BeatRoute Magazine AB Edition June 2019

Festival Season Starts Now! 

JUNE 2019 

FREE 

Anderson .Paak 

From couch surfing to crowd surfing 

in just 10 years

Contents 

MorMor, April 30 at the Biltmore 

Cabaret. Read our review of this show 

and more online at beatroute.ca 

JEREZ CHALLENGER 

Up Front 

4 

7 

9 

11 

The Guide 

Japanese Breakfast serves 

up an indie-pop dream 

at Calgary’s Sled Island 

Festival 

Fashion 

18 Waits puts bands at the 

top of their brand with rock 

and roll apparel 

That’s Dope 

Softgel capsules make for 

convenient anxiety and 

headache relief 

Drink 

Near-beers are here to stay. 

The rundown of Canada’s 

best non-alcoholic beers 

Music 

13 

14 

29 

31 

35 

Concert Previews 

Concert Previews 

Yungblud, Foxwarren, 

Claypool-Lennon Delirium, 

Sebadoh 

Sled Island Festival 

Calgary’s discovery indie 

music festival slides into 

town 

The Playlist 

All the singles we can’t stop 

listening to this month 

Album Reviews 

Carly Rae Jepsen, Tyler 

The Creator, Hot Chip, Baroness, 

Richard Reed Parry 

and more 

LiveReviews 

Orville Peck, Thornetta 

Davis, Kali Uchis and Jorja 

Smith 

JUNE 2019 

Cover Story 

18 

Festival Season Starts Now! 


From couch surfing to crowd surfing 

in just 10 years 


From couch surfing to 

crowd surfing, the dynamic 

hip-hop/soul artist has accomplished 

all of his goals 

FREE 

Movies|TV 

40 

43 

42 

Travel 

38 

Jim Jarmusch 

A look back at the art-house 

director’s relationship with music 

ahead of The Dead Don’t Die 

John & Yoko: 

Above Us Only Sky 

Netflix documentary shines a 

spotlight on one of history’s 

greatest musical connections 

Rocketman 

Elton John biopic flies high as 

one of the best movies of the 

summer 

Destination: Festival D’éte 

de Québec 

Get ready for one of the longest-running 

music festivals in 

North America on Quebec City’s 

Plains of Abraham 

YYC 

45 

46 

47 

49 

50 

Katya Zamolodchikova 

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Star 

sharpens her stilettos 

Local Shows 

Sound Of Summer, Octoduck, 

The Ashley Hundred, Maplerun 

Jazz YYC Festival 

Dominique Fils-Aimé, Benny 

Green Trio, Dirty Catfish Brass 

Band and more! 

YVR Agenda 

All the best events happening 

around the city this month, plus 

This month in Theatre. 

YVR Savage Love 

Dan Savage dishes on hard feelings 

and how to avoid Handmaid 

states when traveling through 

the US 

JUNE 2019 BEATROUTE 3

The Guide 

JUNE 

Japanese 

Editor/Publisher 

Michael Hollett 

Associate Editor 

Brad Simm 

glenn@beatroute.ca 

Creative Director 

Troy Beyer 

Senior Editor/ 

Western Canada 

Glenn Alderson 

Editorial Coordinators 

Jordan Yeager 

Sebastian Buzzalino 

Breakfast 

delivers her 

lo-fi pop feast 

to Sled Island 

Wednesday, June 19 

The #1 Legion (Calgary) 

Sled Island Music Festival 

Contributing 

Writers/ Coordinators 

Maryam Azizli • Sarah Bauer 

Ben Boddez • Sebastian Buzzalino 

Lauren Donnelly • Karina Espinosa 

Kathryn Helmore • Safiya Hopfe 

Kodi Hutchinson • Roban Kerr 

Brendan Lee • Christine Leonard 

Joey Lopez • Trevor Morelli 

Pat Mullen • Johnny Papan 

Tory Rosso • Judah Schulte 

Yasmine Shemesh • Austin Taylor 

Graeme Wiggins • Jordan Yeager 

JACKIE LEE YOUNG 

Japanese Breakfast is the artistic 

alias of Michelle Zauner, serving up 

delicious, artisanal compositions and 

arrangements that are as relaxing on 

the surface as they are emotional in 

content, leaving listeners satiated, but 

not overfilled. 

Zauner got her start in music as a 

15-year-old, touring with bands like 

Little Big League and Post Post before 

moving to Oregon to care for her sick 

mother. When her mother passed away, 

Zauner was faced with an existential 

shift in perspective as well as a 

life-changing shift in career. 

It was in the wake of grief that she 

wrote and recorded Psychopomp, her first 

project as Japanese Breakfast. It was more 

an act of self-care than anything, and no one 

was more surprised than Zauner when there 

was an audience for this personal project. Her 

follow-up release, Soft Sounds from Another 

Planet, came out just over a year later; there’s 

no time to slow down when you’re aware of 

your own mortality. 

Zauner delivers assertive, yet often plaintive 

vocal performances, accompanied by 

tranquil guitar chords and a no-nonsense 

rhythm section. Where instrumentation 

is subtle, her lyricism is heavy-handed, 

grappling with introspective topics like 

loss, mourning and the inevitable passage 

of time. 

Despite its morose subject matter, Japanese 

Breakfast will have you dancing. This is a dish 

that is best served in the intimate confines of 

oversized headphones on a day-dreamy afternoon, 

or on the drive home from Sunday brunch 

with your best mates. 

By TORY ROSSO 

4 BEATROUTE JUNE 2019 

3More 

Sled Island 

Fest coverage, 

page 14 

Contributing Photographers 

& Illustrators 

Kelli Anne • Jerez Challenger 

Bailey Clarke • Erin Cooney 

Jesse DeFlorio • Itai Erdal 

Jimmy Fontaine • Chris Graham 

Chris Graham • Vanessa Heins 

Matilda Hill Jenkins 

Marisa Holmes • Nolan Knight 

Jackie Lee Young • Ryan Mclemore 

John Packman • Darrole Palmer 

Justin Pizzoferrato • Tristan 

Shouldice 

Advertising Inquiries 

Glenn Alderson 

glenn@beatroute.ca 

778-888-1120 

Distribution 

BeatRoute is distributed in 

Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, 

Edmonton, Winnipeg and 

Saskatoon 

Contact us 

Mission PO 23045, Calgary, AB, 

T2S 3A8 

e-mail: editor@beatroute.ca 

Copyright © BEATROUTE Magazine 2019 All 

rights reserved. Reproduction of the contents 

is prohibited without permission. 

 

@beatrouteAB 

 

@beatroutemedia 

 

beatrouteAB 

beatroute.ca

J U N E 2 8 - 3 0 2 0 1 9 

C A N A D A D A Y W E E K E N D 

E D M O N T O N 

EXPO CENTRE GROUNDS 

IN ABC ORDER 

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS 

D J S E T 



W W W . B O M F E S T . C A • @ B O M F E S T . C A

Fashion 

Legendary Lines 

A 

rock and roll clothing brand with 

music on their minds, 18 Waits was 

inspired by a late night stroll through 

the rainy streets of New York while 

founder and designer Dan Torjman wandered 

the Lower East Side listening to — 

you guessed it — Tom Waits. 

“It was a light bulb moment,” says Torjman. 

“Eighteen has always been my lucky 

number. 18 Waits also sounds good, looks 

18 Waits graphic tees bring Keith, Bob and Willie to amplify your wardrobe By KATHRYN HELMORE 

good and is an homage to Tom.” 

With a dog named Alice Cooper, Torjman 

has been a music junkie his whole 

life. A Canadian company with national 

distribution, 18 Waits outfits us to keep 

rock and roll amplified on the forefront of 

our daily lives. 

Proving fashion is the extension of 

identity and life-long addictions, their 

summer t-shirt collection features some of 

Torjman’s favourite musical icons. 

Simple cotton acts as a canvas for artistic 

renderings of musical monarchs Willie 

Nelson, Keith Richards and Bob Dylan. 

The brand is also teaming up with Toronto 

artist Hieram on June 20 to celebrate 

all things David Bowie with a gallery-style 

show at their flagship store featuring eight 

raw denim jackets, each with iconic Bowie 

imagery painted on the back. 

“Not only are Nelson, Richards, Dylan 

and Bowie musically great,” says Torjman. 

“They paved their own way. They said ‘fuck 

it’ and didn’t hesitate or look back. Regardless 

of the fact that one is a spaceman and 

one a grass smoking Texan, they followed 

the same ethos.” 

You can find 18 Waits at Brooklyn Clothing in 

Vancouver (418 Davie St.) and Calgary (1211 

Kensington Rd. NW) and online at 18waits.com 


INDIGENOUS 

MUSIC WEEK 

AT STUDIO BELL 

JUNE 19-22 

ft. Black Belt Eagle Scout, Ansley Simpson, 

Bebe Buckskin, Ziibiwan, plus special tours, 

artist workshops, and more! 

DETAILS AND TICKETS AT STUDIOBELL.CA/WHATS-ON 

Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre | 850 4 Street SE Calgary, AB 

studiobell.ca @nmc_canada #StudioBell 

NMC presents 

ALBERTA 

SPOTLIGHT 

SERIES 

A MONTHLY CONCERT SERIES 

HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE MOST 

SOUGHT-AFTER ALBERTA ARTISTS RIGHT NOW. 

JUNE 28 

WITH BEGRIME EXEMIOUS 

Crushing grindcore and thrashing death 

metal on the Rooftop at the King Eddy. 

DETAILS AND TICKETS AT STUDIOBELL.CA/WHATS-ON 

Show location: Rooftop at the King Eddy | 851 4 Street SE Calgary, AB 

studiobell.ca @nmc_canada #StudioBell

That’s Dope 

THIS MONTH 

IN CANNABIS NEWS 

AND VIEWS 

P 

opping a softgel 

capsule for pain relief 

is not unusual for 

anyone who has ever 

had a headache. 

Now getting a daily 

dose of cannabis 

is as convenient as taking 

your vitamins. 

If you want the healing properties 

of cannabidiol (CBD) 

but don’t want the smell and 

spectacle of smoke, the mess 

of oils or the unpredictability of 

edibles, softgel cannabis capsules 

can be a good option. 

CBD is a naturally occurring 

compound found in cannabis 

heralded for its therapeutic 

properties. It’s non-addictive 

and, unlike THC, it doesn’t get 

you stoned. It can be used 

to treat things like anxiety, 

disordered sleeping, pain and 

disease. 

Softgels are clear, pill-like 

capsules filled with a precise 

dose of cannabis oil, which 

makes them conveniently 

predictable. Edibles aren’t an 

exact science. When baking 

is infused with cannabis you 

never really know what you’re 

going to get when it comes to 

dosing. 

Because softgels are predosed, 

you know exactly what 

you’re getting, and their clear 

capsule shell makes them easy 

for the body to absorb. But, as 

with edibles, good things come to 

those who wait. Softgels can take 

30 to 90 minutes to start working. 

Once they kick in though, the 

effects can be long-lasting –– up 

to 12 hours. 

Depending on your needs, 

IT’S ALL 

STARTING TO GEL 

Softgel capsules deliver a dose of mother nature’s 

medicine without the mess, smell or 

unpredictability 

By LAUREN DONNELLY 

there’s a couple of different 

options to choose from. There are 

THC and CBD varieties that come 

in sativa or indica dominant strains 

so you can determine what suits 

you best. 

Shega Youngsen, a senior manager 

with Tweed, says softgels 

stand out in the cannabis market 

because of their convenient, precise 

format. 

“You can take them on the go, 

so it’s easy to consume if you’re 

traveling.” 

Tweed softgels are extracted 

cannabis oil diluted in MCT oil and 

start at a 2.5 mg dose. Youngsen 

said that it’s a good starting point 

for anyone who’s new or coming 

back to cannabis. For those who 

know what they’re comfortable 

with there’s a 10 mg 

option as well. 

Whereas some edibles are 

just a sugary, high-calorie 

vehicle for cannabis, with 

softgel capsules the ingredients 

are straightforward. 

“Of course infusing cupcakes 

and brownies is fun,” 

Youngsen says. “But what 

makes a softgel special is 

that there aren’t any added 

ingredients.” 

Tweed softgels are available 

at any licensed retailer 

across Canada, but there are 

lots of other options. 

Aurora’s CanniMed line 

produces vegan softgel 

capsules with CBD and THC 

options including Indica and 

Sativa dominant strains. Online 

dispensary Blue + Yellow 

carries softgel capsules 

and delivers to cities across 

Canada. Natural cannabis 

wellness companies Miss 

Envy and Mary’s Medicinals 

also offer cannabis in capsule 

format. 

Softgels are a discreet, 

unfussy alternative to smoking 

or vaping. Maybe they’re 

less rock and roll, but it’s 

hard to argue with convenience. 

,

Join us at 1637 37 Street SW 

WIN A TRIP TO DUBLIN, IRELAND 

ENTER AT DUBLINCALLING.COM/CALGARY 

@DUBLINCALLINGCALGARY 

Proud sponsor of Sled Island & the Calgary Folk Music Festival 

www.beaseatery.com Open 8am Daily for Breakfast 1023 9th ave s.e. (inside bite in Inglewood)

Drink 

BIG FAT 

ZERO 

THE BEST 0% BEERS IN CANADA 

O’Doul’s 

70 calories, 330 ml 

O’Doul’s is the granddaddy 

of booze-free 

booze. A “de-alcoholized” 

version with less 

then 0.5 per cent has 

been produced by Budweiser 

for decades. 

Tastes the most like 

mainstream brewery 

beer from all of those 

featured here. 

Budweiser 

Prohibition 

160 calories, 473 mls 

Light, fresh and slightly 

bitter, Budweiser’s NA 

entry has classic big 

brewery taste. This 

lighter brew goes best 

with peanuts, a hot dog 

and a game. 

DON’T SAY NAH TO THE NAs 

Offering someone a non-alcoholic beer 

in the past was often met with a smug “What’s the point?” 

The assumption was that someone would only skip “the good 

stuff” if they had to. Wrong. While effective for a booze-free hops 

hit, there are now are plenty of great NA (non-alcoholic) beers with tons 

of taste, all the refreshment and way less calories than the “hard stuff”. 

You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy vegan dishes and you can enjoy an 

NA without renouncing booze. It’s called pacing, maybe a little variety, 

and the non-alcoholic options are better than ever with greater choice 

and broader availability. Here’s BeatRoute’s 

guide to some of the best. 

Erdinger NA 

82 calories 330 ml 

Erdinger is a wheat 

beer that’s hugely 

popular in Germany. 

Big Euro flavour with 

floral hints and natural, 

clean taste with no hint 

of additives. Another 

NA that tastes a lot like 

the “real deal”. 

Grolsch NA 


A tasty take on the 

Dutch treat. The NA 

version of this legendary 

beer from Holland 

hits the flower accent 

hard. It’s a satisfying 

brew that tastes significantly 

different than 

the original. Don’t go 

looking for a Grolsch 

replica. 

By MICHAEL HOLLETT 

Clausthaler 


An excellent German 

lager entry into the 

NA category. Slightly 

sweet with strong 

metallic hop notes, this 

will please those who 

like the grassy European 

lagers. 

0Partake Pale 

0President’s Heineken 0.0 

Choice 


Blonde Brew 

and Red Brew 

Tastes like the “real” 


stuff. Of all the NA 

beers, drinks the 

PC Red and a Blonde 

most like the original. 

Brew are tasty bargains. 

Same great refreshing 

Heineken flavour, 

light taste and the Red 

The Blonde has a great, 

satisfying. Brew has smooth rich 

flavor that could almost 

pass as a Rickards Red. 

Coors Edge 


A big brewery entry 

into the NA market, 

Coors Edge has a light 

clean taste and is a nononsense, 

low calorie 

option. 

Becks NA 


Big German beer taste. 

A relatively hearty beer 

very reminiscent of 

regular Becks. Surprisingly 

low in calories 

yet a full-bodied NA 

choice. 


One of the first “craft” 

entries into the Canadian 

near beer market, 

Partake is already a 

winner of a World Beer 

Award. At only 10 calories, 

this is a winner for 

real beer lovers. They 

also have a blond, IPA 

and stout. 


MUSiC 

My granddad told 

me that the strongest 

thing in this world is love 

and if you spread it, you 

will save human lives. 

It doesn’t matter if you 

save one or a million, 

you’ve succeeded 

at life. 

YUNGBLUD 

ACTUALLY 

DOES GIVE 

A FUCK 

By JORDAN YEAGER 

W 

ith his black eyeliner 

and punk persona, 

Dominic Harrison, 

better known as 

Yungblud, may seem 

intimidating at first 

glance. But the second he cracks 

his wide, genuine smile and says a 

few words in his charming English 

accent, it’s clear the opposite is 

true. 

Harrison grew up in Doncaster 

and moved to London at 16 to pursue 

a creative lifestyle, with more 

than music on his mind. He recently 

announced a comic book collaboration 

with Z2 Comics and Ryan 

O’Sullivan called The Twisted Tales 

of the Ritalin Club. And he wants to 

become an actor. He was featured 

in six episodes of Disney TV series 

“The Lodge” in 2016. 

Obviously, Harrison is adaptable. 

But his sense of self, both personally 

and professionally, wasn’t 

always so cemented. 

CONTINUED ON PG. 16 k 

ERIN COONEY

SLED 

ISLA 

ND 

NOLAN KNIGHT 

Sled Island, Calgary’s dynamic discovery 

indie music festival is back for another stacked 

five days. Sled delivers thoughtful, engaging 

and diverse programming that has become a 

focal point for the music and arts community 

in Western Canada. No matter your vibe, Sled 

Island offers entry points for everyone while 

also digging deep enough for new favourites to 

emerge. 

June 19 to 23, 2019 / Various Locations / 

Tix: sledisland.com 

By SEBASTIAN BUZZALINO 


JULIEN BAKER 

SLED ISLAND 2019’s 

GUEST CURATOR 

J 

ulien Baker’s delicate folk 

songwriting feels like a 

long-forgotten favourite 

sweater. She is emotive 

and resilient, leaving wideopen 

spaces for listeners to enter 

her songs and feel right at home, 

tackling tough topics like trauma, 

substance abuse and self-acceptance. 

It’s at once comforting and 

disarming. In 2018, she co-founded 

boygenius, a supergroup of sorts 

with Lucy Dacus and Phoebe 

Bridgers. 

As this year’s guest curator, Baker 

uses her powerful voice to add 

poetry to Sled Island, contributing 

artists such as Bully, Death Bells, 

Japanese Breakfast and JPEG- 

MAFIA to the lineup. We caught up 

with her to talk about the process 

of guest curating the festival, what 

her vision was for the bands she 

brings to Sled Island and how it all 

fits together into the larger picture 

for 2019. 

What was it like to get approached 

by Sled Island to be 

guest curator? 

JB I’ve never done anything similar 

to curating Sled Island or anything 

close to that scale, so being approached 

by the festival was both 

a massive honour and a daunting 

task. It felt like an enormous gift 

to have a say in what kind of acts 

would be brought to the festival 

and I was happy I would get to help 

create a lineup full of artists that 

bring me so much joy. 

I also felt a slight amount of 

apprehension because I wanted festival-goers 

to enjoy and be able to 

engage with the music as much as I 

do. I think it was an exercise for me 

in letting go of suppositions or trying 

to anticipate the desires of others.

What are you most proud of in 

your role as guest curator? 

JB I wanted booking the festival to 

be a more thoughtful process than 

just picking my favourite bands: I 

mostly wanted to make sure that 

there were a variety of experiences 

and narratives presented. So I 

tried to balance things, make sure 

the acts weren’t all completely 

obscure and also that they weren’t 

all within such a similar vein that 

it was alienating to people who 

maybe preferred another genre. 

I tried to view my role as curator 

as a chance to redirect attention 

to the artists that I believe have 

something important to impart to 

people or who have moved me. I 

think I wanted to, in the most humble 

way possible, put music in front 

of people that has affected me and 

that I think could affect them in a 

meaningful way. 

You are Sled Island’s youngest 

guest curator to date. Do 

you feel that allowed you to 

bring a different vibe to guest 

curating? 

JB It was an enormous honour, 

while a little intimidating. I find I’m 

usually a student of those much 

older or much younger than me, 

those who are either much more 

privy to the current or much more 

versed in the past. Both categories 

of people seem to have a more 

comprehensive understanding 

of music’s intricate, constantly 

emerging history. I suppose that is 

true of any person, since no two 

people are going to have the exact 

same musical taste or preference. 

I think one of the great things 

about this festival is that it sort of 

eliminates the stratification between 

those who organize the fest 

and those who attend. It changes 

the format, removes the somewhat 

invisible arbiters of taste who 

curate a lineup and decide what is 

worthy of attention. I think getting 

rid of that perceived superiority 

gap creates a context that seems 

much more intimate and more 

human, the guest curator is just 

offering their individual knowledge 

to the communal awareness, saying, 

“Here is something that feels 

valuable and important and worthy 

to me. I hope that you can derive 

as much joy from it as I have.” To 

me, music has always been an 

exercise in shared curiosity and I 

hope that, if anything, that spirit of 

curiosity and ongoing conversation 

is my contribution to Sled Island 

this year. 

Julien Baker plays Saturday, June 

22 at The Palace Theatre 

4ESSENTIAL 

SHOWS 

3 CASS 

MCCOMBS 


Central United Church 

There’s nothing flat 

about the earthy tones 

of modern troubadour 

Cass McCombs’ 

latest album, Tip of 

the Sphere. After all, 

the California-bred 

singer-songwriter is a 

seasoned professional 

when it comes to 

surveying life’s emotional 

peaks and valleys. 

Armed with a sharp 

ear and a steady hand, 

the politically-minded 

myth-maker draws on 

traditional Western 

rock, folk and punk to 

1 

MAN OR 

ASTRO MAN? 

Saturday, May 22 

Dickens Pub 

A radioactive rock and roll 

juggernaut dedicated to 

bringing the good word 

of science fiction to the 

galaxy, Man or Astro-Man? 

have scoured the globe to 

fill their set with the most 

stimulating sounds and 

diminutive lyrics in the 

known universe. 

Attracting alien species 

from all quadrants with an 

array of zany but airtight 

tracks, their performances 

encapsulate the atomic 

excitement of an Apollo 

2 BULLY 

Friday, June 21 

Palace Theatre 

There’s no better stress 

relief than forming a punk 

rock band and venting 

frustrations with chords 

and kick drums. Alicia 

Bognanno has never 

needed much of an excuse 

to rebel against the 

status quo. As the front 

woman of Nashville’s Bully, 

she’s strapped herself 

into both the driver’s seat 

weave vivid narratives for 

modern times. He’s an 

alt-country architect with 

a pop-coloured vision that 

has been framed out over 

the course of a 10-album 

and 15-year career. Mc- 

Combs has made exploration 

and experimentation 

the crux of his practice. 

Some songs meander 

like lazy rivers while 

others leap and gallop like 

horses fleeing a burning 

stable, but they all reference 

classic Americana. 

For McCombs, it’s not 

about recreating the past, 

but reflecting on a shared 

history in a relatable and 

authentic way. Seductive 

in all its mangy dog 

splendour, McCombs’ 

signature sound with its 

dark humour, harmonic 

brain dumps and counterculture 

root-downs has 

the potential to unclog 

cognitive filters and flood 

the hidden catacombs of 

the human soul. 

Christine Leonard 

splashdown, complete 

with all the rocket-fuelled 

and the producer’s chair 

in order to launch their 

dangerous garage rock 

dreams into the stratosphere. 

Brave enough to 

expose wounds old and 

fresh, Bognanno channels 

her excess angst 

and energy on the stage 

and in the studio. After 

five years of slogging 

it out, the heavy hooks 

and hard turns that have 

defined Bully’s rough 

exterior are more than 

4 RAPSODY 

Thursday, June 20 

Palace Theatre 

Rapsody (aka Marlanna Evans) 

is a modern hip-hop enigma. The 

rapper grew up in the small town 

of Snow Hill, NC, and did not 

discover her love of hip-hop until 

she entered college. No matter 

if Evans was a late bloomer, she 

has germinated and taken root 

in the music scene, establishing 

herself as a smooth, 

sophisticated emcee, known 

for her elaborate rhyme 

configurations, wordplay and 

metaphors. 

Her sophomore release, 

Laila’s Wisdom (2017), was 

met with critical acclaim and 

saw her collaborating with 

some of hip-hop’s biggest stars, 

including Anderson .Paak, J. Cole, 

H.E.R. and Kendrick Lamar. Channeling 

chill west coast vibes from 

g-funk-era soul samples with the 

raw grit, bounce and technicality 

of east coast production, 

Rapsody delivers an authentic 

blend of hip-hop 

and R&B. Tory Rosso 

antics fans have come to 

expect from these punk 

just crude devices. Bully 

rules the hallways with a 

strict DIY dress code of 

fuzzy guitars and neon 

screams that go beyond 

the easy 90s Seattle 

scene comparisons. 

Warmed by the glow of 

Bognanno’s fiery lyrics, 

the band’s stripped down 

style sets aside the 

artificial and allows their 

naked skills to shine 

through the noise, grunge 

and glamour. 


rock kosmonauts. 

Roll over, Dick Dale! 

Here we have mercurial 

surf guitar mechanics with 

instrumental ranges that 

rival those slick-haired 

stringbenders of the early 

60s. Claiming the dance 

floor as their personal 

Area 51, this Tesla-coil 

crew sets the scene for 

close encounters with the 

light fantastic. Undeniably 

catchy, Man or Astro-Man?’s 

nimble picking 

and rumbling rhythms are 

the perfect soundtrack for 

a high-octane dune buggy 

rally or just another day of 

watching UFOs crash into 

the ocean. Life’s a beach. 



MUSiC CONCERT PREVIEWS 

ERIN COONEY 

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JUNE 

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JUNE 

YUNGBLUD 

k CONTINUED FROM PG. 13 

“When you don’t know who 

you are and you’re searching for YUNGBLUD 

acceptance, you’re forced to find Friday, June 14 

yourself,” he says. “When you’re Venue Nightclub (Van) 

put in a position where you’re Tix: Sold out 

either going to drown or swim, 

you teach yourself to swim, whether that’s 

through drinking, drugs, sex, or rebellion. 

For me, it was music. I figured out who 

I was and how to talk about my issues 

through songwriting. At first, people told 

me who they thought I should be – they 

thought I should flutter my eyelashes, wink 

at the girls and sing pop music with about 

as much charisma as a pint of water. And I 

did, until I realized how deeply sad I was. It 

was just not enough for me.” 

Thus, Yungblud was born, in an act 

of protest. His first album, 21st Century 

Liability, was a breakout hit, establishing a 

burgeoning international fan base for the 

band. He has even higher hopes for his 

forthcoming release. 

“I love albums like Good Kid, m.A.A.d 

City by Kendrick Lamar and Blonde by 

Frank Ocean that are just so incredibly well 

thought out,” he says. “21st Century is a 

concept album, but it was my first one, so I 

have not nailed it yet. I’m happy I didn’t nail 

it; I have room to grow, I’m learning, and 

I’m excited for this next one. The concept 

is ever-changing, but it’s about the people 

I meet. You’re the best judge of how you 

can be the best you – you don’t have to 

conform to the perception of who people 

think you should be. This album is almost 

a tribute to individualism. I want Yungblud 

to be a community where you can be who 

you want to be no matter what, without 

judgment and without hostility.” 

Yungblud’s message resonates 

with his fans so strongly 

that they’ve formed the Black 

Hearts Club. It’s exactly what 

it sounds like – Harrison has 

a little black heart tattoo, and 

now thousands of others across the globe 

do, too. 

“It’s so crazy that it just happened 

because they felt so connected with me, 

and I felt so connected with them,” says 

Harrison. “That’s the craziest thing I’ve 

ever experienced in my life. We put things 

on our bodies, and now we have a mutual 

connection. It’s like a code. And I didn’t do 

it – it was created by them.” 

Platforms like social media help break 

down the wall between artists and 

audiences and with outlets like the Black 

Hearts Club, Yungblud wants to break 

them down altogether. 

“I ain’t Yungblud the high and mighty, 

the person who’s saving the world,” he 

says. “I’m just a person talking to other 

people about our issues. I’m wrong sometimes, 

and they correct me. And they’re 

wrong sometimes, and I correct them. 

Yungblud is a community, a conversation. 

It’s solidarity, energy and excitement. 

“My granddad told me that the strongest 

thing in this world is love and if you 

spread it, you will save human lives. It 

doesn’t matter if you save one or a million, 

you’ve succeeded at life. And I was like, 

‘Granddad, that’s fucking crazy.’” , 

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PAAK M 

MUSiC COVER STORY 

Friendships fuelled 

Anderson .Paak’s 

transition from the 

streets to the stage 

and studio 

By Joey Lopez 


ANA nderson .Paak moved from couch 

surfing to crowd surfing in 10 short 

years, becoming one of this decade’s 

most important and respected hiphop 

and soul singers. His star continues 

to rise, as his latest stacked 

world tour demonstrates with guest 

appearances from acts like Thundercat, 

Vince Staples and Earl Sweatshirt. 

.Paak was homeless, bouncing from couch 

to couch just a decade ago while pursuing 

his music dreams, relying on relationships he 

built in the LA music scene to keep afloat. 

Never having a place of his own but always 

a place to go, .Paak was given the support 

to go from being an unknown musician to a 

Grammy-nominated superstar. 

“My close friends were always letting me 

use their studio or letting me use their couch. 

If I didn’t have those relationships I don’t know 

if I would’ve been able to get over that bridge,” 

“When I didn’t have a 

spot of my own it was 

the people around me 

who were like, ‘You’re 

super dope, we 

love you. You can stay 

here and what 

I have is yours.” 

says .Paak, soft spoken and clearly drained 

two weeks into his Best Teef In the Game 

tour. 

Although he’s exhausted, that doesn’t 

keep .Paak from enthusiastically running 

with every question; delivering each answer 

with excitement and humble honesty. On his 

life before fame, he doesn’t speak of himself, 

but of the people who loved him. 

“When I didn’t have a spot of my own it 

was the people around me who were like, 

‘You’re super dope, we love you. You can 

stay here and what I have is yours.’ I think 

CONTINUED ON PG. 22 k


Wheat Kings 

CHRIS GRAHAM 

Andy Shauf remains on 

the outside looking in with 

Foxwarren By KATHRYN HELMORE 

A 

ndy Shauf is one of Canada’s 

most talented multi-instrumentalist 

singer-songwriters, 

and he got his start in 

Regina’s unlikely booming 

Christian punk scene. But 

even from within, he never 

would drink the Kool-Aid. 

“The mid-2000s punk scene in Regina 

was about positivity and community with 

a religious tone,” says Shauf. “But when 

it came to the faith, I was kind of following 

along. I tried really hard to get into it, 


but something just didn’t line up 

in my brain.” 

Perhaps this sums up the 

appeal of Shauf’s music. His 

album, The Party (2016), is a 

contemplation on a single night, 

offering minute observations 

of a humanity we all recognize. 

It masterfully weaves together 

ornate arrangements, fuzzed-out guitars, 

string sections, clarinets and hazy 

FOXWARREN 

synths. It’s the diary entry of wallflowers 

and outsiders everywhere, written in the 

small hours of the morning following a 

crowded house party. 

“The punk shows of Regina were 

always mix-matched,” says Shauf. “It 

was a mix of metal bands and hardcore 

bands. I was the acoustic emo kid. I’ve 

never been very extreme so I found 

myself just a little out of place.” 

Shauf’s repertoire manages to capture 

the yearning feeling of being “just a little 

out of place.” 

Calgary: 

Saturday, June 1 

Commonwealth Bar 

& Stage 

Vancouver: 

Tuesday, June 4 

Biltmore Cabaret 

Tix: $15-$20 

His latest work with Foxwarren 

is no exception and has 

been ten years in the making. 

Reuniting with high-school 

friends Dallas Bryson and 

brothers Avery and Darryl 

Kissick, Foxwarren released a 

debut self-titled LP in November. 

Compared to Shauf’s solo 

work, the album is artfully spacious and 

wields lyrical ambiguity masterfully. 

Yet, despite the connection that comes 

from a collaboration Shauf describes as 

‘the Simon and Garfunkel of his highschool,’ 

the words unsaid and the chords 

unplayed carry with them that same 

melancholy sense of otherness. 

“The album did not come out the way 

we expected it to,” says Shauf. “When 

recording, we planned a rock and roll 

album inspired by the Rolling Stones. 

That’s not how it turned out.” 

Shauf’s ethereal, honey-toned voice 

and acoustic guitar melds with eccentric, 

diverse instrumentation. It’s the perfect 

complement to a summer afternoon 

— nostalgic, yet somehow filled with 

conflict. 

Shauf’s music resonates because it 

speaks to our “out of place” sentimentality. 

The chords mirror the touch of frigid 

glass on fingertips as one peers through 

a locked window into a world that is 

seemingly populated by insiders. In capturing 

that sentiment through masterful 

songwriting and instrumentalism, Shauf 

and Foxwarren create an awareness of 

the living and breathing community beyond 

the looking glass. Only time will tell 

if the orchestrators of our awareness, 

Foxwarren, will continue their collaborative 

study of the uncollaborated soul.

5ON THE SIDE 

FOXWARREN is (L-R) Darryl Kissick, Dallas Bryson, Avery Kissick and Andy Shauf 

Some musicians just don’t play 

nice with others and prefer to go 

it alone with their solo projects, 

while others thrive in a group 

setting. Some do both! Here’s 

a list of our favourite Canadian 

musicians who divide their time 

between their solo endeavours 

and full blown projects. 

1 

KATHRYN CALDER/NEW 

PORNOGRAPHERS: 

Neko Case isn’t the only member 

of the New Pornographers 

with her own solo material. The 

Victoria-born Calder has played 

in three different bands and has 

released three albums of her own. 

She also runs her own label, Oscar 

St. Records. 

2 NINETEEN85/ 

DVSN: 

The recent Grammy winner for 

Producer of the Year has played 

a huge role in shaping the worldly 

influences that make up Drake and 

the OVO sound, but he’s also one 

half of the smooth R&B duo dvsn. 

3 

DALLAS GREEN/ 

ALEXISONFIRE: 

Not only is Dallas Green a softtoned 

acoustic crooner under 

the alias City & Colour, he also 

plays guitar and keyboards for the 

post-hardcore outfit Alexisonfire. 

Talk about range! 

4 

AMY MILLAN/ 

STARS: 

When she’s not dueting on 

indie-pop harmonies in Stars 

or performing with the massive 

collective of Broken Social Scene, 

Millan found time to put out two 

solo albums on Arts & Crafts in the 

late 2000s. 

5 

RICHARD REED PARRY/ 

ARCADE FIRE: 

Parry is one of the most impressive 

multi-instrumentalists in 

Arcade Fire - yes, the one you 

always see jamming out on his 

accordion - but you can also find 

him diving into his post-rock roots 

as an indie-folk singer on his own. 

Check out our review of Quiet 

River of Dust Vol. 2 on Page 32. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5


PAAK MAN 

k CONTINUED FROM PG. 19 

that’s what determines if people 

are going to give up or keep going, 

those relationships.” 

If not for the support, .Paak 

wouldn’t have released his debut 

album Venice, which earned him 

the attention of his longtime hero 

Dr. Dre. After hearing an impromptu 

freestyle from .Paak, Dre featured 

him on Compton (2015). Three 

years later, Dre was producing 

.Paak’s outstanding back-to-back 

acclaimed releases. Oxnard was 

a banging hip-hop record that 

allowed .Paak to experiment with 

his own unique rap flow, dropping 

the soul grooves for a gritty hiphop 

production. Ventura, a return 

to form with a heavy focus on soul 

and beautiful instrumentals from 

his band, The Free Nationals. 

The process was a loaded one 

with help from legends in the game, 

including the prolific André 3000. 

.Paak’s laughter breaks through a 

yawn when talking about 3000. 

“There’s so much that goes into 

one verse because that’s not just 

a verse to him, it’s like a whole album. 

Even after we got it, it wasn’t 

over because he called and was 

like, ‘I don’t know if I should be 

on the song. I don’t know if I did 

a good job.’ and I was like, ‘The 

fuck are you talking about?’ We 

had to have a little pep talk and 

even when it was about to release 

he still was doubting it and I had to 

reassure him, but now it’s done.” 

Getting a single verse from 3000 

was a year-long process, but .Paak 

says it’s one of the craziest verses 

he’s ever heard. Viewing him as a 

hermetic legend, .Paak felt lucky 

despite the ordeal. 

Big name collaborations have 

been a part of a series of goals 

.Paak set for himself. 

Back when he was living 

in Kentucky, he laid 

his dreams out, making 

a promise to himself 

that with his debut album 

he would sell 10,000 records, 

buy the clothes he wanted, a new 

car, make a million bucks and then 

make it big. He’s taken the time to 

look back on his accomplishments 

and says he’s realizing it’s time for 

the next logical step. 

“I had all these things working 

out and I turned around and was 

like, ‘What the fuck? You did all of 

this shit?’ So it was time to make 

a new goal: After this tour, I really 

want to hop on the production shit, 

helping other artists; helping them 

write and helping them produce.” 

He measures his words, falling 

silent between answers to give 

each one proper thought. “I feel like 

I’ve just been putting out music, so 

now I just want to lay low.” 

In particular, .Paak wants to help 

his band, The Free Nationals, in 

their journey to becoming a powerful 

entity and breaking out on their 

own. The band has been a huge 

source for his signature soul and 

groove sound. 

ANDERSON .PAAK 


PNE Amphitheatre (Van) 

Tix: $59.50, ticketmaster.ca 

Beyond the artistry, 

the touring, the Grammy 

nominations and critical 

acclaim he is Brandon 

Paak Anderson; father 

of Soul Rasheed Anderson 

and Shine Anderson. His two 

sons are his biggest inspiration to 

take a step back from touring and 

songwriting. 

“Touring and putting on shows 

is great, but I also want to be my 

best self, so that’s what I want to 

keep building on and not just being 

a performer. I also have to get 

that family time. I have two sons 

back home and they’re absolutely 

beautiful, man.” 

.Paak began humbly with 

nothing but a pearlescent smile 

and an undeniable talent. Now 

famous for both, he is one of the 

most exciting acts in music today. 

The happiness and contentment 

is apparent in the way he speaks; 

knowing he has a story he’s enthusiastic 

to tell. 

There might not be any new 

music from .Paak in the near 

future, but expect to see his name 

plastered on producer credits 

between now and his next highly 

anticipated release. , 

UPCOMING EVENTS 

Wed June 5 | The Gateway Presents: 

OCEAN ALLEY 

with RUBY WATERS 

Mon June 10 | MRG Concerts Presents: 

BOBBY BAZINI 

with ELLIOT MAGINOT 

Tue Sept 17 | MRG Concerts Presents: 

ZIGGY ALBERTS 

with SPECIAL GUESTS 

Sat Sept 28 | ConcertWorks Presents: 

CANCER BATS 

with SINGLE MOTHERS & SHARPTOOTH 

Sat Nov 30 | The Gateway Presents: 

HILLTOP HOODS 

with ADRIAN EAGLE 

MONTHLY WINGO & TRIVIA NIGHTS RETURN IN SEPTEMBER! 

Follow The Gateway on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter to stay 

informed on all upcoming events! 

GATEWAYYYC.COM/EVENTS 

THE GATEWAY IN SAIT CAMPUS CENTRE, 1301 - 16 AVENUE NW, CALGARY, AB. 18+, LEGAL ID REQUIRED. THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO ALL SAIT STUDENTS, STAFF, FACULTY, ALUMNI, MEMBERS, AND GUESTS. PLEASE VISIT SAITSA.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION. 


You listen to CJSW all day long. 

Now, CJSW wants to hear from you. 

Visit cjsw.com/survey to have your say!

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Psych-rock dream team 

PRESENTS 

Sean Lennon 

talks John and Yoko’s 

essential influence 

and diving South Of 

Reality with Primus 

frontman Les 

Claypool 

By JOHNNY PAPAN 

B 

y the time Sean Ono 

Lennon was born, his 

father, John Lennon, 

music icon and peace 

activist, had already 

embarked on several artistic and 

philosophical evolutions. 

Though Sean’s time with his dad 

was short, it was rich, and the 

majority of his young life, before 

John’s murder, was spent with his 

father at his side, the older Lennon 

having famously decided to 

be a “house husband.” 

“There’s so many things I’ve 

always admired about my dad,” 

Lennon explains. “He never 

stayed the same; I think that’s really 

incredible. If you look at the 

difference between Abbey Road 

and Two Virgins, it’s such a stark 

transformation. He was always 

looking to revise and improve 

his worldview and his thinking. 

I think that is true creativity, and 

it’s true intelligence as well.” 

Lennon was only five years old 

when his father was killed outside 

their home in New York City 

on December 8, 1980, leaving a 

void not only in his life, but the 

lives of millions of music fans and 

activists across the globe. Lennon 

continued being raised by 

his mother, conceptual artist and 

activist Yoko Ono. He learned the 

guitar by playing Beatles songs 

while Ono taught him how to 

record and produce music. Ono 

also influenced Lennon with her 

interpretation of art, which impacted 

him during his formative 

years. 

“She has this philosophy about 

art and creativity that art takes 

place in your mind, and the medium 

in which you express the 

idea is unimportant,” 

Lennon says. 

“It’s secondary. She’s 

never really felt like Tuesday, June 25 

there was a medium The Commodore 

Ballroom (Van) 

she couldn’t do. She 

made films, paintings, 

sculptures, rock 

and roll records. For her, it was all 

just another kind of paint.” 

Now 43, Lennon has drawn 

influence from both his parents. 

His voice is a ghost-like match 

to his father’s, and he explores a 

modernized style of psychedelia 

in his songwriting. He currently 

is part of the Claypool-Lennon 

Delirium, an atmospheric 

rock group formed with Primus 

frontman Les Claypool. The duo 

dropped their second record, 

South Of Reality, earlier this year. 

Many of Lennon’s songs on the 

album read like short stories. The 

first single, “Blood and Rockets,” 

tells of Jack Parsons, a rocket 

scientist and engineer who 

CLAYPOOL- 

LENNON DELIRIUM 

with Jim James 

Tix: $49.50, ticketmaster.ca 

helped develop the 

liquid fuel technology 

that eventually led 

America to the moon. 

Parsons was also 

enamored with the 

occult and practiced 

witchcraft. He died in 

a science experiment explosion. 

“Amethyst Realm” was written 

after Lennon watched a TV report 

about a woman who claimed 

she was having sex with ghosts. 

Much like his father, Lennon’s 

music is decorated with references 

to social discourse. He 

feels that social media has been 

monopolized, and free speech is 

being compromised to the algorithms 

of artificial intelligence. 

Our “connections” have led to 

real-world disconnect, resulting 

in the degradation of human empathy. 

“A lot of my songs tend to be 

based on real life surrealism,” 

Lennon says. “The modern world 

is so bizarre, it almost feels unnecessary 

to make things up 

anymore.” 

It’s clear where Lennon’s extended 

worldview and experiential 

artistic style come from. 

“Some people feel like, in order 

to forge their identity, they 

need to reject their parents entirely,” 

he says. “Some people 

don’t feel that way at all. In my 

case, I was prone towards the 

latter because my dad died when 

I was young. Him disappearing 

from my life amplified my 

desire to be a part of music. It 

was a way of finding some kind 

of solace from the void that was 

left by him not being around. It 

was the only thing that made me 

feel like I was still connecting to 

him.” 

John & Yoko: Above Us Only 

Sky documentary reminds 

BeatRoute’s MIchael Hollett 

of visiting Ono at the Dakota, 

page 43. 

(CHAM 

AKA Baby Cham) 

JUNE 6 

MOVIE NIGHT 

PLAZA THEATRE 

MACEWAN HALL 

UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY 

FEATURING 

LUCIANO 

LYNN OLAGUNDOYE 

DELHI 2 DUBLIN 

JORY KINJO HAWKEYE 

PHONOSONICS 

WAYMATEA & 

THE HIGH LIFE 

SOUND COLLECTIVE 

JUNE 8 

AFTER PARTY 

THE DEN 

TICKETS & INFO AT: 

WWW.REGGAEFEST.CA 

CALGARYREGGAEFEST 

REGGAEFEST_YYC 

REGGAEFEST_YYC 


it’s better at the 

Calgary’s downtown stampede tent 

Live entertainment! 

Craft cocktails! 

Authentic bbq! 

july 4 - july 13 

contact our events team for information on corporate parties, stagette 

packages, group parties, private events & sports team fundraisers: 

events@wildhorsesaloon.com

Thursday 

July 4 

Matt Mays 

tuesday 

July 

9 

Friday 

July 

5 

plus more to be announced! 

>>>>> tickets available at showpass.com 

wildhorsesaloon.ca x 500 6th Ave SW

CRACK CLOUD/ MATILDA HILL JENKINS 

SKYE WALLACE/JOH PACKMAN 

the Playlist: 

10 

1 

Skye Wallace 

There Is A Wall 

With a classically-trained vocal 

delivery that ranges from folksy to 

full-fledged rock and roll frontwoman, 

Wallace is out for blood on this 

assertive single that calls out the 

barriers to female success. 

2 

Crack Cloud 

The Next Fix 

Vancouver multimedia punk outfit 

Crack Cloud switch up their style 

with a half-rapped track that 

serves as a dedication to victims of 

the opioid crisis. The music video 

is as much of a journey as the song 

itself. 

3 Loving 

Nihilist Kite Flyer 

The Victoria indie rock band 

returns with a calming single about 

getting lost in life’s simple joys. Go 

fly a kite and forget about your 

responsibilities. Like they say, who 

needs a meaning? 

4 

Ed Sheeran & 

Justin Bieber 

I Don’t Care 

We know you’ll get sick of this one 

as soon as it works its way onto every 

“chill summer” Spotify playlist, 

but for now enjoy it for what it is 

- another inoffensive and inescapable 

earworm from Swedish pop 

mastermind Max Martin 

5 

The Black Keys 

Go 

With an accompanying video that 

pokes fun at the tensions between 

the duo during their musical hiatus, 

they return to doing what they do 

best. A little heavier than usual, 

indulge in the crunchy garage rock 

goodness. 

songs in heavy rotation at the BR offices right now 

1 2 6 

8 

5 

DJ Khaled 

drops “another 

one” with his 

release of 

Father of 

Asahd. 

7 

6 

Denzel Curry 

SPEEDBOAT 

The aggressive and technically 

skilled rapper takes an unexpected 

turn with a somber piano 

instrumental … that he of course 

proceeds to tear to shreds anyway, 

shouting out his late roommate 

XXXTENTACION on the way. 

Check out the rest of Curry’s new 

album, ZUU, just released! 

7 

DJ Khaled 

Higher 

9 

(Ft. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend) 

The last song Nipsey Hussle ever 

recorded, he drops some chillingly 

prophetic bars as John Legend 

brings some gospel flavour to the 

hook. All proceeds from the track 

go to Hussle’s family. 

8 

Tyler, the Creator 

EARFQUAKE 

(Ft. Playboi Carti & Charlie Wilson) 

It almost seems wrong to listen to 

IGOR as anything but a complete 

album experience, but this synthfunk 

tune is the closest thing on 

the project to a pop hook that will 

never get out of your head. Igor’s 

falling in love. Check out the full 

review of the album on page 32! 

9 Alexisonfire 

Complicit 

We knew that 2012 “Farewell Tour” 

wasn’t really the end. Their second 

single this year after a seven-year 

hiatus, the Canadian emo-hardcore 

giants return with similarly catchy 

guitar riffs but heavier, more growled 

vocals dominating the track. 

10 

Charli XCX 

Blame It On Your Love 

(Ft. Lizzo) 

A more radio-friendly rework of 

“Track 10” from Charli’s experimental 

pop opus Pop 2, she adds some 

sugary synthpop flavour and a fun 

verse from breakout star Lizzo. “I 

HOPE THIS BECOMES UR NEW 

PARTY ANTHEM,” she tweeted. 

VANESSA HEINS 


J U N E 

B R U N C H • L U N C H • D I N N E R • L I V E M U S I C 

no cover 

VINYL BRUNCH 

June 12-16 

jazzyyc 

summer 

festival 

Ryan JUNE FRI 

7 

Langlois 

WITH 

SIDNEY MAY WEICH 


I M U R 

SUN JUNE 16 

WITH DJ ARCHIVE 

VIBE • EAT • DRINK 

EVERY SUN 

THE YYSCENE PRESENTS 

SONGSMITH 

SUNDAYS 

WITHJustine 

Vandergrift 

VARIATIONS 

JAZZ • TUES 

1STJason valleau 

2NDTimothonius 

FRI JUNE 28 

BELLFLOWER 

SAT JUNE 29 

YES WE MYSTIC 

CANADIAN TOUR 

Ken Stead • Wares • Sam Tudor 

VISIT KINGEDDY.CA FOR 

INFO AND TICKETS 

Conversations with Bears • Evan 

Freeman • Natural Twenty • DJ 

Kane • JP Maurice • SHPIK • Kelly Steele Quartet • Elizabeth 

Shepherd • HYMM • Astral Swans • Melted Mirror • 36? 

Counterfeit Jeans • Screaming Females • Matthew Cardinal 

Lucid 44 • Lashes • Ziibiwan • Cole The God • Lié • Bonnie Doon 

Blessed • Death Bells 

3RDcam buie trio 

HAPPY HOUR 

MATT MASTERS 

EVERY FRI 4-7 PM 

G R O O V E 

T H EORY 

CALGARY 

EVERY THURS 

WITH 

King Eddy | 438 9 Avenue SE, Calgary kingeddy.ca @KingEddyYYC #KingEddyYYC

Reviews 

MUSiC 

Album Review 

CARLY RAE JEPSEN 

Dedicated 

INTERSCOPE 

Emotion reinvented Carly Rae Jepsen 

as more than just a candy-coated 

pop star and established her as an 

album-oriented artist that even indie 

kids could get down with. 

Dedicated is a well crafted synth 

pop album that is more of a grower 

than a show-er. It has its share of 

dance floor-ready tracks like “Now 

That I Found You” and “Party For One,” 

and even though they lack the sugar 

rush of “I Really Like You” or the massive 

hook of “Boy Problems,” Jepsen 

boasts an adrenaline fuelled collection 

of upbeat songs that will have you 

humming along. 

The production sticks to familiar 

territory with its disco- and 

80s-influenced mid-paced tracks 

that edge towards R&B. The skatinged 

“I’ll Be Your Girl” is a bit 

more experimental and boasts a 

monstrous chorus. 

Jepsen has a knack for keeping 

things in that enjoyable sweet 

spot, staying danceable without 

forcing listeners to get out on the 

floor. Before the album’s release, 

she said she wanted to make 

music to clean her house to; Dedicated 

stays true to that intention. 

One of Jepsen’s strengths is 

her ability to portray the nervous 

excitement of a new relationship, 

or of waking up next to someone 

you love. Dedicated continues this 

tradition with album highlight “Real 

Love,” and even amps up the thirst 

with “Want You In My Room.” It’s 

an album filled with her characteristic 

portrayal of longing. 

While it would be nice to have a 

couple monster singles or daring 

experiments to take this album 

to the next level, when you do 

what she does so well, sometimes 

playing it safe is okay too. 

Jepsen kicks off her Canadian 

tour at the Commodore Ballroom 

in Vancouver on August 28 and 

29. 

Best Track: Right Words 

Wrong Time 

Graeme Wiggins 


MUSiC ALBUM REVIEWS 

TYLER, 

THE CREATOR 

IGOR 

Columbia Records 

It’s rare to see a complete career 

reinvention like what Tyler, the 

Creator has pulled off. From the 

early criticisms of his intentionally 

shocking horrorcore rap all the way 

to the lush and vibrant Flower Boy, 

Tyler has always aimed to surprise 

and elicit strong emotions in his 

audience. 

His latest project, IGOR, comes 

with a written instruction manual 

asking fans to concentrate on the 

album and play it straight through 

with as little distraction as possible. 

And it’s easy to stay focused because 

Tyler’s story is a compelling 

one. We hear the Igor character 

experience some complicated and 

confusing emotions for the first 

time as he falls in love with a man, 

becomes violently angry when his 

love interest becomes involved with 

a girl, and finally realizes what he’s 

become, getting over the crush and 

hoping to remain friends. 

With a wildly talented list of 

collaborators that includes all of 

Tyler’s greatest idols and influences 

– Santigold, Pharrell Williams, Kanye 

West and more – the sound of the 

project is essentially a much darker, 

more distorted Flower Boy. 

On IGOR, Tyler plays around with 

the sunny synths of his last work 

and shows how far he’s come as a 

producer in the interim. Take Tyler’s 

advice and really dive into this one. 

It’s a dense but rewarding listen. 

Best Track: I THINK 

Ben Boddez 

HOT CHIP 

A Bath Full of Ecstasy 

Domino 

With A Bath Full of Ecstasy, the 

indie-infused electronic group from 

London returns in a symphonic 

smash of bangers, leaving listeners 

longing for more. Lucky number 

seven on a discography that dates 

back to 2004, the album is a 

refined array of synth pop anthems 

reminiscent of 80s and 90s electro. 

It’s an album that feels complete, 

with an attention to detail that 

allows each song room to breathe 

in their often five or six-minute 

run-times. 

Lead-vocalist, Alexis Taylor, 

manages to transcend himself 

with a performance that drives 

and complements layered synths, 

heavy drum-beats and crisp major 

piano chords. Lyrically, the album 

is a love song that doesn’t specify 

a target. The sometimes repetitive, 

chart friendly words echo and roll 

off Taylor’s tongue in a psychedelic 

sort of poetry. 

For years, Hot Chip has been 

known for their unique take on 

electronic music that varies from 

song to song and album to album, 

but A Bath Full of Ecstasy feels like 

a decisive, colourful line in the sand 

that says, finally: This is us. 

Best Track: Hungry Child 

Brendan Lee 

BARONESS 

Gold & Grey 

Abraxan Hymns 

From the opening rays of “Front 

Towards Enemy,” it’s obvious 

Baroness has risen from their own 

ashes and come to flourish in the 

aftermath of a tour bus crash that 

left the Savannah, Georgia-based 

heavy metal entity twisted and 

broken. 

Leading the charge, guitar god 

John Baizley returns to the limelight 

with a fury. The subject of much 

interest and speculation, Gold & 

Grey presents a band that has been 

reinvigorated by the synergistic 

presence of incoming guitarist Gina 

Gleason. 

Boasting 17 indefatigable 

tracks, the dual-toned album shifts 

smoothly between singles like 

the sinuous “Seasons” and the 

hyper-observant “Borderlines.” A 

naturally intense Baizley perpetuates 

his examination of the human 

condition with a long-absent sense 

of wonder and even enjoyment on 

“Broken Halo” and “Throw Me an 

Anchor.” 

A gallery of layered vocals 

and intricate rhythmic patterns 

elevate “I Would Do Anything” and 

“Pale Sun” to a level of excellence 

commensurate with visual artist 

Baizley’s jaw-dropping album cover 

murals. 

Best Track: Seasons 


RICHARD 

REED PARRY 

Quiet River of Dust Vol. 2: 

That Side of the River 

Secret City 

Though we all know him best as 

the guy from Arcade Fire with the 

iconic side-part, Richard Reed Parry 

has proven his versatility through 

multiple solo records and collaborations 

outside of his internationally 

adored indie rock band. 

Last year, Quiet River of Dust 

Vol. 1 invited listeners into an ambient 

space with a strong songwriting-oriented 

core. The sequel – Vol. 

2 – brings that layered liminality to 

new heights. Parry explores such 

illusive constants as time and the 

vessels we inhabit. 

Quiet River of Dust Vol. 2 hints 

at the fluidity of slowly moving 

water, rippling, flowing and building 

toward the intensity of a strong 

current. Varied instrumental tones 

are subtly and effortlessly layered 

around repetitive rhythms and 

melodies, creating a wavelike aura 

of both escalation and consistency 

throughout each track. 

Despite this emphasis on atmosphere, 

the heart of the album is 

Parry’s poetry. However abstract, 

each verse clearly follows a core 

metaphysical theme of absorption, 

release and acceptance in life’s 

flowing tides. The result is steady 

and dreamlike. 

Best Track: Long Way Back 

Safiya Hopfe 

SKEPTA 

Ignorance is Bliss 

Boy Better Know Records 

With rumbling bass and rapid-fire 

flows, UK’s Skepta continues to 

show why he’s the leading voice in 

the grime game with his return to 

form on Ignorance Is Bliss. Skepta’s 

2016 album, Konnichiwa, was a 

major catalyst towards alerting 

a North American audience to 

the presence of grime music – a 

menacing and aggressive style of 

techno-influenced rap based out 

of the UK. 

Skepta’s rise to prominence 

even got him a premium placement 

on a Drake project, but you won’t 

hear the 6 God on this outing. Now, 

the top dog from South London 

stands out on his own and his bark 

is as badass as his bite. Skepta 

returns with another solid series 

of tracks that doesn’t necessarily 

reinvent the wheel, but impresses 

nonetheless due to his dominance 

of his own lane and his signature 

cadence. 

Skepta’s bluntly descriptive lyrics 

pair well with his all-out attack on 

any kind of instrumental, while his 

subtle flow switches sneak up and 

catch you off guard. Skepta also 

outshines every one of his guests, 

which include Key! and Wizkid, with 

ease, proving that while the genre 

continues to evolve, Skepta is still 

holding court. 

Best Track: Redrum 

Ben Boddez 


UPCOMING EVENTS 

JUN 7 

LATIN NIGHT 

w/ Latin Sound Productions 

JUN 8 

JUN 18 

JUN 20 

JUN 21 

JUN 26 

CALGARY AIR GUITAR 

CHAMPIONSHIPS 

SINGLES POOL TOURNAMENT 

GUTTER KING 

w/ Stasis & Only The Strong 

MATT BLAIS 

Album Release Party 

ART BATTLE 

Live Competitive Painting 

Tickets and full listings 

TheRecRoom.com 

The Rec Room® is owned by Cineplex Entertainment L. P. 

CHECK OUT THE RECORD THAT HAS EVERYONE TALKING 

Mojo Magazine 

4 Stars 

Planet Rock 

“…A deep, deep 

record” 

LA Weekly 

“…now it’s Duff’s 

time to shine.” 

Hot Press 

9★ “…a stunningly 

powerful album” 

CD & LP avaialble 05.31.19 


MUSiC ALBUM REVIEWS 

Interview 

JESSE DEFLORIO 

G N’ R BASSIST SEARCHES FOR 

HUMANITY IN AMERICA 

DUFF MCKAGAN 

Tenderness 

UNIVERSAL MUSIC 

On the road with Guns N’ Roses 

during their Not In This Lifetime 

reunion tour, bassist Duff McKagan 

felt like he was driving through a 

vast landscape of disillusion and 

injustice. Donald Trump had just 

been elected as the President of 

the United States and McKagan 

believed he was watching the “land 

of the free” become a vista of ruin 

and fear. 

This is the inspiration behind 

McKagan’s acoustically driven solo 

release, Tenderness. The title track 

suggests the social and cultural 

divide being marketed to us is leaning 

on humankind’s natural curiosity 

for catastrophe. McKagan says we 

just need a little tenderness to see 

through it and hopes the album can 

mend the turmoil caused by this 

media-enhanced political divide. 

“Before we started this Guns N’ 

Roses tour something happened 

in America where three cable 

news networks started acting like 

soap operas,” he says. “Everybody 

would pick one and watch. People 

stopped thinking on their own; I 

was sucked into it as well.” 

McKagan compares America 

to an “obsessed TV show” fuelled 

by a commercialized political tugof-war. 

“There was no kind of journalistic 

responsibility going on, it’s just 

pure commercialism. I wrote for the 

Seattle Weekly for five years and 

there is this journalistic integrity 

you try not to harm. I think that 

went out the fucking window.” 

A self-described student of 

history, McKagan claims these distraught 

moments in history happen 

in cycles and the storm will pass. 

He hopes Tenderness can not only 

have a meditative effect on listeners, 

but also bring them together. 

“When we play shows, it’s a celebration 

of our music,” he says. “Nobody 

asks who you are voting for; it 

doesn’t matter. Everybody is there 

to have a good time. It’s a really 

uplifting thing. I would start talking 

to people, and this ‘divide’ the news 

is talking about just wasn’t there. 

When there’s a tragedy like a hurricane 

or 9/11, it doesn’t matter who 

you voted for; everybody has each 

other’s backs. That’s when you see 

the true identity of this country: 

people coming together.” 

Johnny Papan 

JIM CUDDY 

Countrywide Soul 

Warner Music Canada 

Kicking rocks and turning over fertile 

ground, Blue Rodeo frontman 

Jim Cuddy returned to his family’s 

farm in Southern Ontario to get in 

touch with his roots and record his 

latest album. 

The rustic rural setting provided 

a respite from his hectic touring 

schedule and the ideal environment 

for capturing the authentic 

wire-and-wood sound he sought. 

Joined in his makeshift studio by 

members of The Jim Cuddy Band, 

the multi-talented singer/guitarist/ 

producer began reimaging songs 

from his back catalogue through a 

stripped-down, yet modern, country 

music filter. 

Unearthing tracks he felt had 

been previously underdeveloped, 

Cuddy and company pour liberal 

doses of draft beer and wheat 

dust over Blue Rodeo numbers like 

“Clearer View” and “Draggin’ On.” 

Tributes to George Jones and 

Glen Campbell rip a page from the 

past and lend a high and lonesome 

mood with covers of “Almost 

Persuaded” and the star-spangled 

“Rhinestone Cowboy.” Pretty 

western ditties two-step and sway 

in time as Cuddy patches up his 

sonic scrapbook with a fresh pair 

of bootcut tunes, “Glorious Day” 

and “Back Here Again.” 

It’s the perfect parting glance for 

a nostalgic hayride that sets fire to 

the barn before riding off into the 

sunset. “Shane, come back!” 

Best Track: Glorious Day 


TIM HEIDECKER 

What The 

Brokenhearted Do... 

Jagjaguwar 

One of the most satisfying aspects 

of comedian — and sometimes 

folk singer — Tim Heidecker’s 

anti-comedy is figuring out when 

to laugh. His punchlines run deep; 

it’s often easy to be unsure if a 

joke has even been told, as with his 

latest indie folk offering, What The 

Brokenhearted Do… 

The album chronicles the 

emotional downfall of a “faux-divorce” 

that Heidecker conjured as 

a response to internet trolls who 

fabricated rumours of his wife 

leaving him. 

While the pain in the content 

might be fictional, the album boasts 

a lot of feels that hit just as hard as 

any true tale of heartbreak. 

Jonathan Rado of Foxygen’s 

production of this tragicomic pop 

record is solid and Heidecker’s 

straight-faced four-on-the-floor 

musicianship makes the album 

genuine and surprisingly earwormy. 

Song titles such as “I’m Not 

Good Enough,” “Funeral Shoes,” 

and “Life’s Too Long” set the tone 

for the lyrics, a self-deprecating 

barrage of a man’s lowest lows. 

Some of the best music has 

emerged from the depths of sorrow 

and Heidecker works this in his 

favour. With his cringeworthy level 

of sincerity and his varied output 

as both a comedian and a genuine 

songwriter, it’s not clear who is having 

the last laugh here, but we’re 

still listening. 

Best Track: When I Get Up 

Austin Taylor 

CATE LE BON 

Reward 

Mexican Summer 

On Reward, avant-guitarist Cate Le 

Bon’s fifth full-length release, the 

clanging and improvisational collaborators 

of 2016’s Crab Day are 

nowhere to be found, leaving Le 

Bon in the basement on her own, 

mixing up sideways concoctions 

like a scientist chasing an epiphany. 

Reward was written during a 

year alone in England’s Lake District, 

where she contrasted nights 

on the piano with mornings in the 

garage, applying beginner skills to 

carpentry. 

Lyrically, Reward explores the 

pursuit of rootedness and foundation, 

examining its elusiveness 

through a lover and the agency 

to choose what comprises one’s 

space. It pairs well with the image 

of Le Bon over hammer and nail, 

building out the items of a home. 

While recognizably Le Bon, 

with regal, Nico-like vocals on 

“Here It Comes Again” and wonky 

instrumental offshoots on “Mother’s 

Mother’s Magazines,” Reward is 

softer at the edges than the Le Bon 

of past albums Mug Museum and 

Crab Day. 

“The Light” and “Home To You” 

glimmer with the friendliness of 

commercial approval, while “Sad 

Nudes” and “You Don’t Love Me” lull 

the senses with the sweet cool-off 

of horns and piano. 

Cozy and strange, let’s hope Le 

Bon settles into this nook for a little 

while longer. 

Best Track: Daylight Matters 

Sarah Bauer 


RICHARD AUCOUN 

Releasee 

Haven Sounds 

FLYING LOTUS 

Flamagra 

WARP RECORDS 

If you’re not smiling by the end of 

Nova Scotia beat-blender Rich 

Aucoin’s new album, Release, your 

face is on too tight. 

At times expansive, at others, 

exhilarating, Aucoin has crafted an 

engaging electro-exploration that 

could serve as a soundtrack to 

the next Timothée Chalamet film. 

You’ll go places that are sometimes 

unsettling but ultimately, there’s a 

happy, at least, hopeful ending. 

Aucoin repurposes 80s synthpop 

influences and wraps them 

in lush layers of surging sound. 

Fellow Haligonian Jenn Grant 

helps on vocals and Broken Social 

Scene’s Justin Perfoff lends a hand 

on drums. Aucoin continues to 

deliver on his early promise with 

this, his third album. Solid recordings 

along with a transcendent live 

shows means Aucoin’s glittering 

star continues to rise. 

In addition to almost ambient, 

moody tracks filled with robust 

swells and dreamy expanses, 

there’s a dance party going on. 

There are enough slapping synth 

dance beats to satisfy the most 

hardcore 80s hair head. By blending 

a Niles Rogers’ 70s Chic-disco 

groove with synth sounds on The 

Other, Aucoin comes closest to 

creating a hit track with this danceable 

delight. He says, “The Other is 

definitely my love letter to Chic”. 

Best Track: The Other 

Michael Hollett 

Interview 

FLYING LOTUS 

BURNS IT UP 

ON FLAMAGRA 

Flying Lotus is all about what he 

calls the “nerdy details.” 

His latest album, Flamagra, and 

the upcoming 3D tour that will 

accompany it are based around a 

tightly-woven series of concepts. 

Touching on some of the specific 

connections causes him to explode 

in excited laughter, as if he’s surprised 

anyone else can decipher 

his inner workings. 

Flying Lotus speaks slowly, as if 

distracted by other deep thoughts. 

When a subject that excites him 

comes up, though, he snaps to 

attention, talking a mile a minute 

and cracking jokes. 

Flamagra is based around the 

concept of an eternal flame suddenly 

springing up on a hill in Los 

Angeles, the project opening and 

closing with its crackling, creating 

a perfect loop. Lotus says each 

track on the album is meant to be 

someone’s different experience or 

reaction to that fire. 

“I always thought that I’d be conflicted,” 

he says. “I would love it and 

hate it depending on the day.” 

Most tracks on the album come 

with their own specific and twisted 

backstory, despite the often surreal, 

playful vocals and humorous 

track titles. “Debbie Is Depressed” 

seems upbeat on the surface, but 

comes from a much deeper place. 

“I think of it from the perspective 

of the other person who’s not depressed,” 

he says. “It’s that person 

who, when you’re feeling shitty, 

is kind of annoying. They’re like, 

‘Sorry your cousin died, everything’s 

going to be okay, they’re in a better 

place,’ Like, fuck you. You might be 

right, but don’t nobody wanna hear 

that shit right now. That’s what that 

track is.” 

“Heroes in a Half Shell,” though, 

is about “fuckin’ Ninja Turtles.” 

“It’s stupid,” says Flying Lotus in 

hysterics. “So stupid.” 

The blend of serious topics with 

the absurdly humorous brings to 

mind the work of Flying Lotus’ 

close friend and frequent collaborator 

Thundercat, a bassist who 

assisted on most of Flamagra. 

Flying Lotus says the best parts 

of the album were born out of the 

spontaneity of making music while 

“hanging out with your best friend.” 

“When we work together, it feels 

special,” he says. “Sometimes you 

want to play video games, and 

sometimes he’s like, ‘Let’s make 

some shit,’ and you don’t really have 

to say nothing. It’s a beautiful thing. 

I don’t have that kind of relationship 

with anybody else.” 

Lotus and Thundercat had 

another frequent collaborator in 

common – the late Mac Miller, who 

played a big role in shaping the 

project long after he was gone. Lotus 

dedicated two tracks, including 

“Thank U Malcolm,” to Miller. 

“His humanity influenced me,” he 

says. “Me and Thundercat didn’t 

even plan on having time to work 

together, and we were like, ‘What 

would Mac want us to do? He’d 

want us to go super hard on this 

music right now.’ So that’s what we 

did. We spent days at my house 

just locked in.” 

The many nights spent together 

trying to talk through their pain 

gave Lotus the inspiration that he 

needed to keep pushing forward. 

“In all the sadness, all these 

good things started happening, 

too. Life started turning around a 

bit and I found myself being more 

inspired than I had been, and I 

owed a lot of that, unfortunately, to 

his passing.” 

Flying Lotus recorded every feature 

but one in his own home studio, 

which he says throws people 

off at first before the “relaxed 

atmosphere” of a home calms 

them down and gets them in 

a mindset to be their most 

creative selves. Sometimes, 

they even teach him something 

in return. 

“You get weird lessons from 

people. Like Solange, I’ll never 

forget her. She changed my 

process in a weird way.” 

Lotus explains that Solange 

prefers to record with the worst 

microphone she can find, in 

order to feel more absorbed in 

the surrounding instrumentals 

while recording her vocals. 

As he prepares to embark 

on his upcoming 3D tour, Lotus 

hopes to immerse his audience 

in the complexities of his music 

in a similar way. 

“This show is a bit more 

evolved than the previous ones,” 

he says. “I wanted to make 

my music a cinematic journey 

for people. I’ve always been 

interested in connecting my 

music to visuals and finding the 

best world where they meet 

together.” 

Best Track: Takashi 

Ben Boddez 


SEBASTIAN BUZZALINO 

Live 

MUSiC 

ORVILLE 

PECK 

May 23, 2019 

Commonwealth (Calgary) 

2019 is shaping up to be the 

year of yeehaw and anticipation 

ran high for Orville Peck. 

The masked outlaw’s debut, 

Pony, has dominated conversations 

this year about what 

can and cannot be country 

music, but the capacity crowd 

at Commonwealth couldn’t 

be bothered by splitting hairs. 

Instead, under a fringed face 

mask and backed by FRIGS, 

also from Toronto, Peck held a 

spellbound crowd in the palm 

of his hands. 

From the first melancholic 

chords, Peck’s western-influenced 

moody vibes toyed with 

the idea of what is normative 

in country music. 

He’s an outspoken proponent 

of pushing the edges of 

the traditionally conservative 

genre to fit into our contemporary 

world and, as he flicked 

and swayed his way through 

his set, Peck busted open 

wide spaces for anyone to feel 

involved, included and loved. 

Openers Bobby Tenderloin 

Universe were the perfect 

match for Peck. Comprised of 

most of The Wet Secrets, the 

crammed eight-piece on stage 

crooned their way through an 

excellent debut set. They were 

led by Edmonton mainstay 

Paul Arnusch, who continues 

to demonstrate the breadth 

of his songwriting abilities by 

shape-shifting from project 

to project. This one’s going 

to stick, though: it’s not often 

an opening band gets the 

reception Bobby Tenderloin 

Universe did, and for good 

reason. We’re all part of the 

universe now. 

Sebastian Buzzalino 

THORNETTA 

DAVIS 

May 3, 2019 

Engineered Air Theatre 

She’s known as the Queen of Detroit Blues, 

but Thornetta Davis’ legendary status as a 

singer extends beyond the blues. With sparse 

backup, accompanied only by a keyboardist 

and her husband, James Cornelius Anderson, 

playing a set of congas, Davis moved elegantly 

through a repertoire of rich soul, jazz and blues 

for a delighted capacity crowd of just over 200 

squeezed into the intimate Engineered Air Theatre 

nestled below Art Commons. 

Her distinctive voice soared gospel high on 

a clear day, then weaved in and out of intricate 

jazz melodies and, of course, was no stranger 

to belting out the blues. There’s a strength and 

sophistication within her superb diversity that 

cultivates contemporary without sacrificing the 

primordial flow of the blues. 

Davis held court between songs, keeping the 

audience primed with a volley of fun, sexual innuendos. 

She cracked up the crowd joking, “You 

can have my husband, but just don’t mess with 

my man. Or I will cut you!” And when introducing 

“Wild Women Never Get The Blues,” Davis 

said matter-of-factly, “There’s no shame in that 

game, I’m from Detroit.” 

Brad Simm 

ALMA ARTISTS 

FLEMISHEYE.COM 

‘THE SAME BUT BY DIFFERENT MEANS’ 

OUT NOW 

“He stitches his micro-songs and abbreviated 

epics into a sprawling opus that’s as comforting 

as it is uncompromising” 

PITCHFORK (8/10) 

‘NOVEL’ OUT NOW 

“N0V3L’s guitar lines are a wonder to behold.” 

NME 

“The angular riffage and existential 

socioeconomic mires of the self-titled debut EP 

is post-punk updated for a modern audience.” 

BEATROUTE

KALI UCHIS & 

JORJA SMITH 

May 22, 2109 

PNE Forum 

Kali Uchis and Jorja Smith merged 

heaven and hell during their 

co-headlining performance at the 

PNE Forum. 

In an all-black ensemble on a 

rotating platform, the LA-based 

Columbian diva Uchis performed 

an arresting rendition of “Creep” 

draped over the stair steps, bathed 

in cascading lights and dripping 

sweet falsettos. 

UK sensation Jorja Smith has 

wooed masses with liquid-sex 

delivery and keen lyricism; her 

2018 debut, Lost & Found, saw her 

grappling with love and loss, growing 

pains and police brutality. 

Despite their irrefutable compatibility, 

the difference between 

the two singers was night and day; 

Uchis possessed a calculated and 

mean stage presence, while Smith 

fed off of spontaneity. Both thrived 

in their own rite and together made 

two indispensable halves of an 

exquisite whole. 

The binding influences were 

apparent during the joint encore, 

when the she-devil and baby blue 

darling covered Destiny’s Child, 

Amy Winehouse and Erykah Badu, 

ending the night with their duet, 

“Tyrant.” 

Their holy dynamic, stellar execution 

and unapologetic femininity 

with just a dash of homoerotic 

tension puts Kali and Jorja at the 

top of this decade’s must see R&B 

shows. 

Maryam Azizli 

DARROLE PALMER

TRAVEL 

Festival d’été de Québec 

CANADA’S LARGEST 

OUTDOOR MUSIC FEST 

KEEPS IT FRESH 

By GLENN ALDERSON 

Destination: Quebec City 

When: July 4 to 14, 2019 

Why: Festival d’été de Québec 

O 

f all the festival’s worth 

fighting for, we’re willing to 

bet you’ve never been to 

one on an actual battle field. 

Unless you’ve been to Quebec 

City’s Festival d’été de Québec 

(FEQ) infamous for infiltrating the 

Capital every summer with bigname 

music acts; their main stage 

site sprawling across the historic 

Plains of Abraham. FEQ is your 

chance to get a piece of the action 

and battle for awesome site lines 

where French and British armies 

once battled for Quebec. 

While the 10-day spectacle 

might be one of the longest running 

muli-day, multi-venue music 

fests in North America, this year 

is shaping up to be one of their 

freshest yet. 

Founded in 1968, FEQ has been 

developing a forward thinking 

international programming agenda 

over the course of the last decade 

to become a monumental gathering 

for music fans. Recent years 

have hosted acts like Paul McCartney, 

the Rolling Stones, Kendrick 

Lamar, Lorde, Travis Scott and 

Red Hot Chili Peppers. 

This year, the only battling will 

be between the music tastes 

of the diva-worshipping Mariah 

Carey fans, the old school punks 

who grew up with the Offspring 

and Blink-182, the classic rockers 

staying out past their bedtime 

for Lynryd Skynyrd, and pop 

music fans there to catch a 

glimpse of Twenty One Pilots 

and Yungblud. There’s also a 

focus on both emerging acts and 

francophone culture with plenty 

of programming representing a 

diverse cross-section of the music 

industry, including Éric Lapointe, 

Coeur De Pirate, Salomé Leclerc 

and Philippe Brach. 

From July 4 to 14 the festival 

will be populating some of the 

Capital’s biggest music venues, 

theatres and nightclubs to roll out 

their extensive programming. 

With 135,000 transferable 

passes sold each year at a reasonable 

price ($105/pass) the festival 

always sells out. 


RUN TO THE HILLS 

Navigating The Plains Of Abraham 

Parallel to all of the action happening downtown, the Plains Of 

Abraham are sprawling with a capacity of more than 100,000. The 

Rolling Stones pushed those numbers to the max in true Stones 

fashion when they took the stage in 2015 and saw attendance peak 

at 102,000. 

At night,the sea of attendees lights up with everyone wearing the 

festival’s signature flashing badges, blinking in unison to the music. 

Headliners throughout this year’s 10 days include: Diplo, Kygo, 

Logic, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Mariah Carey, Lynryd Skynyrd, Alt-J, 

Blink-182, Slipknot, Imagine Dragons and more. 

There are plenty of food — and drink — trucks onsite as well as 

wandering beer vendors to keep you hydrated. 

FEQ is introducing a new venue this year at the Manège militaire 

(Québec Armoury) facing the Plains. It will be the festival’s headquarters 

with after-parties inside every day after the shows. 

INDOOR CONCERTS 

Impérial Bell 

(252 Rue Saint-Joseph Est) 

A historic auditorium located in 

the Saint-Roch district, Imperial 

Bell boasts great acoustics and an 

intimate atmosphere. Catch acts 

like: April Wine, Connan Mockasin, 

Courtney Barnett, Jean-Michel 

Blais and Voivod. 

Régiment des Voltigeurs de 

Québec 

(805 Avenue Wilfrid-Laurier) 

The only military building in Canada 

recognized as a national historic 

site. Built as a gothic revival drill 

hall, the Québec Armoury is located 

in the heart of Old Québec and 

serves as an upscale destination 

that’s fully activated during FEQ. 

District Saint-Joseph 


A collaboration between restaurateur 

Louis McNeil and FEQ, District 

Saint-Joseph is a unique restaurant 

specializing in comfort food that 

also doubles as a bar and theatre. 

L’ANTI Bar & Spectacles 

(251 Rue Dorchester) 

Steeped in punk rock nostalgia, 

L’Anti is a comfortable mid-sized 

live venue in downtown Quebec 

City that allows you to get up close 

and personal with the performers 

like: B.A.R.F., Wesbroom, Gutter 

Demons and local black metal 

legends Délétère. 

Le D’Auteuil 


Recently relocated from Old Quebec, 

the legendary Le D’Auteuil is 

now on St. Joseph Street, bringing 

a fresh new vibe for live music to 

the bustling Saint-Roch district. 

ACCOMODATIONS 

CHÂTEAU FRONTENAC 

(1 Rue des Carrières) 

www.fairmont.com/frontenac-quebec 

From $549/night 

Easily the fanciest hotel in Québec 

CIty, Château Frontenac is the icon 

of the city and one of the most 

photographed hotels in the world. 

Get your selfie sticks ready. 

AUBERGE SAINT-ANTOINE 

(8 Rue Saint Antoine) 

www.saint-antoine.com 


A boutique-hotel with tons of 

charm in the old port. Beck stayed 

here last year and it was likely the 

source of inspiration for his catchy 

summer anthem, “Wow.” 

Poutineville 


Poutineville is your one-stop shop 

for designer poutine. You can 

personalize it however you’d like 

but if you’re feeling adventurous we 

recommend trying the “Hangover,” 

complete with house fries, fresh 

curds, cheddar cheese, bacon, 

Italian sausage, seasoned ground 

beef, 911 sauce, fried egg and BBQ 

sauce. 

Chez Ashton 

(multiple locations) 

Chez Ashton is unique to Québec 

City; a no-frills fast food environment 

with bad lighting but the pou- 

HOTEL PUR 

(395 Couronne St) 

www.hotelpur.com 


Located downtown in St-Roch, 

PUR boasts affordable rates and an 

upscale urban atmosphere. They 

also offer a unique thrill-seeking 

experience where you can rappel 

down from the top of the hotel so 

hang on tight. 

MONASTÈRE DES AUGUSTINE 

(77 Rue des Remparts) 

www.monastere.ca 


If you’re looking to find god, this 

just might be the place to crash. A 

monastery and wellness hotel, put 

away your phones, zip your lips and 

enjoy the sounds of your friends 

chewing toast at their meditative 

silent breakfasts. 

IT’S ALLLL GRAVY (and cheese curds) 

Top 3 Poutine Joints In Quebec City 

tine is fantastique. Do yourself a 

favour and order the Poutine avec 

Saucisses, topped with grilled 

sausage slices (hot dog weiners!). 

There’s one close to the Plains Of 

Abraham (640 Grande Allée E) 

perfect for first-timers stumbling 

home after a full day of music. 

Chic Shack 

(15 Fort St) 

Steps away from the Notre-Dame 

de Québec Basilica-Cathedral, 

have a post-religious experience 

at the Chic Shack with their 

excellent house made poutines, 

gourmet burgers and milkshakes 

in a historical building of its own. 

3 

MORE THINGS TO SEE 

WHILE IN QUEBEC CITY 

Île d’Orléans 

An island on the St. Lawrence River 

about five kilometres east of downtown 

Quebec City, cross the bridge 

to visit local farmers and vineyards. 

Cassis Mona & Filles (1225 Chemin 

Royal) is a great place to eat, drink 

and get an ice cream, all from the 

cassis fruit. 

Chutes Montmorency 

Perfect for a hot summer day, the 

chutes offer an outdoor experience 

with waterfalls and a zipline. 

Experience the Via Ferrata by 

clipping into a cable system and 

following a scenic circuit across 

rock formations alongside the falls. 

No outdoor experience necessary. 

Old Québec 

The best way to experience Quebec 

City’s vast history is on your 

feet. Grab a café glacé and take a 

stroll through Quartier Petit Champlain, 

ranked as one of the most 

beautiful streets in the world. 

Gritty 

est un 

imbécile 

WHERE’S BONHOMME? 

Where’s Bonhomme? We think 

QC’s mascot is way more badass 

than Philly’s Gritty — and much 

more useful in a snowball fight! 

Sadly, the big guy will be dragging 

his perpetually smiley face to China 

during FEQ — seriously, dude’s 

on tour. But you can always grab 

a selfie with his statue outside the 

Carnaval’s office (205 Boulevard 

des Cedres). 


MOViES|T.V. 

Jarmusch 

Scores 

Again 

6 CLASSIC JARMUSCH SOUNDTRACK SONGS 

Director’s collaborations 

with musicians 

and his impecable taste 

in soundtrack music has 

fans salivating for his 

new zombie epic 

The Dead Don’t Die 

By BRENDAN LEE 

J 

im Jarmusch’s film career 

has been eternally intertwined 

with a passion 

for music. With The 

Dead Don’t Die slated to 

premiere on June 14 (starring 

Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Tilda 

Swinton, Danny Glover and 

many more), and a soundtrack 

that consists of entirely one 

song aptly titled ‘The Dead 

Don’t Die’ by Sturgill Simpson, 

fans are nearly as excited for 

the score as they are the film 

itself. The film boasts yet another 

musical cast, with Iggy 

Pop as a long-haired zombie, 

and the likes of RZA, Tom 

Waits, Selena Gomez, and 

Sturgill Simpson himself all 

a part of the blood-thirsty 

fun. 

For those yet-to-be 

converted, Jarmusch is 

an Ohio-born turned New 

York City weirdo who’s 

become well known for 

his quirky, dry-humoured 

arthouse films and collaborations 

with all variety of 

musicians. It’s near-impossible 

to recall a Jarmusch 

film without getting a song 

stuck in your head, so perk 

your ears, curl back your 

lips and take a fleshy bite 

out of these soundtrack highlights 

from his decade-spanning 

filmography. 

1 

PERMANENT VACATION [1980] 

“Up there in Orbit” – Earl Bostic 

Jazz saves lives, man. Aloysious 

Parker twist, snaps and jives his 

way out of delirium, for a moment, 

as the upbeat sax riff takes him 

up, up and away from his muddled 

Big Apple existence in Jarmusch’s 

post film-school-dropout debut. 

2 

Stranger than Paradise [1984] 

“I Put a Spell on You” – Screamin’ 

Jay Hawkins 

There’s no more iconic usage of a 

song in a Jarmusch film than this, 

and by the third time it played at 

the 1984 Cannes Film Festival 

and the credits gushed, Jimmy 

boy must have been nodding, 

smiling, thinking – You’re 

mine. 

3 

Down By Law [1986] 

“Jockey Full of Bourbon” – Tom Waits 

If you look and listen close, you can 

actually pinpoint the emergence of 

Jim’s ‘Jarmuschian’ flair as Waits’ 

steely guitar riff lures us in to the 

rear end of a black hearse before 

the camera pans left and leads us 

on a trip that will last a lifetime. 

4 

Mystery Train [1989] 

“Mystery Train” – Elvis Presley 

Well what do you hear, the train 

or the bloody sirens? Elvis gets 

the film a rollin’ with his patented 

southern comfort rock and roll, 

sets us up for three different tales 

bound by the frayed threads of 

Memphis city, the town that made 

him King. 

5 

Coffee and Cigarettes [2003] 

“Down on the Street” – The Stooges 

Jack White and former White 

Stripe bandmate, Meg, mull over 

a homemade tesla coil while Iggy 

Pop croons above distorted guitars 

and a simple bassline on a radio 

somewhere hidden behind the 

fourth wall. We’re still wondering 

how many coffees it took to concoct 

this strange hallucination. 

6 

Broken Flowers [2005] 

“Yekermo Sew” – Mulatu Astatke 

The kind of music you just know 

Bill Murray listens to while driving 

around in nondescript black 

sunglasses. This smokey Ethiopian 

Jazz track speaks of cigarettes 

and secrets, and put the genre on 

the radar for a lot of film geeks 

turned would be hipsters. 


MOViES|T.V. 

IT’S A LITTLE 

BIT FUNNY 

Rocketman biopic soars high portraying 

Elton John’s life story with glitter, glam and 

gusto By PAT MULLEN 

H 

ow wonderful life is when you’re in Rocketman’s world. 

This dazzling Elton John biopic should go down as 

one of the great film musicals. Directed with inspired 

pizzazz by Dexter Fletcher, who completed Bohemian 

Rhapsody after Bryan Singer was fired, and played with 

fiery perfection by Taron Egerton as Sir Elton, Rocketman soars. 

It honours the man and his music with original, enthralling flair. 

Egerton performs John’s songs with gusto while capturing his 

unique pitch, but the rawness of his vocals gives Rocketman its 

edge. This is a portrait of John before he’s confidently found his 

voice. Egerton gives a fearlessly committed performance that 

one sees too rarely in a studio film. 

Comparisons to Bohemian Rhapsody are inevitable, but there 

are few reasons to relate the Freddie Mercury flick with Rocketman 

since they have little in common beyond Fletcher’s credit 

and their award-worthy performances of rock ‘n’ roll icons. As a 

film, Rocketman is far more technically accomplished and artistically 

adventurous than most contemporary biopics. 

Rocketman follows biopic formula by charting John’s journey 

from his humble beginnings as Reginald Dwight to his mid-career 

success as Elton John. It takes audiences to his home where 

the young Reggie pursued music to escape his aloof mother (a 

delightfully campy Bryce Dallas Howard) and absent father (a 

stoically stiff Steven Mackintosh). John tells his story in retrospect 

when he appears at an AA meeting in a bejewelled devil 

costume and reflects on his life in a jukebox-style diary of highs 

and lows. 

Fletcher mixes biopic convention and musical theatricality. 

Some songs appear as standard performances as John hones his 

craft, but others appear as spectacular numbers that recall Julie 

Taymor’s Beatles’ phantasmagoria Across the Universe with their 

wildly impressionistic interpretations of rock classics. These sequences 

highlight transformative moments in John’s life. 

Standout numbers include John’s breakthrough performance 

at the Troubadour in Los Angeles where the crowd levitates euphorically 

during “Crocodile Rock.” John wrestles with his inner 

demons during the feverishly staged “Rocketman” number, 

which conveys his struggles with alcoholism and addiction. The 

song explodes when he performs at the 1975 concert at Dodger 

Stadium and gets off on his biggest high: the stage. 

Even the conventional numbers let Rocketman fly as Egerton 

develops his character. The film centres on John’s relationship 

with collaborator Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell) as their songwriting 

sessions prove therapeutic for John as he heals his family troubles 

and embraces his sexuality. Bell is the heart of the film as 

Taupin, who is John’s rock and uses the power of music to let his 

friend be free. Egerton’s performance of “Your Song” is especially 

touching when Taupin presents John with the lyrics after the 

singer comes out. Egerton finds John’s voice and Bell offers an 

assured nod of unwavering love. 

The film admirably depicts John’s sexuality without shying 

away. The much-hyped sex scenes between Egerton and a terrific 

Richard Madden, playing John’s toxic manager/boyfriend 

John Reid, are relatively tame, but revolutionary for a studio film. 

The flamboyancy of Fletcher’s film, from its fantastic numbers 

to its flashy note-perfect costumes, finds the perfect marriage 

of subject and style. Rocketman delivers a song straight from the 

heart., 


RE-IMAGINING JOHN AND YOKO 

John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky show’s Ono’s essential role in imagining Imagine while 

shining a light on legendary love story By MICHAEL HOLLETT 

W 

hen I interviewed Yoko 

Ono for the first time, in 

the office she once shared 

with John Lennon in Manhattan’s 

gothic Dakota, it 

quickly became clear to me why my favourite 

Beatle was fascinated by, and had fallen 

in love with, this controversial woman. 

Figuring out the legendary and, to 

some, perplexing love affair between Ono 

and Lennon has been a mystery that has 

befuddled, even angered many, and the 

documentary, John & Yoko: Above Us 

Only Sky, now screening on Netflix, sheds 

some light on the essence of their epic 

connection. 

There’s a home movie feel to this film 

that’s more like a scrapbook than a traditional 

documentary. Lots of candid shots 

of Lennon and Ono with family, friends, 

musicians and hangers on frolicking on the 

sprawling Tittenhurst Park estate outside 

London. The couple fled there to escape the 

pressures of the English capital and settled 

in to make one of the greatest albums ever, 

Imagine. It’s worth watching this film just 

to experience Lennon recording his achingly 

confessional, “Jealous Guy.” 

The wise woman I experienced that day 

in New York City is very evident in the doc 

as Lennon leans on her for inspiration, 

intelligence and a critical ear. The film 

makes clear that a shared commitment to 

political activism, especially pacifism, was 

at the core of their connection. Lennon 

and some of the collaborators interviewed 

for the film are all clear that much of the 

thinking behind the album and the “imagine” 

concept came from Ono – and I’m 

not surprised. 

The film follows the couple to New 

York City where they finish the record and 

edit the footage that became their somewhat 

surreal Imagine movie and yielded 

much of the material used for Above Us 

Only Sky. 

This latest look at Lennon and Ono is a 

good peak into a great love story. When I 

got up to leave that day, after what turned 

out to be hours but felt like minutes in 

Ono’s thrall, I turned and noticed a huge 

painting behind me that almost covered 

the wall and that Ono would have been 

looking at when she wasn’t setting her 

engaging and penetrating eyes on me. It 

was a beautiful, bright portrait of Lennon 

sitting cross-legged on the ground in 

Central Park with the couple’s young son 

Sean (See story page 19), a toddler at the 

time, in his lap, both smiling. She sent me 

on my way with a warm goodbye and, of 

course, I went up the street to the Park 

and Strawberry Fields to pay my respects 

to John. , 

John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky is 

streaming on Netflix 


JAZZYYC 

SUMMER 

Festival 

MONSTER 

DAYS 2019 

GREAT 

DEALS 

SPECIAL 

EVENTS 

0% FINANCING 

JUNE 1-30 

CALGARY CALGARY EAST CALGARY NORTH 

225 58 Ave. S 3404 5 Ave. NE 10 Royal Vista Dr. NW 

(403) 244-5555 (403) 245-3725 (587) 794-3195 

PLUS 5 STORES 

IN EDMONTON 

JAZZYYC 

2019 

SUMME 

FESTIVA 

Larnell Lewis 

BENNY GREEN TRIO 

BRUBECK BROTHERS QUARTET 

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE: DAVID RESTIVO 

SHUFFLE DEMONS // DIRTY CATFISH BRASS BAND 

ALEX PANGMAN // LARNELL LEWIS // SHPIK TRIO 

ELIZABETH SHEPHERD // TARA KANNANGARA 

TERRA HAZELTON WITH THE POLYJESTERS // DOMINIQUE FILS-AIMÉ 

TRIBUTE TO ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS 

JON DAY LATIN JAZZ PROJECT // KELLY STEELE QUARTET 

JAZZYYC.COM 



06.19 

YYC 

Katya Zamolodchikova: RuPaul’s Drag 

Race All Star sharpens her stilettos 

Big, brash, bold and bursting with 

colour, Katya Zamolodchikova is 

one of RuPaul’s best-loved drag 

queen contestants. Katya’s sleazy, 

cheese ball “Russian bi-sexual 

hooker” looms large, ranging from 

weird, lewd, loud and abrasive to 

self-deprecating, endearing and entirely 

different — a Molotov cocktail 

in stilettos and sequins, loaded with 

super-sass. 

Katya (aka Brain McCook) is a 

Massachusetts native who studied 

video, performance art and 

psychology before constructing the 

drag character Yekaterina Petrovna 

Zamolodchikova in 2006. McCook 

based Katya on some of his favourite 

female comedians (Tracy Ullman, 

Maria Bambord and Amy Sedaris) 

along with a fascination for the 

street-smart culture Russian immigrants 

developed when they moved 

to the States after the collapse of 

the Soviet Union. Of Irish descent, 

McCook took language courses 

and used a self-study cassette tape 

called Pronounce It Perfectly to 

lock down a Russian accent. 

On RuPaul’s Drag Race, Katya 

was voted Miss Congeniality by 

fans and was a cast member in the 

second season of All Stars. She 

also has her own YouTube channel 

and a popular web series co-hosted 

with fellow RuPaul drag star, Trixie 

Mattel. 

Success can take a toll and Katya 

suffered a setback last year taking 

a break from performing to enter a 

drug rehab program. Not shy about 

the inner workings of her personal 

life, Katya bounces back with the 

hilarious and explosive production 

Help Me, I’m Dying that she promotes 

as a “trip through the mind 

of an old, 37-year-old, gay, drug 

addict… It’s not going to make very 

much sense at all.” 

Help Me I’m Dying / 

Myer Horowitz Theatre, Edmonton July 2 

Jack Singer, Calgary July 3 / Tix $35-$210 

CALGARY’S ESSENTIAL 

JUNE HAPPENINGSkJUNE 2019 BEATROUTE 45 

JOSHUA GRAFSTEIN

06.19YYCMUSIC 

YYCMusic 

The Ashley 

Hundred connect 

The Ashley Hundred have become 

a staple of the indie music community 

in Calgary with their catchy, 

groovy, folk-inspired dance pop. 

It’s easy music to connect with, 

in particular due to the infectious 

grins plastered on their faces as 

they bop and bounce to each song 

during their sets. 

On June 14, they’re celebrating 

the release of their video single 

“Talking to Myself.” The music 

video is only their second, working 

with director Hans Grossman. 

“We have only done one real 

music video before this and we 

knew we could really put our trust 

in Hans to make it look great and 

give visual life to the song,” says 

frontman Brett Cassidy. “The 

idea was basically to do a visual 

representation of the song about 

the end days of a relationship. We 

chose to do it in a more surrealistic 

way with rooms of a house set up 

outside in the middle of a field to 

create a more impressionistic and 

creative approach.” 

The Ashley Hundred / June 14 @ Broken 

City / “Talking To Myself” single/ 

video release with Nature Of, Thomas 

Thomas 

By SEBASTIAN 

BUZZALINO 

Maplerun all 

Greek to me 

They may sound ultra-Canadian but 

Greek rockers Maplerun are making 

a rare cross-Canada tour this month, 

bringing their modern rock anthems 

to clubs from Montreal to Vancouver, 

including their final Canadian date 

here in Calgary on June 14. Rather 

than mining classic influences, the 

four-piece combines the technicality 

of TOOL, Katatonia and Dream 

Theatre with the aggressive riffage 

of Metallica and System of a Down. 

Their breakout single, “For You,” 

landed them heavy airplay on MTV 

Greece and a management deal with 

the hosts of Headbangers Ball in 

their home country. Clear hearts and 

raised fists are the name of the game 

for Maplerun as they make their run 

across the land of maple leafs and 

syrup. 

Maplerun / June 14 @ The Palomino / 

Tix: showpass.com/maplerun-as-abovesubsume 

Mangan headlines Sounds of Summer 

One of Calgary’s favourite ice cream and gelato joints are set up to 

make this summer that much sweeter. Billed as a “gathering of food, 

music and community,” Fiasco’s Sounds of Summer Festival is a oneday 

party signalling the unofficial start of the season. Dan Mangan and 

Stars headline and are joined by a stacked lineup of locals including: 

Ruben Young, Boreal Sons, Burchill, Joash Charles, Roy LT, Yung Nino 

and Joanna Magik. Visual artists Van Charles, Mandy Stobo, Chris 

Pecora, Katie Green and Michelle Hoogveld will also have their work 

featured. 

No block party is complete without a bevy of food options and you 

can pair Fiasco’s fare with a frenzy of food truck options as well as 

restaurant pop-up choices, featuring some surprises from Calgary’s 

top chefs. Craft beers, cocktails and sodas will also be available. This 

family-friendly event is the perfect way to get in the summer vibe. 

Fiasco Sounds of Summer Festival /June 15 @ Fiasco HQ (221 19 St SE) 

Tix: soundsofsummer.ca 

Octoduck is just here to have fun 

From the minds of The Ashley Hundred and Shuffalo emerges Octoduck, a fun-loving, dance-ready 

indie folk quartet. The band members seem to be in every other project in town, but Octoduck cuts 

their own line in our pond as leader Jordan Moe works through some of the countless songs he’s 

accumulated over the years that don’t have homes in other projects. 

Their upcoming EP, The 3P, has been six years in the making as Moe found the energy to work on 

the songs and, by proxy, himself and his mental health. “Octoduck is a huge cathartic release,” 

he says. “These songs deal with love and love lost, and nothing feels better than when playing 

them on stage.” The convivial, communal nature of Octoduck, allows the band, including Carson 

Stewart (keys/vocals), Michael de Souza (bass) and Mac Bennett (drums) to engage in 

this release, experimenting with songwriting and performance as a form of art therapy. 

The three-song arc of the EP traces a fresh breakup, working through disbelief and 

anger on “Losing My Fucking Mind,” the subsequent bad habits, self-harm and depression 

on “Falling Apart,” and the lingering sense of self-doubt and bargaining for a different past 

on “Ghost” — heavy themes for an upbeat band that feels perfectly at home on the sunbleached 

lawns of an endless summer. 

“These songs are cathartic, but there have also been times in the past years where playing 

them made me feel sad and lonely,” says Moe. “It wasn’t until I was able to come to terms with 

the past that playing our songs has become enjoyable again.” 

Octoduck / June 27 @ Broken City / “The 3P” EP release with Silvering 


JazzYYC 

Festival 

Calgary’s JazzYYC Summer Festival continues 

to build impressive momentum as it 

moves into its fifth season, becoming one of 

the city’s cornerstone cultural summer music 

events. Running for five consecutive days 

mid-June, JazzYYC is cultivating its territory 

along the corridor on 9th Ave. SE that runs 

from the National Music Centre and Studio 

Bell to the Ironwood Stage and Grill and 

Lolita’s in Inglewood. 

June 12-16 / Various locations / Tix: jazzyyc.com 

By KODI HUTCHINSON 

4 Dominique 

Fils-Aimé 

This Montreal singer-songwriter 

is inspired by soul icons of the 

40s, 50s and 60s, including Billie 

Holiday, Etta James and Nina 

Simone. Her passionate album 

output boldly confronts historical 

silences and sorrows as well 

being a call for, and reminder of, 

revolution expressed with the 

fury of red-hot jazz. 

5MUST-SEE 

SHOWS 

1 Benny 

Green Trio 

Pianist Benny Green 

has the history of jazz 

at his fingertips. He’s 

one of the most exciting 

hard-swinging, 

hard-bop pianists to 

ever emerge from the 

legendary Art Blakey’s 

Jazz Messengers. 

Green has become 

a highly regarded 

bandleader whose 

efforts to expand the 

language of the classic 

jazz canon have 

placed him among the 

best interpreters, and 

the vanguard of musicians 

keeping jazz’s 

evolution going. 

2 Celebrating 

60 Years of 

Dave Brubeck’s 

Time Out 

Chris Brubeck and 

Dan Brubeck have 

been making music 

together their whole 

adult lives -- and they 

grew up listening to 

some of the greatest 

players as kids. Drummer 

Dan and bassist, 

trombonist and composer 

Chris cut their 

first record together in 

1966 – more than half 

a century ago. They 

pay homage to their 

jazz legend father, 

Dave Brubeck, and his 

timeless masterpiece 

Time Out at the fest. 

3 Dirty 

Catfish 

Brass Band 

They aim to inspire, 

create and instigate 

– but, mostly, they 

just want you on 

your feet. Undeniably 

tight, yet reckless 

as hell, Dirty Catfish 

Brass Band deals in 

powerful phrasing 

and performances 

drenched with 

rhythm. Invoking the 

sounds of the New 

Orleans brass tradition, 

the Winnipeg 

collective re-imagines 

the streets of 

a prairie city as hot, 

alive and brimming 

with soul. 

5 Alex 

Pangman 

The vibrant vocalist is proud to be 

known as Canada’s Sweetheart of 

Swing. JUNO nominee Pangman 

possesses the requisite pipes, 

taste, talent and historical knowledge 

to breathe new life into the 

sturdy standards and un-standards 

of the classic jazz era. 

@grampamauno 

@maunomusic 

June 22 Winnipeg, MB ACE Art 

July 19 Victoria, BC Copper Owl 

July 21 Vancouver, BC Red Gate 

July 24 Edmonton, AB The Rec Room (South) 

July 25-28 Calgary, AB Calgary Folk Festival 

REALLY WELL 

OUT THIS SUMMER! 


06.19YYCMUSIC 

Luciano 

JJ Shiplett about to break 

JJ Shiplett struck big with his last full-length, Something 

to Believe In, cementing him as one of Western Canada’s 

most heartfelt and authentic roots singer-songwriters. 

Steeped in the tradition and honesty of country and 

Americana, with all the gritty rebellion of rock and roll, 

Shiplett will be recording a special, one-night-only performance 

prior to the release of his sophomore album later 

this year. Shiplett’s night awaits with catchy hooks, explosive 

vocals and intimate storytelling. This may also be one 

of the last times to catch the red-haired dynamo before 

intimate performances become a “remember when” in the 

rearview mirror. 

JJ Shiplett / June 14 @ Martha Cohen Theatre / Live to Tape 

YVRAgenda 

Reggaefest reboots and 

rebrands as Riddim West 

Not just a festival, but an immersive experience of reggae culture, the 15th annual 

Reggaefest returns under its new name, Riddim West. 

One of the main events is the Calgary premiere of Franco Rosso’s film, Babylon, 

at the Plaza Theatre on Thursday, June 6. Cloaked in controversy when 

it was released in 1980, Babylon captures the racial tension in South London 

as a young dancehall DJ navigates his way through the explosion of punk rock 

with bands like the Clash rising to commercial success, putting the surrounding 

culture under severe pressure. 

A dance party hosted by DJ Sherman Hype kicks things off at The Den on 

Friday night and the fest hits high gear Saturday inside MacEwan Hall with an all 

day and night line-up featuring local, national and international music including: 

Luciano, Cham and Hawkeye from Jamaica, Vancouver’s Delhi 2 Dublin and 

Calgary’s own Jory Kinjo and Lynn Olagundoye. 

Riddim West 2019 / June 6-8 / MacEwan Hall / Tix: $40, reggaefest.ca 

Blais of glory 

The shimmering, bluesy indie pop Matt Blais is known for 

gives way to a duskier, more atmospheric introspection 

on his upcoming third full-length, In Shadow and Light. 

Blais pushes back against the encroachment of technology, 

carving out spaces for authenticity and calling 

for people to connect among themselves, rather than 

through their screens. 

Blais puts his darker side front-and-centre in his 

twangy, blues-inspired rock and pop. It’s a maturation for 

the singer and a plea for those around him to unplug and 

look around. It’s not all bleak, though, as an electric current 

of hope underpins the nine-track album, lifting Blais’ 

songwriting to look ahead and imagine a better future. 

Matt Blais / June 21 @ The Rec Room Calgary 

/ In Shadow and Light album release 


Geddy Lee’s Big Book 

of slappa-da-bass 

Canada’s legendary bassist explores the history 

of the bass guitar with an impressive 400-page 

hardcover testament, Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful 

Book Of Bass. 

Along with interviewing some of rock and 

roll’s most gifted players including: John Paul 

Jones (Led Zeppelin), Adam Clayton (U2), Bill 

Wyman (Rolling Stones) and Robert Trujillo 

(Metallica), the Book Of Bass showcases in 

spectacular detail 250 of Lee’s vintage bass 

guitars from his personal collection. 

Built between the mid-50s and 80s, these 

prized instruments have been used in every 

genre ranging from pop, rock and metal to jazz, 

blues and country. Lee’s collection features 

both the pristine “beauty queens” that have 

never been lifted from the factory case, and the 

beat-down, sweat-drenched “road warriors” that 

have delivered millions of notes and possess 

hundreds of stories. 

To commemorate his Book Of Bass, Studio 

Bell presents Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Bass 

Exhibit with 26 superb instruments on display 

that are either rare vintage pieces from Lee’s 

collection or favourites he’s played during his 

four decade career with Rush. 

Geddy Lee’s Beautiful World of Bass / 

May 24- Sept. 2 / Studio Bell 

VegFest 

takes 

root 

With even fast food chains 

getting into the plant-based food 

movement and creeping climate 

change causing many to explore 

more sustainable lifestyle options, 

Calgary’s third annual VegFest is 

a great way to explore some of 

these options. The fest celebrates 

a full day of good earth delight that 

not only focuses on an organic 

food and beverage marketplace, 

but also clothing, home and beauty 

accessories rooted in natural elements 

and production. The emphasis 

is on fun – and a sustainable 

future as festival speakers discuss: 

food justice, the environment and 

veganism, ethics and animal rights 

and fitness and masculinity. 

VegFest Calgary / Saturday, June 15, 

12-8 p.m. / Shaw Millennium Park 

Lace ‘em up 

for the Roll 

Out Festival 

Aside from the rough and tumble thunderous 

roar on the derby track, roller skating also 

thrives at dance parties and with athletic performers 

who bring a different level of fun, fashion 

and spectacle to this artistic, free-wheeling 

sport. Roll Out Festival, rolls all weekend with a 

variety of dance workshops and also highlights 

international skating stars from London, 

England and Los Angeles topped off with gala 

showcasing their talents. 

Roll Out Festival / June 14-16 /Village Square Arena 

IGNITE! Festival emerges 

Curated by Sage Theatre, the IGNITE! Festival 

of Emerging Artists celebrates 15 years of 

unveiling Calgary’s promising and undiscovered 

artistic talent. Imaginative, provocative, experimental 

and deeply personal stories turned into 

dance, theatre and performance art is what 

fuels IGNITE! and its young legion of exploding 

minds. This is where the new breed steps out. 

IGNITE! / June 12-15 / Pumphouse and Village 

West Theatres 

Russell 

Brand’s 

absurd 

Recovery 

N 

o one has held a bigger mirror 

up to himself and the rest of 

the world than Russell Brand, 

declaring that we live in an age 

of profound addiction. Sex, drugs, booze, 

food, shopping for shoes, playing the slots 

and pumping too much iron — the list goes 

on and on, leading Russell to acknowledge 

the hot pursuit of almost any desire 

can lead us tumbling down the vortex of 

addiction. 

While his 2017 book, Recovery, explores 

a personalized 12-step program on loving 

yourself and being a better human being, 

Brand’s newest journey into an addiction-free 

existence is Mentors. In the book, 

Russell questions the essence of addiction 

and what that endless, compulsive demand 

is really all about. “What,” asks Brand, 

“does the wanting want?” 

It shouldn’t be a big surprise that the 

“wanting” is grounded in the meaningfulness 

of love, connection and spiritual 

development that Brand reflects on with 

eight mentors who helped him through various 

aspects of his life. While yet another 

personalized quest bursting at the seams, 

critics have praised Mentor for being the 

most focused, mature and heartfelt offering 

from Brand roaming from his misspent 

youth to responsible fatherhood. 

Making an exclusive one-night appearance 

in Western Canada, Brand brings his 

infectious comic relief to Calgary, hosting 

a benefit for the Fresh Start Recovery 

Centre. 

Saturday, June 15 / Southern Alberta Jubilee 

Auditorium / Tix, $89-$139, ticketmaster.ca 


Savage Love 

BY DAN SAVAGE 

Hard Feelings 

I keep running into the same issue 

with my best friend of five years. 

(She’s also my maid of honor at 

my upcoming wedding.) We’re 

both empaths—most of my friends 

are—and we’re both in therapy 

working on how to cope with that. 

I have severe anxiety that impacts 

my physical health, so one of the 

empath-related issues I’m working 

on is not following through with 

plans when I need to take time 

alone. My friend claims she understands 

this but my actions severely 

impact her mood. Example: 

We’ll make tentative plans to get 

together, I’ll feel too sick to follow 

through, and then she’s in a negative 

emotional spiral for days. The 

final straw came when she called 

me late this past Friday night—just 

once, with no subsequent voice 

mail, text message, or follow-up 

call. On Monday morning, I sent 

her a text message asking how her 

weekend was and got an icy reply. 

Evidently, something happened 

to her on Friday, she called me for 

support, and my failure to return 

her call left her feeling very upset. 

I apologized for the accidental 

trigger and tried to lay down some 

protocols for reaching out in an 

emergency situation (leave me a 

voice mail and send a follow-up 

text) so I know it’s urgent. She 

hasn’t replied. I’m really frustrated. 

She has a lot of baggage around 

being shamed for being emotional, 

so I try to be careful not to invali- 

date her feelings, but I don’t know 

if that’s even making a difference. 

We’ve had several conflicts over 

the last year, always triggered by 

something I did or said, almost always 

accidentally, that caused her 

to “take a step back.” She insists 

she understands I’m doing my 

best to be a good friend while also 

working through my own emotional 

shit. But that’s not the sense I’m 

getting. I’m feeling increasingly 

like it’s impossible to be a human 

being AND her friend. Until recently, 

I had zero emotional boundaries 

and made myself available to 

her at a moment’s notice to help 

shoulder her emotional burden. 

But now that I’m trying to be more 

conservative with my abundance 

and take better care of myself, it 

seems like all I do is hurt her. What 

the fuck do I do? I’ve tried to be 

open-minded and patient with her 

dramatic mood swings, but she 

seems unable to give me the benefit 

of the doubt, which I always 

try to give her. This rocky ground 

between us is adding more stress 

to the whole wedding situation. 

(You’re supposed to be able to rely 

on your maid of honor, right?) This 

thing we have is not sustainable 

as it is, although I love her deeply. 

Help me figure this out? 

Emotions Making 

Personal Affection Too Hard 

Being so attuned to other people’s 

emotional states that you feel their 

pain—being an empath—sounds 

exhausting. But Lori Gottlieb, a 

psychotherapist in private practice, 

isn’t convinced your empath superpowers 

are the problem here. 

“EMPATH’s moods seem overly 

dependent on what the other person 

does,” said Gottlieb. “That’s not 

being ‘an empath.’ Most people are 

empathetic, which isn’t the same as 

what these two are doing. They’re 

drowning in each other’s feelings. 

This is what pop culture might call 

codependency, and what in therapy 

we’d call an attachment issue.” 

From your letter, EMPATH, it 

sounds like you might be ready to 

detach from your friend—you mentioned 

a final straw and described 

the relationship as not sustainable—and 

detaching would resolve 

this attachment issue. 

“This feels less like a friendship 

and more like a psychodrama 

where they’re each playing out 

their respective issues,” said 

Gottlieb. “A friendship isn’t about 

solving another person’s emotional 

issues or being the container for 

them. It isn’t about being devastated 

by another person’s feelings or 

boundaries. It should be a mutually 

fulfilling relationship, not being 

co-therapists to each other. In a 

strong friendship, each person can 

handle her own emotions rather 

than relying on the friend to regulate 

them for her.” 

Gottlieb started writing an advice 

column because, unlike psychotherapists, 

advice columnists are 

supposed to tell people what to do. 

I’m guessing your therapist mostly 

asks questions and gently nudges, 

EMPATH, but since Gottlieb has 

her advice-columnist hat on today 

and not her psychotherapist hat, I 

asked her to tell you what to do. 

“She should act more like a 

friend than a therapist/caretaker,” 

said Gottlieb. “She shouldn’t 

treat her friend or herself as if 

they’re too fragile to handle basic 

communication or boundaries. And 

they should both be working out 

their issues with their respective 

therapists, not with each other.” 

And if you decide to keep this 

woman in your life (and your 

wedding party), EMPATH, you’ll 

both have to work on—sigh—your 

communication skills. 

“Right now, they don’t seem to 

know how to communicate directly 

with each other,” said Gottlieb. “It’s 

either an icy text or complaining to 

outside parties about each other. 

But when it comes to how they 

interact with each other, they’re 

so careful, as if one or both might 

break if they simply said, ‘Hey, I 

really care about you and I know 

sometimes you want to talk about 

stuff, but sometimes it feels like too 

much and maybe something you 

can talk to your therapist about.’” 

Lori Gottlieb’s new book, Maybe You 

Should Talk to Someone, is a New York 

Times best seller. Follow her on Twitter 

@LoriGottlieb1. 

I will be driving to New Orleans 

from Toronto. It’s almost impossible 

to drive from Ontario to 

Louisiana without stopping for 

fuel/food/hotel in Ohio, Georgia, 

or Alabama. But I want to boycott 

Handmaid states during my trip. 

Even then, I feel I have to check 

the news every day to see what 

state is next. Do you have any 

practical advice for me? Or should 

I just stay home until your democratic 

systems and your courts are 

fixed and your Electoral College is 

abolished? 

Canadian Avoids Nearing 

Terrible Georgia, Ohio… 

Why head south, CANTGO? Even 

if you’ve lived in Canada all your 

life, you couldn’t possibly have 

explored every corner of your 

beautiful country. But if you absolutely, 

positively must board the 

Titanic—excuse me, if you must 

visit the United States—take a hard 

right after you cross the border 

and head west instead. Enjoy Michigan’s 

Upper Peninsula, check out 

some of those lakes they’re always 

talking about in Minnesota, speed 

through the Dakotas, Montana, and 

the skinniest part of Idaho, and 

pretty soon you’ll be in Washington 

State, where a woman’s right to 

choose is enshrined in the state 

constitution. The summers are 

lovely, we’ve got hiking trails that 

will take you to mountain lakes, and 

Democrats control both houses 

of the state legislature and the governor’s 

mansion, so you won’t have 

to check the news every day when 

you’re in Seattle. 

On the Lovecast, Dan chats with 

actor Maddie Corman: savagelovecast.com. 

email@savagelove.net 



CANADA’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT CONCERT PROMOTER 

UPCOMING SHOWS 

RHYE 

Sep 19 - The Palace Theatre 

Sep 20 - Myer Horowitz Theatre 

BOBBY BAZINI 


June 10 - The Gateway 

NIGHT LOVELL 


June 10 - Union Hall 

STEEL PANTHER 


June 23 - Union Hall 

AUGUST BURNS RED 

July 9 - Union Hall 

July 10 - The Palace Theatre 

LUCY ROSE 

July 16 - Commonwealth Bar & Stage 

July 17 - The Starlite Room 

REEL BIG FISH 

& THE AQUABATS 

July 19 - The Palace Theatre 

THE APPLESEED CAST ZIGGY ALBERTS THRUSH HERMIT 

Aug 14 - The Starlite Room 

Aug 15 - Dickens Pub 

Sept 17 - The Gateway 

Sept 19 - The Starlite Room 

Oct 11 - The Starlite Room 

Oct 12 - The Palace Theatre 


TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT MRGCONCERTS.COM

BeatRoute Magazine AB Edition June 2019

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