Folk metal and delicious mustard greet Calgary audiences this week
It’s the same story every year: As the holidays draw ever-closer the number of bands touring through town slows to a crawl. Still fewer options doesn’t mean nothing to do — it just makes your choices easier.
On Thursday December 3 for example you’re not likely to find a better show than Jordan Klassen’s showcase at The Marquee Room. The singer-songwriter’s debut appropriately titled Tempest and Winter is packed with polished pop gems that sound like a more adventurous Jim Guthrie or a less ostentatious Sufjan Stevens. The always-delightful Laura Leif will open likely performing ukulele-based ditties about insects and feral children.
Friday December 4 provides an opportunity to take in some top-quality roots rock and stock up on your preserves all at once at Broken City. Ontario’s Sunparlour Players have one of the most well-stocked merch tables of any touring act featuring not just their catchy and cleverly arranged albums but also an assortment of spreads including their own homemade mustard and beet jelly (see our interview with the band at ffwdweekly.com to find out more). Shambolic indie-blues-and-roots-rocker Ghostkeeper opens.
The options expand a bit on Saturday December 5. For those who prefer their rock straight out of the garage The Marquee Room is happy to indulge: The Brenda Vaqueros The Moby Dicks and Outlaws of Ravenhurst will all be plying their trade. The Dicks are a prime example of the skuzzy lo-fi glory that’s been spilling out of Lethbridge lately mostly centred around the hard-working Mammoth Cave label; the Outlaws embrace the ridiculousness of fantasy metal without any of those irritating vocals; and the Vaqueros well their garage is crammed to the rafters with bits of country surf psychedelia and whatever else they need to make things marginally more awesome.
For something considerably heavier (and a bit more borderline psychotic) try Cannibal Corpse with Hatebreed Hate Eternal Unearth and Born of Osiris at MacEwan Hall. Sure that might seem like a lot of hate for one night but with all the seasonal joy floating around a little anger might not be a bad idea.
And if you’re looking for something a little different there’s always the U.K.’s Girls Girls Girls playing Friday and Saturday at The Palomino and Vern’s respectively. Their gypsy-punk is more polished than Gogol Bordello’s but it’s also a heck of a lot more varied which can go a long way.
