Ryan Hemsworth's new song with Tegan and Sara + HUFF's final shows

Hey Halifax!

This week, Ryan Hemsworth has a new song with Tegan and Sara, and the Halifax Urban Folk Festival's last shows start tonight. Plus the final four days of Prismatic, Nowadays Festival next week, a weekend Macdonald Bridge closure and the best shows of the week.

Let's dig in!

Ryan Hemsworth made a guitar record, and Tegan and Sara are on it

After 15 years making electronic music with artists like Alex G, Tinashe and Mitski, Halifax-born producer Ryan Hemsworth went back to the guitar. Numbskull, his first solo album since 2018's Elsewhere, comes out October 21 on Topshelf Records. He told The FADER it "has gone back fully to guitar, distortion, sampled drum breaks, hybrid sounds," and Stereogum has already put one track, "A Display of Emotion," in its five best songs of the week.

The new single, "Never Learned," features Tegan and Sara, who Ryan has been a fan of since he saw them on MuchMusic in seventh grade. Topshelf calls it "an unexpected jolt of huge guitar and blast beats," and Sara Quin, quoted in Dork, called it "an excuse to scream, to use my voice in a way I rarely do."

Watch the video on YouTube

Listen on Spotify

HUFF's final shows start tonight

The Halifax Urban Folk Festival wraps up this weekend. Do yourself a favour and take in some of these shows. You'll discover something amazing at any one of them, and you can preview each lineup in our HUFF guide on Halifamous.ca.

These four shows still have tickets:

Thu, Oct 1 · The Basement: Jon Hines Band, Jah'Mila, Joce Reyome and JP LeBlanc, tonight at 8:30
Fri, Oct 2 · Seahorse: Coyote, Marian, Sisters and Sorrey
Sat, Oct 3 · Seahorse: Elyse Aeryn, Connor Fox, Casual Cries for Help and Bethany
Sat, Oct 3 · Marquee: The Million Experience

The Carleton shows are sold out.

Meet the man behind HUFF. Mike Campbell founded the festival and The Carleton, and spent 18 years as a host on MuchMusic. He sat down with Steve Lund at his backyard Tiki bar, where The Tragically Hip were the first band ever to walk in, and told him about the Blue Rodeo show that had him breaking down at his own bar. Watch the Tragically Hip story and watch the Blue Rodeo story.

Preview every show in our HUFF guide

Prismatic Arts Festival's final four days

Prismatic, Halifax's festival of new work by Indigenous artists and artists of colour, wraps up Sunday, October 4. Here's what's still on:

A Night with Prismatic, tonight. francesca ekwuyasi and Valmy at the Dalhousie Art Gallery, 6:30 p.m. Tickets.

Paratopias, Friday and Saturday. Bageshree Vaze at the Dunn Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Details.

Wolf Castle and Alan Syliboy & The Thundermakers, Saturday. They play the Kjipuktuk Wije'winen Gala at the Halifax Convention Centre, a fundraiser for the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre. Gala details.

Dee Hernandez, free, Sunday. A sensory-accessible concert at the Central Library at 2 p.m., the week after her debut album DESHECHA came out. Register.

Women of the Fur Trade is on now at Neptune, and Walter Borden's Metamorphoses has its last show Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Bus Stop Theatre. Metamorphoses tickets.

See the full Prismatic schedule

Nowadays Festival is next week in Downtown Dartmouth

Nowadays is back for its fourth year, October 8 to 10, with shows across Downtown Dartmouth. Cass McCombs plays the Sanctuary on Thursday, October 8, and Fucked Up headline the Mic Mac Amateur Aquatic Club on Saturday, October 10. Ada Lea, Cootie Catcher, Bells Larsen, Lydia Lunch and Gus Englehorn are on the bill too, at the Sanctuary and the Buffalo Club. All Access passes are sold out.

See the full Nowadays lineup

Quick Hits

Skratch Bastid plays the DMC World DJ Championship finals in London on November 14. The Halifax-raised turntablist is on the DMC41 lineup at KOKO. See the lineup.

Choir! Choir! Choir! brings its Fleetwood Mac sing-along to Halifax.Landslide is at the Light House Arts Centre on Saturday, February 27, with a matinee and a 7 p.m. evening show, and tickets go on sale today at noon. Evening show tickets.

Gus the gopher tortoise, 104, has surgery on October 13. He'll be off public view for 8 to 10 weeks after, and the Museum of Natural History is welcoming cards, letters and drawings. CBC has the story.

The Macdonald Bridge is closed to everyone, walkers and cyclists included, from Friday at 8 p.m. to Monday at 5:30 a.m. Pedestrians and cyclists can pick up free transit tickets at 125 Wyse Road. Closure details.

This week's best shows and events

Thursday, October 1

Treaty Day at Peace and Friendship Park:

The start of Mi'kmaw History Month. 1:30 p.m.

Josh Thomas at the Light House:

The Jiggle, Jiggle comedy tour. 7 p.m.

Sam Salmon & The Grand Manan Bandits at Bearly's:

From Fredericton. 8 p.m.

HUFF at The Basement:

Jon Hines Band, Jah'Mila, Joce Reyome and JP LeBlanc. 8:30 p.m.

Friday, October 2

Halifax Fall Home Show:

At the Halifax Exhibition Centre through Sunday. Opens Friday at noon.

Laura Ramoso at the Bruce Guthro Theatre:

The Calm Down Tour, Friday and Saturday. 7 p.m.

Aquakultre at the Lunenburg Opera House:

1783 Live, the Polaris-shortlisted album performed in full. 7:30 p.m.

Swift Kick at the Marquee:

8 p.m.

The Duncan Boys at Besharam:

Live music on Spring Garden Road. 8:30 p.m.

HUFF at the Seahorse:

Coyote, Marian, Sisters and Sorrey. 9 p.m.

Petunia & The Vipers at Bearly's:

9 p.m.

Shanneyganock and Dave Gunning at the Shore Club:

Friday night in Hubbards.

Saturday, October 3

Nova Scotia Forest Festival:

Draft horses, axe throwing and the Golden Axe tournament at Memory Lane Heritage Village in Lake Charlotte. 11 a.m.

Family Fall Fair at the Discovery Centre:

Saturday and Sunday. 9 a.m.

Halifax Tides vs Calgary Wild FC:

At the Wanderers Grounds. 3 p.m.

Roller Disco on the Commons:

Free, with free skate rentals, at the Emera Oval. 6 p.m.

Movie night on Georges Island:

The Lighthouse. 6:15 p.m.

Louis Lortie and Illia Ovcharenko:

Beethoven's Ninth on two pianos at St. Andrew's. 7:30 p.m.

HUFF at the Marquee:

The Million Experience, with Arenye, BASYL, Bode Peters, F$RGO, KAYO and Yung St4k. 9 p.m.

HUFF at the Seahorse:

Elyse Aeryn, Connor Fox, Casual Cries for Help and Bethany. 9 p.m.

Backhouse Brass at Bearly's:

Saturday night at Bearly's.

Sunday, October 4

Sweet Bean at Bearly's:

3 p.m.

Sunday Night Blues Jam at Bearly's:

Andrew Gillis and special guests. 8 p.m.

Tuesday, October 6

Garrett Mason's Peace and Love Festival at Bearly's:

8:30 p.m.

Coming up

The Canadian Tuxedo Party at the Marquee:

Saturday, October 24. Christina Martin hosts a Halifax All-Star Band and guests including BASYL, Dave Sampson and Rebekah Higgs, singing Canadian classics. It's an all-ages daytime show, so bring your kids to see some of the city's best live music. Best dressed in denim wins beer for a year. 4 p.m.

Blueberry Jam Harvest Series:

Thanksgiving weekend, October 9 to 11, at Big Belle Farm in Mabou.

Nocturne:

Art at night across Halifax, October 15 to 18.

Market Pulse

Curio Collective Fall Vintage Show

Friday, October 2 to Sunday, October 4

Halifax's big vintage show takes over the Light House Arts Centre. Friday night's First Dibs is ticketed, and Saturday and Sunday are free.

Familiar Treasures Pop Up Market

Saturday, October 3 · 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

More than 20 vintage, thrift and collectibles vendors at the Lebrun Recreation Centre in Bedford. Free.

Nova Scotia Pottery Market, Mahone Bay

Sunday, October 4 · 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

The first Nova Scotia Pottery Market brings more than 25 ceramic artists to the Mahone Bay Centre, free, during the Scarecrow Festival.

Know an East Coast artist, event or story we should have on our radar? Hit reply.

Thanks for reading,

Greg