WINTERRUPTION – The Noble Thiefs / Joe Curtis / Prairie Joggers

The Noble Thiefs

Drawing from early punk and all eras of soul music, The Noble Thiefs have cut their teeth on international festival stages for over a decade. The veteran group has created a sound that’s all their own and ever evolving.

The group’s latest hip-hop-influenced release, Superglue, will take you back to the era of music videos on the TV. Its patchwork samples and boom-bap beat shed a beacon of light on a cold, dark world. A true DIY effort, the self-produced song and video reflect a band owning the whole creative process and doing it their damn selves.

The Noble Thiefs have toured extensively over the years, playing everywhere from New Orleans and NYC to London, England. Festivals like Milwaukee Summerfest, Liverpool SoundCity and FOCUS Wales have helped them build an audience abroad. Local festivals and club gigs have made them hometown heroes in their beloved Winnipeg, Manitoba.

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Joe Curtis

Joe’s music has been warmly described as an intimate and compelling blend of roots, rock, folk, pop, and blues. He creates a space filled with musical moments that borrow from the past, but live in the present. Songs carried by powerful melodies and his soulful voice. Whether playing a house concert or packed club, his shows take listeners from reflective moments to soulful searing blues and R&B, all delivered with the passion to raise people out of their seats.

In addition to working regularly playing his music around his hometown of Winnipeg, Joe is also frequently sought out for live and studio session work.

An important part of Joe’s life is his work investing time in his musical community. One example, is his 10 year plus relationship teaching and mentoring youth in programs at Broadway Neighbourhood Centre in Winnipeg. He is also a founding member of Winnipeg’s Prairie Soul Collective of Afro/Canadian musicians.

Always working, you can catch Joe either solo or with his band playing regularly around Winnipeg. In addition to his ongoing work supporting many musical projects around Winnipeg, Joe is also working on his debut release.

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Prairie Joggers

As founding members of local blues-rock group Odder than the Otters, Goertzen (vocals, guitar) and Hill (drums) have played on stages across Manitoba, including Festival Du Voyageur and Rockin’ the Fields of Minnedosa. Their debut single, “Hola Luna”, was listed on the top 50 songs chosen by judges/panelists for 2018’s CBC Searchlight Competition.

Goertzen and Hill return to their roots with The Prairie Joggers, the next step in a song writing partnership that has developed through garage bands, coastal beach towns, countless bars and riverside rendezvous. Released November 2019, the duo’s first single, “Moments Happen”, is a raw and energetic first step back into the music scene, a preface for the release of their debut EP.

Recorded by Micah Erenberg at Mustard House Studios, The Prairie Joggers debut EP combines down and out barroom blues with beachy daydreams. Blending easy listening melodies with warm drum tones, raw acoustics and tremolo leads (performed by Erenberg himself), the release acts as an overview for the duos range in mood and style. The self titled EP is now available on all streaming services.

Since their spring release in 2020, the duo has kept busy experimenting with grittier tones, writing new songs and refining their inhouse recording and production. They eagerly await the day they can start booking shows, tours & anything else that gets them out of the house & back on the road.

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Covid-19 Protocols

The West End Cultural Centre believes a healthy community is at the heart of everything we do. In accordance with the Manitoba Government and Manitoba Health protocols –

1. All performers, crew, staff, volunteers, and patrons must show proof of vaccination and photo ID before they can enter the venue.
2. Face masks are required on all WECC premises. Please wear your mask when not seated at a table and/or when not drinking or eating.

These practices are meant to keep all of us safe to enjoy all the art and music that Winnipeg has to offer.