Manitoba Music Invades NXNE

A dozen Manitoba acts are heading east this month as Canada’s largest music festival and industry conference gears up to take over Toronto. Running June 14-20, North by Northeast (NXNE) features an industry conference and showcase performances by over 500 established and emerging artists in 40 different downtown venues.

Manitoba artists showcasing at NXNE 2010 include indie pop/rock acts Imaginary Cities, Boats, The Details, Quinzy, Ian La Rue & The Condor, Not Animals, and The Paperbacks, hip-hop outfits Grand Analog, Abstract Artform and Rebel Yell, pop/punk band High Five Drive, female-fronted roots/bluegrass quartet Oh My Darling, and blues rockers the JD Edwards Band.

Manitoba Music and MANITOBA FILM & MUSIC will once again team up to co-host the 15th annual Manitoba BBQ on June 18 atop the Drake Hotel. The BBQ provides Manitobans at NXNE with the opportunity to network with some of the biggest names in the industry. This exclusive, invite-only party is one of the hottest events of the conference.

For the first time, Manitoba Music will also present its own showcase of local acts on June 19, featuring performances by Oh My Darling, The Paperbacks, Imaginary Cities, The Details, and Abstract Artform.

NXNE's film festival will feature documentaries about two local rock legends, The Watchmen and The Weakerthans. NXNE will debut Reil Munro's The Watchmen: All Uncovered, which includes interviews and footage from the band's recent reunion shows. Audiences can also catch director Caelum Vatsndal's We're The Weakerthans, We're From Winnipeg, a feature-length tour documentary that is also available on MTS TV Winnipeg On Demand. 

MANITOBA MUSIC AT NXNE

THURSDAY, JUNE 17
Boats @ Live at the Bellwoods: The NXNE Picnic Series, 4 PM
Imaginary Cities @ Mod Club, 7 PM
JD Edwards Band @ Cadillac Lounge, 8 PM
The Watchmen: All Uncovered (film) @ NFB, 8:15 PM
High Five Drive @ The Shop, 10 PM
Grand Analog @ The Rivoli, 12 AM
Rebel Yell @ Harlem, 2 AM

FRIDAY, JUNE 18
Imaginary Cities @ Live at the Bellwoods: The NXNE Picnic Series, 3 PM
We're The Weakerthans, We're From Winnipeg (film) @ NFB, 6:30 PM
Ian La Rue & The Condor @ NOW Lounge, 11 PM
Boats @ The Painted Lady, 1 AM

SATURDAY, JUNE 19
@ C’est What!
“Manitoba Music presents…”
Oh My Darling, 9 PM
The Paperbacks, 10 PM
Imaginary Cities, 11PM
The Details, 12 AM
Abstract Artform, 1 AM

Quinzy @ Supermarket, 10 PM presented by The Agency Group
Not Animals @ Neutral Lounge, 10 PM