What’s Up

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/08/2017 (3005 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

 

Canada Games music

The Canada Games Festival is rolling right along, and tonight’s musical lineup features a dynamite group of acts from Prince Edward Island.

But before Winnipeg gets an injection of East Coast sound, P.E.I. day — hosted by former Haligonian Chris Murphy, who is best known for his work with the bands Sloan and TUNS — will kick off with local singer-songwriter JP Hoe. Hoe has been a mainstay on the local music scene for a decade; he’s released three full-length albums and an EP of original holiday tunes to go along with his immensely popular annual December event, the JP Hoe Hoe Hoe Holiday Show.

Charlottetown, P.E.I., quartet Paper Lions will fill the second slot of the night with their indie-rock/pop jams. The band released their newest record, Full Colour, in 2016 and were subsequently nominated for four East Coast Music Awards.

The stunning — albeit slightly less upbeat — Rose Cousins will also take the stage tonight. The Halifax-based artist is a masterful, emotional songwriter with a penchant for penning tear-jerkers. She’ll make you laugh as much as she’ll make you cry, though — in a former life it seems likely Cousins was a stand-up comedian as she typically fills the time between songs with truly hilarious banter, often making jokes about her catalogue of sad music (she sells T-shirts that read, “Rose Cousins made me cry” and bags that read, “Jam your feelings in here”).

After everyone has had a good cry, The East Pointers will get the crowd on their feet and ready to dance. The trio of traditional folk musicians won the 2017 Juno Award for Traditional Roots Album of the Year for their album Secret Victory and never fail to get the party started with their upbeat, Celtic-inspired tunes, many of which are barn-burning instrumentals.

Closing out the night is another Halifax-based performer, folk-pop songstress Jenn Grant. Grant released her sixth full-length record, Paradise, earlier this year, and was in Winnipeg just a few months ago at the Park Theatre while touring across the country promoting it. She’s a captivating writer and performer and, in her 13-year career, has solidified her place as one of the most highly-regarded artists in her genre.

Fireworks are scheduled for 10:30 p.m., following Grant’s performance.

— Erin Lebar

 

Winnipeg Comedy Showcase

If you’ve got a hankering for some local stand-up comedy, the Park Theatre is the place to be Aug. 4.

Six of Winnipeg’s best comedians will take the stage as part of the 15th show in the successful Winnipeg Comedy Showcase series. A news release about the event states there will be no theme and no gimmicks, just “top-notch comedy from Winnipeg’s funniest people.”

This showcase will feature Jordan Welwood (runner-up in the Sirius XM Canada’s Next Top Comic at Just For Laughs in Toronto), Kate Schellenberg (Winnipeg Comedy Festival alum and Rumor’s Roast Battle participant), John B. Duff (2005 winner of the Winnipeg’s Funniest Person with a Day Job competition and co-producer of the Oddblock Comedy Festival), Keener (Winnipeg comedy veteran), Dan Goldberg (host of Comedy at the Cavern) and Benji Rothman (Oddblock and Winnipeg Comedy Festival alum).

The night will be hosted by comedian Jared Story, who selects the lineup for each showcase.

Tickets are $10 in advance, available at the Park Theatre, Music Trader, online at Ticketfly or in person from any of the comics on the bill. Tickets go up to $15 if purchased at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m., laughs start at 9 p.m.

— Erin Lebar

 

Islendingadagurinn

Strap on your Viking helmets — Islendingadagurinn, the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba, returns to Gimli this weekend.

The festival takes place from Aug. 4-7, and is one of the oldest continuous ethnic festivals in North America (it began in Winnipeg in 1890 before moving to Gimli in 1932).

Whether you’re simply looking for a fun day trip to the beach town or are keen on truly learning about Icelandic culture, Islendingadagurinn typically has you covered. For those in the former category, the festival includes a midway with carnival rides for the kids, a sandcastle-building contest, a beach volleyball tournament and food and craft vendors of all kinds.

For events with a slightly more Icelandic feel, there’s the daily 3 p.m. Viking battle at Harbour Park Hill, or the Icelandic Culture and Heritage Pavilion at the Gimli Park Pavilion (where you’ll also find Amma’s Kitchen, featuring a wide range of dishes such as vinarterta and pönnukökur).

Then there are the events you’ll only find at the festival. Take the Fris-Nok tournament, a game invented by a local that features competitors trying to knock an empty beer bottle off a wooden post with a Frisbee. Then there’s the Islendingadunk, a glorified pillow fight between two contestants seated on a soapy pole protruding over the Gimli Harbour. (The loser gets wet.)

Music is a big part of Islendingadagurinn, and a number of local and area musicians and bands will take to the stage over the course of the weekend, including Mulligrub, Slow Spirit, the Middle Coast, Lindy Vopnfjörd, Leaf Rapids and, naturally, Vikings.

For the full list of events, dates and times, visit icelandicfestival.com.

— Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson

 

Strike a pose

Swish Model Management began a decade ago as a full-service public relations and marketing firm that specialized in branding, social media, events, fashion show production and fashion stylings.

Shortly thereafter, CEO Liz Crawford began training and mentoring many of our city’s most ravishing models, some of whom have appeared in major worldwide campaigns and popular fashion magazines.

And now the time has come for Crawford, a former model, mother and proud Winnipegger, to begin collaborating and fostering a strong community within our city.

On the e-pages of her latest venture, Swish Magazine, Crawford says our city is known worldwide for its talented artists and celebrated musicians.

“I have always loved the idea that we are a melting pot of people,” she writes in her introductory editorial. “It was with this in mind that the idea for Swish Magazine was born.”

Launched online last month, Swish Magazine will be a platform for emerging local artists, writers, photographer and models to showcase their talents. The delightful debut issue contains a slew of informative, concise articles and stunning imagery, including a nine-page fashion spread photographed in and around the town of Gimli by Toronto-based photographer, Alkan Emin.

In conjunction with the agency’s 10th anniversary celebration, Swish Magazine will launch its print version on Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. on the rooftop of The Metropolitan Entertainment Centre, 281 Donald St. Tickets ($10) are available on the Culture Card app or at the door.

— Leesa Dahl