Have some Big Fun or listen to some ice music: CBC Manitoba's top weekend picks for Jan. 25-27

This weekend, you can stay warm with some hot shows at a music festival, see a jazz musician and a painter make beautiful art together, or check out the "cool" work of a musician who plays instruments made of ice.

Three of CBCManitoba's on-air personalities share their top picks for the Jan. 25-27weekend.

Colton Hutchinson's pick:

Winnipeg music venues will be full of everything from rap to thrash metal this weekend for the annual Big Fun Festival.

Our winter answer to Austin, Texas's acclaimed SXSW or Calgary's Sled Island Festival, Big Fun showcases some of the best up-and-coming independent music acts in Canada.

Each year, Big Fun Festival places an emphasis on booking women, people of colourand queer artists as an integral part of the festival.

This can be seen throughout much of the programming, but one of the showcases that really highlights diversity is happening at the Good Will Social Club on Saturday.

Montreal electronic artist November will be headlining the evening, along with Toronto's Witch Prophetand Joanne Pollock from Winnipeg. The common thread between all three is ethereal, warm electronics. However, there's a wide range in the thematic texture of each artist's work, providing a breadth of sound to explore.

Along with evening shows, Big Fun is providing some afternoon entertainment as well. A record swap at the Good Will will go down Saturday afternoon, followed by local artists Marisolle Negash and Pluetoe playing an all-ages show at Grey Owl Coffee Saturdayat 6 p.m.

A Sunday breakfast closes out Big Fun at the Goodwill at 11:30 a.m.,featuring Two Crows for Comfort and The Grey Jays for some folky tunes.

This is just a sliver of this busy festival, so check out the rest of the schedule and you're bound to find something neat, newand noteworthy to attend this weekend.

Shannah-LeeVidal's pick:

This weekend will bring a treat for your ears, and your eyes, through a unique concertthat's part of Jazz Winnipeg's NuSoundsseries.

On Sunday, Winnipeg woodwind specialist Sean Irivne will be performing at the Good Will Social Club. What makes this show even more special is that it will feature Winnipeg artist Alexandra Hasenpflug performing with her paintbrush.

Hasenpflug has synesthesia, which means she has theability see sound in colours. She specializes in painting to music. The resulting artwork, featuring colourful splotches on canvas, is aninterpretation of the songshe hears.

She's done paintings to music by the Tragically Hip and Paul McCartney and this weekend, she'll be creating art live in front of an audience while Sean Irvine and band perform music that reimagines traditional folks songs. The show will immerse you in music inspired by 10 different countries.

Sunday's event starts at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online through Ticketfly or in person at the Good Will.

IsmailaAlfa's pick:

I want you to head out and listen to the ice!

Norwegian ice musician Terje Isungset brings a one-of-a-kind winter performance to Winnipeg with two shows this weekend,using instruments constructed and carved from ice harvested from the Red River.

Isungset has developed his own musical universe by using pure, frozen water. He will whittle the blocks of ice taken from the riverdown into instruments like ice xylophones, ice chimes and even an ice trumpet.

Terje has performed concerts in frozen waterfalls, ice hotels and other ice-filled venues in Norway, Swedenand Japan, and even at the very top of the Greenland cap for a group of climate scientists in 2018.

In Winnipeg he'll perform at Pavilion SubZero that's at The Forks, at the heart of the skating trail, where an ice amphitheatre has been built.

There are two shows one is part of the New Music Festival Friday nightat 7:30 p.m., and the second is a free show for everyone on Sundayat 7:30 p.m.

Instruments and outdoor auditorium built out of ice

6 years ago

Duration 0:56

Music played on ice, with ice, kicks off Winnipeg New Music Festival.