Live music will be off the hook this week, in part due to Whoop-Up Days which has a nice mixture of local talent, modern rock, country and roots music.
Whoop Up Days begins Aug. 18 with local rock band Fast Times opening for the Sheepdogs. Fast Times is in a 7:30 p.m. with the Sheepdogs following at 9 p.m. Uncovered open for Vancouver via Saskatoon rockers One Bad Son, Aug. 19. The country night on Aug. 20 features Calgary shredder Lindsay Ell at 7:30 p.m. and multi-instrumentalist, Juno Award nominee MacKenzie Porter who is also the little sister of Canadian Idol Kalan Porter. Unzipped open for the Glorious Sons, Aug. 21 and several local acts play a big roots and blues day Saturday, Aug. 22.
Calgary blues/ funk trio the Eric Braun band open the last day at 3 p.m. followed by local blues rock band Driving While Blind at 4:30 p.m., local blues/ country band Paul Kype and Texas Flood at 6 p.m. and Leeroy Stagger at 7:30 p.m. One man blues band Steve Hill winds up Whoop Up Days, Aug. 22.
But there is a whole lot more happening throughout the week.
Bigwood 8 takes place on the outskirts of town featuring popular local acts Fox Eyes, The Dirti Speshuls, Cosmic Charley and the Supervoid, local country band the Dearly Departed plus special guests from out of town including Calgary’s A Day as Wolves, Nanaimo’s Moths and Locusts.
Tickets are available for $25 in advance from Blueprint. Gates open at 6 p.m. with the music beginning at 7 p.m.
Even Sunday rocks with a couple of big shows.
Over at the Farm north east of Lethbridge, the Alien Rebels will be playing a dinner show with Pork Daze. Dinner is served at 6 p.m. with the music happening after that. The $15 cover covers dinner and the music.
Later that night, the Slice hosts the big rock show of the week with Toronto supergroup Public Animal and Calgary's Napalmpom who are touring in support of a magnificent new split 12 inch record. They will be joined by local alternative rock trio the Supervoid.
Inferno has another big metal and hardcore show, Aug. 18 with Edmonton hardcore band Exits, Calgary hardcore band Petrify and Medicine Hat death metal band Crease. Doors open at 8 p.m. There is a $10 cover.
The Slice has an experimental folk show, Aug. 19 with Vancouver based Moncton transplant Graham Ereaux aka Devarro and Victoria based songwriter Zoubi Arros.
Friday night will be fantastic if you aren’t going to Whoop Up Days or are looking for something to do afterwards. There are two excellent shows to choose from, Aug. 21.
Over at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Po Girl’s Awna Teixeira will be playing accordion and banjo as she performs music from her new solo CD The Wild One and perhaps a song or two from her upcoming new accordion album. There is no cover for that show.
The Slice welcomes Winnipeg based indie rock band Heartbeat City on Aug. 21 as well.
Over at Casino Lethbridge, Shane Chisholm will be holding court with his gas tank bass and addictive country / rockabilly stylings on both Friday and Saturday night. There is no cover for those shows, which begin at 8 p.m..
The Moose Hall hosts has yet another metal show on Aug. 22 featuring Medicine Hat’s Western Death and Paint the Damage.
And local folk/ country musician Karen Romanchuk returns to the Mocha Cabana, Friday and Saturday as well.
If you aren’t burned out by all of that, Victoria synth-rock band Isobel Trigger return to the Slice to host their open mic, Aug. 25.
