Correction: In an earlier version of this article it was mistakenly suggested that the bands Coldplay and Death Cab for Cutie have never played a show in Halifax. In fact, Coldplay played the Juno Awards in 2006, and Death Cab for Cutie gave a show at Dalhousie in 2009. The article has been corrected online. The Gazette regrets this error.
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A question for all you Nova Scotia trivia nerds out there: when was the last time Coldplay came to Halifax?
If you guessed “way too long ago,” you win—although it’s possible one of their flights landed in our little Maritime hub to refuel during a stopover between London and Montreal. It’s an open question at this point whether Coldplay could even locate Nova Scotia on a map without using their iPhones. And why should they have to? After all, by now they are an entire industry unto themselves, raking in millions (or is it billions?) of dollars per year, enough to buy a million iPhones if they so desired. In that context, it’s not surprising that a small Canadian city way the heck to the east is not at the forefront of their minds. But should it be?
The fact is that Coldplay is not the only band that has chosen to forget our beautiful seaside town. Two years ago Josh Ritter bypassed it completely on his prolonged and surprisingly thorough Canadian tour, deciding instead to play the bustling metropolis of Nelson, B.C. and the musical mecca that is Peterborough, Ont. But the spotlight of shame cannot be placed on Josh alone. Within the past couple of years we’ve been shunned by everyone from Death Cab for Cutie (who did, however, play at Dalhousie in 2009) to The Beach Boys. Has Jay-Z been touring lately? I wouldn’t know—I live in Halifax.
Thankfully, for both old and new Haligonians, it’s not all bad news and cold shoulders. These past two years, music-lovers have been treated to wonderful performances by several established and up-and-coming acts from across this great country: Said the Whale, Arcade Fire, Hawksley Workman, Basia Bulat, Two Hours Traffic and Ron Sexsmith, among others. The list is long, which bodes well for Halifax’s potential to attract more and more talented performers as the years roll on. And any article about music in Halifax would be incomplete without a nod to the thriving music scene that already exists within the city. Leading the charge on this front is local music icon Joel Plaskett. His recording studio, New Scotland Records, is housed just across the harbour in Dartmouth.
Halifax also offers an abundance of music festivals, October’s Pop Explosion chief among them, as well as performance venues ranging from the Carleton on Argyle to the Company House in the North End. Aspiring musicians, and those interested in watching aspiring musicians, should feel at home here. The only catch is that many of these venues happen to be bars, and the legal drinking age in Nova Scotia happens to be 19, so get those fakes ready, kids!
The bottom line is that Halifax is a great place to be a fan of all kinds of music, from indie rock to hip-hop to Celtic ballads. Especially the Celtic ballads. And if Coldplay can’t see that, well then – what’s that? … Coldplay is coming to Moncton? Springsteen too? Seriously? But… that’s like playing Red Deer instead of Calgary (look it up). Wait, wait, not to fear. I thought something like this might happen. That’s why I have my ace in the hole: Paul McCartney.
In July 2009, for a few beautiful hours that will go down in history, Paul McCartney played a show in Halifax. That’s right, Moncton: we got a Beatle.
So there.
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