Pierre, with Edward Bosnjak and Ellie Ratel rounding out the live lineup, keep an eye out for the band’s self-titled, 12-song LP — produced by the ever-busy Kris Ulrich — with the lead single, Camera Shy, expected in March.

— Ben Waldman

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Wine store, brewery toast anniversaries

Today (Jones & Company Wine Merchants, 1616 St. Mary’s Rd.), from 10 a.m. on, and Saturday (Torque Brewing Co., 830 King Edward St.), noon-11 p.m.

Drinks lovers have plenty to raise a glass about over the next few days.

On Thursday, Jones & Company Wine Merchants — which opened in 1999 as Banville & Jones — rings in 25 years of red, whites, rosés and bubblies with a day-long celebration taking place that will include door prizes, games, giveaways and discounts on store favourites.

On Saturday, Torque Brewing Co. says cheers to eight years of beers in the brewery’s King Edward Street taproom from noon to 11 p.m. with small-batch brews, new merchandise, aged brews available for purchase and food served up from La Taqueria’s food truck, which will be on hand from 2-9 p.m. (La Taqueria is moving in with Torque, and will be slinging tacos from the taproom starting in October.)

Oh, and don’t forget that the Winnipeg Wine Festival’s public tastings take place at the RBC Convention Centre (375 York Ave.) on Friday and Saturday from 7-10 p.m., with a matinee tasting also taking place on Saturday from 1-4 p.m. This year’s theme is Wines of Europe.

— Ben Sigurdson

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African Film Festival in Manitoba

• Friday-Sunday, various times
• Gas Station Arts Centre, 445 River Avenue
• Festival passes $37.95 (daily) to $69.95 (weekend). Single tickets $12.95- 15.95 at am-fm.ca

Now in its seventh year, the Manitoba African Movie Festival will feature 20 films showcasing a wide range of perspectives of life across Africa and the African diaspora.

This year’s opening ceremony on Friday will be followed by the screening of an eight-minute short (French with English subtitles) Your Call is Important To Us directed by Joe Nadeau and Romy Noutin St-Pierre, with four more films to follow.

Saturday’s jam-packed schedule starts with a three-hour symposium followed by showings of nine films from Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, UK, Rwanda, Madagascar, Canada and Senegal.

The theme for this year’s symposium is Immigration, Belonging and Community in Canada featuring keynote speaker Dr Paul Ugo from the University of Waterloo. Panelists include community leaders Dr Art Miki, Maggie Yeboah and Chuks Ojidoh,

Sunday’s events feature six films. For more information and a detailed schedule go to am-fm.ca.

— AV Kitching

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Get locked up with Sam Hunt

• Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
• Canada Life Centre, 300 Portage Ave.
• Tickets $33-$142 at Ticketmaster

It’s an American dream conundrum as old as time: pursue professional football or become a chart-topping country music star? It’s a good thing Sam Hunt chose the latter.

The Georgia-born singer-songwriter’s debut 2016 album Montevallo was nominated for album of the year at the Country Music Awards and the lead single, Leave the Night On, rose to the top of three national country charts simultaneously.

Before launching his solo career, Hunt was also credited for writing singles for Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and Rita McEntire.

Hunt stops in Winnipeg next week as part of a North American tour supporting his latest EP, Locked Up. Country artists Russell Dickerson and Dalton Dover open.

— Eva Wasney

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