Calgary “production team” Spirit of Truth has done a good job of putting on some of the most intense eruptively violent and fun hardcore shows in town. Stuff gets wrecked venues get mad and all the kids usually end up leaving even if every band from Tacoma has cancelled. The two brats are taking a long break from putting on shows to the dismay of some and joy of others but not without one last rager as they bring in Vancouver straight edge crew Out of Sight for a house show with Low Life and newcomers YYC Mayhem on Thursday October 11. Look it up on Facebook and pretend to be edge for a night.
Of course it’s one thing to play hardcore your whole life and another thing to commit to the lifestyle while evolving the aesthetic. That’s what divisive Toronto powerhouse Fucked Up have done for years most recently with 2011’s stunning David Comes to Life . The group will hit The Palomino for a pair of shows on Friday October 12 and Saturday October 13. You can read our interview with guitarist/Hedley songwriter Ben Cook on this very page and be sure to request some No Warning covers from the pit.
Another titan from the Toronto area will be hitting Calgary on October 12 but he’ll likely attract a slightly different audience. Though he’s getting upstaged by new teen sensations One Direction Justin Bieber should have no problem selling out the Saddledome. And while his newest record doesn’t have the same hit power as My World 2.0 the cost of admission will be worth it if you can scream along to “Baby” and “Eenie Meenie” with a legion of tweens (or tweegion if you will).
San Francisco rapper Andre Nickatina is a favourite among college-aged fans of “real hip-hop” but that’s definitely not a negative as the veteran lyricist offers fast-paced intelligent rhymes like few others. Plus when he hits Republik on Saturday October 13 he’ll be joined by fellow Bay Area rapper Mistah F.A.B. most famous for his Patrick Swayze shout out on the hyphy classic “Ghost Ride It.” It should be mandatory for everyone to ghost ride their whips to and from this show.
Even if you don’t make it to Republik there’ll be another surefire dance party bouncing the walls apart at HiFi Club as Washington D.C. great Tittsworth brings his eclectic party music to town. Most interestingly Edmontonian Cecil Frena will be making the drive to open offering a performance from his post-Gobble Gobble project Born Gold .
Another staple of club culture is the work of Bristol breakbeat duo Stanton Warriors . Comprised of Dominic Butler and Mark Yardley the sound team has made a national name for themselves with top-notch remixes and live DJ sets. For those interested they’ll make a special Calgary appearance at Commonwealth on Tuesday October 16.
