I’m not sure who’s in the band Parisian Orgy but they’ve got the sort of absurd moniker that has me interested. They’ll play their first show ever at Costello’s on Thursday January 24. Add scuzzy synth punks PMMA and the Angry Samoans-indebted mess that is Chlorinator (read about ’em elsewhere in this issue) and you’ve got one of the best locals-only lineups of the week.
For a different much more unbearable kind of punk boy band All Time Low will be headlining a tween fest at MacEwan Ballroom on Thursday January 24 where they’ll be joined inexplicably by Yellowcard . It blows my mind to think that Yellowcard still exists as a band. Quite frankly I’m surprised the violin guy isn’t just playing selections from Ocean Avenue on a Florida street corner desperate to panhandle enough for a six-pack.
If you’d prefer something entirely different Broken City will play host to the second ever Thirdsday event which is co-hosted by us Fast Forward Weekly folks. It’s supposed to take place on the third Thursday of the month and we’ve already screwed that up putting it on the fourth one instead. Either way the theme this month is “truck stop hip-hop” where guests will be treated to The Guess Wu Rap X and Blades of Steel along with some other surprises.
Now that we’ve gotten used to the idea of the reunion tour I’m more shocked by the return of bands that I forgot even existed. Take Edmonton’s Choke the highly technical emo group that started Etnies-shredding mosh pits in Canadian community centres in the early 2000s. Yeah them. They’re back! Choke will return to Calgary on January 25 playing a show at Broken City.
Far from getting a Wal-Mart in Inglewood the community will be treated to another concert spot as the Calgary Folk Music Festival organizers launch their Festival Hall facility. Officially opening on Saturday January 26 the new venue will offer a marathon of local musicians including the Agnostic Phibes Rhythm & Blood Conspiracy Reuben Bullock Kenna Burima Chris Dadge Lorrie Matheson Chris Vail and many others. Running from 2 p.m. until 11 p.m. you’ll be overly familiar with Festival Hall by the end of the day.
Whether you make it to Festival Hall or not there’ll be some excellent late-night sounds worth checking out courtesy of Montreal producer Jacques Greene who’ll make a stop at the HiFi Club on Saturday January 26. Lauded as one of the country’s hottest up-and-coming producers it’d be wise to check him out at such an intimate spot before he’s producing tracks for Rihanna or whatever.
Speaking of shit-hot producers the legendary Just Blaze will be visiting Commonwealth on Wednesday January 30 With credits on timeless albums from the likes of Jay-Z Dipset Kanye West Ghostface Killah and many others there’s no denying his A-list status. He’ll also be introducing Calgary to the sounds of rising trap producer Baauer .
