A quick run through some of the events happening this week in the world of art, music and film.
Monday
Monday Night Film Series: The Public
The United States was founded on organized rebellion, its First Amendment celebrating “the right of the people peaceably to assemble.” But what happens when the outcasts of American society assemble in the very home of free expression? Drawing on the clash of perspectives now galvanizing the States and beyond, Emilio Estevez (The War at Home, Bobby) has crafted a drama that returns politics to a human level. The Public is a story of resistance for right now.
The Public | Monday Night Film Series | Tilley Hall, Room 102, UNB Campus | December 2, 2019 – 7:30 p.m.
STU Singers Christmas Concert in the Black Box Theatre. The STU Singers will present their annual December choral concert. Special guests include the students of Voice Technique and the George Street Middle School Choir. A varied program of classical, traditional, contemporary, modern, and world music will be presented, helping us contemplate the season “Through the Eyes of a Child.” Tickets are $10 (general) and $2 (students) at the door. 7 p.m.
Tuesday
Open Mic Night at The Capital. Dylan Ward 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.
A UNB Chorale & Band Christmas Concert at Memorial Hall. Come and join us for a cracker of a start to the Christmas season! Don’t miss the fantastic festive evening, featuring chorale director David Steeves, and band director Hugh Kennedy. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, and are available at the door. 7:30 p.m.
A Holly Cole Christmas at The Playhouse. You can bet that when Canadian Jazz icon Holly Cole and her impeccable band come to town to spread a little “naughty and nice” that, like Santa, they will get you into the holiday spirit! Holly brings fresh faces to well-worn standards and an eclectic selection of holiday material with an uncanny combination of sensuality, innocence, originality and sheer musicality. 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Advent Carol Festival at St. Paul’s United Church. Local church and community choirs will present a program of both new and familiar Christmas music. There will be a chance for the audience to join in the festive singing too. A freewill offering to support Fredericton area food banks will be received. 7:30 p.m.
STU Jazz Fall Semestre Concert at the Kinsella Auditorium (STU Campus). The St. Thomas University Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Don Bossé, will be presenting their fall semester concert. The concert will feature many new arrangements of swing and Latin tunes, along with vocal selections. This will be a high-energy performance by talented STU faculty, staff and student jazz musicians that you will not want to miss. Admission is by donation. 7:30 p.m.
Music Runs Through It presents A Gunning & Cormier Christmas at Dolan’s Pub. Two of the busiest solo musicians in the country, 2019 East Coast Music Award Winners Dave Gunning and JP Cormier are coming together again this year to bring us a one-of-a-kind show for the holiday season: A Gunning & Cormier Christmas! 7:30 p.m.
Capital $100 or Less Art Sale (Dec 4-8) at 412 Queen St (2nd floor). The Capital $100 or Less Art Sale is pleased to offer the Fredericton area high quality art at unprecedented value, just in time for Christmas shopping! Opening night 6-9 p.m. – Dec. 5-8: 10-7 p.m.
Bluegrass Night at Wilser’s Room. Bluegrass Night is back at the Wilser’s room for two Wednesday nights in December! Join The Montgomery Street Band on Dec 4th and 11th, and escape the cold with some acoustic string band fun! 9 p.m.
Thursday
Samaqani Cocahq’s Stories of MAW at Memorial Hall. The UNB Art Centre invites you to the final public viewing of Stories of MAW: The One Time Maw was born from Tall Tree Woman, a work-inprogress by Wolastaqiyik Indigenous Artist Samaqani Cocahq. This performance is in collaboration with Possesom Paul and Dawson Sacobie. 6 p.m.
Comedy Night at The Wilser’s Room. The last event for the year with comedians coming from as far away as Halifax. Grab a drink, find a friend and maybe drop a toonie in the bucket for the last show of the year. 8:30 p.m.
Said The Whale + Dave Monks at The Capital Complex. Having spent a more than a decade together, Said The Whale are the JUNO Award-winning trio of Tyler Bancroft (vocals/guitar), Ben Worcester (vocals/guitar) and Jaycelyn Brown (keyboards). A perfected big-hearted sound that’s warmly organic and filled with pop hooks. 8 p.m.
The Group of Seven Reimagined at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. As 2020 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of Canada’s iconic Group of Seven, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery is pleased to present dramatic readings from a beautiful new book that activates the art through short stories. Each painting is accompanied by a short narrative—or “flash fiction” piece—written by critically acclaimed, award-winning Canadian authors. Rather than analyze or interpret the art, these literary masters look deep inside each painting, crafting new layers of plot, setting, and emotion that feel at once entirely fresh and completely at home alongside these early-20th Century works. 7-8 p.m.
Dear 6 Strings, Paper, and Pen in the Black Box Theatre. Using found poems from Mornings like This by Annie Dillard as inspiration, Lesandra Dodson’s Fine Arts Dance students and Lisa Anne Ross’s English Department Drama students created short movement phrases and monologues that will be woven together into an evening of theatre and dance. The classes worked independently on their pieces with Dodson and Ross ferreting secret tidbits across campus to aid the collaboration. The classes combined forces at the end of the semester to weave the creations together into an evening of introspection on beards, laments on chapped lips and odes to family lore. Admission is pay-what-you-can at the door. 7:30 p.m.
Friday
CATAPULT Pitch + Reception at UNB Wu Centre. After eight weeks of intensive training, six Fredericton artists have the business chops they need to make it as professional artists. On December 6, they’ll prove it by pitching themselves to artists, stakeholders, and government officials at the graduation event for ArtsLink’s CATAPULT program. 8:30 p.m.
BLEUM + PINEO & LOEB + Wangled Teb + M3D14 at The Capital Complex. After two sold out shows in 2019, Bleum returns one last time this year to The Capital Complex. They’re taking a break for the winter to hit the studio – but before they do, they’re throwing a party with special guests PINEO & LOEB, Wangled Teb and M3D14 (pronounced “Media”). 9 p.m.
Young Satan in Love + Sadie at The Tipsy Muse Café. In concert and on record Young Satan in Love is an attempt to break the audience through the fourth wall of their own lives, to experience from an awake place a world of simultaneously amped up and shattered illusions. On the surface it’s a send up of the story of Genesis (referring here to the Old Testament Genesis, though we do begin season one with a song called Phil Collins) and recast as a rock opera performed in bars. 7 p.m.
Fredericton Playhouse presents Fredericton Symphony Orchestra & Fredericton Choral Society. The Fredericton Symphony Orchestra has been giving concerts regularly in Fredericton since 1976. The members are a group of professional musicians and accomplished amateurs who have studied music and performance conducted by Musical Director Richard Hornsby. The FSO performs three to four times a year, and frequently collaborates with the Fredericton Choral Society. In this special holiday presentation, the Orchestra will deliver Rimsky Korsakov’s Christmas Eve Suite before being joined with the Choral Society following the intermission. Together they will deliver selections from Handel’s Messiah and a selection of well-known holiday favourites that everyone can sing along to. 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Lansdowne Concerts presents A Week In December with Ian Foster & Nancy Hynes. Ian Foster is an award-winning singer songwriter from Newfoundland. Ian is currently touring Eastern Canada with his long-time collaborator and harmonizer, Nancy Hynes. The duo has developed a Christmas show they call A Week in December, and you are invited! The show will be a mix of standard Christmas songs and some more obscure holiday tracks as well as two originals penned by Ian. With a range from traditional carols to Kenny and Dolly, they want you to love each song … and like their album, there’s something for everyone in this live show. ARTSnews November 28, 2019 Volume 20, Issue 48 To make it even more special, your ticket price of $25 includes a meet and mingle with Ian and Nancy, complete with your choice of wine or mulled cider! To purchase your ticket, contact pmm56@me.com. 7 p.m. 41 River Front Way.
Jimmy MacKinley + Maggie Estey + Ben Conoley at Wilser’s Room. Miramichi’s Jimmy MacKinley joins Fredericton’s one-woman hotdog eating contest Maggie Estey for a night of laughter hosted by Ben Conoley. PARTY! 8 p.m.
Where’s the Tylenol? Colin Fowlie & friends at Grimross Brewing Co. After a full year + of being a full time musician and touring all over Canada and north east US, Colin wants to bring is band and some friends together and play his ‘Party music” album along with some brand new songs. 8 p.m.
Chill Chicago at The Tipsy Muse Café. Kill Chicago like you probably haven’t heard them before. 7 p.m.
Frantically Atlantic Album Launch at Tipsy Muse Café. Frantically Atlantic, featuring Don Rigley and Michelle Daigle, is a New Brunswick based touring duo with a broad repertoire of East Coast-style Folk, Celtic, and Acadian tunes – traditional and original. Their instruments include fiddle, vocals, hammered dulcimer, Irish bouzouki, bodhran, tin whistles, guitar, concertina, mandolin, banjo, spoons and shruti box (Indian reed instrument). In their combined history they have performed in the Maritimes, Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario, New England and Ireland. 2-4 p.m.
Dennis Ellsworth & the ES + Noble Daugther + Evan LeBlanc at The Capital Complex. A night of music in celebration of the new album from Ellsworth. Come out. 10 p.m.
Sunday
Fredericton Ladies Choir Jazzes up Christmas Concert at St. Dunstan’s Church. The choir is directed by Sally Dibblee with Carolyn Wagner as accompanist. Special guests for the event will be the Don Bossé Jazz Quartet. These well-known local musicians have been performing together for over 20 years and are bound to bring a new spin to some Christmas classics. The quartet will perform its own set as well as joining the singers on several selections. Other familiar faces appearing in the concert will be Bill Turney reading The Night Before Christmas and Tom Fetter stepping in with instrumental accompaniment. 3 p.m.
Open Mic with Mitch Rayner at The Tipsy Muse Café. Come share a song or two on a wintery Sunday afternoon. 2-5 p.m.
This Week in Fredericton was created with notes from the Fredericton Arts Alliance‘s weekly newsletter as well as Music Runs Through It‘s weekly Fredericton music update. We encourage you to visit both these valuable community resources for more detailed information on these and other events happening This Week in Fredericton.
