Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ West End Cultural Centre
Pre-sale: Friday, February 3, 2012 from 10 AM - 10 PM

Tickets: $17.50 plus Ticketmaster fees

Shane is AMAZING. Hilarious and touching. A spectrum of emotions and ideas.

They were a fan favourite at the 2011 festival, now we’re bringing Shane Koyczan and The Short Story Long back for a concert at the West End Cultural Centre on Saturday, March 31. Be the first to get your tickets through our exclusive pre-sale for e-newsletter subscribers, happening through Ticketmaster on Friday, February 3 between 10:00 AM and 10:00 PM. Click here between those hours and enter the pass word restaurant. Tickets are $17.50 plus fees.

Shane Koyczan and The Short Story Long at the West End Cultural Centre on Saturday, March 31

With self-described “experimental acoustic folk” music by The Short Story Long, Shane moves from subdued, deep, sad love poetry to power chord hip-hop. He brings enormous vitality and virtuosity to every performance. His warmth, wit and sincerity are a hit with crowds and his lyrics inspire all who listen.

Shane Koyczan is one of the world’s premier spoken word performers. His performance at the 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremonies brought the 55,000-seat house to their feet with his tear-jerking homage to Canada with “We Are More.”

The Short Story Long consists of Shane, Maiya Robbie (guitar), Olivia Mennell (keyboard), Jesse Lee (stand up bass) and Jordie Robinson (cello) and their musical range stretches from folk to funk, from ambient to rock. Their sound showcases a blend of original music and remarkable performance poetry. Along with Shane, the group has created a whole new style of song and verse. This “talk-rock” genre is something new and worth checking out as 2011 Winnipeg Folk Festival audiences can attest - his performances are jaw dropping.

Beyond performing his poetry, Shane is a published writer. The Guardian (UK) and the Globe and Mail (Canada) hailed his book, Visiting Hours, as a Book of the Year Selection. His second book, Stickboy, is a novel in verse, hailed by teachers, academics, and mental health experts alike for its deft handling of the subject of bullying. Shane’s newly-released third book, Our Deathbeds Will Be Thirsty, proves once again to be an outstanding addition to an amazing repertoire.

Stay tuned for Shane Koyczan and The Short Story Long’s new album Remembrance Year,set for release in mid-March.

Words Allowed - Readings & Performance Poetry

Saturday, January 21, 2012 @ 8 PM - Mondragon Café

Admission: Pay what you can

Words Allowed brings together a mix of emerging and established authors for an intimate night of literary readings and performance poetry. 

The night features a line-up of five artists, including Drek Daa, the award winning poet, songwriter, and CBC columnist; Chandra Mayor, author of August Witch, Cherry, and All the Pretty Girls; Deborah Schnitzer, author of An Unexpected Break in the Weather; Courtney Slobogian, emerging writer and CKUW radio co-host; and Liz Worth, author of Amphetamine Heart and Treat Me Like Dirt: An Oral History of Punk in Toronto and Beyond. 

When: Saturday, January 21, 8pm
Where: Mondragon Café, 91 Albert Street
Price: PWYC

The Cyrk’s 5th Anniversary Extravaganza

November 11, 2011 @ 254 Young Street

Doors 8pm
Show 9pm
DJ Dance 11:30pm

Suggested donation: $10 (proceeds divided between artists and Students on Ice)
BYOB

You are cordially invited to …

          The CYRK’s 5th ANNIVERSARY EXTRAVAGANZA               
 featuring      Ann Vriend - http://annvriend.com    Nereo - http://nereo2.com     Demetra Penner - http://myspace.com/tidessweetlyrolling    
    Poets (PC Miller, Drek Daa, Aaron Simm, Paul Friesen, Andrea von Wichert, Dawn Knight, Steve Holbrow) 

    & DJ Mama Cutsworth -http://mamacutsworth.com 

Spoken Word Fringe Preview @ the Cyrk, featuring RC Weslowski

Today! Monday, July 11, 2011 @ 10 PM - The Cyrk (254 Young Street)

Suggested Donation: $5+

OPENING LINE UP:
Steve Larkin (GB)
Rob Gee (GB)
Drek Daa (WPG) 
Demetra Penner (WPG)
Leif Norman (WPG
Ian Mozdzen (WPG
Sarah Burton (TO)
Penny Pollak (NY)
Aaron Simm (WPG)
Travis Bernhardt (VAN)
and others …

My friend RC Weslowski is an absolute gem on the Canadian spoken word scene. You have never heard anything like him, guaranteed (the same class as Fernando Raguero or Nereo). This is RC’s first time at the Winnipeg Fringe, and I would love for this beautiful city to give this beautiful man a very warm welcome. For this show, I asked RC to do his spoken word stuff, not his fringe show, so it’s the only chance to here his classic poems. Not to mention this is a chance to hear several other great fringe performers, poets, and musicians (incomplete list below).

Door 9:30 Show 10:00
$5 suggested donation (all donations go to the feature)
BYOB (we don’t sell alcohol)
No presale or reservations

Friday, January 21, 2011 @ the CYRK (254 Young Street)

Doors open 8 PM
Show starts 9 PM

$15 suggested donation

BYOB (no alcohol sales) 

Here’s an amazing show for you good people. Two blues legends playing together (including Juno Award Winnipeg Big Dave McLean). Not to mention Nereo, one of the very top Canadian spoken word artists. A historical event!

The Fugitives (Vancouver, BC)

Venue #1 (MTC Mainstage; entrance on Rorie Street at John Hirsch Place)

Tickets: $10

Under 5 not admitted.

• July 17 @ 5:45 PM
• July 18 @ 12:15 PM
• July 20 @ 7 PM
• July 21 @ 10:30 PM
• July 22 @ 2 PM
• July 23 @ 7:45 PM

I was blown away. Seriously amazing. Go.

And that’s after watching dozens of new-to-me acts at Folk Fest last week.

The Fugitives are the combined talents of Vancouver artists Adrian Glynn, Barbara Adler, Brendan McLeod, and Steve Charles. A group of multi-instrumentalists, songwriters, poets and novelists, each [has] their own burgeoning solo career […], but their primary focus lies in banding together to integrate their sensibilities into a dynamic mix of modern folk.

Clever, down-to-earth, and heartwarming, this band of artists instantly connected to its audience at their late night first show. Adrian (balalaika), Barbara (accordion), Brendan (acoustic guitar), and Steve (banjo) [all of whom also sang] are joined by James on upright bass on this run at the Fringe (and perhaps regularly outside of Fringe as well?), all wildly talented, comfortable and charming in their occasional awkwardness, and amazing to listen to together, in duos and trios, and solo.

This first show was an offering from their most recent CD, Eccentrically We Love, also the title song of the album and, obviously, the name of their Fringe show. The songs and show were a conscious revelling in the “itchiness” of close relationships, a discussion of how the awkwardness of love is good, and an endearing, fresh optimism about what love is, how it works, and what we should do and think. The rest of the shows might be the same or similar, but they did (jokingly?) promise to bring out some Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

Stories, old and new; thoughtful, rhythmic poetry; heart-swelling music, various and brilliant; and the feel of an intimate, basement concert. Love.

Bring money to buy a CD or t-shirt. They have a friendly competition to see which instrument (aka band member) is most popular, proven by t-shirt sales for the four teams: Team Accordion, Team the Triangle Thing (balalaika), Team Single White Male with a Guitar, and Team Banjo. No Team Upright Bass, I guess because James is not a card-carrying member of The Fugitives.