For one night only, Coldsnap is moving the show outside.
The spirit the 2015 Canada Winter Games outdoor music festival took hold with City of Prince George officials who enabled Coldsnap Music Festival organizers to recreate the moment this coming year. The usual slate of Coldsnap concerts will take place at a number of regular venues, when they set their amps abuzz this coming winter, but there will be one extra special night and it will be back at Canada Games Plaza where so much joy happened during the Games.
When a band is needed to play outside (they will be under cover, of course) in a city who's slogan is We Are Winter, you have to choose carefully. Acoustic instruments can go out of tune or even be damaged by subzero temperatures. Slow-moving tempos don't get audiences bouncing when the snow and/or mercury might be falling.
And some acts are, well, prissy, and you can't have that when Coldsnap is living up to its name.
"I'm so excited about that night. I think we've got it set up perfectly, and it will kick off the whole festival in a big way," said Sue Judge, artistic director for Coldsnap. "We have an electronic act headlining that night, so no acoustic instruments there, and it's - drum roll please - DJ Shub from A Tribe Called Red. Remember their show during the Games festival? It was huge. So he's a guy who does that aboriginal electronic dance music and people just loved that, when the Games were on.
"The other band we have that night, and a lot of people will think of them as headliners, too, is Speed Control, the rock band out of Whitehorse, where winter weather doesn't scare them a bit. People around here just love them, they've been to Prince George before, they have an audience here, they have friends here, they tour all over Canada, and this is a terrific pairing for that outdoor kickoff night surrounded by all those great buildings that make up that plaza, the library, the Civic Centre, the Two Rivers Gallery. It's a special feeling to be in that place enjoying music, outside, and something magical about the winter. It's free, and it's for all ages."
That first night of the Coldsnap lineup is Feb. 3
That start date is deeper into the winter than the festival usually began, but the Coldsnap organizers were among the many agencies and groups who agreed with a proposal made during the Canada Winter Games by Downtown Prince George. The idea was to consolidate as many of the big winter events as possible to create a more powerful profile for the city in the heart of our winter wonderdays.
"We close out our festival with a big francophone concert that acts as a kickoff to the Festival d'Hiver for the French-speaking community in town, and it is also the kickoff, totally on purpose, of the Downtown Winter Carnival," said Judge.
In between the big outdoor opening and the big French finale, Coldsnap once again has its usual array of national and international folk acts - everything from Americana to Canadiana to you-know-you-wanna - as well as some major spotlights on regional talent. Feb. 6 and 8 are dedicated to all-local performers, showcased at The Legion.
Also added, new this year, is a day especially for children, featuring family entertainment stars The Kerplunks (three-time Juno Award nominees, among other distinctions) at a P.G. Playhouse matinee on Feb. 5.
The remainder of the Coldsnap Music Festival schedule is:
Feb. 3 - Coldsnap Kickoff to Celebrate PG! Free outdoor concert, Canada Games Plaza (7:30 p.m.) with opening ceremonies, Speed Control and DJ Shub.
Feb. 4 - Dance to the Hot World Beats, Ramada Ballroom (7:30 p.m.), with regional opener, Buckman Coe and Quique Escamilla.
Feb. 5 - Coldsnap for Kids (special ticket price), Prince George Playhouse (2 p.m.), with The Kerplunks.
Feb. 5 - Globally Inspired Roots and Harmonies, Prince George Playhouse (7:30 p.m., with regional opener, Anna & Elizabeth, and The Bills.
Feb. 7 - Sensational Singers, Prince George Playhouse (7:30 p.m.), with Sean Robinson (P.G. Limelight Quest winner), Coco Love Alcorn, Andrea Ramolo & Matt Epp.
Feb. 9 - Celebrate Music of the North, Fore Bistro (7:30 p.m.), with Matt Patershuk, Twin Peaks and Samson's Delilah.
Feb. 10 - Celtic String Extravaganza, Prince George Playhouse (7:30 p.m.), with regional opener, Wendy MacIsaac & Troy MacGillivray, and Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas.
Feb. 11 - Ensemble, Nous Clbrons Nos Festivals d'Hiver!, (Together, We Celebrate Our Winter Festivals!), Ramada Ballroom (7:30 p.m.), with regional opener, Les Chauffeurs Pieds and Christine Tassan et les Imposteurs.
In addition to these performances, the Coldsnap organization is just as much about passing the skills and spirit of music on to the next generation of performers and those who are aspiring to have their own spots on the stage. Almost all of the performers listed on the Coldsnap menu also conduct workshops while they are here.
"Some are instructional, some are informative, some are inspirational, and there's a lot of really good music that happens at those workshops, too," said Judge. "We call those our Come In From the Cold workshop series and we are as proud of that as we are all the concerts."
A partnership with the B.C. Touring Council is adding new muscle to the musical learning this year. On Feb. 2 and 3, a special two-day workshop will happen at the Coast Inn of the North.
"The workshop, called On The Road, is intended to serve emerging artists, agents and managers with an interest in enhancing their knowledge about touring," said Judge. Registration information for that two-day course will be released online at bctouring.org.
The full details of the Coldsnap festival will be on display at Studio Fair. Tickets will be on sale by mid-November at Books & Co., Studio 2880 and online at
www.coldsnapfestival.com.
