Flying Fox & the Hunter/Gatherers

Winnipeg’s favorite folk-jazz-orchestral outfit, Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers feature original rock operas, old style crooning and a killer brass section. Their unique blend of jazz, folk and musical theater has been described as 'Hawksley Workman meets Calexico' and 'a gypsy version of Queen.' Featuring “Winnipeg’s strongest horn section” (The Manitoban), Flying Fox’s energetic live show has built them an ever-expanding reputation as one of Canada’s must see musical acts, as documented by the CBC's Canada Live in 2010. Since releasing their debut full length album, Hans My Lion in March 2011, the band has played over 100 shows across Canada and the Northwest USA, resulting in hundreds of new fans converted to Winnipeg's pioneering purveyors of “operatic indie jazz.” With over 200 shows played since the band's formation in 2007, Flying Fox have performed at The Big Timeout, North Country Fair, South Country Fair, Canada Day The Komasket Music Festival, the Brandon Folk Festival, and the Winnipeg Jazz Festival. Maintaining this busy tour schedule has allowed Flying Fox to share stages with acts as diverse as Elliot Brood, Black Mountain, Bahamas, Dan Mangan, Buffy Ste. Marie, Arrested Development, Five Alarm Funk, Fred Penner, Dave Bidini and The Waking Eyes. In 2010, the Flying Fox obsession with dark tales and puppetry was taken to full fruition with the debut of their original rock opera, The Wild Things, at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. Inspired by the iconic children's story, Where the Wild Things Are, the show was lovingly embraced by children and adults alike, received the prestigious “Best of Fest” award and sold over 1,200 tickets. Soundtrack music from The Wild Things was recorded and released as an “artful and ambitious” concept album (Uptown), selling out of it's orginal 500 copies. In addition to a smashing success at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, Flying Fox's extensive and dedicated hometown fan base sold out the West End Cultural Center (300+) for their Hans My Lion CD release in April, 2011. Winnipeg media has recognized Flying Fox as one of Winnipeg’s “most acclaimed bands” (Winnipeg Sun), with Uptown embracing Hans My Lion as 'a roaring success' with a 5 star review, and the Uniter giving a 5 star review to both The Wild Things and the self-titled Flying Fox EP. The Uniter additionally described Hans My Lion as “an album with no shortage of imaginative material that is bound to become a classic”. Outside of Winnipeg, Flying Fox received a 4 star review from Edmonton's Vue Weekly for Hans My Lion, and Stuart Derdeyn (Vancouver's The Province) listed Flying Fox as #8 on his top shows of 2011. Flying Fox additionally won the 2011 Nimbus Recording School's showcase event in Vancouver; "Said Nimbus [Recording School] instructor Futch of the band, 'Not since the invention of the cell phone have I seen a room where EVERYONE was looking at the stage.'" – Vanmusic (Vancouver’s indie scene blog) Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers is an incredibly dynamic band that knows exactly when less is more. Don’t miss the spectacle that is a Flying Fox live show! Original rock operas, old style crooning and a killer brass section ... Flying Fox delivers flamboyant pop epics and gritty, bombastic folk.