Transistor 66 + 10 Years + 3 Nights + 11 Bands = 1 Mean Birthday Bash

Another local record label is celebrating a big birthday this weekend. Transistor 66 Record Co. turns 10 and they kick off their three night rock and roll weekender tonight at Club 60 in Osborne Village with The High Thunderers, Ultra Mega, and The Vibrating Beds. The Angry Dragons, The Thrashers, The Gunness, and out-of-towner Bloodshot Bill will be at The Park Theatre on April 27. The debauchery continues with Miesha and the Spanks, This Hisses, Les Sexy, and Microdot hitting The Park Theatre's stage on April 28.

The "family" of Transistor 66, run by Art MacIntyre, has grown to include 36 bands from across the nation. A rowdy bunch of Manitobans represent much of the raw rock n' roll, gritty bluegrass, garage, punk, roots, and experimental acts found on the roster. The label released 15 albums in 2011 alone, including work by Scott Nolan, The Lonely Vulcans, The Magnificent Sevens, and Crooked Brothers. Next up, Chris MAMA Bower’s project, A Universe of Horrors, is set to be released on May 12.

With so much activity under one roof, filmmaker Steve Ward decided to tell the story in a documentary, Happily Dysfuntional, which was screened in November of 2011. The film features numerous performances and interviews with many members of the Transistor 66 family.

Also worth celebrating are the artistic gig posters that often accompany Transistor 66 shows and album releases. Bands are aptly caricatured in Darren Merinuk’s vibrant work and seen plastered online and around town. A special 19” x 25” 10 year birthday bash poster has also been intricately designed by Jonathan Bergeron, a.k.a Johnny Crap, from Montreal and screen printed at local design house, Guppy Graphic Design.

Check out the Live Music Calendar for details on all the birthday festivities.