What’s up

Valley of the Birdtail book launch

Friday, 5:30 p.m.

Whodunit Bookshop, 163 Lilac St.

Free admission

A pair of authors will convene at Whodunit Bookshop on Friday to discuss the ways in which two neighbouring western Manitoba communities have struggled to co-exist in the face of racism, inequality and the legacy of residential schools.

Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, a White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation was written by Andrew Stobo Sniderman and Douglas Sanderson and published in August 30, 2022 by HarperCollins. The book examines the tenuous relationship between the town of Rossburn and Waywayseecappo First Nation, the struggles those on the reserve have faced relative to their neighbours and the ways in which both communities are working towards reconciliation.

In her Sept. 9, 2022 review of Valley of the Birdtail for the Free Press, Faith Johnston noted that Sniderman and Sanderson “have done an outstanding job… this is a readable, meticulously researched and well-documented book” and that “Valley of the Birdtail is a wake-up call and an important contribution to the truth we all need to know before racism can end and reconciliation begin.”

Sniderman and Sanderson will reunite at Friday’s launch to read from the book, engage in discussion about the region and answer questions from those in attendance. While admission is free, reserving a spot via Eventbrite is recommended — see wfp.to/SMo to lock in your spot. Copies of Valley of the Birdtail will be available at the launch; for more about the book see valleyofthebirdtail.ca.

— Ben Sigurdson

 

Winnipeg Renovation Show returns

Friday, noon to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.- 9 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

RBC Convention Centre

Tickets: Adults $13; 60+: $10; After 4 p.m.: $6.50; free admission for children 12 and under. Online advance tickets can be purchased on their website and are $11 until Jan. 12.

A trade-show staple returns to the RBC Convention Centre this weekend for those who keep hammering away at pandemic home projects.

The Winnipeg Renovation Show, which includes more than 100 exhibitors ranging from home contractors, furniture retailers, paint experts, flooring specialists and more, begins Friday at noon and continues to Sunday to provide folks with ideas and tips on any number of home-improvement plans.

Celebrity contractor Brian Baeumler, the star of HGTV Canada series Island of Bryan, will be among the experts who will offer renovation hints at the reno show’s Lifestyle Stage, while the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association’s Ask A Renovator, as well as the Design Studio, which is presented by Style Manitoba, will offer free 15-minute consultations to attendees seeking specific answers

Renos take to the road with RVs Reimagined, which shows off how Transcona’s Revolution Trailers transforms worn-out travel trailers into unique camping centrepieces.

— Alan Small

 

Fried Chicken Fest

Various locations

Now until Jan. 21

Visit Fried Chicken Fest website for more information

Don your stretchiest pants and ditch your health-conscious resolutions, the annual glut of local food festivals kicks off this week with Fried Chicken Fest.

Dozens of local restaurants are participating in the sixth annual event dedicated to breaded and deep fried chicken dishes.

A sample of the dishes on offer includes Fried Chicken Taco Rice from OH! GOOD! PATH! on St. Anne’s Road, 24k Gold Wings from Kyu Snackbox on Henderson Highway, Ghost Pepper Chicken and Waffles from Four Crowns Restaurant on McPhillips Street and the Island Chick-N burger from last year’s winner, Crspy Bnch on Sargent Avenue.

Participants are encouraged to try as many competing dishes as possible and vote for their favourite online. The winning restaurant will receive a year’s worth of bragging rights.

— Eva Wasney

 

Sookrams Double Feature Night

Tuesday, Jan. 17, 6:30 p.m.

Park Theatre

Tickets $15 plus fees at ticketweb.ca

In 1974, Brian De Palma released Phantom of the Paradise, a musical-horror-comedy flop that bombed nearly everywhere — except Winnipeg.

In other North American cities, the film opened and closed within the space of a week. Here, it ran for 18 weeks and would be shown on and off for another four months. The accompanying soundtrack was certified gold in Canada, largely because of the movie’s ardent Winnipeg fans.

In the intervening years, Phantom of the Paradise has enjoyed regular rescreenings in Winnipeg. It has had its milestone anniversaries celebrated and documented, and has been elevated to cult classic status by this city.

And next Tuesday, you’ll have the chance to see it in a theatre again, whether its for the first time or the 20th time. Winnipeg craft brewery Sookrams is teaming up with the Park Theatre for a double-feature movie night that will kick off with Winnipeg’s Favourite Movie followed by Labyrinth, the 1986 fantasy musical starring David Bowie as Jareth, the Goblin King.

Tickets to this one-night-only screening include a 16oz beer specially brewed for the movie night and, as such, this is an 18-plus event. Visit myparktheatre.com for more information.

— Jen Zoratti

 

Bobby Dove flies into town for a honky tonk Saturday night

Saturday, Jan. 14, 8 p.m.

The Good Will Social Club, 625 Portage Ave.

$11.50

Bobby Dove stands out and blends in, and that is a very good thing. The Montreal-born country crooner dresses more like the Louvin Brothers than Luke Bryan, and is part of a new generation of Canadian artists harkening back to an era they never breathed in, alongside a few standouts like the Canadian-based, South African-born Orville Peck, Manitoba’s Boy Golden, and Alberta’s Mariel Buckley.

Dove’s most recent release, Hopeless Romantic, is an album with dynamic range, featuring sounds evoking outlaws, cowboys, and lonesome outcasts. With production by Bazil Donovan of Blue Rodeo and Tim Vesely of Rheostatics, it’s clear that Dove has earned the respect of the Canadian country establishment.

Playing alongside Dove will be a pair of local acts: cosmic country act Bo Legged and Claire Therese and the Lockdown both make music on Dove’s wavelength. Expect a soaring night that showcases the power birds of a feather can harness when they flock together.

— Ben Waldman

If you value coverage of Manitoba’s arts scene, help us do more.
Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project.