WICKEDAWESOME Rock & Roll Fundraiser RIDE TO CONQUER CANCER!!

The WICKEDAWESOME fundraiser was held on June 11, 2011 at Shooters Bar & Grill 4036 - 26th Street SE as a way to raise funds for The 2011 Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting the Alberta Cancer Foundation in support of Team Poo. Im going to start with an explanation of the Team and the name because it seems like such an odd choice for a team name until you hear the story behind it. This team is riding in loving memory of Jessica Francine Gay, many of you may remember reading about Jessica after losing a battle with cancer one short week after the birth of her daughter.

Jessica's nickname was Jesspoo , poo for short. Team Poo consists of family and friends of Jessica including her husband Sean Boudreau and brother-in-law Matt Boudreau. There is a link to Jessica's story on the Team page which can be found at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/teampoo Team Poo has a fundraising goal of $25,500.00 and as of yesterday were still about $4000 short of the goal. Please take a moment to go to the team page and read the stories and donate to the cause.
Through team member Kelli Gillespie, the band Flatline Phoenix decided to host a benefit with all proceeds going towards the team, after some initial inquiries, team member Christine Duffey contacted Scott Duiven. Scott is a long time local live music supporter who does what he can to promote the bands and establishments involved in the local music scene. Scott contacted Flatline Phoenix and took over the planning of the event from there.

Thus the WICKEDAWESOME fundraiser was created. Starting at 7pm the first band of the night was The Nate Pike Band. Nate has been involved in the music industry for roughly 15 years and the band has been around for a decade. I had never seen them before and i really enjoyed the performance. The Nate Pike Band has released four full-length CD's, their diversity extends from Blues influences through to enhanced classic rock, even heading into the grunge category. They performed a few of their originals for us, some of my favorites being Liar, Comebackdown and Something To Say. I will definately be out to see them again. This band can be found on their facebook group as well as at www.natepike.com Next up, friends of mine and personal favorites Flatline Phoenix.

I have written about them in the post regarding Calgary Bands for Slave Lake. These guys are rapidly gaining popularity in the Calgary music scene. This night they performed Ghost, Whiskey in the Jar, Rocket Queen & Mr Brownstone. Due to a last minute fill in gig , they had to run off as soon as they were finished. I know that the band still feels bad that they shortened their set but I think it is awesome that they kept their commitment to the fundraiser and worked the rest of their schedule around it. Really great people and their shows are always a blast. Flatline Phoneix can be found on facebook,myspace, twitter, reverbnation and as well their website www.flatlinephoenix.com This weekend you can find them at the Rusty Cage Central tonight and tomorrow.

On to Gruvstone. These guys rocked the stage with a mix of originals and cover tunes. They opened their set with two originals, Baby Airplanes and About it, then In The Meantime (Spacehog)& That Song (Big Wreck), Grounded Beliefs & Simple (also originals), All These Things (The Killers), Fools (Original) finishing off the set with She's a Lady (Tom Jones)! These guys were enjoyed so much that they performed two encore songs for us Wicked Game , an absolutely amazing Chris Isaak song that they performed very well and Paperback Writer by the Beatles. This band is well worth seeing and you can find them this weekend at OJ's Avenida on the Big Rock stage Saturday night, as well, they are on facebook with a group called Gruvers - Friends of Gruvstone. I can not make it out this weekend to see them but gauranteed I will be out to see one of their next shows!

Next band to take the stage and the only female singer of the night was called Stranger Than Fiction. I was extremely disappointed that the video I shot of this band is not good enough quality to post, the singer has a totally smokin voice..they performed some really rocking tunes. I currently don't have a lot of information on this band but two of my favorites they performed were, You Oughtta Know and The Pretender. This band is performing at the upcoming Calgary Bands for Cause Fundraiser (Sunday June 19, 2011 at the Kings Head Pub Calgary) and I will include more info about them in my blog for that event. They can also be found through their facebook group. Second last band of the evening but certainly not the least, I have written about Silentpanic a couple times, because if there is a fundraiser in Calgary you will find these guys there. They performed their new song $1000 a day along with some of my favorites like,

White Rabbit, Redfish, Gone & Hand Me Down. I think the thing that really stands out for me is how genuinely nice, friendly and down to earth these guys are. Truly are some of the nicest guys I know. Don't believe me? Join their facebook group , you will be welcomed with open arms by the band and their fans! They can also be found at www.themusicofsilentpanic.com and on reverbnation, twitter and myspace
When I arrived at the event I was sitting at the table with Eric , the singer from Flatline Phoenix, a lady approached the table and asked Eric if he would be willing to cut off his hair for donations, he respectfully declined, Eric has wicked hair and even if he agreed I probably would have had to stop them ;o) however she persevered and just before Stranger than Fiction took the stage they announced that one of the bar regulars Dan, had agreed to cut off his hair and started taking donations. When Silentpanic finished their set Ty (the singer) announced it was time to do the hair cut. They sat Dan down and a couple of ladies proceeded to hack away the long gray hair that Dan has maintained for many many years. Dan raised just over $300 dollars for his hair and in my opinion looks far more handsome with the haircut! Great job Dan!

To finish the night off we had Technically Difficult, the owner of Shooters Bar & Grill himself plays guitar for this band. I was only able to catch a couple of their songs, Spoon Man and Sound of madness. These guys were awesome and can be found playing at Shooters on a fairly regular basis. As a venue Shooters Bar & Grill does what they can to promote live music in Calgary and seems to be favored by the original acts. I want to send a massive shout out to Shooters Bar & Grill and as well to Rob Favelle. Shooters not only hosted this event but donated 10% of all profit from the night to Team Poo, as well, Rob himself purchased a silent auction package with a bid of $200. If you see this man you should shake his hand. Well done all around.

Scott Duiven did an amazing job lining up the entertainment for this event and Team Poo was out in force, working the door, silent auction as well as the 50/50 draw. This night raised close to $3400 in support of Team Poo. Three of the riders have now reached their goal but there are still 5 more working on it. Please visit the website , I have tried to post the link at the top of this page , however if you do not see the link , please copy and paste the address into your browser to find the Team Poo page. From there you can read Jessica's story, Team Poo's story as well as find the link to donate to the cause.

Hope to see you all Sunday June 19, 2011 at the Kings Head Pub Calgary for our next fundraiser Calgary Bands For Cause Benefitting 4 local charities. This event runs from 2pm - 2am!

Calgary Bands for Slave Lake

The Calgary Bands for Slave Lake fundraiser was held on June 2, 2011 at the Viper Room in Calgary, consisting of 13 bands and an all star end of night jam. The second in a series of three fundraisers held under the moniker "Calgary Bands For" organized by my good friend Terry-Lee Bharti. The first fundraiser Calgary Bands for Japan held at the Kings Head Pub was a two day event featuring 34 Bands which raised $14,000 for the Canadian Red Cross Japan Relief Effort.

This event, due to the change of venue and smaller number of performances, was a cozy affair. The Viper Room, 302 - 3rd Avenue SW is one of my new very favorite live music venues, despite being downtown. As the driver of a Ram full size pick up I generally avoid downtown venues, primarily due to parking issues, this is not an issue at The Viper Room, street parking around the venue is free after 6pm and as well, there are at least two parking lots and Eau Claire Market parkade all within walking distance, I paid a grand total of $2 to park my truck safely for the night. The decor of the room is upscale and cozy with a couch lounge and available VIP Room near the back and the stage and dance floor at the front. Friendly staff and a clean cared for environment make this an excellent choice for a night out. Great job to Brett Sheane and the staff for hosting this event! The Viper Room can be found on facebook, as well as at www.viperroom.ca

The event brought together many different genres of music as well as the original and cover bands, the mixing of the musicians and fans makes for an entertaining and awesome night all around. First band of the night was brand new for me. Called Knee Deep, these guys and gal played everything from Sass Jordan to Red Hot Chili Peppers, I really enjoyed these guys. You can find them on the web at www.kneedeep.ca. Next up was a band that I enjoyed at the last Calgary Bands fundraiser, Hotrod Kitty, the highlights for me were I Love Rock N Roll, Joan Jett as well as Pink Floyd The Wall, the band transitions very smoothly through the genres, this band has been on the scene for a couple years and you can learn more about them at www.hotrodkitty.ca

Then came Sub Urban Dwellers, this 5 piece retro classic rock band brings the whole party with them. Stand outs in my mind where, Closer to home Grand Funk Railroad and Rolling Stones Miss you, utilizing congas, harmonica, flute, slide and acoustic guitars for awesome sound! Really really enjoy these guys, you can find them through their facebook group.

Moving on to one of my favorites, Flatline Phoenix, these guys burst onto the Calgary scene in January 2011 with a vengence. I met the singer through mutual friends at the end of March, since that time I have only missed one of their shows, my two fave's of the night from this band would be Slash's Ghost and Sedated by the Ramone's. These guys can be found at www.flatlinephoenix.com , Reverbnation, they have a facebook page and they are also on twitter. Wicked vocals and rocking music make these guys a must see! Next up Cliffhanger, also a new Calgary band , these guys seem to float through the genres, performing Soul Sister by Train, Daddy don't know by Toronto, 500 miles by the proclaimers and ending with Poker Face by lady gaga, great band! For more info check out their facebook group.

By this time , the event was in full swing and the room was pretty packed, the vibe in the room was awesome and the next band up was great to pump things up a bit, 80's tribute Band Lixx and Kisses, the youngest of Calgary's full costume tribute bands , these guys did a great job, two of my fave's they did were Crazy Train and Round and Round and as well they stuck around for most of the night supporting the other bands and having a blast, you can find these guys on facebook as well.
I was really looking forward to the next band, hadn't ever heard them. Performing their own original music was the guys from InForLife, they coined the term Crunch Rock to describe their style. From the very first note I was amazed by these guys. Energetic, soul stirring rock n roll. I am going to let the video I shot of these guys do most of the talking. You can find them on facebook, myspace and Reverbnation. moving right along, up next was Silly Wrabbit, long time rockers that have played the Calgary circuit for years , these guys are all about the fun and the party! They are awesome at involving the audience in the show, there is a great video of them performing Jump by Van halen on my youtube. Look up their website at www.sillywrabbit.com or join their facebook group.

By now it was 11pm and taking the stage was Silentpanic,previously mentioned in my Rock the Cure post, these guys are phenomenal. I listen to them every day. Check out their website www.themusicofsilentpanic.com as well as facebook pages and groups.

Silentpanic was a perfect lead in for this next band, another original Calgary act. Arcane Sugar, with a very heavy feel and punk and metal influences, pure energy. These guys brought out my inner metal queen! They performed five of their songs with my favorite of the night being High. Check them out at www.arcanesugar.com, as well as their facebook page. Further videos etc can also be found through their singer Freedom Jak. In keeping with the heavier tone set by Arcane Sugar, next up was another original act. Scarbelly Creek, these guys were the heaviest of the night, thrash metal originals such as Fat Catz, Pain, Ceo, Free and The "FU" song (censored that one but you get the idea! ) they like to bill themselves as pound for pound the heaviest, hardest rockin act Southern Alberta has to offer. Best way to find these guys is on their facebook page. The guys from Scarbelly leading us into the angry, ass kicking Mr. Furious who play all my favorite metal hits! Most notably, Balls to the Wall by Accept and Ace of Spades by Motorhead..we were transformed back in time as the Lixx and Kisses rockers in their 80's gear headbanged and worshiped at the rock alter all through the set, another group of long time Calgary rockers, if your a fan of metal music, you are a fan of Mr Furious!! Mr Furious can be found through their facebook page By this point in the night the crowd had thinned but the die hards were still there to cheer on Suzie X , they performed one of my all time favorites.. this chick can freakin sing, never heard Creep from Radiohead performed better, Zombie from the Cranberries was another wicked wicked tune. This set ended with Suzie X featuring Berkley Shea and the brains behind "Calgary Bands For" Mr Terry-Lee Bharti himself, performing Man in a box by AIC.

Last but very not least we were promised an all star jam band featuring The Rev. Mike Kruse (Free Byrd, Mr Furious) Jamie Warren & Reed Shimozawa (Bush League)and Rick Lucas (Mr Furious) who are all long time very talented and dedicated Calgary musicians. They had just enough time to perform two songs It's so easy by GNR and Love Removal Machine by the Cult.

This event was a smashing success, with a cozy friendly vibe in the room all night long. The primary goal behind the "Calgary Bands for" Charity Events of course is the money raised for the chosen cause, we raised $1785.00 for the victims of the Slave Lake Fires and everyone involved deserves a hug and a huge thank you, however there is a secondary purpose behind the idea of these events and that is the complete and full revival of the Calgary Live Music Scene. These fundraisers give us the fans the opportunity to see what Calgary has to offer for live entertainment, the bands the opportunity to meet and support each other, as well as exposure for the venues. As fans we can be a part of this by getting out there and supporting our favorite live acts, join the facebook group Live Music Rocks & Lives in Calgary to see where your fave's are playing. We at calgarylivemusic encourage the bands and the venues to hit the facebook, myspace, website, reverbnation, where ever you can promote yourselves and the scene. Join the facebook group Live Music Rocks & Lives in Calgary and post where & when you are playing, or who is playing at your establishment, link your events, chat with your fans, build & promote yourselves any way you can. It all goes back to the cliche movie quote "If you build it they will come"

The complete photo album for this event can be viewed by anyone on my facebook page for Kari Reding and the other video I shot can be seen on my youtube channel Karisoccermom.

Next up, the third and last in this series of fundraisers is "Calgary Bands For Cause" June 19, 2011 starting at 2pm at the Kings Head Pub benefiting four local charities! Hope to see you all there!

Rock The Cure - Mardi Gras in May

Rock the Cure is an annual event that takes place at the Kings Head Pub (9116 Macleod Trail S) organized by Tracy Hayduk and Heather Crook. The story behind the event is truly inspiring. Tracy, a five year breast cancer survivor who has been through just about every course of treatment I personally can imagine, from surgery to chemo, radiation to drug therapy. Tracy participated in Run for the Cure and through that met Heather Crook and her daughter. I believe it was last year that Tracy decided to join Heather on the Weekend to End Breast Cancer walk, and in order to raise additional funds for their walk they created the Rock the Cure event last year.

This years event was held on May 29, 2011 with six bands donating their time and talents. First up of the night was a band that I have never heard of, The Al Barrett Band, veterns of the music scene this band put on an excellent show. What stands out most in my mind was Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd but song after song these guys impressed me so much. This band was formed by Al Barrett in 1998 and has gone through many inceptions since then. The current line up is phenomenal. I would go see these guys again in a heartbeat just to hear Sharon Matheson sing. One of Calgary's truly great bands you can find them on the web at www.albarrett.com

Second band of the night Sonic Addiction,I knew who they were but had never had a chance to see them. I was really looking forward to them after hearing some positive reviews through mutual friends. They did not disappoint. Run to the Hills, Detroit Rock City and some kick ass Metallica were my favorites of the night. Wicked band for sure and I will definately be out to see them again! Sonic Addiction was formed in 2006, the current inception of the band has been together since 2009. However all these guys have been playing live music in Calgary for 20 years. They truly are the best band you've never heard of! These guys can be found on facebook on the Sonic Addicton page.

At this point of the night we were promised a special treat and I knew that there was another band on the line up that I had never heard of. The Sick Sick Six..an all-star band of sorts made up of Reed Shimosawa, Jamie Warren and Greg Stang of Bush League, Eddie Tiegs from Project Mayhem on drums. These guys have all played in various bands over the years and threw together a couple songs for us.

Next up Project Mayhem. What can I even say about this band. Opening with Du Hast by Rammstein, these guys never let up, rocking out every song from Johnny Cash to the Ramones and the Proclaimers. Tracy Hayduk herself plays keys for this band. The thing that makes these guys stand out is the versatility that they transition from one genre to another. I will be doing a feature blog about these guys sometime in the near future for sure. The band was formed in 2008 and plays around town at least 2-3 times a month. For further information you can find these guys on facebook, myspace and twitter

Second last band of the evening was one of my very personal favorites..Silentpanic, a local indie-rock original band. If there is a music related benefit or fundraiser in Calgary , you will most likley find these generous and talented guys there. These guys recently took part in the Xposure contest through x92.9 where they made the top ten. I have no doubt in my mind that next year they will win it. On this night they played a new song for us called $1000 a day , as well as a great version of the cover Nights in White Satin.Check out their track Hand me down. Wicked wicked tune, you can find them at www.themusicofsilentpanic.com as well as on facebook.

Last band of the night. Berkley Shea and the County boys, this celtic rock band is so high energy and pure fun! Watching these guys perform is like being transplanted to a Newfoundland kitchen party! Socialables all around. Really enjoyed these guys and i will have to get out to see them again and learn more about them for sure. You can also find these guys on facebook.

Overall this was an awesome event, I am not sure exactly how much was raised for Tracy and Heather but speaking with Tracy at the end of the night I was told the event was a success. The beauty of this kind of event is that it is prime opportunity to check out a bunch of local bands and see what they have to offer, without driving all over the city. As well as raising funds for important causes.

Further events I will be attending and covering for this blog will be the following:

June 2, 2011 (tonight!) Viper Room 302 - 3rd Avenue SW Calgary Bands for Slave Lake, 14 bands of various genre's, minimum $10 donation to get in. Doors open at 6pm , bands start at 7pm.

June 11, 2011 Shooters Bar & Grill 4036 - 26th Street SE WickedAwesome Rock & Roll Fundraiser Ride to Conquer Cancer, 6 band, minimum $10 donation at the door. Event starts at 6:30pm

June 19, 2011 Kings Head Pub 9116 - Macleod Trail S Calgary Bands for Cause. this event will benefit local charities such as Cjay 92 Kids Fund, Women's Emergency Shelter, Interfaith Food Back and the Calgary Humane Society. 24 bands will perform for a minumim $10 donation. Event starts at 2pm sharp.

Hope to see you out and about, if I do, feel free to come say hello to me! Have a great week, keep on rocking!!