Southern Alberta is deep in the middle of music festival season. South Country Fair was last weekend in Fort Macleod, there are a couple of other big ones coming up in the next couple of weeks.
Mike Spencer and the Geomatic Attic are geared up for the second annual Wide Skies
Music Festival at the Southminster United Church, July 30-Aug. 1. Spencer has booked an all star line up including Shovels and Rope who open the festival at a ticketed event with Little Miss Higgins, July 30. There is a big free outdoor festival the next day outside the church opening with the Weber brothers, Vancouver blues musicians Shakura S’Aida and Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer, plus an excellent second stage featuring Danny Dyck and the Chicken Catchers and Calgary songwriters Tom Phillips and Shaye Zadrevec.
The festival continues at Southminster United Church with another paid ticketed gig featuring Frazey Ford and the Quiet Revolution and Seattle’s the Cave Singers.
There are also afterparties at the Owl Acoustic Lounge with The Weber Brothers and at the Slice with Tom Phillips, July 31. The Weber Brothers also play Twin Butte store, on Sunday, July 29.
Festival passes are $105 which include admission to Shovel and Ropes and Little Miss Higgins on July 30 (tickets are $60 plus a five dollar service charge for that concert otherwise) and Frazey Ford and The Cave Singers on Aug 1 ($50 plus $5 service charge otherwise) as well as the July 31 afterparties at the Owl Acoustic Lounge featuring the Weber Brothers and at the Slice with Tom Phillips. Otherwise admission is $10 for each of those. Passes also include priority seating in the church if it rains during the free outdoor festival and a swag bag.
The following week features Bigwood 10 just off Research Centre Road, Aug 3 featuring an all local all star line up of Leeroy Stagger and the Rebeltone Sound, John Wort Hannam, Shaela Miller, Dave McCann and the Firehearts, local hard rock band the Dirti Speshuls, Taylor Ackerman’s Global Acid Reset and local rock band Hoverkraft. Tickets are $25 at the gate, $25 in advance with the music beginning at 6 p.m.
Before that there is a lot of fun happening. If you missed them at South Country Fair, Fin De Fiesta Flamenco perform their new show Salvaje at Casa, July 25 at 7:30 p.m.. Tickets are $22.
Terrific Kids present an alternative pop show at the old Firehall the same night with Toronto bands Hooded Fang and Nikki Fierce and local band Body Lens. The show begins at 8 p.m. Admission is $15 in advance, $15 at the door. And the Owl Acoustic Lounge features their monthly stand up comedy open mic, July 25 as well. Also on July 25 , the Slice features punk/pop/ glam rock siblings The Castagnes.
The Owl Acoustic lounge continues a busy week, featuring a poetry open mic on Thursday, July 26.
Flipfest has a fundraiser at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Saturday, July 28 featuring local bands object _option, Birch Barks and Calgary’s Polly Dactic. Admission is by donation.
St. Paul based indie roots songwriter Shane Larmand has two shows, July 27, including a performance at Sunrise Records in the Park Place Mall at 3 p.m. and at the Slice that evening with Corduroy Brown. He is supporting his new CD “You Are my Home.”
Open mics resume at Honker’s Pub this weekend with Jolene Draper hosting on Friday, July 27 and Frankie G on Saturday afternoon.
Dueling pianos with Cal Toth returns to Average Joes as well on Friday.
Whitehorse duo Soda Pony visit the Owl Acoustic Lounge, July 27 with local alternative rock band MTBC.
For something slightly different, St. Albert based southern rock/ punk/pop band For Tonight play the Slice, July 28.
A little further down the line U of L students have a an exciting kick off party to kick off the school year with live music, Sept. 7 as the Fresh U line up has been announced.
—by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
