Calgary’s Dragonfli Empire drop their new disc this Saturday January 10 at The Marquee Room alongs
Choosing what to do on this Friday January 9 has more to do with your mood than the quality of the bands involved. If you’re in a bit of a mellow mood wander on down to the Calgary Folk Club for The Consonant C . Wonderfully inventive and incredibly charming the folk-pop quintet haven’t been playing too many shows of late so any chance to see them is welcome. On the other hand if you’re feeling like tearing shit up in a mad frenzy then The Von Zippers and Forbidden Dimension will be more your style. Two of Calgary’s longest running (and hardest hitting) bands on the same bill — if it weren’t for Monotonix’s madhouse set in late December I’d say this would be the most all-out rocking show that Broken City’s hosted in ages. As it is it’s at least the rockingest one of 2009.
Edmonton’s Cadence Weapon will be making another of his regular pilgrimages to Calgary to help out Dragonfli Empire with their CD release this Saturday January 10 at The Marquee Room. It almost seems like a backhanded compliment to point out that the Empire’s at the forefront of Calgary hip hop — maybe it’s better to mention that they’ve been getting national recognition hitting No. 11 on Earshot’s national college radio charts for hip hop in 2008. And for what it’s worth Cadence was No. 1 on that very same list. Also on the bill: Kris Demeanor whose folk ditties and intricate storytelling will only be mildly out of place.
Before you head out on Saturday night though you’d do well to check out the Vinyl Record Exchange at Cardel Place. Not that Calgary’s lacking in amazing record stores both new and used but you never know what you’ll find when the real aficionados start airing out their collections — and the chance to swap discs instead of shelling out your hard-earned dollars doesn’t happen too often. Oh the wonders of the barter system. Admission is free but they do ask that you donate a record to be auctioned off at the end of the night.
