By Amanda Hu
As summer comes to a close, there is a sense of depression hanging over everyone. Though the time of festivals and outdoor shows is a thing of the past, there are still exciting things on the horizon to keep the music tooth satiated.
The RAMP series wraps things up at its second anniversary bash at Broken City tonight. The project was meant to cultivate new musical ideas and scenes in Calgary and plans to go out with a bang, featuring Indiensoci, Lucid 44, the Unbundling, Honeybear, the Heavy Pets, Mid Atlantic, the Beverly D’angelos and Forest Tate Fraser. That same venue will see more action Friday when the Awkward Stage hits the stage with support from the Consonant C’s Laura Leif and her project, the Unbundling.
If you’re looking for a change of pace from Broken City, plan to check out acapella and everything masters TV on the Radio at the MacEwan Ballroom on Tuesday. The definition-defying group is set to release their third offering, Dear Science, on Sept. 23 and is set to put on quite the show for Calgary audiences. British sensation Bloc Party will play downstairs at MacEwan Hall on Wednesday, adding to the double indie kid satisfaction.
Heading back to Broken City, Montreal’s Winter Gloves will head into town to spread their synth and guitar-driven jams and promote their debut About A Girl on Sept. 11 with Calgary’s own Jane Vain and the Dark Matter. The weekend is also packed full with entertainment, as new Calgary outfit Story Time: Bear Attack– made up of members of the Silent Auction, the Martyr Index and Lions and Tigers and Bears– premieres their unconventional rock opera at the Stetson on Sept. 13. The less bear-inclined can check out Against Me! at MacEwan Hall on the same night.
Classic punk fans haven’t been forgotten this month, as mainstay Bad Religion kicks the shit out of Flames Central on Sept. 16. Audiences can expect the requisite amount of rage and other punk kid stuff. Things start to get a little more grisly as Sled Island artist Elliott Brood hits up the Warehouse on Sept. 18. Brood’s album, Mountain Meadows, tells the delightful tale of the 1857 Utah massacre, working as a riveting history lesson via musical means.
For those with a penchant for good ol’ Canadian rock, Sloan will be gracing the Gateway at SAIT with their presence Sept. 20 in support of their umpteenth release, Parallel Play, while lovers of Wolf-name bands will rejoice as We Are Wolves play the lovely Marquee Room on Sept. 25.
The Exclaim! Aggressive Tendencies tour makes its stop in Calgary on Sept. 30 at the Warehouse and boasts a supreme lineup of its heavy bands, Baroness, the awesome Star Trek name related Genghis Tron and Bison.
That Empty Space will also be ramping up for the year, beginning with opener Maurice and headliner Curtis Santiago, who will serenade U of C music lovers with soulful laments Sept. 12. Next on the docket will be Calgary’s own funkster Michael Bernard Fitzgerald with the support of Adam Smith and the Invisible Hand on Sept. 19. The last week of September features Vancouver’s Hey Ocean, who put on a fantastic show at this summer’s inaugural Virgin Music Festival. Crystal Kid will open up the event. Students’ Union vice president events Luke Valentine is excited about the lineup for the month.
“I’ve been listening to Curtis Santiago a lot and I really enjoy his music,” he says. “Michael Bernard Fitzgerald is a regular at That Empty Space, but I’m quite excited to hear him at [U of C] Kickoff on Sept. 5 and also on Sept. 19. He’s playing some new stuff as well. I saw Hey Ocean at a conference in Ottawa and I love their music because they’re so chill, but so interesting and artistic, too.”‘The Gauntlet is always doing its best to keep our readers apprised of all the happenings going on in the city. To further this effort, we present the first in a series of monthly columns outlining all the juiciest events and such to keep you entertained throughout the school year.