It’s a good weekend if you’re all about that Cancon in its many many forms. Kicking things off sweet Canadian prince Ron Sexsmith will return to town where he’ll play songs from a new album he presumably just released (I just checked and he did) which’ll presumably get nominated for a Juno (then again he’s probably too classy and not Hedley enough to nab a Juno). He’ll perform at The Gateway on Thursday October 3 with Jenn Grant .
Of course if one night of laid-back adult alt-pop isn’t enough Cancon for you you could check out BreakOut West. The multi-faceted event is bringing a bunch of music industry stuff to our city’s various venues. There are a ton of things happening from October 3 to 6 among them performances from both local and out-of-town artists of all genres (including this week’s cover star Samantha Savage Smith ) an awards show celebrating the Western Canadian Music Awards and a ton of other stuff. If you want to hobnob with the insiders and build your business card collection this is the event for you. For more information visit breakoutwest.ca .
Or you could go to something else. Fool’s Gold mainstay Sammy Bananas will be returning to Calgary hitting the Hifi Club with Thee Mike B . The two will be performing in their duo Fifteenth which offers up forward-thinking blissed-out art house. That’s going down on Friday October 4.
For something a little less subtle and a hell of a lot more garish you could check out hilarious EDM mega-stars Krewella at Flames Central also on October 4. Having never heard them I just checked out the Vevo clip for their hit single “Alive.” The video which has been viewed over 17 million times has everything from blazing fires to a party in an abandoned house strained singing directly into the camera and three ridiculous party animals wearing discount-bin upside-down cross jeggings and last season’s bomber jackets. If you want to get weird with a bunch of fist-pumping goons on molly this is the show for you.
If you’re craving more EDM wildness you may as well pass out under the Iginla statue because equally enormous dance music superstar Wolfgang Gartner will keep the party going the next night on Saturday October 5. He’ll be performing with Australian electro dude Tommy Trash a suitable name considering just how messy the dancefloor will undoubtedly get.
There’s gotta be at least one frat bro with a diverse musical palette who’ll face a serious quandary on Saturday night: go to the aforementioned sweaty-as-hell EDM grind fest or take out the resentment he feels towards his mom dad and R.A. in the surly Mac Hall mosh pit while he watches Bullet For My Valentine (who it should be noted he discovered while pwning his buddies in NHL 11 ).
Nerdier metalcore enthusiasts will be satisfied to check out proggy performers Between the Buried and Me who’ll play at Republik on Monday October 7 with The Contortionist . That likely won’t conflict with the inexplicable demographic lining up around the block to watch Papa Roach somehow still exist at Cowboys Casino.
For a different sort of angst morose goth-pop outfit Austra will also be returning to Calgary performing at The Gateway on Wednesday October 9 with Torontonian newcomers Moon King .
