Kool Keith, Owen Pallett headline Winterruption festival in January

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This article was published 15/11/2024 (349 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Underground hip-hop legend Kool Keith, alt-Americana king Phosphorescent, prolific composer and Polaris Prize winner Owen Pallett and Halifax indie stars Nap Eyes are coming to town in January to play the local leg of the multi-city Winterruption Festival.

About 30 live acts will take various stages — the West End Cultural Centre, the Handsome Daughter, the Park Theatre, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Forks Market and the newly opened South Osborne venue Sidestage — for performances between Jan. 22 and 26.

The out-of-town lineup for this year’s festival also includes Toronto punk rockers Pkew Pkew Pkew; Cheekface, a Los Angeles slack-rock outfit; the Europop Liverpool sibling duo Big Sis; Polaris long-listed Toronto rapper DijahSB; and Toronto’s Jennifer Castle.

Due to its multi-stage setting, Winterruption turns every show into an opportunity for musical discovery, crafted around bills composed of local, national and international acts.

Phosphorescent, led by Matthew Houck, just released Revelator, its first album in five years, while also scoring the upcoming Paul Schrader film Oh, Canada. The band will play the WECC on Jan. 22, with an opening set by the Secret Beach, the folk-pop recording project of Matlock’s Micah Erenberg.

Castle, who should garner substantial Polaris buzz for her new album, Camelot, will share the bill with Virgo Rising and tofusmell — her Real Love Summer Fest stage mates — at the Handsome Daughter on Jan. 23.

Later that night, Kool Keith, a New York hip-hop staple, will play Sidestage with DijahSB and Winnipeg MC Dill the Giant (3peat). It’s a jam-packed evening of music, as Pallett plays the WECC, and Cheekface, with twee-rioters Strawberry Punch, plays the Park.

The Jan. 24 slate includes two triple bills. At the Handsome Daughter, it’s Show Pony, Boys Road and Poison Suckers, while Sidestage present Nap Eyes with Blond(e) Goth and Witchy Woods.

On Jan. 25, Big Sis, local dance artist Peter Harder, DJ Bitch and Birthday Cake Media signees Naduh play the Chip’s Vintage anniversary party at Sidestage. At the Daughter, Synthetic Friend, Blind Commentary and Our Friend, Oscar round out the weekend.

On Sunday, in what should be a strange and memorable afternoon, the humans behind the meme account @canada.gov.ca will presumably bring the laughs to the WECC at 2 p.m.

Tickets and schedule info are available at winterruptionwpg.ca.

ben.waldman@winnipegfreepress.com