A quick run through some of the events happening this week in the world of art, music and film.
Monday
Monday Night Film Series presents What They Had. From first-time writer/director Elizabeth Chomko, What They Had centers on a family in crisis. Bridget (Hilary Swank) returns home to Chicago at her brother’s (Michael Shannon) urging to deal with her ailing mother (Blythe Danner) and her father’s (Robert Forster) reluctance to let go of their life together. 7:30pm at Tilley Hall, UNB Campus. $8. $5 for members.
Across Canada by Story: A Coast-to-Coast Literary Adventure at Memorial Hall. Douglas Gibson, former senior editor and publisher at McClelland & Stewart and Douglas Gibson Books, will deliver a public lecture entitled Across Canada by Story: A Coast-to-Coast Literary Adventure. Following a 45-year career, Gibson has recounted his collaborations with authors and politicians including Alice Munro, Margaret Atwood, Pierre Trudeau, and others in books titled Stories about Storytellers and Across Canada by Story. This public talk, based on the latter, has delighted audiences across the United Kingdom, China, Mexico, and Canada with its rare perspectives on the editorial process and unique insights on the camaraderie and tension between writers and their publishers. A warm and charismatic speaker, Gibson represents an unparalleled authority on some of North American’s most beloved literary icons. 7:30 p.m. No charge.
Tuesday
Open Mic Night at The Capital. Rich Gloade hosts this weekly event at The Capital. If you are a duo, or a band, stop by and try out a new tune in front of a very encouraging crowd. 9 p.m. No cover.
Wednesday
Reggae Party with Dub Antenna at The Capital. Fredericton’s premier reggae band Dub Antenna plays every Wednesday in Wilser’s Room. Doors at 9. Show at 10 p.m.
Comedy at Charlotte Street Arts Centre. Seasonal Amusement Distraction is going to lift your frosty spirits with a night of laughter featuring the comedic stylings of Maggie Estey, Anthony Brian, Ben Conoley, Brian Conoley and Courtney Steeves. 8 p.m. $15
Steve Marriner at Dolan’s Pub. Marriner is a Juno Award winning multi-instrumentalist, singer, and producer based in Toronto. His incorporation of various styles of blues, roots and soul come together to form an original sound that is both deep and genuine. Steve has toured internationally and performed at prestigious festivals, concert halls and music clubs throughout Canada, The US, Europe and Australia. Tickets are $20 and are available online or at Tony’s Music Box Ltd. 7:30 p.m.
Jeunesses Musicales presents Will to Live at Centre Communautaire Sainte-Anne. With piano virtuoso, Philippe Prud’homme, discover a series of pieces that are as uplifting as they are sombre, and be captivated by the beauty that ensues: the sonata composed by Prokofiev after a personal tragedy, or Listzt’s La Vallée d’Obermann, inspired by the hero of a novel by Senancour. These spirited performances will allow you to experience the intensity of these great works, which will be punctuated by luminous pieces by Chopin and Hamelin. $13-$30. 7 p.m.
Thursday
Author Talk with Wendy McLeod MacKnight at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. Author Wendy McLeod MacKnight on another way of looking at art, and how she came to write The Frame-Up, her ‘love letter’ to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. Admission by donation and all are welcome to attend. 7 p.m.
Saint Cecilia’s Day Concert at Wilmot United Church. The Fredericton Choral Society and Fredericton Symphony Orchestra present a celebration of the bicentennial of Charles Gounod. The concert features soloists Sally Dibblee, Justin Guignard, Paul Bustin, Helena Janis and organist, David Drinkell. The concert will be conducted by Heather Fyffe and Richard Hornsby. Tickets are available at Westminster Books, from members of the orchestra and choir, or at the door. The prices are as follows: General admission is $25, Students are $10, and Children 12 and under are free. 7:30 p.m.
The Montgomery Street Band + Mike Kennedy Jamboree at The Capital. Join the Montgomery Street Band and a host of other performers for an evening fundraiser in support of the Fredericton Homeless Shelter. 8 p.m. $8
Friday
Cinema Political presents Sol at Conserver House. A quiet meditation on the devastation of Inuit suicide, this documentary confronts the legacy of colonization and urgently demands justice for Canada’s Indigenous Peoples. Solomon Tapatsiaq Uyarasuk was a charismatic young Inuk – an amateur acrobat, musician and poet. This film is a stirring tribute to the young man. The film will be followed by an optional discussion with special guest, Lisa Jodoin, Filmmaker in Residence, UNB Culture & Media Studies, who will show her short film Tracing Blood.
All are welcome. Screenings are free but donations are welcome. Conserver House location is wheelchair accessible but the washrooms are up the stairs. 7 p.m.
Wicked Vices + Melonvine + The Royal Volts at The Capital. A solid night of rock and roll at Fredericton’s downtown live music HQ. Check out sets from Wicked Vices (Fredericton), Melonvine (Moncton) and The Royal Volts (Eastern Shore, Nova Scotia). Doors at 9 p.m. $8
Saturday
The EQ (Easley Quartet) CD Release in Wilser’s Room. The Easley Quartet (The EQ) is a new collaboration of some of the most revered jazz players in Atlantic Canada. The group features Tom Easley on bass, Mark Adam on drums, and the dual guitar attack of Geordie Haley and Kevin Brunkhorst.
Milk & Bone with Bleum at The Capital. Montreal’s Milk & Bone (Laurence Lafond-Beaulne and Camille Poliquin) create melodies that are both dreamy and harrowing. Made up of electronic textures and layered synths, Lafond-Beaulne and Poliquin’s sonic universe distinguishes itself from the electro-pop genre thanks to their perfectly-paired vocal colours. Tickets are on sale at https://goo.gl/Dyxuna or in person through the Etixnow kiosks located Graystone Brewing + Grimross Brewing Co.
The Cultural Market’s 1st Annual Christmas Show. More than 20 vendors will be joining the market’s regular vendors to offer a unique shopping experience with many vendors offering unique gifts for those hard to buy family members and friends. Admission is free and there is plenty of parking. 9-2 p.m.
Lansdown Concerts presents Adyn Townes. Adyn Townes (formerly known as Andy Brown) began his musical career in Fredericton. Edgy in a good way, its genre is best described as alternative indie-folk with raw and honest lyrics. Adyn is a three-time International Song-Writing Competition Finalist and an official Taylor Guitars artist. After a particularly successful trip to the Woodford Folk Festival in the land Down Under, he spent some time in Sydney, but life on the road has him back in Fredericton at the present time. He’s currently touring through the Maritimes, and across Canada. The cost is $20 per person at the door. To reserve seats, contact pmm56@me.com or call 457-0826. 8 p.m.
Sunday
Nutcracker Tea at the Beaverbrook Arts Gallery. One of Fredericton’s much-loved holiday traditions is back! Join us for tea service, carolers, music, dance performances from all over the globe, art activities, and, of course, plenty of sweets. This year’s magic will be made even more fantastic by a very special guest. Author Wendy McLeod MacKnight will be here launching a brand-new, never-before-published short story: A Beaverbrook Holiday. 2-4 p.m. $15
Elm City Echoes at the Tom Morrison Theatre. If you need a bit of music to get you ready for the festive season, the Elm City Echoes are ready to entertain you. Fredericton’s barbershop chorus for women will offer a program of sacred selections and seasonal tunes in four-part a cappella harmony. Special guests invited to share the stage with the Echoes include the Canadian Military Wives Choir Gagetown and Stepping Stone Ukulele Players. A performance by AtTUNEment, a new quartet from within the chorus, will round out the program. Tickets are available for $15 at Westminster Books, from Elm City Echoes members, Military Wives Choir, and at the door. 3 p.m.
Fredericton Heritage Trust host public talk at Provincial Archives. Fredericton Heritage Trust presents Free Public Talk by Dr. Hannah Lane at Provincial Archives. Dr. Lane will give a talk entitled Old Burial Grounds & New Cemeteries in 19th Century Southern New Brunswick. Free parking and light refreshments. Prior to the talk, the Heritage Trust’s Annual General Meeting will be held at 2pm in the Exhibit Room. The public is cordially invited to attend the meeting and the talk. 2:30 p.m.
