Hot, Hot, Halifax

It’s been a busy month. A glorious month! Perfect summer weather brings backyard patios, lake and ocean adventures, bbqs with friends, and a bustling city to enjoy – hence our serious neglect. Fleeting summer, where nights are never long enough, and tomorrow’s early morning doesn’t matter. You have to get out and enjoy it while you can, strike the hammer while the iron is hot. Oh! and Halifax, there are just so many irons to hammer. No matter what you are into, there is something for everyone – arts, music, history or just plain old beautiful Nova Scotia nature.

Let’s take a look back on the past few blurry sunshine filled weeks of fun…Jazz Festival (special shout outs to Garrett Mason, Gypsophilia, Maestro Fresh Wes & Deltron 3030) and Tall Ships (Hey Rosetta!). Concerts and shows seemingly every night, not to mention Evolve. Queer Acts Theatre Festival and Pride! (Just have to take a moment to shout out to Sissydude: a dandy rock musical, which debuted at Queer Acts earlier this month. Local, campy, delightful and clever, sharply written, with ALL original rock music…we had a blast.)  It’s been a time where Halifax smacks you in the face and reminds you why she is so amazing to live in. Upcoming we have Natal Day (and a sweet free concert too – super pumped for Rich Aucoin & Wintersleep!), Buskers, Summer Sonic…and in our backyard there is Bruce Springsteen, Sappy Fest, Dutch Mason Blues Festival, Fred Rock, and much more. How do you choose where to spend your money when so much is happening?

If you don’t want to spend any money, but still want to support local music, there are some sweet options for you – relax on a soft piece of grass with the sun in your face, hearing amazing local artists! This is the 5th year for Tunes at Noon, free one-hour concerts at Grand Parade Square. The lineup is stellar and it really has a friendly, great community feel, adding a touch of whimsy to your work day. The full summer schedule can be seen here: http://www.musicnovascotia.ca/Events/TunesAtNoon2012/ and concerts run Thursday and Friday from 12- 1, until September 6th. Another free music event can be found in the Hydrostone on August 25, Music in the Park. It’s a free afternoon of sweet local artists, brought to us by the ECMAs!  http://www.assantehydrostone.com/music-in-the-park/

As for some client news, SheMachine played an amazing gig with Burnt Sugar and AQuestrya on July 20 at the Company House. The pre-pride party was an amazing night of dancing and celebrations! SheMachine’s new songs are SO good. We couldn’t help but start the dance party! We’re super excited for the debut of their EP and short film/music video in the Fall.

The Xara Youth Ensemble is busy auditioning 14-18 years olds for their pre-professional choral theatre group, launching in September. Eighteen young ladies are ready to go, and the group is looking for a few more girls wishing to develop their skills and artistry. Should you know any talented young ladies looking for an amazing opportunity with two unreal artists at the helm…XYE is it! http://murraymusic.ca/studio/xye/

A show that is coming up, that you really should try your darndest to catch is Willie Stratton and Sean Burns on August 15th at Gus’ Pub. Willie Stratton is a powerful local performer, who puts on a howling good show! In our opinion, he is one of the best up and comers Halifax has seen in a long ass time. Lashing together three part harmonies, thundering war drums, and a whole lot of soul, Willie Stratton and his band are slightly less likely to make you feel OK than they are to kill your boredom absolutely stone cold dead. He will be sharing the slot with Sean Burns, based out of Ontario, who is a longtime friend of Rose. While constantly performing live and writing music in the tradition of the traveling singer/songwriter, Sean Burns is a real weapon on the stage, delivering a unique brand of humour with an extensive repertoire. Check out their respective tunes at http://www.seanburns.ca/ & http://williestratton.bandcamp.com/. We promise a grand night of storytelling and music. Check out more information about the event at https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/346965408715479/

We leave you, on this humid July night, with this, our favourite summer song.