On the bright side, let’s just say that 2019 has well prepared us for whatever next year might bring. At home, at least where arts and culture are concerned, nothing is literally on fire (but did you see our Top 100 Songs of 2019?). We can be thankful that the most ground shaking news came in the form of a few tremors that rippled through the festival scene as Shambhala announced their change in dates and caused a few festivals across the continent to shift nervously in their wake. Some festivals were more shook than others.
Here are our top stories from 2019.
Imperial Theatre Completes Restoration – Unveils Latest in Long Line of Marquees
After 25 years of hosting live acts of great variety, Saint John’s Imperial Theatre received a three-phase restoration to its façade. Now with a bright and shiny new digital marquee, the theatre’s front is even more attractive. With the marquee having not been updated since 1994, it was due for a change and marks the theatre’s sixth new facade since its opening in 1913… (read more here)
Nimrods’: Charlottetown Beer Garden Shot Down – Campaign For Floating Pizza Bar Instead
After their plan to open a beer garden alongside their downtown food truck were rejected by the city, Charlottetown’s Nimrods decided to take their idea to the sea instead. Opening a floating pizza bar at the Charlottetown Marina, the food truck crew found the answer to their problems and now have a more unique establishment than originally planned…. (read more here)
Annual Funeral Services to be Held For Messtival at Loserville
Following the passing of Messtival, New Brunswick’s most disliked music festival, a funeral service was held in its place at its neighbouring location, Loserville. No one was entirely positive what had finally done Messtival in; some speculated it may have been sheer neglect or its constant exposure to a toxic environment. But whatever the cause, all were invited to attend the service, which was sure to be even more dreadful than the festival itself… (read more here)
Evolve Loses Tea Hive Harm Reduction Workers for 2019 Festival
Following what Tea Hive Collective members says has been years of insufficient support from festival organizers, the Collective released a public statement in April announcing they would not be attending the Evolve festival for the first time in ten year — at least not in any official capacity. This decision did not come easy for the Collective, but allegedly arose from broken promises, dismissive behaviours, and a contaminated water supply, among other reasons… (read more here)
Music Video: Aquakultre Shows Off Halifax’s North End Community With ‘I Doubt It’
Award-winning Halifax group Aquakulture released a revisited version of their hit single “I Doubt It” along with a video, which showcases the city’s vibrant North End community. The track came as the first single to their upcoming full-length album, Legacy… (read more here)
Messtival is Dead
On May 20th, 2019, Messtival, the worst festival to ever exist, was officially pronounced dead. Organizers had always assumed Messtival would meet its demise by way of murder suicide at the hand of the Shakedown Ranch, but since the Ranch offed itself earlier than expect, Messtival was left to die of bankrupcy instead. Or at least that’s how it wants you to think it died… (read more here)
In Review: Trummp The Musical Delivers #FakeNews At Halifax’s Neptune Theatre
After feeling frustrated with recent politics, playwrights Peter MacDonald and Spencer FitzGerald decided to channel those feelings into a 19-song musical theatre production that would grace the stage at Halifax’s Neptune Theatre in June. This well-received production allowed its audiences to find lighthearted humour in a time when #fakenews is taking over… (read more here)
The Chandler Room Offers Atlantic Canada’s Best Seafood With a Creative Twist
One of the newest restaurants to open in St. Andrews, New brunswick, the Chandler Room offers guests all the best things the Maritimes have to offer: amazing seafood, great hospitality and a beautiful ocean view. With dishes that are made for sharing, this restaurant serves familiar ingredients in exciting and well-executed flavour combinations… (read more here)
Evolve Organizer Offers $10,000 Reward After Fire
After losing several buildings on his festival property to a fire in August, Evolve organizer Jonas Colter announced he was offering a $10,000 reward to the person with information leading to the arrest of whoever committed the arson. After relocating to Beersville, New Brunswick from Antigonish, Nova Scotia in 2016, the festival had invested much into creating new festival infrastructure on the land and has felt a great loss… (read more here)
The Best Music of 2019
Once again we have brought to you our list of the Top 100 East Coast tracks for the year. With Wintersleep and Tim Baker both releasing spectacular albums in 2019 it shouldn’t be a surprise who landed in the Top 10, or why this list was particularly popular this year… (read more here)