The Boom at Noon

Earlier this month, Toronto-based punk band PUP had two shows at the Light House Arts Centre. This was their first time back to Halifax since 2019, following the release of their third album Morbid Stuff. Local favourites June Body opened both shows.

Stepping in last minute to replace Sum 41 alongside The Beaches at The Jubilee was Death From Above 1979, who also delivered an incredible performance on Saturday night. The show marks the second time the band has played in NS earlier this year on their ‘You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine,’ 20th anniversary tour. The duo played the album in full and brought out Jordan from The Beaches, to perform ‘Black History Month,’ and expressed how happy they were to play again with The Beaches, reflecting on when the band opened for them in 2017, noting that they knew one day they’d be opening for The Beaches and the day was finally here. The band also played ‘Trainwreck 1979’ from their 2014 album ‘The Physical World,’ and finished their set with their 2021 single ‘One + One’ from their last album, ‘Is 4 Lovers.’

When Sum 41 announced they were unable to play their headlining slot at The Jubilee - less than four days before the show, the festival stepped up and booked one of the hottest acts in the country as one of their replacement headliners.

The band came hot off the heels from playing a string of shows opening for Greta Van Fleet, playing a show the day before with the band in Connecticut.

Earlier in the week, The Beaches announced their drummer Eliza would be sitting the next few shows out due to a wrist injury. Stepping up while she’s recovering is Valley’s Karah James, who learned the songs in a week - and crushed it! As always Jordan, Kylie and Leandra brought the energy and made it an unforgettable night on the New Glasgow waterfront.

On Thursday, Tokyo Police Club kicked off their final two Halifax shows as part of their farewell tour, marking the end of a chapter in the city. The sold-out crowd immersed themselves in a nostalgic sing-along of the band’s extensive catalog, with Tokyo Police Club reminiscing about their early tours through Atlantic Canada. Opening for them was In Flight Safety, emerging from hibernation after years away and reviving a familiar energy on stage. We’ll miss you TPC. Thanks for the memories and the songs 🫶🏻

On August 1, multi-talented Halifax-based creative Nathaniel Cole Music released his new EP, “Alpine Goodbye”. This project marks a departure from his previous work, diving deep into personal experiences following the end of a seven-year relationship.

Leading up to the release, The Boom at Noon sat down with Nathaniel to discuss the EP. “I met the girl in Banff, hence the album title ‘Alpine Goodbye,’ he says. “We also ended our relationship in Banff, and we took one final trip there.”

Initially unsure if he’d release the music he wrote following the breakup, he kept the songs close to his chest. “It doesn’t seem like me in the sense that I didn’t want to speak negatively about this person, even though I had strong feelings that were somewhat negative,” he says. “I was experiencing a barrage of information that was being expressed about me at that time. And so this is sort of my way to kind of like rewrite that narrative in a way for myself, not have the last word, but like, have my say in the whole thing,” he adds.

Despite the darker themes, Nathaniel says the EP doesn’t feel sombre. “They have some energy to them,” he says. I feel like that will, hopefully, give people a bit of a jolt. Even if they may be going through that hard time, it’s like it’ll be sort of an uplifting feeling, or at least pulling them a little bit away from that feeling. It’s like a cathartic middle finger.”

Studio 2o4, his creative hub, has become a cornerstone for many artists in Halifax, and his commitment to supporting and building the local scene is evident in his work. “My artistic style is very much collaborative. I want to work with people and build the scene up, or at least support the scene because we’re passionate about the scene, and that’s the way I feel, too,” he notes. “There are so many cool folks in our scene, in our city, that it’s hard not to be inspired.”

With the album now released, he feels it offers a sense of resolution. “I appreciate and cherish what happened, but I don’t appreciate the bad taste it left. This is my way of kind of washing that.”

Q&A with Nathaniel Cole — The Boom at Noon On August 1, multi-talented Halifax-based creative Nathaniel Cole released his new EP, "Alpine Goodbye". This project marks a departure from his previous work, diving deep into personal experiences following the end of a seven-year relationship. Leading up to the release, The Boom at

Steve Earle played to a sold-out Light House Arts Centre on Monday night. For those lucky enough to snag tickets, the show sold out within five minutes when they initially went on sale. It was a night of great tunes, memorable witty lines, and fantastic storytelling.

Early into his set Steve responded to a heckler: “I remember my first beer. I bet you’ll be the first person to shout ‘Copperhead Road,’ and you won’t even be awake when I play it.” The crowd, other than a few bad apples, was passionate and respectful, singing along to classics like “I Ain’t Ever Satisfied.”

A few highlights of the set included a 10 minute story about the life of Jerry Jeff Walker, leading into an emotional rendition of “Mr. Bojangles,” which had the crowd singing along once again. Steve also spoke about his late son Justin Townes Earle, openly discussing their shared struggle with addiction. This led into another emotional rendition, this time of Justin’s “Harlem River Blues.”

Steve closed the set with “Copperhead Road,”…no word on whether the drunk heckler made it that far. He then briefly left the stage, returning a few minutes later before exclaiming, “Thank you, I’m a famously cheap encore.” He talked about his success in Canada and how the country punches above its weight for great songwriters per capita. We couldn’t agree more! This led into an incredible cover of “Summer Wages” by Ian Tyson. The night was capped off with another crowd favourite “Hardcore Troubadour.”

Leeroy Stagger opened the show with a fantastic set that perfectly set the tone for the evening. We hope both songwriters will be back soon!

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The sixth and final night of featured Moneka Arabic Jazz and Rankin Macinnis’s Jazz Fest Jamboree on the TD Main Stage. It was an awesome way to close out another incredible year of the TD Halifax Jazz Festival!

Day 5 of the 2024 TD Halifax Jazz Festival on the TD Main Stage featuring Charlotte Day Wilson and Nick Hakim, who both delivered unforgettable performances on the Halifax Waterfront.

More from day 4 of the Halifax Jazz Festival. Matt Andersen & The Big Bottle of Joy closed the night at the TD Main Stage.

Day 4 of the Halifax Jazz Festival at the TD Main Stage featuring husband and wife duo, The War and Treaty, who wowed the crowd on the Halifax waterfront.

On Thursday night the legendary Emmylou Harris took the stage at the Halifax Jazz Festival. Opening the show was the incredible Alan Syliboy & The Thundermakers.

Night 2 of TD Halifax Jazz Festival featuring Ruby Waters and Fitz & the Tantrums.

Last night kicked off the 2024 TD Halifax Jazz Festival featuring LXVNDR & Tachichi, Universal Soul and Killer Mike who dedicated the show to Pat Stay.

We’re already looking forward to night 2 on the waterfront featuring Fitz and the Tantrums and Ruby Waters.

On June 21, Jah'Mila released her sophomore album, Woman of the Sun, which blends influences of her Jamaican roots with her Nova Scotian journey. This album is a follow-up to her JUNO-nominated debut, Roots Girl.

Jah'Mila shines on sophomore album Woman of the Sun — The Boom at Noon WRITTEN BY: KATIE GORDON // THE BOOM AT NOON

Cavendish Beach Music Festival is just over two weeks away! This year, the Rainbow Registered festival is set to make history, as it hosts Canada’s first drag performance at a country music festival.

Cavendish Beach Music Festival Becomes Rainbow Registered — The Boom at Noon The Cavendish Beach Music Festival (CBMF) is set to make history this year. On Saturday, July 5, CBMF will host the nation's first drag performance at a country music festival, showcasing its commitment to inclusivity, diversity and inclusion. The highly anticipated Queens of Country drag show pr

Last night, some of The Town Heroes biggest fans came together at the picturesque Shining Waters Marina to celebrate the band’s album release show for their seventh record, “Singin’”. The talented team at The Curiosity Club meticulously organized the event, which was filled with surprises, including a venue reveal to the band, a flash mob dance to their song “In Your Head,” a stilt walker, and more.

Congratulations to The Town Heroes for another stellar record and The Curiosity Club for the amazing experience!

Tomorrow on June 21, The Town Heroes are releasing their seventh studio album, Singin’. We sat down with Mike Ryan to discuss the theme of nostalgia, their secret album release show on Saturday and the unwavering support of their loyal fans.

Q&A with The Town Heroes — The Boom at Noon On June 21, 2024 The Town Heroes will release their seventh studio album, Singin’ . We had the pleasure of sitting down with Mike Ryan to discuss the inspiration behind the album, their secret album release show , and the unwavering support of their loyal fans. Is there any significance to the

On May 24, Mat Elliott released his debut EP, 'South Endings. It blends indie soul and alternative vibes with deeply personal themes of heartache and moving on. We caught up with Mat to chat about the journey behind the release.

Q&A with Mat Elliott — The Boom at Noon Mat Elliott's debut EP, " South Endings ," released on May 24, 2024, blends indie soul and alternative vibes with deeply personal themes of heartache and moving on. Influenced by Tom Misch and Still Woozy, the EP features mixing by Future Dad (John Mullane) and mastering by Kristian M***a

This Friday, June Body will release their third studio album, 'Last Everythings. Last weekend we caught up with Connor and Alex to chat about the album. This album also mark the band's first release on vinyl. There's still time to pre-order at obsoleterecordsrecords1.bandcamp.com or you can pick one up in store at Obsolete Records on Friday.

Q&A with June Body — The Boom at Noon On June 7, Halifax-based alt-rock band June Body will release their third studio album, ‘Last Everythings,’ which marks their first release sold on vinyl. Leading up to its release, we caught up with Connor James (guitar and lead vocals) and Alex Callaghan (bass and backing vocals) to chat about...

From Cali to Hali! Last night, legendary rapper Snoop Dogg kicked off his cross Canada tour - Cali to Canada in Halifax at the Scotiabank Centre. Opening the show was Merkules, DJ Quick and Warren G.

Last weekend, Death From Above 1979 brought their “You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine” 20th Anniversary Tour to a sold out Light House Arts Centre, making their return to Halifax for the first time in 12 years.

See the full gallery at boomatnoon.ca/photos

On May 17, four-piece indie rock band Safeword-Dartmouth released their third full-length album ‘Can’t Hate You Forever.’ We caught up with the band to discuss the album. Read the Q&A here: boomatnoon.ca/features/safeword

Photo: Corey Isenor

Last Friday marked the highly-anticipated release of Alana Yorke's album, 'Destroyer,' which features a 21-string orchestra and was crafted over eight years in collaboration with her husband and co-producer, Ian Bent. On June 1, she’ll host an album release show at St. Paul’s Anglican Church with special guests Moira & Claire and Les Voix d'Acadie. Limited tickets are still available. In a recent interview with Alana, she shared insights into the album's creation and the challenges overcome on the journey to its release.

Photo: Cherakee Andresen

Alana Yorke's “Destroyer”: A Symphony of Resilience — The Boom at Noon WRITTEN BY: KATIE GORDON // THE BOOM AT NOON

This past Sunday, legendary rock band STYX played the Halifax Scotiabank Centre. Opening the show was the talented David Myles. View the full photo gallery at boomatnoon.ca/photos

On Saturday night, dreamy folk duo Kacy & Clayton enchanted the crowd at The Sanctuary Arts Centre. Opening the show was the talented Carlene.

The show was presented by Big Turnip Records

Over the weekend, Wintersleep had three sold out shows at The Marquee. Friday’s performance had Julie Doiron opening the show. During the encore, the band brought back their former bass guitarist, Jud Haynes for a few songs.

Wednesday night in Halifax was the final Canadian stop on Queens of the Stone Age’s “The End is Nero Tour.” The band kicked off the tour in Calgary on April 1 and was joined by electrifying opener - The Struts.

Despite being a band for 27 years, this show was only the band’s second time playing Halifax - the first happened nearly 16 years ago at the Cunard Centre following the release of their fifth studio album, “Era Vulgaris.” Because of this, for many fans in the crowd, it was their first QOTSA show and the energy and excitement at the Scotiabank Centre was palpable.

The setlist was a perfect blend of classics like "No One Knows" and “Song for the Dead” as well as newer tracks like "Paper Machete" and "Emotion Sickness," keeping the crowd on their toes throughout the evening.

Josh's memorable interactions with the audience added an extra spark to the performance, although some inappropriate remarks dimmed the otherwise stellar show.

Read the full review at https://www.boomatnoon.ca/features/review-qotsa

On Saturday night, Hawksley Workman returned to Halifax after a 5 year absence. A prolific entertainer and storyteller, in between songs the crowd was treated to their stories, ranging from subjects like being briefly famous in France to a fictional youth pop punk career.

Opening the show was the talented Sarah Swire who wowed the room with a unique performance complete with songs, monologues, poems and tons of humour. Joining Sarah on stage for most of the set was Eric Stephen Martin who played guitar and keys.

This past weekend, The Trews celebrated the 20th anniversary of their debut album House of Ill Fame at The Marquee Ballroom in Halifax with two sold out shows. Opening the show on Friday, was local rockers Skunk Motel.