Peter Hemminger
Spoken-word heavyweight (and one third of TOFU) Shane Koyczan won over crowds at last year’s Calgary Folk Music Festival
Tons of Fun University and KRS-One prepare to school Calgarians
Next Wednesday March 19 will mark the kickoff of the Alberta Sessions a series of concerts showcasing some of the province’s top songwriters. Variety is the key at the sessions and Wednesday’s performance will feature the pop-friendly stylings of Friends of Otis jazz-folk songwriter Heather Blush the consummate storytelling of John Wort Hannam and Ship Shape a.k.a. omnipresent Calgary producer and Summerlad member Arran Fisher in a rare solo performance. For those who just can’t wait until next week to catch up with Alberta’s finest songwriters The Consonant C will be doing a session in Speaker’s Corner at the University of Calgary’s MacEwan Student Centre on Thursday March 13 finishing off the Alberta Sessions’ Songwriting 601 series. If you can’t make it to the U fear not — CJSW will be broadcasting the chamber-pop group’s every insight live on-air.
He probably won’t have his make-up or demonic powers (allegedly) but KISS fans can still expect lead guitarist Ace Frehley to rock ’n’ roll for a considerable chunk of Friday night at Flames Central. It’s been almost 20 years since Frehley’s released any solo material which makes the upcoming Pain in the Neck a questionable commodity but KISS fans should get their money’s worth. For the skeptics there’s always Calgary’s own The Ex-Boyfriends at the Palomino which works as a decent CBGBs to Flames Central’s Studio 54.
Tuesday finds Tons of Fun University making their triumphant return to Calgary. While the inimitable C.R. Avery swung by the U of C’s That Empty Space a few months back for a stellar mix of spoken-word poetry beat-boxing and Tom Waits-style piano ballads this show at the Liberty Lounge will be the first time the full group has played here since winning over the crowd at last year’s Calgary Folk Music Festival with their self-described blend of LL Cool J and Sylvia Plath.
Ending where we started Wednesday will also feature hip hop’s original poet the teacha’ himself KRS-One at Tequila’s. One of the genre’s true founding fathers KRS-One has been struggling since hip hop’s inception to bring some intelligence and sober thought to the party. The man’s name says it all — Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone.
