For the past eleven years, the OBEY Convention Music & Arts Society has been presenting contemporary, underground music and art in beautiful Halifax, Nova Scotia. Beginning as a weekend of DIY shows organized by a few close friends, it has since blossomed into Atlantic Canada’s foremost presenter of the avant-garde and sonorous. Incorporating artists across genres and disciplines, OBEY’s tightly curated spring festival is like no other in the country. Audiences see the best in electronica, avant-jazz, punk, hip-hop, modern composition, noise, ambient, visual art, spoken word and beyond. In 2016, the society branched out by launching its first off-season programme coupling year-round performances with free-to-attend artist talks and workshops.
Past performers include Moor Mother, Laraaji, Eartheater, DJ Haram, Sarah Hennies, Pharmakon, Lea Bertucci, Elysia Crampton, Xylouris White, Senyawa, Tomoko Sauvage, RP Boo, ONO, Mykki Blanco, Zs, Guttersnipe, Nadah El Shazly, Joe McPhee, James Hoff, Joshua Abrams, Justice Yeldham, 75 Dollar Bill, Dreamcrusher, Peter Brotzmann, Tim Hecker, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Container, Lubomyr Melnyk, Liu Fang, Uniform, Tashi Dorji, Petra Glynt, Buck Gooter, Ciel, Joseph Shabason, Tristan Perich, Low, Kara-Lis Coverdale, Homeshake, Sarah Davachi, Vicky Chow, Debby Friday, Last Lizard, Marie Davidson, Cucina Povera, Just John x Dom Dias, Pantayo, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Laura Ortman, Bing & Ruth, Pelada, Anaïs Maviel, Moss Lime, Korea Town Acid, Julianna Barwick, Le1f, Kaie Kellough, Un Blonde, New Fries, Aine O’Dwyer, Vile Creature, Brave Radar, New Chance, The Brodie West Quintet, BUDI, Tropic of Cancer, Chris Corsano, Xuan Ye, Sydanie, Pissed Jeans, Grouper, Echo Beach, Mac DeMarco, Pete Swanson, PC Worship, Kyle Bobby Dunn, Tonstartssbandht, id m theft able, Eric Copeland, Bill Orcutt, Gary War, JOYFULTALK, Bloodshot Bill, Heather Rappard, New Hermitage, The Soupcans, Pierre Bastien, Amen Dunes, Paul Metzger, Plasmalab, Jerry Granelli, Aidan Baker, Nadja, Bridget Moser, Noveller, Melody McKiver, Mich Cota, Shearing Pinx, Zamani, Markus Floats, Nicole Rampersaud, Sacred Wolf Singers, You’ll Never Get to Heaven, Lisa Lipton, Bastard Noise, Strange Froots, Career Suicide, Tyvek, Us Girls, Tanya Evanson, Slim Twig, Cousins, Dregqueen, Gown, Dirty Beaches, Geil, Rabies, Aquakultre, Yo Rodeo, Sanaz Nakhjavani, Robert Drisdelle, Cosmetics, Slaylor Moon, East of The Valley Blues, Lungbutter, Soeur Acephale, Cavell Holland, Frail Hands, Wayne World, xxvvii, Tamsaianka, Sound Of The Mountain, Century Egg, EDDY, Old & Weird, Amanda Dawn Christie, Nick Schofield, Tandra, Maskara, Taral Naik, Craig Leonard, Twilight Express, Torso, Metz, Layia, Hadi Milanloo, LizBrain x Doug, Dog Day, WANDARIAN, Jacqueline Lachance, Kira Daube, d’Eon and many more.
