Country or not there’s plenty to do in Calgary this week
Like some Lovecraftian creature The Calgary Stampede is once again forcing its tendrils into nearly every corner of our reality. Fear not though — the city hasn’t been entirely overwhelmed by designer cowboy hats and semi-ironic belt buckles.
This Thursday July 9 for example local punks Puberty kick off their West Coast tour with a show at Broken City — I’m sure it’s a coincidence that they’re leaving for the last week of Stampede. They’ve recruited The Hazard Lights and Sharp Ends to see them off — expect enough skuzzy riffs and sweaty rockers to wipe away any memories of pop country.
Hawksley Workman tends to make his way through town at least a couple of times each year but there’s a reason he manages to draw a crowd each time. The guy has a rare mix of charisma songwriting chops and adventurousness — how many other artists can you name who run the gamut from tin pan alley pop to R&B and yodel-laden rock? There’s no guarantee that his Saturday July 11 set won’t veer towards country once or twice but sometimes variety’s the key.
Multi-Juno-nominated hip hop group Sweatshop Union will be at The Marquee Room next Tuesday. Granted “multi-Juno-nominated” may seem like faint praise but with album sales in the tens of thousands and more than half a dozen years under its belt it’s pretty clear the band knows what it’s doing. Touring with the likes of Jurassic 5 and Blackalicious hasn’t hurt their credibility much either.
Sometimes though the best way to get away from Stampede is to indulge in it. If you’re looking for some quality Canadian country music look no further than Fred Eaglesmith at the Palomino on Friday July 10. The Ontario-born troubadour knows the farm life backwards and forwards and his tunes have the kind of attention to detail that only comes from experience. Plus his between-song banter is rambling in all the best ways — seeing him live is halfway between a concert and a stand-up act.
That or you could take in The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir with Ghostkeeper at the HiFi on Saturday July 11. Both borrow liberally from country blues folk and rock traditions and both have created something entirely unique from all those strands. Somehow it seems like it’ll work for Stampede fans and haters alike.
