For our first show … we started a festival. Here’s Hatch.

I hadn’t played a show since … 2016? Kinda wild. Time just kinda crept on. I made songs, put them on the internet, but didn’t really have any desire to play live. Until now.

Some bands would start small and play a club with their friends. Or a house show. Or try to get an opening slot. I figured I’d start a festival.

Behold: Hatch

Hatch is a new pop-up block party. I like pop-up block parties – mini festivals that show up over a weekend and then disappear. I’d like to be able to do them in different cities. We shall see what can happen on that front.

Back in 2016 I started a block party called SpaceLand. The goal was always to turn it into an annual thing, but When I’m not making music, I produce concerts for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. I also used to produce Jazz Winnipeg’s festival, booked the West End Cultural Centre for a couple years … so that part of it isn’t new territory. But doing it in a place I don’t live is – which is why we ran the first Hatch in Brandon. I figured if I want to learn how to build these in a place I don’t live, may as well start in the next closest little city.

Hatch is a sort of arts carnival. I wanted to be able to have a broad range of experiences we could give our audience. There was a makeshift confessional booth, a candlelight stage, a stage on top of our bar, projections, and lots more.

I wasn’t sure how it would feel to play live again. I have had some great experiences… and some not so great experiences … and I was a little nervous. But I think it went great. And it was time to finally bring some of these songs into living, breathing moments with other humans.

To those who could join us – THANK YOU!

And to those who’d still like to see a show at some point: I’m trying to make more of these happen.