SCENE February 2024

CALGARY’S GUIDE TO GOING OUT

CHEAP DATES WARM UP WITH BLOCK HEATER MEET ARTS COMMONS’ NEW VP VENUE: MIKEY’S ON 12TH CORB LUND’S NEW ALBUM 02.24 ISSUE #40

WINTER'S A BLAST WITH CONCERTS,

PERFORMANCES, MARKETS, INTERACTIVE INSTALLATIONS AND MORE, CHINOOK BLAST WILL MAKE YOU LOVE WINTER

EVENTS THINGS TO DO ARTS MUSIC FOOD & DRINK

DATE NIGHT IN THE BLOX

On Stage with

Alex Cuba 10 February 2024 Jack Singer Concert Hall Alex Cuba, 2022 Grammy Award winner, joins the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra for a jazz-funk-pop infusion that’s sure to fire you up!

For details and tickets, visit calgaryphil.com

CONTENTS Cover Illustration: Kelly Sutherland Publisher and Acting Editor Käthe Lemon, klemon@redpointmedia.ca

15 COVER

Founding Editor Mike Bell Designer Kris Twyman

Chinook Blast takes over the city from February 2 to 19. Find out how to navigate the overwhelming volume of activities.

Print/Digital Production Manager Mike Matovich

CONTRIBUTORS

9 LITERARY SCENE

Shelley Arnusch, Kirk Bodnar, Sarah Comber, Cam Hayden, Benjamin Heisler, Lori Montgomery, Erika

New bookstore Slow Burn Books specializes in romance.

Ravnsborg, Kelly Sutherland, Jared Sych, Krista Sylvester, Mary-Lynn Wardle, Alana Willerton

10 ARTS SCENE

Client Support Coordinator Alice Meilleur

The Arts Commons Transformation will reinvent the building but new thinking is also needed for this aging institution, and Sarah Garton Stanley (that’s SGS to you) brings it as the new VP Programming.

Senior Account Executive Jocelyn Erhardt Account Executives Nadine Benoit, Vicki Braaten Administrative and HR Manager Tara Brand

12 CHEAP DATES

Spend your time rather than your money impressing your sweetheart with our Best Cheap Dates suggestions.

CEO and co-owner Roger Jewett

18 MUSIC SCENE

President and co-owner Käthe Lemon

The Calgary Folk Music Festival’s Block Heater warms up winter stages with summer festival vibes.

Design Director Steve Collins

22 MUSIC SCENE

Corb Lund’s 10th studio album El Viejo is a DIY wonder he self produced and recorded at his home in Lethbridge.

The Scene is a member of the Alberta Magazine Publishers’ Association and abides by its professional standards. redpointmedia.ca 1721 29 Avenue SW, Suite 375, Calgary, AB, T2T 6T7 Published 12 times a year by Redpoint Media Group. © 2024 By Redpoint Media Group.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher.

Cheap Dates : Page 12 PHOTO: ELYSE BOUVIER

We acknowledge the traditional territories and the value of the traditional and current oral practices of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Tsuut’ina, the Iyarhe Nakoda Nations, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta District 6, and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

ets Tick m Fro $25

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5 Act 1, Scene 1 20 Venue: Mikey’s on 12th 24 Cam Hayden

Playing until February 18 5

ACT 1 SCENE 1

What to do in February

BY ALANA WILLERTON AND KÄTHE LEMON

EXPOSURE PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL This annual festival is a celebration of great photography and the established and emerging photographers who capture captivating images. Now in its 20th year, the Exposure Photography Festival has an impressive line-up in store for audiences throughout the month of February. Along with a wide range of photography exhibitions, attendees can also check out events like artist receptions, panel discussions, a cyanotype workshop, portfolio reviews and more.

Visit exposurephotofestival.com for a full list of exhibitions and events.

CHINOOK BLAST There’s no shortage of things to do during this exciting winter festival running from February 2 to 19. Highlights include the Four Winds Indigenous Showcase & Market featuring over 75 vendors, sporting events like the 2024 Nitrocross and the Snow Rodeo, the SweetLights lantern installation in Olympic Plaza and more.

See page 15 for more information and visit chinookblast.ca for a full list of events.

KISAPMATA It just feels right to see a show about love during the month of February. A co-production between Lunchbox Theatre and Chromatic Theatre, Kisapmata uses vignettes to explore two Filipino women’s love story. Don’t miss the world premiere of this production running until February 18.

Visit lunchboxtheatre.com for more information and tickets.

ETHNIK FESTIVAL OF ARTS & CULTURE 2024 Celebrating Afro-Canadian and Caribbean cultures and traditions, this year’s Ethnik Festival of Arts & Culture features a Calgary Food War and emerging artists showcase on February 9, followed by a day of performances and presentations on February 10. The lineup includes Calgary Poet Laureate Wakefield Brewster, MC and comedian Grand Komanda, vocalist Tayo Gbalajobi and more Visit ethnikfestivals.com for more information.

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Unganisha , February 24 at Contemporary Calgary PHOTO: MOTIF PHOTOGRAPHY

CALGARY PHIL ON STAGE WITH ALEX CUBA Cuban-Canadian singer Alex Cuba has won over audiences and critics, with two Junos and three Latin Grammys under his belt. Catch him on stage on February 10 as he fuses his signature sweet sounds with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra to create a jazz-funk-pop infusion that is sure to warm up your winter night.

Visit calgaryphil.com for tickets and information.

UNGANISHA: EXPLORE. CONNECT. DANCE. Woezo Africa Music & Dance Theatre Inc.’s annual UNGANISHA: Explore. Connect. Dance. event returns on February 24 with a film

screening and panel discussion. The 45-minute documentary celebrates nine dance forms like Afro-Caribbean, samba, jazz and hip-hop, and examines how the African diaspora has shaped them. Tickets are only $25 to see the 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. show at Contemporary Calgary.

Visit woezoafrica.com for more information and tickets.

BLOCK HEATER Block Heater, the annual winter music festival put on by the Calgary Folk Music Festival, is back with a mix of outdoor and indoor performances.

Running from February 15 to 17, the festival features over two dozen bands and singers, including Daniel Romano’s Outfit, The Devil Makes Three,

Dominique Fils-Aimé and Jesse Roper. If you need to kill some time before a show or want to catch up with friends after one, consider grabbing a drink at the new Big Rock Festival Bar at the Royal Canadian Legion 1, which is open from 5 p.m. to midnight on February 16 and 17.

See page 18 for our picks for can’t-miss shows and visit calgaryfolkfest.com for tickets and more information.

PENGUIN WALK AT THE WILDER INSTITUTE/CALGARY ZOO Arthur, Cleopatra, Napoleon, Augustus — these are just a few of the adorable king penguins you could see waddling through the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo during the annual Penguin Walk experience.

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ACT 1 SCENE 1

Mirror Mirror, until March 31 at CF Chinook Centre PHOTO: MOTIF PHOTOGRAPHY

Every winter starting in January, the zoo’s king penguin colony goes on a daily morning walk around the grounds that the public can watch (depending on the weather and animal inclination). The walks start at the Penguin Plunge at 10:30 a.m. and follow a designated route, offering a cool opportunity to see these animals outside of their usual habitat. Weather permitting, this year’s Penguin Walk is on now until mid-March.

Visit calgaryzoo.com for more information.

CHELSEA HANDLER: LITTLE BIG BITCH TOUR Grammy-nominated comedian, television host, best-selling author and advocate Chelsea Handler took a six-year hiatus from standup, returning about a year and a half ago with her Vaccinated and Horny tour, which came to Calgary in 2022. This recently extended new tour brings her to Calgary for a performance on February 23 at the Jack Singer. The retrospective tour looks back at what made Handler who she is today.

Tickets at artscommons.ca

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MIRROR MIRROR A multisensory, immersive and interactive experience lands at CF Chinook Centre starting on February 2. Mirror Mirror features nine art installations that invite you to take part and explore light, sound and creativity. Adult tickets range from $22 to $26 (depending what day you visit) for the 45-minute experience.

Visit mirrormirrorexperience.com/calgary/ for more information and tickets.

BEAUTIFUL MAN This Alberta-premiere co-produced by Downstage, Handsome Alice Theatre and Verb Theatre, is a biting satire about the portrayal of women in television and film. Three friends take us on a tour of a world ruled by women — all while gazing at the semi-nude “Beautiful Man.” Beware — you may never look at your favourite shows the same way again! Size accessible seating is available. The show runs from February 29 to March 10 and following the March 9 show Downstage will host its 20th Anniversary fundraising party.

Tickets through artscommons.ca

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febRuAry

ACT 1 SCENE 1

its ouR birthdAy! + sAlt horsE 2 wIth MEDS 7 pm $15 & cereal party 10 am - nOon free 3 cartoon gRound centrAl 8 pm $10

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stoLen moon + glItter glue

8 pm $10

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side of frIes 8 pm $10

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valEntInes comedy show WITH MOLLIE RISA + MORE!

7 pm $20 18+

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vaNden dool + emmy jaNe

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tetrAd showcaSe 8 pm $10

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community choir: power ballads 2 pm PWYF

8 pm $10

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congRess cinema cLub kaNesAtake 6 pm free

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method to the madness + whats the pLaN

8 pm $10

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all ages dRag show 2 pm $10 odditeaSe buRlEsque 8 pm $20 18+

25

all that jazz 2 pm pwyf

congResscoffeeyyc.com

1A 215 36 Ave ne 8

On Stage for Black History Month and Black Futures

M_Kayla Kongnetiman PHOTO: CAITLIN

WAKEFIELD BREWSTER LEADS A LINEUP OF GENREDEFYING ARTISTS

BY OLIVIA PICHÉ

T

he TD Amplify series continues with a multi-genre showcase of Black talent for Black History Month and Black Future. On February 9 and 10, five talented local artists will find their way to the stage for Wakefield Brewster Presents Pt. 2.

Brewster is Calgary’s Poet Laureate, a spoken word icon, social translator and the 2023/2024 Fellow of the Arts Commons TD Incubator program, an artist mentorship program that provides professional development as well as networking and performance opportunities.

In his role as fellow of the program, Brewster guides emerging artists on their creative and expressive journeys and helps them accelerate their careers as artists.

Four of the artists from the Incubator program will showcase their work in the upcoming TD Amplify show.

“These solo works are representative of puzzling together as individuals, artistically exhibiting the diversity of the Black diaspora,” says Brewster.

Brewster’s vision for this season of the TD Incubator program and the TD Amplify series asks artists to look inward and question what it means to accept the pieces that make up individual identity. In the upcoming show, audience members can

Ado Nkemka

Dizzy Walka PHOTO: FRANCIS A. WILLEY

PHOTO: CHRISTY JASMINE CASTILLON

expect the artists to tackle this idea through their artistic mediums ranging from music to dance to spoken-word performances.

The performances take place in the Arts Commons Engineered Air Theatre, a literally underground space.

The show features ballet, jazz and tap dancer M’Kayla Kongnetiman, musician and award-winning journalist A.N., spoken word artist Okechukwu Nnamchi and breakthrough hip-hop artist Dizzy Walka. And of course, the show will also include Brewster with his latest music and poetry mashup.

“In the spirit of the month, I’m looking for the Black artists of the TD Incubator to do new things to create awareness, elevation and celebration of the artistry and contribution of Black artists in our city,” says Brewster.

Enjoy a medley of artistic mediums during the live show, a performance from the Poet Laureate himself and even a pre- and post-show DJ party.

The two final instalments of the Amplify Series will be at Arts Commons April 26 and 27 and June 7 and 8.

For more information on the TD Amplify series and to buy tickets visit artscommons.ca/amplify Wakefield Brewster

PHOTO: COURTESY ARTS COMMONS

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LITERARY SCENE

Savour the Slow Burn

A new romance-only bookstore provides pages of escape and builds community

BY SARAH COMBER

W

Romance is certainly having a moment right now, perhaps because of the need for escape that was heightened during the pandemic NICOLA MACNAUGHTON (LEFT) & SHANNON MACNAUGHTON PHOTO: NORA HANAKO

©Damien Bredberg

hen sisters Nicola and Shannon MacNaughton opened Slow Burn Books, a romance-only bookstore in Marda Loop’s trendy Henry Block shopping district, they didn’t anticipate the outpouring of community support they would receive.

“We had our launch on May 6, 2023, and it was amazing,” says Shannon. “There was a line out the door for almost eight hours — even though it was raining.”

Indeed, Shannon says that romance is certainly having a moment right now, perhaps because of the need for escape that was heightened during the pandemic.

“Knowing that ‘happily ever after’ is coming, even with all the terrible things an author can put

you through, gives you comfort,” says Shannon.

“People needed that happiness.”

Encouraging that desire for escape while fostering a sense of community has inspired the sisters to host a range of events, from midnight release parties to book signings.

Last month, Slow Burn Books held their first book club — registration filled in 10-minutes.

“A lot of readers are introverts,” says Shannon.

“But when you are around people reading the same thing as you, you don’t need to pretend. You can just talk about what you’ve read.”

While the February book club is already full, Shannon suggests signing up for Slow Burn’s mailing list and keeping an eye on their social media (@slowburn.booksyyc) for news of March’s club registration — which should be released in mid-February. The book club takes place at Marda Loop Brewing on the third Wednesday of every month.

Slow Burn Books, 115, 1934 34 Ave. S.W., slowburnbooksyyc.ca

special presentation

Queens of the Blues: Shemekia Copeland & Dawn Tyler Watson FEB 9

ACP Signature Series Presenting Sponsor BD&P World Stage

ACP Special Presentation Engagement Sponsor Queens of the Blues

TD Amplify Naming Sponsor

BD&P World Stage Supporting Sponsors

Arts Commons, Jack Singer Concert Hall

Public Sector Support

td amplify

Wakefield Brewster Presents: Pt. 2 FEB 9 & 10 Media Sponsors

Hospitality Sponsors

Arts Commons, Engineered Air Theatre

Get tickets now!

bd&p world stage

Circa: Humans 2.0 FEB 13

Arts Commons, Jack Singer Concert Hall

403-294-9494 acpresents.ca Artist, program, and date subject to change.

theyyscene.com | 02 | 2024

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ARTS SCENE

ARTS UNCOMMON

To truly transform, Arts Commons needs not only a new space, but also new thinking. And it looks like it has gotten it with its new VP of Programming, SGS

BY LORI MONTGOMERY

A

rts Commons is already one of the largest arts facilities in the country, and the largest in Western Canada.

It is home to six resident companies, nine distinct performance venues, and a host of gallery spaces. And it’s in the process of a $480-million transformation that will expand its footprint, adding several new performance venues, and modernizing the current building.

CEO Alex Sarian says that, after four decades, it is time for Arts Commons to reimagine not only its building, but its very role as a performing arts centre.

“What the design of our current building tells people is that unless you have a ticket, you’re not really welcome here,” says Sarian. But he has built an international design team that includes local community builders and an Indigenous architecture collective to change that.

He points to elements like including Olympic Plaza in the scope of the redesign project as something that will be important to achieving this vision, but also notes that the redesign of the physical space is only one piece of the puzzle.

“At the end of the day, that means nothing if it’s not being used programmatically for the right purposes and by the right people,” he says.

This question was key to Arts Commons’ search

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Arts Commons VP of Programming SGS (left) and CEO Alex Sarian

for a new VP Programming. The VP Programming controls a budget of approximately $4 million a year and is responsible for 25 shows per season including series such as the BD&P World Stage and TD Amplify series, arts commons education, curation of the gallery spaces, ArtsXpeditions and more. Sarian knew he needed to find someone who shared his vision.

Cue the hiring of theatre director Sarah Garton Stanley — or SGS, as almost everyone calls her.

Sarian first encountered SGS at a performing arts centre CEOs meeting in London, England. SGS was there to talk about the Manifesto for Now, which she co-authored with theatre producer and academic Owais Lightwala.

In their Manifesto, they set out a path for arts organizations of the future. At the meeting in Lon-

don, she laid out an argument that art exists for the audience, not the artist, and that the current crisis of audience attrition can be partly laid at the feet of artists who have lost sight of that.

Some in the audience were unreceptive, but Sarian was intrigued.

At the time, SGS was working at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, a plum position. It didn’t seem likely she would consider leaving it. To Sarian’s pleasant surprise, she was interested in the Arts Commons role.

A rigorous search and selection process followed, and Sarian says that at each stage, SGS had a unique approach that was aligned with the vision for a new Arts Commons.

SGS started as Arts Commons’ VP Programming in September 2023, and has spent the last few

months exploring the city and its communities.

“This city is very forward-thinking right now, and it’s very exciting to be here,” SGS says. “There are a lot of really cool thinkers here.”

And she is eager to reach out to them.

She wants to solicit ideas from the community to inform her programming choices — she plans to start a newsletter and encourage a dialogue with existing Arts Commons audiences as a first step, and to explore other ways of connecting with communities as she gets to know the city. She plans a survey of Calgarians to paint a broad picture of what we’re watching, listening to, and loving — hoping she can reflect that more directly on Arts Commons stages. She wants Calgarians to know her by name and feel they can reach out to her as the face of programming at Arts Commons.

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“The calibre and quality with which those stories are being told, in my view is extremely high here.

There’s been a strong and powerful sense of representation, and good storytelling.” SGS

“My hope and my governing statement is that we are looking for curatorial ideas from the community,” she says.

Sarian suggests arts leaders are taking the easy way out when they attribute shrinking audiences simply to global economic pressures.

“People are spending more money on air travel than they have ever done before. We just had the second largest Stampede in a hundred-year history. Something doesn’t make sense here,” Sarian says.

Likewise, SGS is open about her feeling that notfor-profit arts organizations aren’t offering what audiences want.

“There’s lots of money — in smaller and smaller groups of hands, for sure,” she says, “but also in different cultural practices and traditions, and those different cultures don’t necessarily want to come to see this show, but they may want to go somewhere else to experience another kind of cultural practice that has not been reflected in the organizations that we’re talking about now.”

She unapologetically advocates for programming that fills seats in their venues as part of the strategy.

“The first thing is not shying away from what will be beloved, and easy to show up to, because that’s the beginning of a conversation,” she says. She and Lightwala argue in their Manifesto for Now that trust between artists and their audiences has been broken, and that artists need to start by genuinely listening to what their audiences are saying when they vote with their ticket-buying dollars.

They acknowledge they might be criticized for populism, but they use the term “peoplism” instead.

Sarian says that what he calls a “portfolio approach” to programming at Arts Commons allows them to use some surplus-generating shows like the Jann Arden Christmas shows to subsidize

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projects that push boundaries and challenge the status quo.

“People are going to pay money to see Jann Arden,” he says, “and that surplus is going to offset the investment that we make in arts education, because we believe that arts education needs to be free for participants.”

Related to these financial and audience questions, arts institutions are grappling with issues of diversity and inclusion. And in this aspect as well, SGS comes with a powerful set of ideas and solid experience.

She created and led The Cycle, a research initiative at the National Arts Centre exploring three themes: Indigenous theatre (2014-15), Deaf, disability and Mad arts (2016-17), and Climate Change (2019-20).

SGS highlights the TD Incubator program as another way that Arts Commons invests in nurturing emerging talents and makes space for new voices, including Indigenous representation. (Learn more about the program’s Amplify show this month on page 7.) She also sees potential for greater collaboration with Indigenous artists.

“I think Indigenous ways of knowing and storytelling are the heart of this land. This is the human origin story of this land and I think it is our cultural superpower,” she says. “For me, this suggests that collaboration between different cultural interests is our best way forward. And it is also what can — and I believe should — rightfully place us as a unique and valued cultural instigator on the world stage.”

She says that she already sees diversity on Calgary stages that goes beyond “box-checking.”

“The work that I’m seeing on the stages, the stories that I’m seeing being chosen to be told, and the calibre and quality with which those stories are being told, in my view is extremely high here,” she says. “There’s been a strong and powerful sense of representation, and good storytelling.”

While SGS acknowledges that diversity of leadership roles in the arts is a separate issue from the work being staged, she says she’s too new to the community to comment.

Sarian says that one metric used to judge the success of the transformation of Arts Commons will be the number of tickets sold and another will be the diversity of the audience.

“Do we have folks coming from every corner of the city?” he asks. “Are they coming once, and are they coming back? Are we creating arts-going habits because we are engaging with them on their terms?”

He says he is already seeing the benefits of recruiting SGS. “It’s fascinating to watch her try to do right by Calgary and try to do right by the Calgary arts community, while at the same time, challenging us as only she can.”

SGS says it was the opportunity to be a part of exactly this meaningful change that drew her to Calgary.

“I came here because of the beacon that Arts Commons is within the national landscape,” she says. “It attracted me, the goals and wishes and desires that were in some ways bred into it when those fabulous women first conceived of this building way back in the day, as of course now it moves into its next iteration. I’m very excited about this moment, because it feels healthy.”

SGS Resume Highlights Artistic Producer of the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund Artistic Director, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Inaugural Artistic Associate, Magnetic North Theatre Festival Founding Artistic Director, spiderwebshow.ca Co-creator, Festival of Live Digital Art Created and led The Cycle, a research initiative at the National Arts Centre exploring three themes: Indigenous theatre (2014-15), Deaf, disability and Mad arts (2016-17), and Climate Change (2019-20).

Currently in progress: a PhD in Cultural Studies from Queen’s University, where she is looking at the structure of arts organizations in Canada.

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CHEAP DATES

Date Ideas for When You Are

Rich in Love

D

BY SARAH COMBER

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on’t let inflation kill your spark. Whether you’ve recently experienced your dream meet-cute or are trying to kindle an old flame,

Esker Foundation

MONDAY NIGHT BOARD GAMES AT THE SENTRY BOX Calgary gamer institution the Sentry Box offers a free drop-in board game night, inviting participants to try-out new games and mingle with other players. If you and your date get hungry after settling your Catan scores, take the five-minute walk to One Way Foods for a low-cost bite.

Sentrybox.com; facebook.com/Onewayfoodsanddeli/

these 10 cheap date ideas

FREE PINBALL AT PINBAR

nurture romance without

Try your hand at classic and unique pinball machines for free on Mondays and Wednesdays at PinBar. Enjoy a burger and a beer ($22 for two) on Mondays after 5 p.m., or $6 tall boys ($12 for two) after 5 p.m. on Wednesdays. pinbaryyc.com/

breaking the bank.

SKATING AT OLYMPIC PLAZA For the lightly athletically inclined; breathe in the fresh air while enjoying the romantic ambience at Olympic Plaza. Strap on a pair of skates to take the romance-level up a notch, before heading to First Street Market to split a margherita pizza at Actually Pretty Good for $20.

Fsmyyc.com; actuallyprettygood.ca/

EXPLORE THE ESKER FOUNDATION Soak up some art while wandering through the Esker Foundation.

Admission is free, so you can spend your hard-earned cash on a Singlewood Burger from the Inglewood Drive-In ($19.98 for two) while partaking in a titillating conversation with your date about Lucia Hierro’s exhibition Corotos y Ajuares, which runs until April 28. eskerfoundation.com; inglewooddrivein.com/

theyyscene.com | 02 | 2024

Central Library

Aurora Borealis at Baker Lake PHOTO: ELISE BOUVIER

GET COZY AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY Grab a couple of books, and nestle in for an afternoon of reading with your sweetheart. While cafe services will be returning to the library later this year, you can pick-up two cups of joe from the nearby Phil & Sebastian ($9.30 for two Americanos) before losing yourself in a good book. calgarylibrary.ca/read-learn-and-explore/central-library; philsebastian.com

TAKE IN THE VIEWS AT SCOTSMAN’S HILL IN RAMSAY Enjoy some of YYC’s most stunning views —

theyyscene.com | 02 | 2024

complete with benches to snuggle with your sweetie. Keep away the evening chill with a hot chocolate from Apprentice Cafe ($11 for two). apprenticecafe.ca

CATCH A FLICK AT THE PLAZA THEATRE With lower ticket prices than big-box movie theatres, you can feel good about supporting local while also indulging in a budget-friendly date night ($25.98 for two tickets). Bonus points for sipping on a post-film Dark & Stormy in the theatre’s tucked-away Sidebar cocktail bar ($21 for you and your date). theplaza.ca

Tu Taco PHOTO: ERIC HANSON

SPLIT SOME TACOS AT TU TACO Savour four street tacos for only $15.50, with your choice of protein including carne asada, al pastor or sliced mushrooms and corn as a veggie option. Feel like making it a night to remember?

Order two gummy tequila shots for $16. tutaco.ca/

FREEZE THE MOMENT AT AND SOME FLOWER CAFE

quet to add a hint of luxury (mini-bouquets start at $47). theandsome.com

GET OUT OF TOWN Solar activity is cyclical, and is reaching its highest point in 2024; providing ideal conditions to witness the aurora borealis, one of the most magical natural phenomena. Pack some blankets and a picnic and head out to the mountains to enjoy this stunning light display.

If the reasonably priced Korean menu and delicious coffee don’t impress your date, then the $10 photo booth is sure to make a lasting memory.

Treat your special someone to a stunning bou-

13

What’s On? NATIONAL MUSIC CENTRE

JANUARY 2 7 – AP R IL 2 8

Presents:

A musical rockumentary, featuring 60 years of Canada's best-known hits. Rock out to the soundtrack of a nation!

CHEAP DATES

CHECK WEEKEND MATINEE SHOW TIMES AT STUDIOBELL.CA/WHATS-ON. GETTING THE LUNCH ALL AT ONCE AT CHARCUT SAVES BOTH TIME AND MONEY AND SENDS YOU OFF WITH A BAG OF COOKIES.

LET’S DO LUNCH

Launch into lunch dates for a cheaper option for fine dining

Produced by:

I

FEB 12

NMC PRESENTS:

RHAPSODY IN BLUE GALA WITH JENS LINDEMANN & FRIENDS Jens Lindemann performs George Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ with an all-star jazz band, honouring the 100-year anniversary of its debut.

TICKETS: STUDIOBELL.CA/WHATS-ON

FEB 19

FAMILY DAY AT STUDIO BELL WITH THE BUCKLEYS Beloved songwriters Mariel Buckley and T. Buckley join forces for a day of family fun. Featuring five floors of musical exploration and interactive activities for all ages.

50% OFF NMC FAMILY MEMBERSHIPS FOR ONE DAY ONLY ON FAMILY DAY!

STUDIO BELL, HOME OF THE NATIONAL MUSIC CENTRE

BY SHELLEY ARNUSCH

t is not cheap to dine at the city’s top downtown restaurants, but it’s certainly cheaper if you go out for lunch instead of dinner. You still get to enjoy the same amazing rooms, just with a lower bill at the end as lunch entrees are usually priced lower than their counterparts on dinner menus. Even better: you can take advantage of lunch specials that are designed to draw the downtown business crowd.

Take Charcut, for example, local celeb chef duo John Jackson and Connie DeSousa’s much-loved restaurant inside the tony downtown Le Germain Hotel. Charcut serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and offers a “lunch all at once” special, which includes a bag of warm cookies to go. (Seriously! They send you off with warm cookies!) Even the most expensive option, the butcher shop feature rotisserie with wild green salad and parmesan fries (and cookies!), still comes in under $30.

If you don’t mind eating a bit later in the afternoon, you can also take advantage of early happy hour specials at some of the city’s top restaurants for your lunch date: check out Teatro’s “Double Bubbles” for $18 pizzas and half-price on all sparkling wines by the glass or bottle from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Or head to the Wednesday Room, where happy hour starts at 2 p.m. (wines for $6 a glass!) and order off the lunch menu, which is offered until 5 p.m.

If you’re not stuck on dinner, the world of dining is your oyster.

Speaking of which, the happy hour special at Rodney’s Oyster House on 10th Avenue S.W. of six oysters and a glass of prosecco, wine or beer for $20 is one of the best cheap dates in town.

850 4 STREET SE CALGARY, AB theyyscene.com | 02 | 2024

COVER

Blast Off

Chinook Blast explodes all over the city to clear away the winter blues

BY KRISTA SYLVESTER

I

t may be a cliché of festivals, but Chinook Blast — the city’s winter festival — truly does have something for everyone.

From February 2 to 19, the fourth annual Chinook Blast provides an opportunity to explore the best of the city’s art, music, theatre, sport and recreation scene, not despite winter but in celebration of it.

“Chinook Blast not only showcases the diversity and vibrancy of our community but also becomes a testament to the collective spirit of bringing the community together to celebrate winter in Calgary,” says Calgary Arts Development president and CEO Patti Pon. “It’s the perfect chance to celebrate the season.”

Chinook Blast is essentially an umbrella festival that incorporates a series of world-class festivals, free outdoor programming, artistic light displays and cultural experiences ranging from Sport Calgary skating events and DIY Crafting Workshops to Musical Matinees, craft markets and Hackathons. The point of Chinook Blast is to get everyone out enjoying life in the city in the winter, and highlighting all the things happening in order to to bring them more audiences is a big part of the strategy.

Pon says the weather outside doesn’t affect what the festival can offer to Calgarians and that’s the beautiful thing about Chinook Blast.

“If you want to go ice skating, you can go ice skating. If you want to sit inside and watch some amazing music, dance or live theatre performances, it’s there for you. There truly is something for everyone,” Pon says. “If you want to wander inside the city hall atrium at the Asian night market or the Indigenous art market, you can do that. If you want to be outside and experience the winter art installations that we have, that’s there for you.”

In fact, there’s so much going on it can be overwhelming. So here are some suggestions to help you plan your Chinook Blast experience.

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ART INSTALLATIONS PHOTO: NEIL ZELLER

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COVER

FUN FOR A GROUP Whatever your group dynamic is, there’s a way to keep everyone happy at Chinook Blast. For the theatre lovers, there are dozens of both free and ticketed options at the last weekend of the High Performance Rodeo. The city’s international festival of the arts has no shortage of diverse and eclectic local, national and global talent on display.

The festival wraps up on Feb. 4, so make sure you check out the last few days before it’s over.

Gather your pals and eat your way through the Chinook Blast curated food journey with Taste the City. The the self-guided tour winds Calgarians through the city’s top restaurants as if they are tourists trying new dishes and exploring a rich offering of delectable menus.

On February 18 at 3, fashion and fun take to the streets of Kensington with the annual Outdoor Drag Fashion Show. If the performances don’t warm you up, the firepits and hot chocolate will.

One of the most visible parts of Chinook Blast and a great experience with a group is the festival’s free art installations and outdoor performances. Taking advantage of the long winter nights, many of the installations are light-based.

Be sure to check out the 1000 faces installation at Eau Claire Promenade near 6th Street SW. The art work created in collaboration between +Amor and Calgary-born composer King Aurorus, is the winner of the City’s 2024 Winter City Design competition. At press time, there were also confirmed installations at Olympic Plaza and Stephen Avenue and others that didn’t have a set location — so be sure to check the Chinook Blast website for locations.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FUN

Whether you opt for the Family Day Memories at Calgary Public Library, the Cabane à Curling at St. Patrick’s Island or the Let it Blow Pop-up Booth, there is no shortage of free events and attractions during Chinook Blast appropriate for all ages.

On Family Day, Winsport will run a free Try Skate Activation to teach the whole family how to skate — for free! Those who already know how to skate can Skate with Heritage Park’s

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Townfolks at Olympic Plaza.

But the family fun isn’t restricted to Family Day. Certainly not to be missed is the festival’s opening night free concert at Olympic Plaza on February 2. Co-produced by the Calgary Folk Music Festival and High Performance Rodeo, the show includes performances by Kris Demeanor, Ginger Beef Band and Ruby Singh. And on February 19 at noon, Gustovo the Impossibilist takes to the stage at Olympic Plaza to amuse you and the whole fam with his “feats of unrealized stupidity.”

FOR A DATE NIGHT

FOUR WINDS INDIGENOUS MARKET PHOTO: JK PETERS

Explore the best of the city’s art, music, theatre, sport and recreation scene,

not despite winter but in celebration of it.

Whether it’s a first date or a night out after many years together, there’s something to be said for getting to know someone better and build memories through shared experiences and Chinook Blast has plenty of events that can set the scene for romance.

Share live music and drinks to bring you closer to your sweetheart by checking out a show at Calgary Folk Music Festival’s Block Heater, one of the city’s fastest-growing music events. From February 15 to 17, there are more than 27 artists (read more on page 18) performing at a dozen events spanning seven inner-city venues.

Go for a fun, silly, and romantic skate at Olympic Plaza. Skate rentals are free during Chinook Blast, so you can save up for a drink at a downtown bar after.

Or bond while you check out the Glow Fusion Experience at the Central Library on February 9.

This collaborative spectacle combines wearable tech, circus arts and dance performances and Indigenous culture to showcase a mesmerizing fusion of skill and artistry. Cirque de la Nuit, Make Fashion and Indi City weave together a tapestry of dynamic performances that seamlessly blend acrobatics and theatrical flair at this must-see event.

VALENTINE’S DATE Chinook Blast encompasses Valentine’s Day, so why not take advantage to build a special memory rather than just going to a set menu meal at a fancy restaurant? While you could technically opt for most of the offerings at Chinook Blast, we think

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ART INSTALLATIONS PHOTO: NEIL ZELLER

SMUDGING BEFORE THE POWWOW PHOTO: NEIL ZELLER

you and your better half deserve a staycation with one of Chinook Blast’s hotel partners, many of which are offering discounts through the Chinook Blast website. Take a break from your usual routine and check into a hotel for some rest and relaxation while enjoying the festival.

FOR CULTURE VULTURES Calgary is Canada’s third most diverse city, with Calgarians representing over 240 ethnic origins and Chinook Blast highlights this diversity.

Ethnik Festival of Arts and Culture, one of Calgary’s newest arts and culture festivals, runs February 9 to 10. Members of the Afro-Canadian/ Caribbean communities come together to celebrate diversity and inclusivity and share vibrant cultural traditions with festivalgoers. The festival kicks off with a Food War that is sure to be a hot ticket.

Four Winds Indigenous Market takes over the City Hall Atrium with 75+ talented Indigenous vendors selling a range of artisan products including jewellery, home wares, decor and more on February 2, 3 and 4. And on February 10, Four Winds Showcase brings a powwow, Indigenous fashion show, music and more to Olympic Plaza.

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At Platform on February 7, the Urban Society for Indigenous Youth (USAY) will demonstrate their virtual and augmented reality experiences created by Indigenous Elders.

And on February 9 to 11, the City Hall Atrium will be transformed into the Imaginasian: Asian Night Market with performances, lantern making, games, vendors and more.

During Chinook Blast, the Central Library will be home to the Artists Pavilion. Stop by on Thursdays and Fridays during the lunch hour to check out free Mini Jam concerts curated by One Big JAM. These fully improvised concerts will celebrate Black History Month, Lunar New Year and Indigenous Culture.

FOR ADRENALINE JUNKIES AND SPORTS FANS Chinook Blast is not just arts events and cultural festivals — sports and action are also on the menu.

On February 2 and 3, Nitrocross rally takes over the GMC Stadium on the Stampede Grounds again. Last year, 20,000 people caught this fusion of rallycross and action sports jumps, turns and high-voltage entertainments. If you love cars

STEPHEN AVENUE EVENTS PHOTO: COURTESY TOURISM CALGARY

flying through the air and snow, this one’s for you. The event also features a gaming zone and entertainment stage. Tickets start at $35.

Chinook Blast also features a number of winter-sport competitions.

The Snow Rodeo at Winsport features both the Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup February 9 to 11 and the FIS Freeski Halfpipe World Cup February 15 to 17. Both events are free.

Also at Winsport, the 64th Women’s Curling Championship takes place February 16 to 25 and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts on Family Day (February 19).

You can also catch the ISU World Speed Skating Championships at the Olympic Oval from February 15 to 17.

While technically after the end of Chinook Blast, Calgary will also host the Special Olympics this month with competitors from across the country competing in eight events from February 27 to March 2.

There are also options for those who prefer to get physical rather than watch. The annual DeadCold Run on February 4 has 21k, 10k, 5k and 1k races in celebration of winter. And Chinook Slide, also on the 4th, includes a learn-to-curl event at Olympic Plaza.

AND MORE… There are more events and happenings than we can list here so be sure to visit chinookblast.ca to learn more.

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MUSIC SCENE

Sinzere on the Olympic Plaza Stage at Block Heater 2023 PHOTO: COURTESY CALGARY FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL

Plug into Block Heater

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Shows That Will Thaw Your Cold Heart

he Calgary Folk Fest’s Block Heater takes place February 15 to 17, featuring 12 events, seven venues, and 27 artists.

And while Block Heater began with the goal of bringing some of that summer folk fest vibe to warm up the depths of winter, a few things differentiate it from its summer sister.

BY MARY-LYNN WARDLE

First, it takes place mostly inside, because no matter how

or all three days, each event is generally ticketed separately,

much we love Prince’s Island, it’s tough to get a tarp to stay

although a Friday/Saturday all-venue pass was added as of

put when it’s sliding around on ice.

late January.

There is an “outdoor tent” at Olympic Plaza for Saturday’s

While the fest announced that roots twisters Dust Bowl

free events, but likely there will be too many dancing feet

Revival have cancelled — replaced by Toronto up-and-com-

inside for a tarp anyway, and the bodies attached to those

ers MOONRIIVR (at Festival Hall, Feb. 15) — there’s still

feet will provide lots of heat while they dance to the beats of

plenty of dust gracing the festival in the form of Calgary

Guyanese born Winnipegger Odario, among others.

delights The Dust Collectors (at The Blues Can, Feb. 15).

Other venues include The Blues Can, Ironwood, The Palace, and more. Also, instead of buying a pass to the day

With so many shows to choose from in a short time, we thought we’d give you some ideas about where to start.

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Cat Clyde

Jolene Marie

Jesse Roper

This is the Kit

PHOTO: STRUMMER JASSON

PHOTO: CEDRIC OBERLIN

What Where When

Various venues including Olympic Plaza, Festival Hall, Ironwood Stage and Grill, The Blues Can, The Palace, Royal Canadian Legion No. 1 and Central United Church

Tickets and information

Starpainter

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 15

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 16

Central United Church, 8:00 p.m.

Though she be but young, her music is mighty.

Calgary’s own Jolene Marie stealthily slipped into the Calgary scene with 2019’s debut released under the moniker Teal Amour, then unveiled more in last year’s must-hear five-song EP Honey,

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calgaryfolkfest.com/blockheater

Matt Holubowski PHOTO: JARRET EDMUND

Ironwood Stage, 8:00 p.m.

Lethbridge’s Starpainter supplies an easygoing vibe that draws you in like a raft ride on a lazy river, moving you away from strife and into grace.

And, indeed, their music does paint pictures — of small-town life, of big town longing, of heartache and laughter — if not on the stars, then on your heart.

Starpainter is followed at 9:30 by Métis songwriter Cat Clyde, who hailed from Ontario before her love for country music took her to Nashville, where her take on sweet vocals and slide guitar sashay her through swinging doors all her own.

February 15 to 17

No matter how much we love Prince’s Island, it’s tough to get a tarp to stay put when it’s sliding around on ice. spinning dreamy cotton clouds of music that hold aloft her glorious voice and surround hidden lyrical barbs like “You think you’re so cool, tragedy suits you.”

And while Québecois Matt Holubowski’s songs also sound dream-spawned, his grounding work as a humanitarian volunteer lends them a realness that doesn’t glance away from injustice,

PHOTO: VERONIQUE AUDET-GAGNON

calling it out in both official languages. His musical versatility means he also was able to close the Montreal Jazz Festival a few years back. No telling what he will bring to Central United Church, but it will no doubt move and delight you.

Now living in France but originally from the UK, Kate Stables, the anchor of This is the Kit, has been offering music under that name since 2003.

Whether performing as a duo or quartet, This is the Kit’s cult following keeps emerging to hear loosely defined folk songs that offer both windows and reflections.

With Vancouver’s fun, raucous Empanadas Illegales also at the #1 Legion that night and Calgary’s belle of the ball Kue Varo and the Only Hopes playing at The Palace as well, this is where you’re going to thank your lucky stars that the all-venue pass was added, allowing you to drift venue to venue.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17

By Saturday, stuff’s getting real as Block Heater breaks wide open with a cornucopia of shows at

all six venues starting in the afternoon and with a free outdoor concert at Olympic Plaza starting at 6:00 pm.

Festival Hall, 2:45 — 4:00 p.m.

At the Roots Touch Up songwriters’ circle you’ll get another chance to hear Jolene Marie, Matt Holubowski, and add on The Dust Collectors, who have earned over 50,000 plays on Spotify for good reason.

Royal Canadian Legion, 8:00 p.m.

From Calgary’s connector and scene-shaker K the Chosen, whose Zimbabwe roots inform his raps that run from humour to insight, often simultaneously, with bold candidness, to the spirited blender of Empanadas Illegales mixing up surf punk South American style and weird eerie touches, to the campfire soul of Greater Victoria’s Jesse Roper, this show offers a gamut of music with rhythm and passion laced through it.

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VENUE

MIKEY’S ON 12TH With live music seven days a week and tacos to write home about, Mikey’s keeps on jumpin’

BY MARY-LYNN WARDLE

N

early two decades ago, sax player and singer Mike Clark, now proprietor of music hub and restaurant Mikey’s on 12th, looked around the continuously packed Saturday afternoon crowds at the now defunct Morgans on 17th and thought to himself, “I have an instant crowd.

Now all I need is a venue of my own.” After all, no musician wants to keep lugging their gear in and out of a place every week if they can avoid it.

Serendipitously, Jackdaw’s, a music venue that had hosted Kris Demeanor with Geoff Burner, Dustin Bentall Outfit, Tom Phillips and the Men of Constant Sorrow, and many others was for sale by owner Kevin Fownes.

“I had a couple of partners,” Clark says from his Turner Valley home, recalling the early days of first opening the business.

Mikey’s Juke Joint, ran from 2007 to 2018 at 10th Avenue and 18th Street S.W., and Clark has many treasured memories from there, including his 50th birthday when he walked into the place and everyone spontaneously sang Happy Birthday to him.

But eventually it was time for another change.

“It was a good starter bar, but we’d be packed in there all the time. The stage was tiny, it had a definite vibe, [but] the place was kind of falling down and the landlord wasn’t doing anything about it,” says Clark of Mikey’s Juke Joint.

Clark had already played in the space where Mikey’s on 12th is now, at 918 12 Avenue S.W. He used to host a Monday night jam there when it was called, serendipitously, Mike’s Pizza.

It was home to a few other businesses before Clark got the lease. “The Blind Monk was in there and had been locked out and everything was there. I thought, well, make a bid and try and get in there because it’s a nice sized venue. We threw in a stage and basically left it almost the way The Blind Monk was. The kitchen was [still] the same as it was back when it was Mike’s Pizza.”

Continued on page 20

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PHOTOS: JARED SYCH

“I think the music we put on is some of the best. It’s consistently good, grass-roots, worldclass music seven days a week.”

MIKE CLARK

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The three-day festival transports 27 artists from four continents and eight countries to Calgary to ignite discovery, joy and dancing at concerts and the Festival’s trademark collaborative sessions THURSDAY FE BRUARY 15 H O RI ZO N H E ATING STAG E

Fes tival Hall

Ironwood

8:00 - 9:00 pm

Blues Can

8:00 - 9:05 pm

Sechile Sedare

8:00 - 9:05 pm

Starpainter

The Dust Collectors

9:20 - 10:30 pm

9:30 - 10:40 pm

9:30 - 10:40 pm

Cat Clyde

FONTINE

MOONRIIVR

Th e Legio n

FRIDAY FE BRUARY 16 Central United C hurch

e The Pal a ce The a t re

8:00 - 8:40 pm KTheChosen & The Knomads 8:55 - 9:55 pm Empanadas Ilegales 10:15 - 11:15 pm Jesse Roper

8:00 - 8:40 pm Jolene Marie 8:55 - 9:55 pm Matt Holubowski 10:15 - 11:15 pm This is the Kit

8:30 - 9:15 pm Kue Varo & The Only Hopes 9:35- 10:40 pm Daniel Romano's Outfit 11:00- 12:10 am The Devil Makes Three

SATUR DAY FE BRUARY 17 • AFTE RNOON SESSION S H O RI ZO N H E AT I N G STAG E

Ironwood

Fes tiva l Ha ll 1:00 - 2:15 pm BUSTIN' AT THE SEAMS Odario Cheikh Ibra Fam • The Blue

2:45 - 4:00 pm ROOT(S) TOUCH UP Matt Holubowski Jolene Marie • The Dust Collectors

1:00 - 2:15 pm TIME (ZONE) WARP Rich Aucoin Dominique Fils-Aimé • Vieux Farka Touré

2:45 - 4:00 pm SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE Kue Varo Nico Paulo • KtheChosen

SATU RDAY FE BRUARY 17 • E VE NING Olympic Pla z a

Central United Church

The Palace Theat re

The Le g i on

6:00 - 6:50 pm Le Vent du Nord 7:05 - 7:55 pm Cheikh Ibra Fam 8:10 - 9:00 pm Odario

8:00 - 8:40 pm Nico Paulo 8:55 - 9:55 pm Dominique Fils-Aimé 10:15 - 11:15 pm Vieux Farka Touré

5:30 - 6:15 pm Peter Dreams 6:30 - 7:20 pm U.S. Girls 7:40 - 8:30 pm Tanya Tagaq

8:00 - 8:40 pm The Blue 8:55 - 9:55 pm Tanika Charles 10:15 - 11:15 pm Rich Aucoin

www.cal g ar y fo l kfe st .com

MIKEY’S ROCKS ON

MUSIC SCENE

Corb Lund’s

El Viejo

Lund’s 10th studio album is a DIY winner

PHOTOS: JARED SYCH

Continued on page 20 Running two places simultaneously was a lot,

BY MARY-LYNN WARDLE

W

ith his latest album, Alberta treasure Corb Lund returns to familiar themes like card playing, war (think Horse Soldier!), and Western capers.

Lund will release El Viejo on February 23 before his show at the Grey Eagle Casino on

March 7.

This is Lund’s 10th studio album, and he decided to self-produce the work and record it at his Lethbridge home. “The longer I do this, the less enamoured I am with professional studios that are all shiny with black leather couches and all that,” says Lund. “I like funky, dirty down-home places and doing it in my living room is ideal. It’s all about comfort. It’s not about equipment and it’s not about a pristine sounding room. It’s about getting people into a mood… We did it all very organically, very live. All the vocals were live. There was no one guy does his part and then we track on top of it; it was the four of us sitting in a circle.”

Show horse maven Jaida Dreyer returns as co-writer on a couple of songs, and Lund also snagged Ocean’s Thirteen writer Brian Koppelman to co-write a track.

Lund co-write the title track with Tom Russell and the El Viejo (old man) it references is Alberta legend Ian Tyson.

“When Ian passed, I assumed that at some point I’d probably write about it. I didn’t sit down on purpose, I just kind of let it simmer and didn’t try and force it and it kinda came out one day,” recalls Lund. “There’s a thread in that song about

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PHOTOS: NOAH FALLIS

“ I L I K E F U N K Y, D I RT Y D OW N - H O M E P L AC E S A N D D O I N G IT IN MY LIVING ROOM IS IDEAL. I T’S A B O U T G E TT I N G P EO P L E I N TO A M O O D " CORB LUND

how he’d had it with the world [and didn’t want to live in it]. I don’t mean he was suicidal, but … he expressed to me a number of times in his final years [that] he didn’t feel like he fit in the world anymore, so there’s an element of that in the song which is kind of sad, but I mean, I feel that and I’m 30 years younger than him, right?”

Tyson’s spirit stalks the song from the first line.

“It was unusual because I’ve been playing that riff, annoying my band with it, for a couple of years now. I actually took the vocal melody from the riff; usually it’s the other way around.”

El Viejo is out February 23 and Corb Lund plays Grey Eagle Casino March 7.

so after about a year, Clark shut the Juke Joint down to focus on Mikey’s on 12th.

Since it opened, the place has become a second home to many of Calgary’s music lovers, who Clark says travel between his place and spots like Ironwood and The Blues Can. With high-quality music and award-winning food, it’s no surprise the regulars come back often enough to be considered family.

There is live music seven days a week at Mikey’s. Sundays feature Tom Phillips and friends hosting the Sit Back Jam, Steve Pineo plays Mondays and Wednesdays, and Tim Williams is there most Tuesday nights. Clark himself gets to enjoy his own venue by playing Thursdays and then hosting a jam Saturday afternoons before more music comes along in the evenings.

Checking out the menu, you’ll find everything from a bacon Caesar salad to an Aztec salad bowl to cauliflower and steak bites, wings and Mexican poutine along with various forms of fries.

Of course, there are classic sandwiches, burgers and pizza. But what folks rave about is the tacos – their Mexican authenticity is addictive. Be they pork, chicken, beef, fish, calamari, or vegetarian, you will crave them again days and weeks after.

And if you can’t get down to Mikey’s on 12 th , you can always enjoy chef Ali Said’s loving treatment of those tacos at Mikey’s Taco Shop at 4121 4 th Street N.W. “It’s a great place to listen to tunes,” says Clark.

“I think the music we put on is some of the best.

It’s consistently good, grass-roots, world-class music seven days a week. And the food is good.

We’ve got the best tacos in town and we try to keep our prices reasonable.”

MIkey’s on 12th, 918 12 Ave. S.W., 403-452-8060, mikeyson12th.com

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BLOWING IN:

FEBRUARY 2 19 Experience the magic of Chinook Blast, Calgary’s winter festival celebration.

Iconic festivals Live music Sporting events Night markets

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Cultural experiences Art and light installations And more!

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Calgary's signature winter festival is returning for its 4th year!

FEBRUARY 2 19 With more than 200 events to choose from, check out the full lineup at Chinookblast.ca and start filling up your calendar!

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XXX We couldn’t do this without the support of Chinook Blast’s fun-loving partners. A big thanks to the following partners for helping us make Chinook Blast Calgary’s signature winter festival.

EXECUTIVE SPONSORS

PILLAR FESTIVAL PARTNERS

FOOTPRINT PARTNERS

COMMUNITY STAGE PARTNER

ARTISTS PAVILLION PARTNER

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

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PROGRAMMING PARTNERS

PRODUCTION PARTNERS

PRODUCED BY

CREATIVE

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