RICH AUCOIN

 GRASSLANDS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17 • 7:40PM

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA

A mixed-media audio/visual spectacle of a show that’s “part Daft Punk-inflected Dan Deacon, part DIY-driven Flaming Lips as filtered through Girl Talk” (Austin Chronicle).

Rich Aucoin made a name for himself in the late 2000s, pairing his ambitious and exploratory pop music with impressive feats of endurance, including a coast-to-coast tour via bicycle and another that involved long-distance running, each of which supported a different charity. By the time he’d released his 2011 debut, We’re All Dying to Live, Aucoin had made friends and collaborators all across the country and developed a reputation as a captivating live act. Subsequent releases like 2014’s Ephemeral and 2019’s Release only bolstered his renown as a pop auteur. Heading into the next decade, he continued to challenge expectations, recording his 2020 psychedelic American travelog, United States, and launching 2022’s Synthetic, a massive four-album project devoted to rare vintage synthesizers. Aucoin got a Juno nod for the first volume and followed it in 2023 with Synthetic: Season 2.

His live shows developed into a wild spectacle of symphonic pop and multi-sensory effects, including the unfurling of a giant parachute over the audience. We can think of no better way to celebrate our milestone 15th anniversary than having Rich back for yet another big party. He helped mark our 5th birthday in 2013, our 10th in 2018 and now our 15th in 2025.