Icelandic Festival

Join us for the Islendingadagurinn Alternative Folk Festival - 6:00 PM to Midnight. We try our best to have bands start in order, on the hour.

6:00 PM - Dane Bjornson

18 year old singer and songwriter Dane Bjornson has been performing in and around Winnipeg since he was nine.  He has strong roots in Gimli and has been thrilled to play on various stages for Islendingadagurinn over the past several years.  At age 11, he opened up a sold out show at the Burton Cummings Theatre for Down With Webster.  At 12 he released a six song EP.  At age 14, Dane appeared in a six episode YTV series, The Next Star - Supergroup, where his group,” Electric Ave,” sang and danced their way to a live finale. 

Aside from singing, playing guitar, piano, percussion and ukulele, Dane’s other musical love is musical theatre.  He recently appeared as “Fredric” in MTYP’s spring 2018 production of Pirates of Penzance and as “Robbie Hart” in Glenlawn Collegiate’s production of The Wedding Singer. This summer, Dane can be found at Rainbow Stage, teaching music at their children’s summer program – Camp Rainbow Stage.

Moving on from his boy band aspirations, Dane is a prolific songwriter and is headed to MacEwan University in Edmonton this fall to study music.  He hopes you take a moment to check out his youtube channel.

7:00 PM - Sol James

Winnipeg-based and proud vestur islendingar Sol James is a force to be reckoned with, with a voice to match. A unique take on roots/blues with a soulful flair, her music is joyful and honest, leaving audiences smiling, dancing, and celebrating the great stuff of life. Sol’s stage presence calls out to even the meekest of souls, breaking down walls and bringing the light in. She does this with a dependable dose of hilarity; You can hear a Sol James audience laughing a mile away.

8:00 PM - oldseed

Oldseed is all about the art of the build. If you let him, he will suck you right into his world; delicate, explosive, often times quite raw but definitely on point. Finely honed without ever sounding slick. Above all else, his music is honest.

Over the past decade or so, oldseed has become an anti-hero for the truly indie-minded folk in the music world. from the very beginning, oldseed (craig bjerring) set out to incorporate the philosophy of the 80's d.i.y. movement (sst, discord) and go back even further musically to the bardic tradition. He has developed a strong body of work and a huge network of fans and friends worldwide.

Oldseed has played well over 1200 shows. He's played everywhere from kitchens to concert halls.  30 countries and counting. He has made 8 albums in total (plus a live cd and a split 7") Hhe has shared the stage with howe gelb, shearwater, smog, lambchop, holly golightly, scott kelly (neurosis), john baizley (baroness), mike watt and andy kerr (nomeansno) to name a few.

9:00 PM - Madeleine Roger Band

Madeleine Roger is a contemporary folksingerfrom Winnipeg, Canada. While accompanying herself on acoustic guitar in multiple tunings, it is her artistry as a songwriter that can silence a room, uniting her captivating voice with vivid lyricism and a maturity beyond her years. A former thespian and a lifelong traveler, she is prone to absorbing stories and questioning the way that things are, creating songs with imaginative melodies and honesty that bares truths about being alive.

She is currently recording a debut solo album at Paintbox Recording in Winnipeg, MB with producer/engineer Lloyd Peterson (The Wailin' Jenny's, The Weakerthans, James Keelaghan), who also happens to be her Dad. The album is being fully produced with gender parity, from the audio engineers, musicians, administration team, and beyond. It will be released in the Fall of 2018.

Appearing often in the folk/roots duo Roger Roger with her twin brother Lucas, Madeleine has performed at music festivals and stages across Canada (Summerfolk Festival, The Winnipeg Folk Festival, The Calgary Folk Club, Campbell Bay Music Festival, etc) sung as a musical guest on CBC Radio's DNTO, and released their debut album Fairweather locally and overseas which reached the No. 1 spot on the Canadian national folk/roots/blues charts, garnering acclaim for its exceptional songwriting.

10:00 PM - Romi Mayes

If you haven't heard Romi Mayes' music yet, it's time you do.

Hailing from the prairies of Canada, Mayes is one of the hardest working independent musicians touring the globe today.

Devil On Both Shoulders', her 6th full-length release, is another testament to why Romi Mayes’ past albums have garnered three Western Canadian Music Awards for Songwriter of the Year, two Western Canadian Music Awards for Album of The Year, a Juno nomination for Album of the Year, and various Canadian Music Award nominations.

Mayes is known for her powerful lyrical ability that gives life to the words she sings. Her insightful sweet and edgy vocals paint pictures of heart on her sleeve sincerity and a road well travelled. The talented players that surround her are another confirmation of how her honest abilities draw the best of the best toward her authentic brand of roots music.

She has relentlessly toured Canada, US, Europe, UK, and has shared the stage with the likes of Levon Helm, Derek Trucks, Ricky Skaggs, Jim Cuddy, Gordie Johnson, Guy Clark, Sue Foley, Fred Eaglesmith, Corb Lund, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, and many more.

Mayes continues to bring her brilliant songs, impressive guitar skills, and passionate performances to stages across the globe. With no intention of burning out or fading away, Romi Mayes has proven she is here to stay.

11:00 PM - The Middle Coast