A proto-Lavigne of sorts Bif Naked set the stage for Canadian alt-pop with a tiny sprinkle of pop-punk. And while I sure as hell didn’t appreciate her at the time songs like “Moment of Weakness” have aged surprisingly well (and that’s a sentence I never thought I’d type). You can pretend you’re at a junior high dance and go see her at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino on Thursday January 15.
For some slightly more current rock a showcase of newer bands is going down on Friday January 16 at Tubby Dog. Punk group Quit School will perform alongside two newcomers. Dream Whip play surf-tinged pop while Milk Toast specialize in twee.
Some people don’t want to spend their Friday nights listening to newfangled local bands however. They’d rather revisit the summer of ’69 while simultaneously pretending they’ll be 18 till they die. If that’s you spend your time at the Saddledome on Friday night where Bryan Adams will surely play all of the hits. My personal favourite is the Robin Hood soundtrack standout “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” which I tearfully enjoy as I assemble this column for you dear reader.
Over at Habitat Living Sound Spanish techno producer Marc Marzenit will surely heat things up with his dancefloor-erupting sounds. The artist will be joined by Chad Hardcastle Chris Lapietra and Jetonmatik.
The High Performance Rodeo continues throughout the month and this weekend they’ll bring in Tanya Tagaq for a special performance at the Boyce Theatre (Stampede Park) on Saturday January 17. Best known for Inuit throat singing Tagaq has accomplished a lot from winning the Polaris Music Prize last year to even better making it onto the cover of this week’s Fast Forward Weekly. Joined by Jean Martin and Jesse Zubot she’ll perform a new live soundtrack for the controversial 1922 film Nanook of the North.
If you’d rather not spend Saturday night hobnobbing with the local art community you could instead spend it at Olympic Billiards. Not just for the billiards but also for some live music. Locals HexRay will perform a show alongside like-minded Edmonton act Strange Fires and Vancouver’s Smoke Eaters.
After two weeks of renovations and the arrival of a new sound system the Hifi Club will surely look refreshed and sound fresh as hell when it reopens this weekend. Saturday night presents a perfect opportunity to check out the updated venue with Detroit Swindle. Comprised of DJs Lars Dales and Maarten Smeets the duo have built a worldwide reputation for their creative playful take on house music. They’ll be joined by Isis Graham Sergio Levels and Cal Bass.
Finally the weekend concludes with an appearance from beloved hip-hop duo Blackalicious on Sunday January 18 at Commonwealth. Though it’s been a full decade since they released their last album The Craft the group haven’t fallen off. Instead they’ve just completed their first album in an upcoming trilogy.
