Winnipeg singer Alexa Dirks, otherwise known as Begonia, is bold and brazen with her florid, surprising pop, and she’ll be at Tractorgrease Cafe on Jan. 30 as part of her tour throughout Canada and the U.S.

Begonia – who’s equally comfortable singing lullabies, headbangers and ballads – had made a name for herself in local circles for her work in ensembles like the Juno-winning Chic Gamine.

On stage, she dresses in bold, sometimes bright-coloured wardrobe: it’s how she feels most powerful, “almost like a superhero version of herself,” she said.

Her debut full-length album, Fear, came out in September. On most tracks, her invincibility is buoyed by profound vulnerability.

The title track begins with frantic clapping, and the lyrics take the cue: Begonia rattles through anxiety after anxiety, fear after fear, eventually culminating in a pained scream that acts as a pseudo-chorus we’ve all sung before. This is the power of Begonia: her music feels like something we’ve all been waiting for the chance to say, but couldn’t quite phrase, a throwback to something that’s never existed before

Whether it’s learning to come into her own or processing a brutal heartbreak, Begonia’s intimate lyrics and audacious sound allows for her audience to relate to the messiness of life with an honesty that is refreshing.

Now Begonia is taking Fear on the road for a run of North American tour dates across Canada and the U.S.

You can catch her at Tractorgrease Cafe on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. Tickets $15 and available at eventbrite.ca.

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Chilliwack Progress