The year’s first major music festival is about to pour like sweet syrup all over ten Downtown Edmonton venues.
This doesn’t even get into the dazzling drag show headlined by costume-genius RuPaul alumnus Utica Queen, or the comedy — including two Instagram-star @canada.gov.ca shows — which we’ll talk about in a second.
One of the most notable aspects, though, is how much local talent is booked, snugged right up to those big names.
Indeed, half the acts, notes festival producer Brent Oliver, a musician himself who’s been booking bands for, well, quite some time.
“Thirty-four years — which is ridiculous,” he laughs. “I just think so much good comes from local bands playing with bigger bands. Winnipeg Folk Fest is very good at booking locals before the big headliners come out, so it’s kind of the same attitude.
“We’re small enough that it makes a lot of sense.”
Among these: new “mellow-dramatic power trio” Open Eyes, the gorgeous singer-songwriting of MATTEA, force-of-nature Cassia Hardy “about to put something out on Mint Records,” the aforementioned country-electronica Hearts, the ever-reliable yearning country of Jody Shenkarek & Hot Kindlin’, kaleidoscopic stoner metal from Overdrive ii Oblivion, the savoury sounds of Waffelhous, psychedelic party rock band Zephyr Twins, and the sweet lullabies of Sam Singer.
Local rock demons The Get Down, meanwhile, are showing up after a live-gig gap of 11 years.
“(Drummer) Gravy moved back to Edmonton,” Oliver explains, “and he’s like, ‘If The Get Down was to play a show again and do it at Winterruption, would you have a show for us?’ And I’m like, ‘I would have a show for you!’”
The producer also notes the two-drummer wall-of-awesome Big Evil Rat here, easily one of the best bands going right now, as they proved at Sled Island and Aviary last year.
“And I can’t say enough good things about Billie Zizi’s new record, it’s just so lush and beautiful.”
He’s also happy to finally book the unstoppable Bad Buddy, a sort of punky, Motown-inspired fever dream in lingerie I can never get enough of.
“And then obviously our house band, as we call them every single year, The Denim Daddies, this year playing the Sunday (Jan. 26) Roots Rock Brunch.”
This delightfully sprawling thing in its fifth year happens at CKUA, Dive Bar, Double Dragon, Downtown Edmonton Community League, Evolution Wonderlounge, 9910, McDougall United Church, Rocky Mountain Icehouse, Starlite Room, Temple — hit up the website for full details and ticket links.
One last note about the comedy as so many remember a fallen friend.
“Kathleen McGee played our festival every year,” says Oliver, “and back in the summer before she died I said, ‘Who are some good headliners you’d like to open for?’ She said, ‘I love Ron Lynch.’
“He’s mostly known as a voice actor on Bob’s Burgers and Adventure Time, and was going to have Kathleen open, but she’s sadly gone. Celeste Lampa is filling the spot, and we renamed the stage The Kathleen McGee Comedy Stage at Downtown Edmonton Community League.
“But Lynch is just a great, absurd comic, so I hope people come out to that.”
That’s 7:45 p.m. Jan. 25 at DECL.
The other L.A. acts, including Lynch and Cheekface, have checked in and are good to go so far, fingers crossed, says Oliver. “Obviously my concern here is bigger than the festival, but we’ll see how, literally, the wind blows.”
As far as this fifth edition of Winterruption goes, “I’m pretty excited about everything, and just hope people like it.”
Five-day passes are $110.42 all in, with individual shows starting at $17.70, the Jan. 24 Phosphorescent show $40.55, $35.15 for the Jan. 25 Kool Keith gig, and Utica Queen that same night starting at the same price, with extra VIP meet-and-greet options.
Forecasts are looking good, see you out there with the snow bunnies as the planets align up in the sky!
PREVIEW
Winterruption
Where: 24 shows at 10 downtown venues
When: Jan. 22-26