Renny Wilson and Tough Age June 20th 2014

On Friday which was day two of Sled Island for myself, my Brother and I started the day with some record shopping. In which I picked up my fair share of new records. After that it was off to the Calgary Tower in downtown Calgary to checkout the artists lounge atop of the tower. My brother had managed to get us passes to get access to it. So we went to the top and had a bite to eat and a couple of quick beers. While there I ran in to Marty Marquis the keyboard player for Blitzen Trapper. Now knowing that this was the artists lounge which is a sanctuary for the bands, a place where they can relax and get away from stuff. I still figured I would at least say hi. Well, Marty ended up being a super nice guy, I had a quick beer with him and talked about their tour and bands for a bit. He was nice enough to take the time and have a picture taken with me. Thanks Marty!!!

Calgary Tower.

There is the venue (Olympic Plaza) we were going to for the outdoor show later that night.

Marty of Blitzen Trapper and me.

After our visit to the tower, we were off to a place called the Commonwealth to catch a bit of the Mint Records showcase. On this bill were Supermoon, Renny Wilson, Tough Age and Jay Arner. We got there in time to catch the last bit of Edmontonian Renny Wilson's set. My brother really wanted to see Vancouver band Tough Age. We watched their whole set. I myself didn't much care for them.

Renny Wilson.

Tough Age.

We didn't stick around for Jay Arner as it was time to chill for a bit and get ready for the evening shows we were going to.

Old Man Markley and The Stanfields June 19th 2014

After the Palomino it was time for a little chill, then it was off to the Ship & Anchor to catch the The Wicks, The Stanfields and Old Man Markley.

We got there as The Wicks were playing but spent most of their set out on the patio having a few drinks and taking in the nice weather. So I can't say much about The Wicks.

Next up was a band out of Halifax, Nova Scotia called The Stanfields. This was a band I had never heard of before, but am all over them now. Their folk/celtic punk tinged music was fucking awesome. They had the place rocking, dancing and singing along. They were going to be a hard act to follow that's for sure. Very impressive.

The Stanfields.

Headliner of the evening was Old Man Markley from Los Angeles, California. I was looking forward to hearing their brand of bluegrass punk music. I have one of their albums and wasn't all that impressed with it, but figured they are probably way better live. Well, after The Stanfields, I have to say Old Man Markley just didn't cut it for me. They were alright, but nothing special, they seemed to lack bite. But then maybe that was just me. The rest of the sold out audience ate their shit up. I believe they were missing their washboard player, which might be a reason they seemed to lack something. All and all though, another great show. A cool venue too, as it has been around forever. A great first day of Sled Island for myself. Good times!!!

Old Man Markley.

The Stanfields t-shirt and vinyl I picked up at the show.

Lab Coast, Fist City and Mark Mills at The Palomino June 19th 2014

After the in store show at Sloth Records, we were off to the Palomino Smokehouse to catch the following bands Lab Coast, Fist City and Mark Mills. This was my first time at this venue, I heard lots about it from my Brother, and have to say I was impressed. The smell of the smoked BBQ food when you walk in makes your mouth water instantly. The place has a small stage upstairs and a bigger stage in the basement of the club. The bands we saw were all upstairs on this afternoon.

The first band we caught was Calgary band Lab Coast. They are an indie pop band, I'm not really much of a fan of pop music, but the style Lab Coast played was excellent. Seems like it would be great music for a sunny afternoon having a few beers, in which I did. One of the guitar players Samantha Savage Smith I had heard of before, with her solo work, I had no idea that she also played in this band. Her voice is amazing. I picked up their latest release "Walking On Ayr".

Lab Coast.

Next up was Fist City also from Calgary. They play a punk style of music. I was impressed with them and the lead singer Kier Griffiths can really crank it out, lots of energy and very tight. Good stuff.

Fist City.

And last but not least was an artist by the name of Mark Mills. My brother had seen him perform the night before and had said he was very entertaining. Well, I couldn't agree more. Mark was a blast to see live. It was just him with a guitar, keyboard and a drum machine playing some funky dance beats. His lyrics were hilarious and his energy infectious. He reminded me of what Beck may have been like when he first got started. Keep your ears and eyes open for Mark Mills, I think he is going to only get bigger and better. My Brother and I had the opportunity to meet Mark, he was very nice guy and took the time to talk and greet his fans. Super nice. Good times!!!

Mark Mills.

Limited Edition Cassette I also picked up.

Mmmm beer.

B-Lines, The Slates and Fury Things at Sloth Records June 19th 2014

So after seeing a show Wednesday night and being up til almost 3am, I was scheduled to catch the bus at 8am for Calgary. I was off to attend the Sled Island Music and Art Festival. I figured being up late the night before, I would just sleep all the way to Calgary. Well, wouldn't you know it, I get on the 8am bus and who sits next to me but Miss Chatty, holy shit this lady didn't shut up for the first two hours of the trip, talking to a friend across from her. Hell, even music couldn't drown this lady out. Needless to say, it was no sleep, and I was in for a busy day going to shows all day.

This festival is in it's eighth year, with last years events being cancelled due to the flooding in Calgary and area. This years edition boasted some 250 bands, comedians and artists. So lots to see, hear and do. And thanks to my brother who works at a record/coffee/grocery/drug store in Calgary (Luke's). He managed to score us passes for the festival and even artist lounge passes, which got us in to the Calgary Tower top floor for beers and food. Thanks Bro!!!

I got into Calgary at noon, my brother Citrus met me at the station, and we were off and running. First shows to attend started at 1pm at Sloth Records. After a quick stop at his place, downed myself a few beers, feeling better now. We made it to Sloth Records just in time to catch the first band Fury Things out of Minneapolis. They were a three piece band that played a fuzzed out pop punk I guess you could call it. I thought they started strong but got weaker as the show went on. Either that or the songs just started to sound alike.

Fury Things.

Next up was a band I was familiar with The Slates out of Edmonton. My brother was stoked about finally getting to see these guys. This was my third time seeing them perform. The band keeps getting stronger each time I see them, although on this day they had a replacement drummer sitting in (he filled the position nicely). The Slates are out promoting their newest album Taiga which was produced by the iconic Steve Albini. The Slates play a punk/alternative kind of music. The performance at Sloth was loud and good.

The Slates.

The last band of the afternoon at the record shop was Vancouver punks B-Lines. These guys played true punk rock with the lead singer in your face and full of energy and complaining about this being one of the first times he has performed sober. Well, it didn't take him long to down a couple of beers and really get in to the act. He is spastic, intense and almost intimidating, not sure I would want to see this guys drunk and performing. Ok, who am I kidding, of course I would. The B-Lines put on a great show, it was short, but good.

B-Lines.

A great turn out for all the bands. The bands played for free, so they were taking donations and it looked to me like a lot of people were donating, me included. Good on everyone pitching in, and thanks to Sloth Records for hosting the bands. A great record shop as well by the way. I know I dropped a few bucks there.

Blitzen Trapper in Edmonton June 18th 2014

I'm a bit slow on my update as I have been a busy guy over the past week, as you will see. Last Wednesday myself, and buddies Hurl and A-Bomb went to the Blitzen Trapper and Parkington Sisters concert here in Edmonton at the Starlite Room.

First band of the night was the Parkington Sisters from Wellfleet, Massachusetts. The band is like the name says, all sisters, on this evening there were only three of them, the band consists of Ariel, Sarah, Nora and Rose Parkington. Now I couldn't tell you who was all at this show. They were interesting, they all played violin and sang in great harmony. For the last song of the night, the drummer Brian Koch and bassist Michael Pelt of Blitzen Trapper joined the Parkington Sisters.

Parkington Sisters at the Starlite Room.

Headliner of the night, which was the reason I was there for was Blitzen Trapper from Portland, Oregon. This was my second time seeing them perform, first time headlining. The band is out on tour to support their latest release called VII.

The band sounded amazing, they are even better live then on album. Playing for about an hour and half mixing it up with new and old songs. There were no lulls during the show, just one great Blitzen song after another. Lead singer Eric Earley sounded great. One song did surprise me, and it was the Joe Walsh cover of "Rocky Mountain Way" that they did. It was a long six year wait to finally see Blitzen Trapper again, but well worth the wait. All and all a great show. Good times!!!

Blitzen Trapper at the Starlite Room.

Blitzen Trapper setlist from the Edmonton show. Thanks to Hurl for helping me get this.