What’s up: A rock mockumentary, indie rock group launches EP, holiday market, comedian Joe Gatto

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This article was published 07/12/2023 (715 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

McDonald at the Movies: This is Spinal Tap

Tonight, 7 p.m.

Dave Barber Cinematheque, 100 Arthur St.

Tickets $6-$10 at wfp.to/66A

Here’s hoping the sound system at Dave Barber Cinematheque goes up to 11, and that there’s room in the Exchange District movie theatre for a miniature model of Stonehenge.

Kids in the Hall co-founder Kevin McDonald hosts a screening of Rob Reiner’s 1982 rock mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap tonight as part of the McDonald at the Movies series, which sees the host mine the annals of comedy on film to present some of the funniest flicks out there.

This Is Spinal Tap stars Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer as the titular British hard-rock band (with a revolving door of drummers, who die mysteriously) who are, to put it generously, over the hill. The trio of actors wrote and performed all their own music in the film and on the soundtrack, which features such “classics” as Big Bottoms, Sex Farm, Stonehenge and Hell Hole.

Reiner plays documentarian Martin (Marty) Di Bergi, and the film also includes a number of cameos including Paul Shaffer, Billy Crystal, Fran Drescher, Ed Begley Jr. and Dana Carvey.

Drummers: if you know what’s good for you, you might want to steer clear of this one.

—Ben Sigurdson

Attica Riots unveil new record

Life’s a Sugar Pill EP launch

Saturday, Dec. 9, 8 p.m.

Park Theatre, 698 Osborne St.

Tickets: $30.81 at myparktheatre.com

Winnipeg’s Attica Riots begins a new chapter Saturday at the Park Theatre.

That’s when the indie-rock group that began in 2016 as a mashup of city bands Inward Eye and the Bokonomists — Anders Erickson, Bobby Desjarlais, Dave Erickson and Kyle Erickson — will host a launch party for a new EP, Life’s a Sugar Pill.

The band released three tracks from the record during the fall: the moody-sounding Who’s That?, Forgiven, an up-tempo rocker, and the latest, Mountain, which came out Nov. 15 along with a video (wfp.to/atticariots).

Life’s a Sugar Pill is Attica Riots’ first release since the group released two recordings in 2018: Love Sunshine & Hysteria, which won recording of the year at the Western Canadian Music Awards, and the EP Sleeping in the Wild.

Winnipeg acts Love Letter Writers and Fold Paper are also on bill.

— Alan Small

Get lucky at Luckygirl Holiday Pop Up

Sunday, Dec. 10, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Centennial Concert Hall

Tickets $8 plus fees, kids 12 and under free at luckygirl.ca

The Centennial Concert Hall will be decked with unique treasures at Luckygirl’s Sunday holiday pop-up.

Brewers, bakers and candlestick makers — as well as potters, chocolatiers, jewelry designers and painters — are among the 150 local vendors featured at the annual market. Not only will you be able to #shoplocal and support Manitoba’s homegrown small businesses this holiday season, you’ll also have the opportunity to support a few good local causes at the same time.

When you purchase a ticket, you can choose to donate $5 to Clan Mothers Healing and Knowledge Centre. Luckygirl is also supporting the Main Street Project Holiday Wish List Gift Drive, and is encouraging market goers to bring wishlist items for dropoff in collection bins located at the front entrance.

A full list of market vendors and the Main Street Project wishlist is available at luckygirl.ca.

— Jen Zoratti

A Joe Gatto double feature

Sunday, Dec. 10; 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Burton Cummings Theatre,

Tickets $50 at Ticketmaster

American comedian Joe Gatto will be performing two back-to-back shows at the Burt this Sunday due to high demand.

Gatto is best known for his work with Impractical Jokers, a popular reality prank show he stepped away from in 2021 after a decade as a founding cast member.

He also starred in the outlandish game show The Misery Index, alongside fellow Tenderloins comedy troupe members Sal Vulcano, James Murray and Brian Quinn.

He currently doles out sage motherly advice as a co-host of the Two Cool Moms podcast and raises funds for disabled and senior dogs in Long Island through his non-profit, Gatto Pups and Friends.

The local stop on Gatto’s North American standup tour was previously scheduled to take place in March. Tickets are still available for the 7 p.m. performance.

— Eva Wasney

Bluey’s Big Play

Monday to Wednesday, 6 p.m.

Centennial Concert Hall

Tickets $40.50-$93 at centennialconcerthall.com

Hurray! Get ready to say g’day to Australia’s beloved family as the Heelers come to Winnipeg “for real life.”

The stage show of the Emmy Award-winning TV series featuring the famous foursome — Dad Bandit, Mum Chili, and sisters Bluey and Bingo — is full of witty games, funny jokes and creative, highly polished puppetry.

With larger-than-life puppets performing to a pre-recorded audio track by the voice cast, the show invites the audience to play along with the lovable and highly relatable characters in an original story by show creator Joe Brumm with original music by Bluey composer Joff Bush.

Widely considered as one of the best children’s shows of all time, each seven-minute Bluey episode follows the titular six-year-old Blue Heeler dog and her younger sister as they get up to all kinds of antics. The star of the show is often dad Bandit, who comes up with elaborate games to occupy his two young ’uns.

— AV Kitching

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