Video 1: Here is a five minute montage of mainstage performances at the Accordion Noir Festival in 2016. The festival hosted brilliant accordion artists from BC and all over the globe, brought together audience and community from old to young, and supported the creation of new works and collaborative explorations.
Canada’s Only Alternative Accordion Festival Takes Place in Vancouver September 7th-10th, 2017.
Excerpts from the Accordion Noir Press Release: The Accordion Noir Festival has announced its headlining acts for this year’s festival, taking place September 7-10, 2017 at various venues in Vancouver. Celebrating its tenth anniversary as Canada’s only festival of alternative accordion music,this year’s special anniversary edition of Accordion Noir presents a pantheon of international and local accordion talent, including the North American debuts of Finnish accordion shaman Antti Paalanen and all-female Russian ethno-rock quartet Iva Nova, the Canadian debut of Accordion DJ Lykaire from Louisiana, as well as the launch party for Geoff Berner’s latest album, Canadiana Grotesquica.
The 2017 festival main-stage dates, Sept 7-10, 2017 have been expanded outward with the official addition of a host of side-stage events including workshops, free outdoor public performances, salon events and socials running from Sept 3-14, 2017.
The Festival line up includes:
Thursday, September 7: The festival opens with the first Vancouver iteration of Drink-o-Bingoby notorious accordionist and raconteur Grayson Walker of Hearse (Victoria, BC).
Friday, September 8: The accordion takes on mythic proportions with a hypnotic solo performance by headliner Antti Paalanen (Finland) at St. James Anglican Church. Paalanen has become one of Europe’s most sought after accordion performers, transporting audiences to primal Finnish landscapes through his signature combination of virtuosic technique and inspired electronics.
A new commission by composer Giorgio Magnanensi rounds out the night, featuring electronics by Magnanensi and bandoneon by Douglas Schmidt, a standout performer/composer who has appeared with symphony orchestras across the world. The after-party features an electronica/accordion set from boundary-breaking Accordion DJ Lykaire (Lafayette, Louisiana).
Saturday, September 9: Iva Nova (Russia) is a multilingual band who describes their mixture of Slavic, electronic and rock influences as “ethno-extreme”. Hailing from St. Petersburg, this all-female group of consummate musicians has honed their unusual sound through fourteen years of European touring, building a loyal following with their politically relevant yet mischievous songs. Caught between rural restlessness and urban insanity, Iva Nova’s music offers Canadian audiences a taste of Russia’s bubbling alternative scene. Saturday at the festival also sees the return of hometown accordion legend Geoff Berner with Canadiana Grotesquica, the “whiskey rabbi’s” latest release with Coax Records. Performances at the Russian Hall.
Sunday, September 10: The festival wraps with a revival of the fan favorite Underdog Instrument Grudge Match. Initially conceived as a comedic battle between the musically maligned, this year’s edition shakes things up by embedding the accordion into trendy “hipster” genres including Team Trad, Team Musical Theatre and Team Silicon Valley North. Featuring a stellar cast of Vancouver musicians who trash-talk as well as they play, the Grudge Match aims to be a stirring argument for accordion supremacy and a very good time.
The Accordion Noir Society acknowledges the financial and in kind support of the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia, the City of Vancouver, BC Arts Council, Coop Radio, Russian Federation of Canadians, Spartacus Books, Tempo Trend Music Store, and the outstanding contributions of many individuals who help make the festival happen each year.
DETAILS:
WHERE: Russian Hall (Strathcona), St James Anglican Church
WHEN: September 7-10, 2017
