April brings aural delights to Calgary

By Jordyn Marcellus

Hey kids, it’s another month of madcap musical misadventures. As April rolls around, it’s the start of the summer– which means that bands are hitting the road to rock your face.


Starting off April 4, Hey Rosetta!, St John’s most inoffensive band rolls into the Den.


If folky violin-rock isn’t your style, AIDS Wolf rock out with the Searing Pinx and the Famines at Broken City. Be alienated as AIDS Wolf play their particular brand of spasmatic experimental art rock to a crowd of confused people pretending to “get it!” April 7 features the Gaslight Anthem, a band that have taken the blog world by storm. They play at the Warehouse with the Heartless Bastards.


April 8 features some madcap music with some ska, doom metal and fuzzy psychedelic rock all taking over Calgary. The English Beat, one of the classic ska bands, play at the Gateway. The Haunted tag out the Gaslight Anthem, playing at the Warehouse. Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains take over the Marquee Room, with Montreal dance rockers Winter Gloves backing him up.


Kurt Vonnegut, a Calgary-based band that sounds like the late ’90s post-hardcore movement wrapped into one delicious package, rock the Palomino on April 10. It features ex-members of the Silent Auction and Lions and Tigers and Bears, who got together last year to create the rock opera, Story Time: Bear Attack.


BSD brings numerous bands to Lot 32 on April 17. Check out rockabilly band Eve Hell and the Razors on the side stage, who promise to be a treat, or stand in amazement as Edmonton’s Wet Secrets bring their mix of dance rock– featuring trombones, trumpets and drums made of paint cans– to our fair campus. With songs like “Grow your Own Fucking Moustache, Asshole” they will assuredly make you dance your drunken ass off.


If you want to continue with the boogying, Thunderheist brings their brand of ghettotech, booty bouncing coke rap to the Warehouse on April 23. If that’s not your cup of tea, then a more sedate show can be found when Jeff Martin plays at the Stampede Casino on the 23rd. Lastly, Thornley come to the Back Alley to delight fans and influence people to experience the primal joy of rocking the fuck out.


If you’re hungry, Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker hit up Broken City for a show on April 24. At the end of the set, the band makes some delicious smoothies to consume the energy of the room. Consuming human energy is absolutely delicious, so help them fill their tummies by checking out their show.


Calgary faves Attack In Black come to the Palomino on April 25. Sadly, they have to play on the same day as the Weakerthans/Constantines juggernaut rolls into MacEwan Hall, so be prepared to see split audience numbers at both shows. Sad for the bands, but good for Calgary audiences.


Are you human or are you dancer? Well, either way, the Killers will be playing at the Saddledome on April 26, so if you aren’t sure then you can figure out by the time they come through town.


Finally, Murder By Death– yes, that’s their name– slay the Palomino crowds April 27. They will murder the crowds. By death.

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