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This article was published 14/07/2022 (1482 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Acclaimed wildlife photographer returns to Winnipeg

NJ Wight: Up Close In Africa
Saturday, 6 p.m.
Centre culturel franco-manitobain
Tickets: $30 at eventbrite.com

After the success of her talk last September, award-winning Montreal wildlife photographer NJ Wight is coming back to tell more engaging stories about her up-close-and-personal encounters with some of the world’s most majestic — and endangered — animals.

A former academic and business executive, Wight got seriously into wildlife photography in 2008 after two life-changing events: a formative trip through South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe, and the stock market crash. As she puts it, “Unbeknownst to me at the time, a world economic recession would soon lead me to abandoning the boardroom for the backseat of a Land Rover.”

Wight’s photos are striking in their intimacy, whether it’s in the deep creases around an elephant’s eyes, or a lion cub nuzzling its mother.

Wight is passionate about all animals, not just the kinds of giants spotted on safari. Organizers of the event will be giving out saplings to plant in honour of Wight’s very good girl, Pluto — a little schnauzer who amassed a big social media following during the pandemic — who died in April.

The event is being held in support of FortWhyte Alive. Tickets include a coffee and dessert meet-and-greet at 6 p.m., with the program to follow at 7 p.m.

— Jen Zoratti

 

Fogerty down on the corner of Portage and Donald

Sunday, 8 p.m.
Canada Life Centre
Tickets: $40-$117.70 including fees at ticketmaster.ca

Among the first songs any bar band in North America must master are the Creedence Clearwater Revival classics from the late 1960s and early ’70s, songs such as Run Through the Jungle, Travelin’ Band or Bad Moon Rising.

On Sunday, John Fogerty, who wrote and mastered those songs more than a half-century ago, will show how those CCR tunes, as well as classics from his solo career, sound in 2022 when he takes the stage at the Canada Life Centre.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fogerty, 77, began performing CCR hits with his daughter Kelsy and his sons Shane and Tyler on social media, a project that led to Fogerty’s Factory, an album of CCR and Fogerty covers that has a rawer sound than the originals.

If Ticketmaster’s website is any indication, Fogerty’s concert will be a popular one: most of the tickets left to purchase are in the upper deck of the arena. A few singles remain in the lower deck while floor seating is sold out.

— Alan Small

 

Tanya Tucker keeps on truckin’

Sunday, 6 p.m.
Club Regent Event Centre
Tickets start at $39 at Ticketmaster

Tanya Tucker, the husky-voiced American country singer, rolls through Winnipeg this weekend during a stop on her North American tour.

The prolific 63-year-old recording artist had her first hit, Delta Dawn, at the age of 13 and has released 25 studio albums in the intervening years. While Tucker’s career has seen ups and downs, her staying power is undeniable.

Her most recent full-length album, While I’m Livin’ (2019), was her first original release in more than a decade and went on to win two Grammy Awards for Best Country Album and Best Country Song in 2020.

The record was produced by Brandi Carlile (and Shooter Jennings), who has been instrumental in Tucker’s return to the spotlight. The pair have also collaborated on a forthcoming documentary, The Return of Tanya Tucker, which details the life and career of one of the most enduring female artists in country music.

Tucker performs at the Club Regent Event Centre with local country phenom, Kendra Kay. The up-and-coming singer-songwriter grew up in small-town Manitoba and has been recognized as Female Artist of the Year at the Manitoba Country Music Awards and earned a top 10 spot in the 2020 CBC Searchlight competition.

Proof of vaccination is not required upon entry, but mask use is strongly encouraged by the venue.

— Eva Wasney

 

Spoon serves up a night of rock

Monday, 8 p.m.
With guests Widowspeak
Burton Cummings Theatre, 364 Smith St.
Tickets from $25 plus fees, ticketmaster.ca

Veteran Austin, Texas, indie rockers Spoon make their debut appearance in Winnipeg on Monday at the Burton Cummings Theatre as part of their Lucifer on the Sofa tour.

The quintet, fronted by songwriter-guitarist-vocalist Britt Daniel, released its 10th studio album, Lucifer on the Sofa, in February on Matador Records. It’s the latest in a long line of critically acclaimed albums to feature the band’s signature guitar-driven swagger that tips its hat to indie, Southern and mod rock behind Daniel’s gritty, soulful vocals.

More than most of its peers, Spoon’s sound has plowed a mostly straight line rather than veer into experimentation or reimagination — perhaps a reason for the band’s longevity and consistency. Since their 1996 debut Telephono, Daniel and company (including other original member Jim Eno on drums, Ben Trokan on bass and keyboards, Alex Fischel on keyboards and guitars and Gerardo Larios on guitar and keys) have carved out their own corner of the indie rock canon based on the strength of songs such as The Way We Get By, I Turn My Camera On, Hot Thoughts and You Got Yr Cherry Bomb — all of which feature on their 2019 greatest hits collection, Everything Hits at Once.

The band has appeared on Austin City Limits, Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show, Late Show with David Letterman and more, and is sure to serve up a sweaty evening of soulful rock and roll.

Joining Spoon at the Burt will be Brooklyn indie pop duo Widowspeak, whose sixth album The Jacket was released in March.

— Ben Sigurdson