Calgary's Music Festival Roundup

	Thousands Attend the Calgary Folk Music Festival Every Year 1

Music and a good time have always gone hand in hand, and in a city that has produced some great talents, like the composer and trumpeter Alan Matheson, country singer Paul Brant, and the 80s hit band Loverboy, as well as singer/songwriters Jann Arden and Feist, it only becomes more evident why. To understand this, just head out to any of Calgary's pubs, clubs or venues, like Broken City, the Beat Niq, Vern's Tavern or the Ironwood, on any night of the week, and a party will likely be found with a band playing and a crowd dancing. It should then come as no surprise when every few months Calgary's "little" music scene explodes, as annual festivals roll into a town whose streets hum, auditoriums sing, and halls dance. Be sure to note, although Calgary's music scene has strong roots in some fantastic country music, the festivals it attracts offer a great mix of styles and artists that will have both the young hipsters shaking their “thangs,” and the longtime fans clapping their hands, as veterans and novices alike unite, year after year, to celebrate their community and to honour the art of harmony.

	Portrait of a Cowboy 2

INTRODUCTION TO A YEAR OF FESTIVALS

The year kicks off at the University of Calgary with Happening: New Music Festival, dedicated to the world of music and the culture behind it. Then after a little break, summer starts to heat up when the Vans Warped Tour drops in with its legion of punks, metal-heads and skaters in tow. As Calgary's summer days drag on, spirits lighten and tourists stop by the city, setting the ideal scene for the Calgary Folk Music Festival, the city's most recognized and prominent musical event, which has received critical acclaim nationwide for its imaginative event planning. For a lot of people, a case of the blues accompanies the end of summer, and what better time for the Calgary International Blues Festival to show up? This legacy to Calgary's long history of blues music is reminiscent of the departed blues bar, and local favorite, the King Eddie. Finally, the city gets really cool as temperatures drop and the C-Jazz Festival hits the scene, promoting some of the times' most talented trios, quartets, singers and ensembles. That ends a year of music festivals in Calgary, but festival goers relax, it's not really the end... remember these are annual events, and in only a couple more months it all starts again.

Happening: New Music Festival
Find out what's “happening” when the Faculty of Fine Arts' Music Department at the University of Calgary presents its Happening: New Music Festival, which runs through the last week of January. The term "new music" doesn't exclude the past, but finds new ways of presenting it through high caliber performances that blend different musical styles from various traditions and genres that have developed within the diverse cultures of the world. Produced since 2003, the New Music Festival promotes student and professional work through a series of high-quality concerts and lectures. The variety of performers from across Canada and representing all musical genres is hard for any festival to match. Concert passes are available with a discount for students, while individual concert ticket prices vary from show to show. All tickets can be purchased from the University of Calgary.

Vans Warped Tour
Something for the kids, the Vans Warped Tour is an international spectacle of music and extreme sports that gives punk and metal fans something to look forward to during those long summer days. This festival tours North America for three months, June through August, and makes over 40 stops along the way. Though the dates vary from year to year, Calgary fans can usually expect the tour to show up some time in early July. The tour, now in its tenth year, features over 100 bands on 10 different stages, giving them each about 30 minutes to rock. Though some say it is too commercial to be punk, and that in recent years it has deviated from its roots, there is no denying that the line-up features some of today's smash hits, and with ticket prices as low as they are it is like paying less than a dollar per band. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.

	Another Beautiful Day at the Calgary Folk Music Festival 3

Calgary Folk Music Festival
After delighting “folkies” for over a quarter century with diverse and engaging music from folk and roots artists across the world, and with its clean, family-friendly atmosphere, Calgary's Folk Music Festival has become one of Canada's most prominent and established musical events. Every summer Prince's Island Park, found on the Bow River in downtown Calgary, becomes the centre of attention as thousands of music lovers from across the continent are attracted to the great energy and spirit of this festival. The acts found on the mainstage have impressed fans with some of the most notable performers around, like Matthew Good, Ani DiFranco, Xavier Rudd, The Weakerthans, Sarah Harmer, Macy Gray, and Kriss Kristofferson, while the seven other stages, spread throughout the grounds, offer a more intimate environment where singers and musicians swap songs, collaborate or just jam.

However, great music is not all the Folk Fest has on the agenda; within its gates a fan will find an array of both vendors, who are always happy to provide treasure seekers with great crafts or something special to eat, and entertainers who love to put on a show. Enthusiasts won't be able to take their favourite artists home with them, but the record tent offers the next best thing with a wide selection of albums and helpful, knowledgeable staff. The grounds also contain an amply-sized beer garden, a godsend on a hot day in July, where people safely enjoy a cold one (or two) while still being able to watch the main stage performances.

Note for all those aspiring song writers: The Calgary Folk Music Festival now offers Folk Boot Camp, featuring three days of intensive workshops on songwriting, guitar and vocal techniques. These workshops are geared toward musicians who have a basic grasp of their craft and would like to receive guidance and feedback from some of the industry's finest musicians.

	Cool Venues for Calgary Concerts 4

Don't be misled though, folk music is a very broad genre. Many musical styles often get lumped into this one category. A typical day at Calgary's Folk Festival can manifest Celtic, blues, hip-hop, funk, bluegrass or country, meaning there really is something for everyone. And it's important to be aware that the festival is an outdoor event. Amongst Calgary's locals there is a saying, “if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes,” so bring some sunscreen, a raincoat and everything in-between.

This festival typically lasts four days on the last weekend of July. The gates open at 5pm on Thursday and Friday, and 10:30am on Saturday and Sunday. The main stage music usually runs until about 10 or 11 at night but will often run later if the musicians, or the crowd, deem it necessary. Tickets can be bought from the Calgary Folk Fest Office or from Ticketmaster. Be sure to take advantage of the early bird prices on sale in the spring.

	Ronnie Hayward at the Beatniq 5

Calgary International Blues Festival
A cure for the blues? Maybe. A whole lot of great concert events showcasing some of Canada's top blues musicians? Definitely. Calgary's International Blues Festival spans four days at the end of August and attracts a list of blues heavyweights that will impress anybody. Festival passes are available with the option of a slightly more expensive transferable ticket, that can be used by more than one person. Passes can be purchased through one of Calgary's local record stores, Megatunes, or from the Calgary Blues Association.

Recently the same people who bring this great event to the Calgary area, the Calgary Blues Music Association along with Kaos Blues, have added two new events to the roster: Guitarmania, which showcases some of the best in both homegrown and international blues guitar styles and talents, and the Canadian Blues Divas Showcase, which is the first annual event dedicated to Canada's great blues vocal talents. The dates and locations for both vary but can be expected early in the year.

C-Jazz Festival
It's jazz baby, C-Jazz! A treat for those who enjoy the spontaneous side of life, the C-Jazz Festival, presented by the Calgary Jazz Association, attracts musicians from across Canada and all over the world for five days of foot tapping fun. The wide assortment of music ranging from traditional to southern, and classic to improv, can be heard in a mix of small to medium sized-venues throughout the city that ensure intimate concert experiences. Come September, lace up those dancing shoes, and ready those jazz hands as the C-Jazz festival is sure to get the audiences "groove'n". All tickets can be purchased through Megatunes or from Ticketmaster. Shows held at Calgary's historic Olympic Plaza are free.