JUNOFest    

Fri. & Sat.

Various Venues

The Junos are in town and that means music in every corner of our city. There are 22 performances to choose from.  Small pubs and coffee shops, concert halls and arenas will all be packed with music fans. There are two ways to see a show, you can buy a JUNOfest pass for $30. This will give you access to all the venues as long as there’s space. This is a great way for you to concert hop and try out many venues for one price. If there’s a specific show you want to see and you don’t want to risk there not being room for you, buy a ticket. Ticket prices for JUNOfest range from $15 – $30.

Click here for the full schedule of events.

*There are 50 bands and 10 venues to choose from so I thought I’d make my picks to help you out.

Indie/Alt Rock

Bears in Hazenmore             

Friday

Broadway Theatre

These guys hail from Regina and they specialize in ambient alt rock that will have you grooving along. They were nominated for a Juno last year and are working on a new album. This show will also feature Saskatoon’s own Aaron Karpinka with his solo debut and The Garrys.

 

Star Power

Outlaws & Gunslingers       

Friday

Louis’

If you’re looking to hob nob with Canada’s music community, look no further than a showcase presented by Starfish Entertainment and Six Shooter Records. Jason Plumb will provide the house band as stars for each of these labels takes to the stage. Del Barber, Meghan Patrick, Jim Cuddy, Whitehorse and Tanika Charles will all take the stage for a few songs each.

 

Jazz

JUNOfest Jazz Showcase    

Friday

The Bassment

An evening full of the top talent on the Canadian jazz scene awaits you at this show. 2020 Juno nominees Ted Quinlan, Elizabeth Shepherd, Joel Miller and Mark Kelso are all on the program.

 

Classical

JUNOfest Classical Showcase        

Saturday

Convocation Hall

If you’re looking to fill your day with music, there’s a special showcase of Classical musicians on the bill Saturday afternoon. Performances will include 2020 nominee Marina Thibeault, Allyson McHardy, Véronique Mathieu and Lawrence Wiliford.

 

For the Kids       

Skinnamarink with Sharon & Randi feat. Josh Lovelace           

Saturday

The Broadway Theatre

Families here in Saskatoon are already fans of the music of Sharon & Bram. Their farewell tour here last year had to add shows to keep up with the demand. After Bram’s retirement, Sharon decided to take to the stage with her daughter Randi to introduce new generations to their hits and new music.

 

Intimate Affair

Justin Rutledge        

Saturday

The Underground Café

Alt-country singer has a way with words in fact reviewers have compared his lyrics to those of Leonard Cohen and Neil Young. He’s just released his album which is up for Contemporary Roots Album at this year’s Junos. Win or lose, this is sure to be an amazing show. Marissa Burwell will play the opening set.

 

Rock

The Blue Stones         

Saturday

The Capitol

This blues rock duo is nominated for a Juno for Breakthrough Group of the Year. They’ve been lighting up the music charts in Ontario. They’ll be joined on this ticket by The Pistolwhips and Ferraro.

 

MORE MUSICAL FUN…

 

The Blue Jay Sessions            

Thurs. – Sun.

Somewhere Else Pub & Grill

It’s a chance to celebrate 32 talented musicians and amazing food in an intimate setting. The Blue Jay Sessions started in Calgary at the Blue Jay Café and now it’s being brought to Saskatoon just for the Junos. The songwriters circle format has artists play a few of their tunes and talk about the inspiration behind the music. Artists include Elsa Gabremichael (Wild Black), Rylan Schultz, JJ Voss, Belle Plaine and Shawnee. There are two shows each night and tickets are $18.

For the full schedule and tickets, click here.

 

JUNO Fan Fare           

Saturday

Midtown

A chance to get up close to the musicians and grab an autograph or a brag-worthy selfie. Artists like Dallas Smith, Scott Helman, Lennon Stella and Lights will all be there to meet the fans and celebrate music. There’s no charge for this event but you do have to go online and get a ticket to the autograph sessions.

Here’s the link for tickets.

 

JUNO Songwriters’ Circle  

Saturday

TCU Place

The classic songwriters’ circle format where the stars talk about their hit songs and what inspired the music. Lights and Tom Power will host this conversation between artists. Aaron Goodvin, Nuela Charles and Tom Wilson are among the artists taking part. Tickets are $59 – $69.

Ticket details can be found here.

 

Juno Awards

Sunday

SaskTel Centre

Of course the entire weekend full of music is the hype before the big awards show on Sunday night. The big show hosted by Alessia Cara will be broadcast live on tv. It’s your chance to see Jann Arden inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame by the legendary Anne Murray. There will be performances by City and Colour, Lennon Stella, The Dead South and Daniel Caesar, just to name a few. Tickets are $53 – $153.

Click here to be a part of the “biggest night in Canadian music.”