Tuesday, August 1st
7:30 PM Witch Prophet
9:00 PM Tanika Charles
Wednesday, August 2nd
7:30 PM Peter & The Wolves
9:00 PM Jesse Roper
Thursday, August 3rd
7:30 PM Shawnee Kish
9:00 PM The Harpoonist featuring Gordie Johnson (of Big Sugar)
Note: Each Evening the doors to the rooftop open at 6:30 PM and close at 11:30 PM
Top (5th) Floor of the City of Lethbridge Park N Ride (located at #705 – 5th Avenue South.
WITCH PROPHET
It’s been 3 years since the release of her Polaris Prize shortlisted album ‘DNA Activation’; an ode to her Ethiopian and Eritrean ancestral roots, fusing Jazz, Hip-Hop, Soul and RnB. Touring across North America performing along side and opening for acts like Lido Pimienta, Sudan Archives, Tash Sultana, Snotty Nose Rez Kids and more.
Now, Witch Prophet returns to the spotlight with a new soul/adult contemporary LP ‘Gateway Experience’ due out May 3rd, on Heart Lake Records.
A soundscape of vocal layers, loops, raps and harmonies on a bed of hip-hop, jazz and soul-inspired beats produced by her business partner and wife SUN SUN.
TANIKA CHARLES BAND
Toronto-based 2x Juno Award nominee and Soul music power house Tanika Charles has slowly but surely inserted herself as a staple of the genre both at home and abroad. Her music revels in honesty and attitude, her live show is high energy and endearing, and she continues to win audiences one album, one stream, and one encore at a time.
On April 8th, 2022 Tanika released her third album Papillon de Nuit: The Night Butterfly. Papillon again follows Tanika’s formula of marrying classic soul influences with modern sensibilities and features the songs “Frustrated”, “Million Ways”, and the disco-infused lead single “Different Morning” featuring Toronto rapper DijahSB.
Tanika has embarked on numerous domestic and international tours since releasing her debut album Soul Run, performing in front of many thousands of fans across a dozen countries
PETER & THE WOLVES
Out of Calgary’s legendary Bowness district came Peter and the Wolves, a fresh-faced rockabilly outfit shaped by their forefathers’ rowdy, unstoppable urge to shake it up. Led by Howlin’ Pete Cormier, the Wolves were playing the bar scene while half its members were still in high school. Several years and 2 full-length recordings later these Southern Alberta favorites are stepping up with their irresistible combination of originals and well chosen covers and receiving recognition as one of Canada’s top R & B practitioners!
JESSE ROPER BAND
Based in Victoria, BC, Jesse Roper is a blues/Americana artist with a penchant for writing modern indie infused blues music and delivering bombastic live performances buoyed by his virtuosic guitar playing. His innate and impressive musical talent has served him well in recent years. It has given him the flexibility to play with soul icon Booker T. Jones, rock veteran Colin James, blues belter Beth Hart, and Canadian legend Burton Cummings, then turn around and headline nightclubs and festivals to younger audiences, and look perfectly comfortable in each scenario. The stage is where Roper shines. It has been his home since overcoming crippling stage fright during his early twenties. Fear is a part of Roper’s past that barely seems real today – especially when you see the in-concert image of a six-string soldier, hair matted to his face, tearing up the stage, without a hint of second-guessing.
Roper’s new album ‘Horizons’ marks a sonic high point in his career thus far. Working closely with famed JUNO-nominated producer Gus van Go (Metric, The Stills, Whitehorse, Arkells, The Trews, Sam Roberts) on this new collection of songs has pushed Roper into creating some of his best work. “Recording with Gus and Werner F was on a whole new level. They really cared where the songs were headed and that they ended up just right”, Roper confides. “Everything was broken down to the finest details and nothing was allowed to sit at just ‘ok’. It was all about getting the vibe right.”
And the vibe is certainly right. There’s a depth, a vulnerability, to this new body of work that hasn’t necessarily been at the forefront of Roper’s previous offerings. With a richer infusion of vintage rhythm and blues as background, Roper’s unique, soulful vocals are given space to soar. Like contemporaries Nathaniel Rateliff and Jack White, Roper tells his story with heart.
Adventuresome doesn’t properly describe Roper as an artist, because when the guitar-wielding dynamo sets out to accomplish something, there’s no telling where his mind will wander, or when his energy will go.
SHAWNEE KISH
Shawnee Kish discovered music as medicine at a very early age. She dreamt about being on stage and starting her journey toward a career in music at 12 years old. Music quickly became a source of self-empowerment for the soulful singer and in 2020 Shawnee won CBC’s Searchlight talent competition. Not soon after, this fierce, powerhouse artist was celebrated as one of North America’s Top Gender Bending Artists by MTV and as an Artist You Need To Know by Billboard Magazine. In 2022 Shawnee celebrated her first JUNO award nomination (Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year) and signed to a contract with Amelia Recordings.
Listening to her chart-topping releases one can easily recognize that, as an artist, Shawnee has been influenced by strong, confident voices of female performers such as Melissa Etheridge, Etta James, Nina Simone and Amy Winehouse. Her deeply personal and always poignant lyrics are rooted in healing. This allows her listeners to find purpose and reason in the stories she tells.
An outspoken advocate for her Indigenous and LGBTQ2+ communities, Shawnee is a proud Two Spirit Mohawk who has shared the stage with some of the world’s biggest names – Lady Gaga, Madonna and Alicia Keys.
Shawnee Kish is clearly an artist with vision, who will spend 2023 lighting up stages across North America and continue her work with the We Matter Campaign and Kids Help Phone in hopes of empowering youth and providing strength and hope through music.
Originally from Welland, Ontario, Shawnee is now based in Edmonton, Alberta and is married to Olympic rugby player Jen Kish.
THE HARPOONIST featuring GORDIE JOHNSON (of Big Sugar)
“Have we come here to dance or have we come here to die” (from Good People)
These words carry the message of the new project led by Shawn Hall and his collaborators. Hall of the acclaimed maverick blues duo the Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer is the progenitor. The new trio includes Canadian icon and award-winning guitar legend Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar on guitar, bass and vocals, and internationally respected singer songwriter Jonas Shandel on drums and vocals. Together they create a powerful biting delivery highlighting Hall’s dynamic big soul vocal.
Hall has been one half of Canada’s indisputably justified incendiary live propositions. Hall spent 17 years cross-crossing much of the globe sharing stages with blues legend Taj Mahal, Saharan dessert blues group, Tinariwen, St Paul and the Broken Bones, as well as Canadian rock and roll festival favourites the Sheep Dogs amongst most of Canada’s music greats. Toronto-raised, Hall recently nominated for 2022 Maple Blues Harp player of the year and the 2022 Junos for the Live at the King Eddy album. The Live at the King Eddy live show was captured on the Rolling Stones mobile studio.
Hall’s deeply evocative vocals and harp work have been featured in such shows as Blue Bloods, CSI, Snow Piercer, Jade Fever and many more.
After 20 years in Canada’s west coast, Shawn dropped down to Austin Texas to live with Gordie Johnson and his family on their ranch to write and record his most personal group of songs. He has created a volume of sensitive, soulful and wildly imaginative new songs. His new music has emerged from New Orleans band stands, life affirming gospel, and groundings in absurdity. From his new song, Good People, Hall sings, “I may not have it together, but together we can have it all”.
“The grisly vibe hovering like a murky London fog around the very words ‘Harpoonist’ and ‘Axe Murderer’ suits what and how they play.” Peter Goddard, The Toronto Star
The Geomatic Attic does its best to ensure each of its events creates a “small footprint” environmentally. So, we simply ask that each attendee think about ways they can help. Some suggestions: walk or ride your bike to the event (bike racks will be available); carpool or take the bus; limit the waste items you leave behind; bring a water bottle or re-usable mug. THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!
The City of Lethbridge Park N Ride (also know as the City Centre Terminal) is located at #705 – 5th Avenue South. Enter the Park N Ride from one of the 2 entrances on the south side (5th Avenue side) of the building. Once you enter the building there will be volunteers ready to direct you to the rooftop music area. You will be asked for your name, number of tickets and the order number (found on your email receipt, no need to print out a hard copy as we will have a record of your transaction).
The rooftop music area is on the 5th floor of the Park N Ride is accessible by elevator and by stairs. Volunteers are available to assist those with mobility challenges.
Portable washrooms for the venue are located on the 3rd floor and our volunteers will give you further directions before you head up to the rooftop.
Attendees may bring their own chairs, blankets and non-alcoholic beverages but please be mindful of others by keeping the area you occupy to a minimum (ie. no lounge chairs, umbrellas or large coolers).
Note: The Geomatic Attic will be supplying a limited number of chairs and water will be available so please bring a re-usable bottle or mug. There will be non-alcoholic beverages and Two Guys Pizza for sale so please consider bringing cash.
Prime Catering will be running our beer garden and will also provide a selection of food items for sale.
The Geomatic Attic is grateful for the enthusiastic collaboration of The Italian Table, Prime Catering and Two Guys Pizza.
Wide Skies Music & Art Festival 