The week of excitement kicks off with a one-of-a-kind talk from production whiz Howard Bilerman at the Cantos Music Foundation on Thursday September 15. Working from Thee Mighty Hotel2Tango studio in Montreal Bilerman has had his capable hands all over classic records from Godspeed You! Black Emperor Wolf Parade Superchunk and countless others. Pick his brain and add some legendary influence to your tinny home recordings. Once you’ve mastered the recording arts head to The Bank on the same night for a change of pace infused with ’90s hip-hop crooning as former Crip Warren G hosts a Nate Dogg tribute. The fallen R&B singer who brought us so many classic hip-hop anthems will be remembered with a drunken “Regulate” singalong naturally. Saturday September 17 will be an equally diverse night with two choices coming from the old guard of outsider sounds. Local glam group the Ex-Boyfriends will join Calgary garage-punk legends the Von Zippers for a loud party-starting evening at the Marquee Room. There will be countless grey hairs among the performers but they’ll most likely dance and drink you under the table. If punk’s not really your thing the HiFi Club will play host to outsider rap legend Kool Keith who will be appearing under his Dr. Octagon persona on the same night. Combining ’90s boom-bap with a keen sense of sci-fi trickery and a dash of gangster misogyny Keith is a precursor to the DOOMs and Tyler the Creators of the present. If you care at all about weirdo rap this is not to be missed. While the members of Braids are often credited as a group of Calgary ex-pats you wouldn’t think it with the multiple homecoming shows they’ve played this year. From the folk fest to Sled Island and more appearances in between they’ll return to Calgary once more for a show at the Republik. No one’s complaining though because they refuse to forget their roots and are getting more popular — and even better live — with each visit. Of course it wouldn’t be a night in Calgary without two high-profile performances vying for your attention and grunge forefathers Mudhoney will prove that with a headlining slot at Broken City also on Thursday September 20. Sure you could wait to see them open for Pearl Jam at the Saddledome on the following night but then you’d miss the intimate — and much sweatier — show at a smaller venue. Finally celebrate hump day with a headlining set from stomping Vancouver garage rock duo The Pack A.D. at the Republik on Wednesday September 21. The group’s untouchable work ethic allowed them to release the strongest album of their career in Unpersons and we’re anticipating another high-energy performance. There’s no question that this will be one for the after-death ages.

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