{"id":784882,"date":"2026-07-06T23:39:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T23:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/784882\/"},"modified":"2026-07-06T23:39:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T23:39:14","slug":"the-finest-folks-winnipeg-free-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/784882\/","title":{"rendered":"The finest folks \u2013 Winnipeg Free Press"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Shishi took the stage in Clearwater last fall for its first-ever Manitoba performance, the Lithuanian band wasn\u2019t expecting such an enthusiastic reception.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a really pleasant surprise. Like, \u2018Wow, what the hell is happening?\u2019\u201d drummer Kamile Griusyte (a.k.a. Benadetta) says of headlining the 2025 Harvest Moon Festival, a small rural music fest 7,000 kilometres from her Lithuanian home.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was hard to believe. How can you be so excited, we don\u2019t even know each other? But they were all dancing and it\u2019s so cool when people dance to your music, I loved it,\u201d bassist Dominyka Krisciunaite (a.k.a Victoria) adds over video call.<\/p>\n

The crowd response was so strong, in fact, that Shishi\u2019s local label, Birthday Cake Records, lined up a last-minute show at Blue Note Park following the festival. The event sold out in hours and resulted in a live EP.<\/p>\n

The three-piece surfy post-punk group returns this week for a Friday night set at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. They\u2019re looking forward to playing for a larger audience and reuniting with their newfound Canadian fanbase, whom they describe as \u201cextremely nice\u201d and \u201ccute,\u201d with a \u201cgreat sense of humour.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes me curious, what will happen this time. The bar is high,\u201d says guitarist Meda Kaunaite (a.k.a Teresa).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just play around. We\u2019re just being ourselves, man.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Shishi formed in 2018, its members adopted Italian personae as a joke \u2014 a deadpan nod to Italy\u2019s \u201csouthern energy\u201d and its contrast with the band\u2019s cooler (in temperature and temperament) Baltic roots. While the faux Italian accents faded, the stage names \u2014 Victoria, Benadetta and Teresa \u2014 stuck.<\/p>\n

For Shishi, making music is not so serious.<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s current roster has been playing together for two years. Krisciunaite and a friend started jamming casually in a shared studio in Vilnius, Lithuania\u2019s capital, and recruited a third member over bowls of soup. At the time, none of them knew how to play their instruments.<\/p>\n

In the eight years since, the band has recorded three albums and a handful of EPs, including the brand-new release, Queen Deyonna (annoyed spelled backwards).<\/p>\n

Onstage, the members dress up like mermaids born of the Baltic Sea \u2014 glitter, iridescence and sequins \u2014 and deliver a sound that melds the grooviness of surf rock with the scrappiness and ideology of punk. But genre is a fluid thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all sing. There\u2019s harmonies, there\u2019s influences from this and that. We just play around. We\u2019re just being ourselves, man,\u201d Kaunaite says.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Aneta
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Aneta Urbonaite photo<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

From left: the members of Shishi \u2014 Kamil\u0117 Griu\u0161yt\u0117, Dominyka Kri\u0161\u010di\u016bnait\u0117 and Meda Kaunait\u0117 \u2014 perform under the stage names Benadetta, Victoria and Teresa. The Lithuanian group performs Friday at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were never frames in which we put ourselves. I hope, still, that if we wanted to play a metal song, we could play a metal song,\u201d Krisciunaite adds.<\/p>\n

Birthday Cake Records CEO Stu Anderson stumbled upon Shishi while on vacation in Budapest. He was immediately impressed by the band\u2019s music and stage presence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe show was on a boat docked on the Danube River, Shishi came on and nearly blew the hull right out of it,\u201d Anderson says via email.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are gifted musicians, pull no punches with their lyrics, and are just a genuinely fun, cool band. The more we got to know them, the more we knew we wanted to help tell their story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Catch Shishi Friday at 8:15 p.m. at Big Blue at Night.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Eva Wasney<\/p>\n

Musical discovery is a central tenet of the Winnipeg Folk Festival, which takes place Thursday through Sunday at Birds Hill Provincial Park. Keep reading for a round-up, curated by Free Press staff, of acts playing the festival for the first time.<\/p>\n

Angine de Poitrine<\/p>\n

\u25cf Friday, 11:05 p.m., Big Blue at Night (concert) <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The Quebecois instrumental math-rock duo is having a major moment for their weird, technically complex but highly danceable soundscapes \u2014 and you can say you saw them when.<\/p>\n

In February, the group\u2019s 2025 Live on KEXP session recorded at the Trans Musicales festival in France went viral, racking up millions of views.<\/p>\n

By April, the two-piece hit No. 1 on Spotify\u2019s Viral 50 Global chart with the song Fabienk \u2014 six minutes of squiggly, skittering guitars backed by a propulsive beat from the sophomore album Vol. II \u2014 that has since been streamed more than 12 million times.<\/p>\n

And then, last week, the band drew a record crowd at the Montr\u00e9al International Jazz Festival with a free outdoor show that drew an estimated 70,000 people.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"SUPPLIED
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

SUPPLIED<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Quebecois math-rock duo Angine de Poitrine plays the festival Friday.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Like lineup mates Goat, there\u2019s an aura of mystery around Angine de Poitrine. The musicians obscure their identities with giant papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9 masks and polka-dot outfits \u2014 think a Marcel Dzama painting come to life \u2014 and perform under pseudonyms Khn de Poitrine (microtonal guitar\/bass) and Klek de Poitrine (drums).<\/p>\n

Secure your spot near the front of the stage early; this is, hands down, one of the hottest draws at the festival.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jen Zoratti<\/p>\n

Br\u00ecghde Chaimbeul<\/p>\n

\u25cf Friday, 11:15 a.m., Instrumental Overdrive (workshop)<\/p>\n

\u25cf Saturday, 11:30 a.m. Forbidden Frequencies (workshop)<\/p>\n

\u25cf Saturday, 4:15 p.m., Little Stage in the Forest (concert)<\/p>\n

\u25cf Sunday, 11 a.m., Pipes, Picks & Psychotropics (workshop)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Nobody at folk fest will have pipes like Br\u00ecghde Chaimbeul \u2014 and we\u2019re not talking about her voice.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"JONNY
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

JONNY ASHWORTH PHOTO<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Isle of Skye musician Bri\u0300ghde Chaimbeul
\nis playing four times during the weekend. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old artist from the Isle of Skye does sing in Gaelic on her ambient, thrumming 2025 record Sunwise, but most of the buzz for Chaimbeul (pronounced Hime-bowl) is because of her ability to mystify audiences through her command of the Scottish smallpipes.<\/p>\n

Unlike traditional bagpipes, the smallpipes are filled and emptied by an underarm bellows and controlled by fingerplaying on an upright chanter; a gentle, constant drone is the foundation for endlessly dynamic, hugely folkloric tunecraft drawn straight from the Scottish highlands.<\/p>\n

Over the past several years, Chaimbeul, whose study of piano and fiddle informs her harmonic tendencies, has opened ears to the transportative potential of windsong, drawing inspiration from global piping traditions sourced from her native land, from Scandinavia, and Canada\u2019s east coast.<\/p>\n

Though her most frequent collaborator is avant-garde sax composer Colin Stetson, with whom she\u2019ll tour this fall, Chaimbeul has also had some crossover success, contributing instrumentals to pop singer Caroline Polachek\u2019s 2023 album Desire, I Want to Turn Into You. <\/p>\n

Expect electrifying ambient soundscapes, jiggable melodies and an ASMR-like tingle in your Birkenstocked toes.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ben Waldman<\/p>\n

Goat<\/p>\n

\u25cf Saturday, 3 p.m., Big Bluestem Stage, Day Tripping (workshop)<\/p>\n

\u25cf Saturday, 11 p.m., Big Blue at Night (concert)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, Goat is a mysterious, masked septet that offers a kaleidoscopic mix of tribal rhythms, global fusion, warped disco, acoustic folk, krautrock, funk, Afropop, desert surf, hard rock, trance, hip hop and experimental psychedelia.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"SUPPLIED
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

SUPPLIED PHOTO<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Mysterious Swedish septet Goat.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a genre-hopping musical trip that pays no heed to boundaries or borders.<\/p>\n

According to the mythology (real or not) put forth by the anonymous group, the band originally hails from a small voodoo-worshipping town named Korpilombolo in northern Sweden and is one of many incarnations that has played together over the past 30 years.<\/p>\n

What can be verified is the band has released six full-length albums since its debut, World Music, in 2012, including its latest self-titled effort, which came out in 2024.<\/p>\n

The group tours sporadically and selectively, so the chance to witness Goat\u2019s musical madness live is a rare treat.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Rob Williams<\/p>\n

Empanadas Ilegales<\/p>\n

\u25cf Friday, 1:15 p.m., Big Bluestem Stage (concert)<\/p>\n

\u25cf Friday, 4:15 p.m., Big Bluestem Stage, Cumbia Beats and Illegal Treats (workshop)<\/p>\n

\u25cf Saturday, 4:15 p.m., Green Ash Stage, Cumbia Cosmica (workshop)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

This Vancouver-based ensemble\u2019s most recent album, Sancocho Trifasico, is named for a Colombian stew that blends meats, starchy vegetables and aromatics into a tasty dish.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Rodrigo
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Rodrigo Romero photo<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Vancouver-based Empanadas Ilegales.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The band takes that same approach to music, combining South American cumbia and salsa, and then adding a pinch of psychedelia and a shake of surf rock to make a unique flavour.<\/p>\n

Featuring members with roots in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Canada, the quintet \u2014 nominated for Instrumental Artist of the Year and Global Artist of the Year at the 2026 Western Canadian Music Awards \u2014 uses horns, synths, guitars, bass and a whole lotta percussion for an improvisational take on tradition that\u2019s sure to fill the fields at Birds Hill with writhing bodies.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a total trip you can dance to.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jill Wilson<\/p>\n

\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Sign<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Eva<\/p>\n

Eva Wasney
Reporter
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
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Eva Wasney is an award-winning journalist who approaches every story with curiosity and care.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Read full biography<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Ben<\/p>\n

Ben Waldman
Reporter
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
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Ben Waldman is a National Newspaper Award-nominated reporter on the Arts & Life desk at the Free Press. <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Read full biography<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Jen<\/p>\n

Jen Zoratti
Columnist
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
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Jen Zoratti is a Winnipeg Free Press\u00a0columnist and feature writer, working in the Arts & Life department.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Read full biography<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Jill<\/p>\n

Jill Wilson
Arts & Life editor
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
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Jill Wilson started working at the Free Press in 2003 as a copy editor for the entertainment section.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Read full biography<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Shishi took the stage in Clearwater last fall for its first-ever Manitoba performance, the Lithuanian band wasn\u2019t…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":784883,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194296],"tags":[49,48,22073],"class_list":["post-784882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-winnipeg","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-winnipeg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=784882"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784882\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/784883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=784882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=784882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=784882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}