Winnipeg music & culture since 1989
Ivory Waves at the Good Will Social ClubBy Stylus Staff
Photo By Buio Assis
Big Fun 2018, which took place from January 24th through 28th, unveiled a new crop of exciting and unique locals bands to the city with some heavy hitter headliners thrown in for fun. Big Fun is always a reliable place for Winnipeggers to turn to in the winter months to discover their new favourite band, and this year was no exception. Continue reading “Big Fun 2018 Recap”
By Chris Bryson
The Big Fun festival has been going on since 2012 and has become a beloved staple and growing fixture of the Winnipeg music scene. Since its inception, the multi-genre festival has been evolving and changing. It is now comprised of four members, and covers 14 shows over 5 days at multiple different locations. Continue reading “Big Fun”
by Jenna Priestner
Winnipeg’s French Press has evolved over the last year from Chantel Emond’s solo project to a trio. The additions to the line-up have added a spark of grunge rock to her dominantly indie-pop sound, but it’s her beautifully charming voice that carries the band and tugs right on your heart strings. Emond is always sure to have you singing along to her crowd-pleasing title track “Back on the Mattress” from her 2012 release. With a new album scheduled for production in the near future, we can be assured her songs will be brought to life in a new and exciting way. Continue reading “Big Fun :: French Press”
by Broose Tulloch
The WSO’s New Music Festival and prog-rockers Mahogany Frog have more in common than you might think. Like this year’s theme, “Beyond” both continue to grow and explore new directions. Under the guidance of WSO Artistic Director Alexander Mickelthwate, the New Music Festival has added a late night component, Pop Nuit, to explore new music that blurs the lines between pop and classical.
Mahogany Frog began with prog-rock exploration of the blues (Mahogany Frog Plays The Blues) and have grown into an experimental electronic rock group exploring psychedelia, a shift that began with 2004’s Mahogany Frog vs. Mabus. The music of Mahogany is at once accessible and undeniably rock yet also strangely new; complex yet cohesive; making the quartet, comprised of Jesse Warkentin (guitar/keyboards), Graham Epp (guitar/keyboards/trumpet), Scott Ellenberger (bass/keyboards/trumpet), and Andy Rudoph (drums/electronics), a perfect fit for Pop Nuit. Stylus talked to Graham Epp and Scott Ellenberger about the music of Mahogany Frog. Continue reading “Big Fun / Pop Nuit :: Mahogany Frog”
by Jenna Priestner
The Reckless Heroes have been paving their through the punk and metal scene in Calgary since 2009. The Heroes will be hitting the road soon and Kevin (vocalist/guitarist) took time out of his busy pre-production schedule to talk about the upcoming release and Big Fun Festival. You can listen in to their older stuff on Bandcamp, but chances are you’ll be hearing some fresh material at The Cavern. Continue reading “Big Fun :: The Reckless Heroes”
by Sheldon Birnie
Zachary Lucky is a Saskatoon based singer-songwriter whose drive to create beautiful folk and country gems is rivalled only by his relentless commitment to the Highway. With 2012’s Saskatchewan followed quickly with 2013’s The Ballad of Losing You, Lucky released as solid a one-two punch as we’ve seen in recent years out here on the Highway. The former, a brooding folk portrait of the province Lucky calls home; the latter, a touching country ballad in the tradition of Hank Snow, Guy Clark, and Townes Van Zandt. Lucky took a few minutes to chat with Stylus before hitting the road on his latest adventure, which will see him stop in Winnipeg on Friday for an afternoon at Big Fun, before heading back West, down into the USA, and overseas later this spring. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Zachary Lucky stops by for Big Fun!”
by Gilad Carroll
Surprise Party is without a doubt one of Winnipeg’s busiest (and tightest) bands. Between full time jobs, school, music video filming and editing, recording, weekly shows, and ironic T-shirt shopping Stylus managed to sit down with them and talk about all that goes into Surprise Party. Luckily, Mischa Decter (guitar and lead vocals) figured he, Danny Hacking (Bass and vocals) and Kyle Loewen (Drums) could fit Stylus in one night after work, and before a fiercely competitive race to see who could eat an entire box of ice cream using only chopsticks the fastest (Mischa won). I quickly realized that Surprise Party is much more than just a loud and fun Winnipeg band: it is a state of mind, a way of life if you will… Continue reading “Surprise Party :: Rock and Roll all night and Party everyday”
It is so cold I don’t even want to talk about it. Good thing Big Fun is here to distract us & keep us partying hard!
Winnipeg music fans will be able to shake, rock and roll off the snow this January with the inaugural Big Fun Music Festival. Continue reading “BIG FUN FESTIVAL”