Big Fun 2018 Recap

Ivory Waves at the Good Will Social Club

By 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”

Big Fun

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”

Big Fun :: French Press

French Press - Press Photo

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”

Big Fun / Pop Nuit :: Mahogany Frog

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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”

Big Fun :: The Reckless Heroes

Reckless Heroes - Press Photo

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”

Hillbilly Highway – Zachary Lucky stops by for Big Fun!

photo by Christina Bourne
photo by Christina Bourne

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!”

Surprise Party :: Rock and Roll all night and Party everyday

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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”

Jeans Boots :: Saskatoon songstress comes to town for Big Fun

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by Victoria King
If you go Googling “Jeans Boots,” you’re bound to come up with some interesting results.There are plenty of images of slender ladies’ legs tucked into cowboy boots, as well as one blog devoted entirely to women wearing boots. For all intensive purposes, we’re ignoring those. Jeans Boots not only refers to Jeanette Stewart’s solo work, but also her full band — a “pajama pop” garage rock group from Saskatoon — who’ll be headed our way in January for the second coming of Big Fun. Continue reading “Jeans Boots :: Saskatoon songstress comes to town for Big Fun”