Winnipeg music & culture since 1989
by Sheldon Birnie
Guitars. Cadillacs. Hillbilly Music. Four short words, and Dwight Yoakam lays out the prerogative of every would-be country crooner since the days of Hank Williams. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – The Roadside Church of Yoakam”
by Sheldon Birnie
Boy, it sure is winter now, here in Peggritty. Undeniably so. For anyone who’s checked the listings in our great city lately, while there are certainly shows to be seen, the frequency and breadth of selection has certainly withered considerably since the dog days of summer or the last minute rush of autumn. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – A cold road indeed”
by Sheldon Birnie
It’s a shitty day in Winnipeg, and all I wanna do is listen to Garth. I know there’s some good shows coming up, some local talent to profile, but I only wanna write about Garth. There’s a whole world to explore on the Highway today, but all signs point to Garth. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Party on, Garth”
by Sheldon Birnie
I’ve been turned onto a lot of great artists over the years by just flipping through the stacks of used records, waiting on something to catch my eye. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Speckled Bird Burritos”
by Sheldon Birnie
Holidays are a time for visiting family and friends. My folks have moved on out to Vancouver Island, and so I hit the Highway last week to visit them and spend a couple days in Victoria. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Beer break at Big Bad John’s”
by Sheldon Birnie
Well, it’s holiday time here in Canada, and that means Christmas themed albums are being churned out by the Music Machine as though they are going out of style. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Holiday Jukebox Party Time”
by Sheldon Birnie
Scott Nolan could be to Manitoba what Guy Clark is to Texas. A songwriter’s songwriter with an attention to the minutia of everyday life; drawing from a vast, detailed knowledge of all those who’ve walked the line before him; capable of delivering a heartbreaking line followed easily by a knee-slapper the next. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Scott Nolan live at the Park Theatre”
by Sheldon Birnie
On Monday, December 12, four prairie songwriters will descend on the Park Theatre to pick some tunes for all of y’all. The Prairie Roots Revue is cruising the Highway from Saskatoon to Winnipeg, then back across Saskatchewan, hitting smaller towns like Dauphin, Gravelbourg, and Swift Current along side larger centers like the ‘Peg. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Prairie Roots Revue rolls into Winnipeg”
by Sheldon Birnie
If you’re looking for a good time on a Wednesday night in Winnipeg, book your ass down to the Standard Tavern on Sherbrook. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Let’R Buck with the Poor Choices tonight”
by Sheldon Birnie
There is a guy in Regina named Dave Lang, and he is a fucking beauty. I’ve never met this man, nor seen him to confirm that he is, indeed, a real human. But I was digging through the Mountain of Broken Dreams the other day, here in the Stylus office, and I came across an album by Dave titled Live and in Quonset. Most of what I find in the Mountain goes straight to one of two places: the garbage or the recycling bin. But not this nugget. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Dave Lang is a Beauty”