Saskatoon alternative rock band GreenWing are taking wing one more time to play Lethbridge before they take  the winter off to record the follow up to their 2022  debut album “ Late Bloomer.”

 The band, including frontman/ guitarist Matt Stinn, bassist Travis Williams and, guitarist  Anthony Allegretto and drummer Kolt Kimbley who replaced Zakk  Streilloff who moved to  Toronto in December, draw inspiration from a variety of bands including the Foo Fighters, Pixies and especially Pup. They were last in Lethbridge in March and are excited to return to the Owl Acoustic Lounge  on Friday, Oct. 6.

“We like to say we write punk music for people who have  to pay mortgages,” said  Stinn, recovering from a  early morning drive back to Saskatoon from Regina where they were playing a packed diner.

“ I find listening to a lot of bands I grew up. It sounds like lyrics were meant for 16 year olds. I want to write songs I wouldn’t be ashamed to sing in my 30s,” he said.

The band formed during the pandemic and has been going non-stop since things opened up.

 “Since everything opened up, we’ve been going non-stop. We wanted to say yes to everything,” he said, noting as long as the opportunities work for the band.

 They have since opened for a variety of acts  including  Daniel Romano, the Dirty Nil,  Reignwolf, Mom Jeans and even Three Day Grace in December.

“that was amazing. We got a call about an hour before the show because someone who knew someone who knew us  told them to call us a call and tell us to get our shit down here. One of the opening bands got sick. And we were the first  to respond,” he related.

Though they are more or less  taking some time to work on the new album, they have a couple  high profile  gigs including  One Bad Son, whose bassist Ryan Kuly, helped them make their  new video for their song “Dead Friends.”

Major cities like Calgary and Toronto have film festivals, so why not Lethbridge? Lethbridge has a thriving arts scene including a vibrant film community, so some of our talent and a lot of First Nations talent will be part of  the Lethbridge On Screen Film Festival, running at the Movie Mill and Galt Museum, Sept. 23 and 30, which happily coincides with Arts Days, Alberta Arts and Culture Day and Truth and Reconciliation Day.

“There is something for everyone. There’s short films, animation, silent films and more. And for Truth and Reconciliation days all of the films will be from Indigenous artists,“ enthused film co-ordinator Tess Mitchell, who has been putting the festival together for the past three months.

“I’m really excited about it. I’ve been involved in in  films since I was 16 when I was tearing tickets and making popcorn. This festival is going to be really beautiful and really special,” said the Lethbridgian, adding she has been part if the film industry in Canada and the United Kingdom for 20 years including a stint working for the  Edinburgh Film festival.

“The film industry in Lethbridge and Alberta is growing rapidly, and this film festival will bring some incredible movies to the screen in Lethbridge for the first time. All the work for the Lethbridge OnScreen Film Festival is by underrepresented communities to make more space for their vital and powerful contribution to the film industry,” she said.

 Most of the over 20 contributions are newer films including Darlene Naponse’s “ Stellar” and Anthony  Shim’s feature “Riceboy Sleeps” which were part of the TIFF film festival in Toronto earlier this month, though some of the Indigenous films are from the 1960s.

If you like the arts , then the next couple of weeks are for you to celebrate all kinds of arts  during the last part of September— the Month of the Artist.

 Arts Days 2023 opens with the AAC Arts Days Cabaret at casa, Friday, Sept. 22 from 7-9 p.m. with local musicians the Decadent Phase and Peace For Bombs.

Kelaine Devine, Eric Dyck and  Luka de Haan with be  creating art inspired by the performances.

It is also the  launch of Trap/Door Artist Run Collective’s new exhibit  “Carrying Baggage”  featuring works by Seema Karchoo, Heather Kehoe, Harley Morman, Kalina Nedelcheva, Arianna Richardson, Noble Seggie.

 And artists  Solange Roy and Kylie FineDay will be answering questions about their art in the casa square kiosks.

“Art is not a passive thing, we are all part of  the art scene. Arts Days is about engaging in the ares in a new way,” said Kelaine Devine, Allied Arts council communications coordinator.

One of the cornerstone events of ArtsDays is Word on the Street which happens on Saturday , Sept. 23 outside the Lethbridge Public Library featuring food trucks, workshops and live music and plenty of authirs and playwrights  exploring fiction, non fiction,  teen and youth literature and much more. 

 There is no art walk again this year, instead 19 artists will begin creating  murals on the windows of downtown businesses beginning today ( Sept. 21) as part of the Downtown Lens: Window Mural Gallery running Sept. 21-24.

“ That will allow you to ask the artists questions about their work and watch them  creating,” Devine said.