SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE
CALGARY FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL
CALGARY ROCKS FEIST, PAUL BRANDT, TEGAN AND SARA – these well-known musicians are but a sampling of artists who have called Calgary home. With offspring like these, it’s no wonder C-town’s musical tableau is naturally chock full of talent and variety. “Calgary’s music scene is eclectic and full of surprises, from electronic to roots to indie and beyond,” says musician and musicologist Andrew Mosker, chief cheerleader for the local – and national – music scene. For the past 18 years, Mosker’s been living and breathing music in Calgary, including his current work as founding president and CEO of the National Music Centre, a national hub for celebrating, supporting and preserving Canadian music that’s scheduled to open this spring.
Award-winning wines, sticky barbecue and plenty of live music – our recipe for the perfect getaway. BY COLLEEN SETO
So what’s the perfect night out in Calgary, according to this musical man about town? Start with happy hour at Wine-Ohs in the historic Grain Exchange Building downtown, not far from the Calgary Tower, he suggests. Enter from the back alley, slip past the kitchen and head down the stairs to the softly lit cellar, where honky-tonk artist Tom Phillips, a local mainstay, presides every Friday, performing his rollicking songs as you sip wine from the bar’s award-winning list and rub shoulders with other music lovers. The former home to popular jazz club Beatniq, the space has become the place to discover and follow local artists. “It has cachet,” says Mosker. “It’s intimate, and the food
“CALGARY’S MUSIC SCENE IS ECLECTIC AND FULL OF SURPRISES, FROM ELECTRONIC TO ROOTS TO INDIE AND BEYOND.” ANDREW MOSKER, PRESIDENT & CEO, NATIONAL MUSIC CENTRE
PHOTO: TOURISM CALGARY
is excellent, with a great Scotch bar.” Besides Phillips, a week’s performance roster might include jazz artists like the Bow Djangos, Cuban-inspired Los Montalbáns, or a roots ensemble like the T. Buckley Band. Next, dart two blocks over to the Palomino Smokehouse. Only in Calgary can you get a plate of killer sticky barbecue, then go downstairs and take in a killer rock, metal or punk show. “You’ll get everything here,” says Mosker. “It’s a really nice mix, though it leans more to the indie side.” A former furniture store, Palomino’s log walls and giant wood columns are reminiscent of a Western saloon and resonate with the beats of whatever hardcore band is playing. Often, basement shows can be earplug-worthy as the musicians play their hearts out, stadium-style. “Sometimes it’s rocking loud, but if you want to see a good punk or rock show, this is the place,” Mosker adds. Prepare to fully immerse yourself and soak in the band’s – and the crowd’s – bravado.