No longer just the name of the place where your oil-company parents zone out over a midday sandwich upstairs at the mall Devonian Gardens is also a local psych-tinged garage outfit with a penchant for out-there sounds. The band has just put the finishing touches on their new LP Solar Shifting and will celebrate with a release show at Broken City on Thursday October 17 alongside The Slabs and Rob Roy and The Sultans . If only they could’ve booked it at the actual Devonian Gardens.
I can only imagine how fun a guy named Neon Steve would be — he probably signs his name with highlighter pens hands out glowsticks for free and owns an array of blindingly bright tracksuits. Whether or not any of that is true we do know that Neon Steve is a world-renowned bass artist based in Victoria B.C. Steve’s forward-thinking EDM has him buzzing all over the world so catching him at the Hifi Club on October 17 is a no-brainer.
There are plenty of options vying for your attention on Friday October 18. Vancouver street-punk warriors Bishops Green will bring songs from their hotly tipped debut album to Dickens Pub with a stacked bill of locals a perfect event to break in a new polo or pair of Docs.
Over at Republik hard-touring garage punk outfit Thee Oh Sees will return to Calgary for the billionth time probably with a massive stack of new records in tow. If you somehow missed them the last few times they were here you won’t be disappointed with their explosive high-energy set. Of course if you can’t make it to the show on October 18 they’ll probably be back again next year.
Legendary Canadian alt-country outfit The Sadies are also no strangers to heavy touring. Currently on a hefty trek in support of their recent album Internal Sounds the group will make a stop in Calgary to perform at Commonwealth on October 18.
If you’d prefer more sounds of the future however the Hifi Club will once again host a rising dance act with an appearance from Vancouver duo Terrace . Their debut album As Far As the Night Can See shows the band working towards a lofty goal — in their words “the simple ambition of playing pure dance music for the masses without pretension and without adhering to the short-lived trends of the music scene.” Check it out on October 18.
This weekend also marks the return of the Calgary Tattoo & Arts Festival meaning Calgary’s tattooed population will grow significantly. Try to find some unmarked skin at the Palomino on Saturday October 19 when metal greats Early Man perform at an official after party alongside Daywalker and Blackrat .
If you’d prefer poppy post-punk played by ex-members of Calgary institute Women you’d be wise to check out Viet Cong at Olympic Billiards on October 19. Returning home from a hefty North American tour the band will showcase the complex guitar pop of their incredible self-titled cassette alongside tour mates Freak Heat Waves and local acts Catholic Girls and Aiwass .
