BeatRoute Magazine AB Edition - February 2020

Green Day
Destroyer
Ralph
Odario
& More
AB • FEBRUARY 2020 • FREE

UPCOMING
EVENTS
THIS MONTH @
DEERFOOT CITY
FEB 7
FEB 12
FEB 14
FEB 15
LATIN NIGHT
ART BATTLE
Live Competitive
Painting
TINDER TALES
VALENTINE’S DAY
EDITION
w/ Brittany Lyseng
SET IT OFF
THIS MONTH @
SOUTH EDMONTON
COMMON
FEB 7
FEB 8
FEB 14
FEB 20
RUMBLE CALIENTE
ROCKSLAM
TINDER TALES
VALENTINE’S DAY
EDITION
w/ Leif Oleson-Cormack
LIVE BAND HIP-
HOP KARAOKE
THIS MONTH @
WEST EDMONTON MALL
FEB 7
FEB 8
FEB 13
FEB 15
FEB 22
HUNGRY HOLLOW
w/ The Pits
NOTORIOUS YEG
GOOD RUMOUR
THE 9S
SCAR TISSUE
Tribute to Red Hot Chili
Peppers
FEB 22
FEB 28
REC THE MIC
w/ 10at10
K-POP CLUB NIGHT
w/ DJ Keely Valentine
FEB 21
FEB 29
THE ORCHARD
K-POP CLUB NIGHT
w/ DJ Keely Valentine
FEB 29
LIVE BAND
KARAOKE
Discover the ultimate gathering place to let go,
be playful and discover something new.
Tickets and full listings
TheRecRoom.com

Contents
Music
4n UP FRONT
Canadian musician, broadcaster,
and the host of the evening
program Afterdark on CBC
Music, Odario Williams makes
our hearts skip a beat with his
Valentine’s Day playlist.
6n Artist Features
Green Day, Destroyer, The
Beaches, Louis CZA the Black
Greek God, $NOT, Andy Shauf
and more.
13n STYLE
Toronto’s rising pop star RALPH
shows BeatRoute her bedroom
closet and shines a light on her
uncompromising career that’s
taken her from opening for Carly
Rae Jepsen to dazzling new
heights.
17n Monthly Playlist
All the singles we can’t stop
listening to this month.
27n Album Reviews
Grimes, Mac Miller, Halsey, Tennis,
Cindy Lee, Soccer Mommy,
and more.
BC
Cover Story
Green Day
Destroyer
Ralph
Odario
& More
20 Tame Impala
The unassailable empathy of
Australian psych-everything
mastermind, Kevin Parker.
BC • FEBRUARY 2020 • FREE
LifeStyle
30nTravel
Mexico City: Explore the
sprawling metropolis where
tradition and cutting edge
converge.
32nThat's Dope
Laze and level out in Canada’s
best sesh suits.
YYC
35nVivian Maier
The Glenbow Museum
sheds light on America’s
“sensitive eye” street
shooter.
36nYYC Agenda
Calgary’s ultimate winter
festival Block Heater heats
up their programming with
imaginative and explorative
programming in its fifth
year.
38nFree House
Not your everyday pub fare,
Calgary’s newest beer hall
for food lovers embraces a
Canadiana vibe with style.
39nLocal Artist Spotlight
Seth Anderson channels
positivity, Scratch Buffalo
live out their dreams and
Port Juvee look forward to
the future.
40nEssential Edmonton
Tanya Tagaq's Qiksaaktuq
("Grief") is a collaborative
work with the Edmonton
Symphony Orchestra. Hot
rod punks The Confusionaries
storm the Aviary and
alt-rock balladeers KFB
ride the Buck.
41n Cheat Sheet
BeatRoute’s Essential List
— the must-see shows this
month in Calgary.
Photographer Annie Forrest goes on the road
with psychedelic country crooner Orville Peck.
Visit beatroute.ca for a sneak peak behind the
scenes through her camera lens.
Khruangbin & Leon Bridges’
collaborative EP Texas Sun,
read our review on page 27.
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 3
ANNIE FORREST
POONEH GHANA

READ OUR FULL PROFILE WITH ODARIO WILLIAMS
UpFront
FEBRUARY
JASON CIPPARRONE
ODARIO WILLIAMS'
VALENTINE'S DAY
PLAYLIST
M
usic plays a central part in
everything Odario Williams
does. This modern day
Renaissance man is an actor, songwriter,
producer, journalist, poet, and rapper,
and is the current host of “Afterdark”
on CBC Music. He’s put together an
unconventional Valentine’s Day playlist full
of classic bangers and underrated gems.
VISIT
BEATROUTE.CA
Etta James - "I'd Rather Go Blind"
A perfect blues song to soundtrack a
bruised heart. Kills me every time. I love
this tune.
D'Angelo - "Send It On"
Voodoo is one of my favourite albums of
all time. It's a sexy record, and “Send It
On” is the sexiest track on that record.
Dionne Warwick - "You're Gonna Need Me"
Dionne's vocal delivery is simply dirty, with
extra sass. I didn't know sweet Dionne
had it in her.
George Michael - "Kissing A Fool"
This is one of the best jazz-pop songs
ever written. This song solidified George
Michael as a fantastic songwriter.
Prince - "Adore"
Make sure you listen to the extended
6-minute version; you'll hear Prince
practically make love to his own song.
By CHAYNE JAPAL
Erykah Badu - "Green Eyes"
I love this song. It's so long (10 minutes),
but it ain't long enough!
Sade - "Nothing Can Come Between Us"
My playlists about love will always have
Sade involved. Sade IS love.
Jennifer Lara - "I Am In Love"
I tend to keep a few reggae tunes in my
playlists because reggae is in my DNA.
This song is perfect for hot sticky summer
nights.
Marvin Gaye - "After The Dance"
This song is basically four and a half
minutes of foreplay.
Eric B & Rakim - "What's On Your Mind"
At a time when rap songs were not
allowed to be romantic, Rakim penned a
perfect scenario of meeting his soulmate
one day in Brooklyn.
Publisher
Julia Rambeau Smith
@beatroutemedia
Editor in Chief
Glenn Alderson
Associate Editor
Brad Simm
Layout/Production Manager
Rachel Teresa Park
Managing Editors
Josephine Cruz
Melissa Vincent
Contributing Editors
Sebastian Buzzalino
Dayna Mahannah
Contributors
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Reeghan Carroll • Jaime Eisen
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Chayne Japal • Kate Killet
Brendan Lee • Katherine McFarlane
Maggie McPhee • Isaac Nikolai Fox
Luke Ottenhof • Shania Perera
Michael Rancic • Drew Yorke
Aurora Zboch
Contributing Photographers
Lindsey Blane • Sebastian Buzzalino
Harry Chan • Jason Cipparrone
Nathan Denette • George Fok
Annie Forrest • Toni Hafkenscheid
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Coordinator (Live Music)
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778-888-1120
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MUSiC ARTIST INTERVIEW
SAY HELLO TO A
NEW, OLDER, AND
LESS MATURE
GREEN DAY
THE POP PUNK FOREBEARS
COME OF AGE, AGAIN.
PAMELA LITTKY
It’s mid-January, and Tre Cool is looking forward to
the National Hockey League’s All-Star Weekend
in St. Louis, Missouri. The Green Day drummer is
hoping to drive a zamboni at some point during the
weekend. “It’s like a fancy lawnmower that squirts
water, and I’m driving the motherfucker,” he says.
I ask if he needs a special license to drive one. “Just a
license to fuck shit up,” he fires back.
Cool and his long-time Green Day bandmates—
hyper, pointy-haired frontman Billie Joe Armstrong
and stoic, always-sleeveless bassist Mike Dirnt—are
prepping for a whirlwind year. They’re co-headlining
with Weezer and Fall Out Boy on this summer’s highprofile
Hella Mega Tour, but first they’ll release their
13th studio album, Father Of All Motherfuckers. Gone
are Green Day’s early-oughts days of nine-minute
medley epics, hour-plus album runtimes, and sobering
sociopolitical narratives.
With 10 tracks that run just over 26 minutes, Father
is a frantic coke binge, a glammed-up garage-rock
record that’s committed more to revelry than revolution.
I wonder if, at this stage in their career, it’s hard to tap
into that shithead-teenager mindset. “We’re still in our
high school band,” laughs Cool. “What you’re hearing is
a new, older, less mature Green Day.”
Father marks the first record for which the band
worked with producer Butch Walker, who scaled back
their tendencies for the grandiose and nudged them
towards something that felt more intuitive. “It was very
freeing,” says Cool. “[Walker] is no-nonsense. You lock
in a sound and go. You don’t chase your tail looking for
that perfect sound.”
The approach is somewhat surprising. Walker’s work
with acts like Fall Out Boy, P!nk, and Avril Lavigne has
carved space for their records in the sweet spot between
pop and punk. He helmed Taylor Swift’s prescient
country-to-pop shift with 2012’s Red and catapulted
English rock band The Struts to international fame with
their dancey rock jam “Body Talks.” Father borrows
sonically from that 2018 Struts single, especially on the
titular opening track with Armstrong’s overdriven falsetto
vocals and dirty-sleek guitars.
Green Day have zig-zagged from basement punks
to acoustic balladeers to pop punk trend-setters, but
pressed for a high-water mark, there are two obvious
answers: 1994’s slacker-hymnal Dookie and 2004’s anti-
American treatise American Idiot. The latter remains
their most influential and memorable, not least of all for
its accompanying red-white-and-black aesthetic. It was
clear, scathing, and distinctly repulsed by George Bush’s
jingoism and American imperialism.
But while the band has repeatedly shared their disdain
for the current American president, Father doesn’t
waste breath on him.
There are two frames of mind on art post-Trump: it
either absolutely should, or absolutely shouldn’t, be
informed by his presidency. Green Day circa-2004
6 BEATROUTE FEBRUARY 2020

By LUKE OTTENHOF
might have opted for the former. In 2020, they’re opting
for the latter. “The last thing we wanted to do was make a
record about that idiot,” says Cool. “Just because we have a
tyrant, fascist asshole in the White House doesn’t mean that
we have to sacrifice our art.”
He admits, though, that things are bad. Really bad. “The
pendulum swings, and it swings a little higher,” he says. “I
think it goes back and forth, and right now, it’s at the height
of the bad side of history. Right now, the racist rhetoric and
all that stuff that was hiding under the rocks, now they’re
emboldened and they’re out there. They feel like it’s their
moment. But the pendulum’s gotta swing back the other way.
Hopefully it’ll swing a little bit harder, and people will be even
more aware and more conscious of their environment, their
society, and the place where they live.”
For Cool, it’s important in the meantime to focus on
amplifying the things that make us feel good, even for a
moment. The drummer rhymes off his strategies: listening to
records, time with his family, being around water. “Oh, and
hard, hard drugs,” he chuckles. “There’s certain drugs I think
should be mandatory. Everybody should drop acid at least
once, and take mushrooms a couple times.
“When things are this bad, you want to just party. It’s like
dancing through the apocalypse. This might just be it for this
planet, so who knows. Let’s go out with a bang.”
This approach is understandable. If you committed your
band’s entire existence to very visibly raging against the
American machine and 16 years later, things had gotten
worse, you too might be resigned to defeat. But Cool
caveats that this isn’t a total withdrawal; Nazis still need to
be punched. But they can’t steal away our records and our
families and the ocean and drugs.
“They can’t take those away from us,” Cool says. “They
cannot take away your joy. They cannot take away your heart,
as long as you just wear it on your sleeve. As a wise man, Bill S.
Preston once said, ‘Be excellent to each other.’”
STAR
Green Day’s thirteenth studio album Father Of All
Motherfuckers… will be released February 7th 2020.
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 7

ANGELA RICCIARDI
TOTALLY LIT
Hoodie-clad rapper $NOT goes beyond Soundcloud.
W
hen $not was in high school,
he started exclusively
wearing hoodies and
it just stuck. Later on, he landed on
his stage name, $not, under similar
circumstances. His “why not?” ethos
bleeds over into his music, which
borrows enthusiastically from a
kaleidoscopic range of genres while
remaining grounded in the bass-heavy,
blown-out sound that has dominated the
last few years of underground rap.
Most notable of all is his 2018
breakout hit, “Gosha.” On it, $NOT
layers his raspy vocals over a haze of
nostalgic, wailed vocal samples and
a slow-rolling 808 pulse. It’s simple,
but quietly hypnotic, and the track
has racked up millions of plays and
propelled him to a new place: as one of
the post-Soundcloud scene’s leading
torchbearers.
The hoodie-clad rapper’s corner of
the music industry has seen a swath of
deaths in the last few years, and $NOT
is acutely aware that it’s up to him,
and those who remain, to push their
subgenre forwards. Over the phone
in mid-January, he likens posthumous
albums to somewhat of a mixed bag,
particularly when label involvement
distorts the artist’s original vision.
“I don’t really like when labels drop
albums after an artist dies,” he says.
“I get it — they’re supposed to make
their money back, fans want to hear
something — but it’s still weird because
they’re not around to have their say.”
He’s not overly concerned with his
own legacy, or at least, not just yet.
“Tragedy + is kind of a sad album, but
it’s also kind of lit,” he continues. “Most
of the album is just me singing, and it’s
heartfelt. It’s something that the kids
can listen to and get whatever they want
from, you know. People missed my old,
rawer sound, from 2017, where I’d just
start singing in the middle of songs. I’m
bringing that back this year.” STAR
$NOT’s debut album - Tragedy + will be
released March 6, 2020.
By ISAAC NIKOLAI FOX
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 9

FELICE TRINIDAD
THE BEACHES
ARE PAVING THEIR
OWN PATH
Guitarist Kylie Miller
breaks down their plan
for world domination.
n a cold January night, Kylie
Miller, The Beaches’ esteemed
Oguitarist, calls after a tiresome
rehearsal ahead of her band’s debut
Canadian headlining tour. For anyone
accustomed to a traditional 9-5, it’s the
stuff of rock folklore.
Named after the neighborhood in
Toronto’s east end, the band channels
both the warm languidness of 70s
rock, with the earnest, bold and biting
attention to detail of PJ Harvey and Kim
Gordon. On their most recent EP, The
Professional (2019), Miller utters a retort
that feels built for the age of internet
dating: “Stop sending me all your dick
pics/ they are boring me to pieces.”
Miller is candid about what it felt
like to navigate the industry at a young
age: “At the beginning it was a bit of an
unknown territory. We didn’t exactly
know what we were getting into, but
luckily we had each other.”
She notes the type of microaggressions
she and her fellow
band members encountered in the
early stages of their career, like
concertgoers assuming they were fans
when they’d appear at a gig. “Obviously
the music industry, especially the rock
industry, is very male-dominated,” she
says, “I think being a force in the rise of
female rock artists is really cool. I think
we’ve been able to grow and help be
a part of this movement that hopefully
By SHANIA PERERA
becomes way more accessible.”
And now in a position to bring up
a new generation of rock stars, The
Beaches are excited to put on rising
bands in Toronto’s rock scene. Miller
name-drops the teen folk duo Moscow
Apartment, who attend her former high
school: “They are so tight, they are so
badass. They’re literally as tight as we
are, and much younger.”
Now, The Beaches are driven by
their devoted fanbase. “We love
performing. As long as we continue
to do that, and it also inspires other
women to get involved, that’s really
awesome for us.”
STAR
The Beaches will embark on their first
national tour on February 6th, starting in
Victoria, British Columbia.
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 11

ARTIST INTERVIEW MUSiC
THE WORLD
By JAIME EISEN
Photography by
NABEEL PERVAIZ
Clothing provided by
HAYLEY ELSAESSE
ACCORDING
TO RALPH
THE CANADIAN
DISCO-POP PRINCESS
TALKS VULNERABILITY
IN POP MUSIC, LETTING GO,
AND KEEPING IT REAL.
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 13

Stepping into RALPH’s bedroom feels
like gaining access to her brain.
Sitting on a bed made with hotel
corners, RALPH looks perfectly at
home. “When I’m in my room, I feel
a sense of peace and joy,” she says.
“It’s chaotic, but in my own way it’s organized.”
This comfort extends to RALPH’s unique
live shows, where she punctuates colourful
costume changes with special guests like altrock
girl band The Beaches and supermodel
drag performer Tynomi Banks. RALPH’s
shows are light, fun, and seemingly carefree.
But “nothing happens without me creating it,
or being a huge part of it,” she says. “I work
fucking hard.”
Since the debut of her self-titled EP in
2017, RALPH has cultivated a loyal following
hungry for more fresh, disco-infused synthpop.
She has honed her nostalgic pop sound
on earworm tracks like the Electric Circusinspired
“Gravity” and 80s throwback “Tease,”
while claiming her spot on charts, streaming
playlists, and fashion “best” lists.
Now, following the release of her latest EP
Flashbacks and Fantasies, and fresh off a tour
with Canadian pop icon Carly Rae Jepsen,
RALPH is ready to try something new.
“The beauty of being an artist is that you
get to evolve,” she says. Referencing Billie
Eilish, Normani, Maggie Rogers, and Lizzo,
she feels this moment in pop music should be
viewed through a kaleidoscope—as a hybrid
genre with endless possibilities.
For RALPH, impact comes with taking risks
and maintaining authenticity. “I think people
appreciate me creating moments that are
real and honest and interesting. I’d prefer to
do that than just be someone contrived that
people can’t access.”
Born into a large, tight-knit family of
creatives, RALPH knows that swimming
against the tide can sometimes feel futile,
but has “learned there’s no harm in
continuing to grab everything by the horns
and building a community.” She admires
artists like Orville Peck and Jessie Reyez
who are carving out unique spaces for
Canadian pop on their own terms.
RALPH’s own music community is built on
specific values: “If each show is a place that
I’ve created, then I want to make sure that
everyone here feels safe and welcomed and
loved and celebrated.”
Despite the care she puts into every detail,
it’s clear that RALPH is not a traditional
perfectionist. She has learned to let go and
embrace the (organized) chaos: “You know
when you’re baking cookies with someone?
There are people whose icing tends to be
perfect and stunning. My cookie is fine. It’s
okay. That doesn’t mean that I don’t work
fucking hard and put a lot of thought into
things. But I also can accept when something
isn’t perfect and I don’t beat myself up about
it forever.”
She smiles: “I always just want to eat the
fucking cookie.”
STAR
14 BEATROUTE FEBRUARY 2020

Photography by
NABEEL PERVAIZ
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 15

Artist to Watch
LOUIS CZA
THE BLACK GREEK GOD
BOUNDLESS EXPERIMENTATION DEFINES NEW
CLASS OF CALGARY ARTISTS
L
ouis CZA the Black Greek
God’s beating heart is deeply
experimental.
The young multidisciplinary artist has
carved out a space in Calgary’s music
and arts community through his intense
desire to reimagine his community
through his own means, to blossom the
means of DIY artistic production into
something that knows no generic or
stylistic boundaries.
“I’m very experimental,” he begins,
tucked away in a corner of Calgary’s
charming, infinitely Instagrammable,
Japanese jazz bar-inspired I Love You
Coffee Shop, which Louis has adopted
as a kind of artistic home base.
“I did start off making music in hip hop,
but I feel like, at a certain point, everyone
expected me to keep making music in
hip hop. But, if you respect an artist or
creative, you know they’re not going to
By SEBASTIAN BUZZALINO
make the same stuff over and over again.”
To wit, a recent performance in
December at the Palomino started off
with some lo-fi chill-wave and synth-wave
vibes before inviting friends up from the
audience for a set-ending blast of punk
and black metal-inspired crashers. At
another recent avant garde show, at I
Love You Coffee Shop, he performed
his first piece live body art inspired by
Viennese Actionism.
“I think of myself more as an
intellectual or a scientist, so what I create
depends how I’m feeling,” he says.
Not content with merely looking
inwards to create, Louis CZA the Black
Greek God has also made it his mission
to give a helping hand to other rising
youth artists in Calgary, mentoring them
and developing spaces with like-minded
friends to encourage new expression
and development.
“It’s always been about trying to
push forward in the scene,” he says. “I
work with a lot of young people in the
community because a lot of the older
people are more stuck in their ways. I try
to create new avenues for young people
to get in there.
“When we started, we didn’t have
a lot of people showing us what to do
or how to do it. I feel like if we did, we
would have progressed a lot faster.
So, we’re very young at heart, young
people, we’re always energetic and
stoked on creativity. Eventually we want
to have a centre in the future, in 10 or
20 years, where young people can
go too. It’ll be like Professor Xavier’s
School for Creativity.”
STAR
Catch Louis CZA the Black Greek God at
Tubby Dog on February 27.
SEBASTIAN BUZZALINO
16 BEATROUTE FEBRUARY 2020

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FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 17

MUSiC ARTIST INTERVIEW
DESTROYER
TAKES THE MIC
DAN BEJAR
EMBRACES HIS
ROLE AS A SINGER
CRAFTING AN
ALBUM FROM HIS
KITCHEN
MEGAN HILL-CARROLL
By GLENN ALDERSON
18 BEATROUTE FEBRUARY 2020

Dan Bejar steps out of the rain
into Vancouver’s Pat’s Pub on
a typically dreary winter day
wearing an old brown jacket
and a grey toque with side
flaps. When he walks up to the
table he takes off his hat, unleashing his
large frazzled mane.
Pat’s Pub is somewhat of an historic
musical landmark in the city’s Downtown
Eastside, a jazz club in the 1920s once
home to famous American jazz pianist
Jelly Roll Morten who lived and played in
the building for a stint of time. The pub is
a few blocks away from JC/DC Studios,
run by producers John Collins of the New
Pornographers and Dave Carswell, where
the majority of Bejar’s life’s work has
been set to tape.
He looks down at the original wooden
flooring etched with decades of memories
and pauses for a moment before he
speaks. “I knew a lot of the old big band
bands would come through but I didn’t
realize this was one of those places.”
His pensive and calculated demeanor
is comforting. It’s the same demeanor
he’s carried with him throughout his
compelling career as Destroyer. Even
his facial expression on the cover of
his new album, Have We Met, seems
purposefully detached, but his apathy
is overshadowed by the magnificent
microphone he’s posing with: the
Sennheiser 441 — the same retro mic
Stevie Nicks used on Tusk.
True to the signature wit and cynicism
that he exudes both in life and his
songwriting, the mic is both an accessory
and extension of himself.
“I wanted the record to be like an
action shot. And an action shot of my
world means me singing. That’s what I do.
It’s literally the only thing I ever do now,”
Bejar says, taking a sip from his pint.
“I wanted it to be kind of generic
as well but in a visually nice way,” he
continues. “Just like, ‘There’s Neil
Diamond, holding a microphone and
singing his songs.’ Which is kind of my
world at this point — like Neil Diamond
but in bars instead of stadiums.”
For more than 20 years, the 47-yearold
Bejar has worn multiple hats as both
the patron saint of lo-fi indie folk, building
rock and roll spectacles out of ballads
recorded on a four-track; and as the
modest on-again-off-again member of
pop rock outfit, the New Pornographers.
With 13 Destroyer albums now under
his belt, 2011’s smooth, suave and
undeniably sophisticated Kaputt signaled
a creative breakthrough for Bejar, who
morphed into an elegant lounge singer,
which garnered international acclaim and
helped set the pace for indie music in the
decade to come.
It was around then Bejar set his career
on a new path by putting down his guitar.
“I think that’s the biggest thing that ever
happened to me, when I decided to put the
guitar down forever, in the band at least,
and focus on being a singer,” he says.
Bejar opted instead for whatever
midi keyboard he could get his hands
on. This is what brought the world the
brash and bold Poison Season (2015),
the dark and brooding ken (2017) and
now, Have We Met, an ominous album
that he recorded on a laptop from the
kitchen of his Strathcona home in the late
hours of the night and from hotel rooms
while on the road performing a string of
solo dates supporting his former New
Pornographers bandmate, Neko Case.
“Technically they’re really poor
recordings, done in my kitchen, singing
really quiet because it’s late and I don’t
want to wake anyone up. I thought for
sure once we had a better idea of how
the music would go I would redo them,
but there’s kind of an alone sounding but
also very comfortable sounding quality
to them for me that I haven’t been able
to get on other records and it became
something to really anchor the songs. I
thought we could make the music as wild
as we wanted once that was in place.”
When asked how he’s going to bring
Have We Met to life when he takes it on the
road, he cracks a rare but welcomed grin.
“With a seven-piece band playing
loud rock music,” he says, pausing for
a moment, as if to imply there’s simply
no other way. “That’s one thing about
Vancouver: I’m pretty attached to my
band. I feel like musicians here are kind of
smarter than other places. They’re also
kind of negative, which I like. When you
play in Vancouver your back is against
the wall and I like that. It’s not the most
positive but it’s creative. Music here is not
congratulatory. It’s more like, ‘oh... fuck…’”
Bejar trails off and stops again to
collect his thoughts.
“No slight to Toronto or Montreal or
places like that, but it feels like in Toronto
you could just get by being a band in
Toronto and have a Toronto based career,
but here that’s just like an insane idea or
fantasy. You pretty much need to be Jelly
Roll Morton to make that work.” STAR
Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
21 + 22 February 2020 / 7:30PM
Jack Singer Concert Hall
RESPECT!
Honouring Aretha
A musical tribute to 18-time Grammy Award-winner
Aretha Franklin — the undisputed Queen of Soul —
featuring hits like Chain of Fools, I Say a Little Prayer,
Think, and more!
Under 30?
calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849
Join CPOssibilities and get access to $15 tickets for you
and a friend to select concerts.
Register at calgaryphil.com/cposs.
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 19

MUSiC ARTIST INTERVIEW
NEIL KRUG
20 BEATROUTE FEBRUARY 2020

THE UNASSAILABLE EMPATHY
OF KEVIN PARKER
By MELISSA VINCENT
A
year and a half ago,
I made the trip from
Toronto to Moreno
Beach, Lake Perris
in Ontario, California
for Desert Daze, the
always impressive psychedelic rock
festival. It marked the festival’s first
year in a new home after previously
being held at the mythical Joshua
Tree Park. Tame Impala were the
festival’s opening night headliner,
followed by King Gizzard and the
Lizard Wizard, and My Bloody
Valentine. It was supposed to be a
slam dunk.
But the festival grounds,
stationed deep in the mountains of
a region experiencing a multi-year
drought, was overcome by an
extreme electric storm with near
torrential downpour to match. Less
than half an hour into Tame Impala’s
set, the show was cut off citing
safety concerns. Piling onto the
gargantuan task of attempting to
evacuate thousands of people was
the added challenge of relieving
an equally gargantuan traffic jam,
estimated at six hours, that caused
a particular logistical nightmare for
the festival.
Groups of teenagers resorted
to huddling under trees, blasting
“Let It Happen” out of muddy
phone speakers and singing along
desperately. It was extremely corny,
and just as beautiful, because for
legions of kids, this was their band,
and the show will always go on.
It’s a cheesy example, but a vivid
one—a single case, and one of
many, that illustrates exactly how
popular the Australian psycheverything
band from Perth had
actually become. Because since
releasing a string of singles to
MySpace in 2007, Kevin Parker’s
solo project has become big.
Not popular, but properly big: As
in, Rihanna-sampling; top tier-
Coachella headlining; Grammy
Award-nominating; platinum
record-selling; Lady Gaga and
Kanye West-collaborating; GQ
Magazine cover star-featuring big.
And at the core of Tame Impala’s
success is an ongoing question:
why now, does this music resonate
so broadly? Somehow—everyone
from purists of genre and taste,
and expats from the hyperprecious
era of audio exclusivity
and microblogging; to a newer
generation of fans who are frequent
participants of Big Experiential
Music Moments®, raised on a diet
of precisely-formed algorithms
capable of generating endless
Tik Tok memes—have all been
indoctrinated into the ecosystem
that Parker has built around himself.
For the better part of the last
decade, Parker has been on the
frontlines of psychdelia’s most
recent elevation to the top of the
cultural forefront, which, historically,
has been a reoccurring and resilient
salve during eras of aggregate
social and political uncertainty.
And often superficially pegged as
music made for private people and
introverts searching for like-minded
flock, Parker’s music has always
gotten at something slightly more
complicated and arresting.
Instead, he’s remained invested
in exploring the limits of emotional
intelligence, directed at the self
and then utilized as a tool to
understand an ever-confusing
outside world. Starved for
answers, Parker generously offers
a reminder that answering big
questions starts with addressing
smaller, human-sized ones. By
design, his music casts a wide net.
“I wouldn't write a song that I feel
is only applicable to me,” he muses
over a Skype call from Australia.
Resisting the urge to speak
superfluously, but undertaking
a comprehensive analysis of
legitimate facts, Tame Impala are
an unusual success story in a genre
that’s long battled an identity crisis.
Though bona fide “rock star” might
not have been in the initial blueprint,
it’s Parker’s reality now. After years
spent gracing festival stages with
his eyes fixed on the ground, now
he looks up and out.
“I used to have a massive
imposter complex and it's funny,
I didn't really cure my imposter
complex until I realized it was a
‘thing.’ I heard this word ‘imposter
complex’ and I was like ‘holy shit. I
have that.’”
“It was a real turning point for
me. I still see a tour poster, or see a
festival poster, and it's like: “Tame
Impala headlining” with a picture
of my face, and I'm like, ‘What are
you doing? Why are you getting
this fucking idiot to headline your
festival, that doesn’t make sense.’
I still think that, but I’m trying to
outsmart it—I’m trying to push back
equally as hard and counsel myself
into believing that I do deserve it,
you know?”
Over the phone Parker is warmly
conversational and comfortably
adept at catching a question
that’s morphed into a sprawling
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 21

MUSiC ARTIST INTERVIEW
statement, then releasing an answer that
goes even further, capable of really going
there. It’s a useful skill, evidence of an
understated confidence necessary for
trusting the outcome of one’s curiosity
that’s become foundational to his music.
Innerspeaker, the band’s 2010 critical
breakthrough, utilized the weight of
climactic, soaring riffs to sympathize with
the rigors of merely slogging your way
through ordinary life. His sophomore effort,
Lonerism (2012), saw Parker nudging his
aspirations larger, exhuming the textures of
70s synths to take a stab at pop splendor.
And 2015’s Currents refined his interest in
sanding down any lingering, discernable grit
from the project to produce a near-pristine,
airtight container of hyper-lush psych-pop.
Parker’s newest album, The Slow Rush,
is a sprawling inquisition into a sonic
environment Parker has been hinting
at for years, and has now finally given
himself the license to execute. “When I
actually felt like I wanted to make another
Tame Impala album, I had gotten so many
new perspectives on music that I realized
how much more I could be doing with
Tame Impala.”
“Everything I did was eyeopening,
so the goal
was to
kind of blow it open and embody a lot of
the qualities of people that I've worked
with in myself,” he remembers. “[Working
with] Travis Scott, I learned not to sweat
the small stuff, which helped me realize
that self-doubt doesn't get you anywhere,
[and] doesn't help anything or anyone.”
As a result, The Slow Rush is largely
ambitious—weirder, compelling, and frayed
at the edges. And still, specially crafted
for both the airwaves and the dancefloor.
Album opener “One More Year” finds
Parker gripping a mic stand with both
hands while dealing in a heady Baleric
melody—Parker’s own decadent take on
Screademelcia-era Madchester—that, inch
by inch, superimposes a metallic, galactic
melody towards an unhurried revelation,
declaring a short-term strategy for longlasting
love.
“Breathe Deeper” is a bouncy support
anthem, drenched in the, now, nostalgic,
spirit of peak chillwave, before collapsing
into an industrial, IDM-adjacent breakdown;
“Tomorrow’s Dust” plants a deliberately
disordered rhythm over a propulsive Latin
guitar riff; “It Is True” grinds its hips into
both a slice of dancehall and an identifiable
homage to 80s funk that even Prince might
appreciate; and “Glimmer” wraps itself
around the irresistibly pulsating panache
of shiny 90s euro-house, complete with a
spoken word intro.
Throughout all of it, Parker sounds welltravelled
because he is. Yet, still capable
of remembering to drop his anchor on the
shores of the clearly defined vista he’s built
around himself. But, as always, the album
reaches a little further.
Responding to a world that often feels
consumed by micro and macro fires, too
insurmountable to easily locate a site of
relief, there’s a new urgency to Parker’s
lyricism. It’s almost as if he’s working
double time, and against mounting
external forces, to validate the fact that
the seemingly mundane parts of life—bitesized
aspirations that often feel not only
unreachable, but unimportant; like trying
to atone with your parents (“Posthumous
Forgiveness”), or really and truly believing in
yourself (“Breathe Deeper”)—are worthy of
the time necessary to figure out.
It’s possible to imagine that when these
songs are heard under spindly, neon strobe
lights, or under a sea of confetti cannons
rivalling Beyoncé, that they might exist as
an affirmation that investigating the root of
the small stuff is mutually exclusive with all
the big stuff; that you can concurrently try
to save the world, while figuring out how to
save yourself in the process.
Speaking slowly and thinking carefully, he
pinpoints the foundation of this ethos with
a clear-headed self-description: “I’d like to
think that I’m one of the most empathetic
people I know. But I’m pretty sure that
there are people I know that think I have no
empathy. Which is kind of weird.”
He continues, acutely observant of his
own limitations. “I think to some people I can
come across quite cold because I've always
been quite a withdrawn person. Music is the
thing that I channel my emotions into the
world with, because I've never really been
good at doing it personally.”
“I enjoy the idea of seeing things from
other people's perspective because there’s
no more valuable trait than to see that the
way that you see things isn’t objective.”
Perhaps purposefully, the lines of his
protagonists are almost always undefined,
capable of taking on a character profile
selected solely by the listener. It’s possible
that this is the root of his empathy: In the
face of unrestricted and unusual levels of
success, removing yourself from the center
of your own party feels like an enduringly
selfless act.
“I want the best for Tame Impala.
It's bigger than me now. I just...feel
a sense of responsibility; not to
make it as big as it can be, but
to make it as whole as I can.
That's kind of my job.”
STAR
24 BEATROUTE FEBRUARY 2020

The Playlist
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TRACKS ON
OUR ROTATING
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+ VIDEOS,
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INTERVIEWS
AND MORE!
Porches
Do You Wanna
Porches new
track sounds
like an all-out
celebration on
the surface
but there’s
something
unsettling
lurking
underneath.
Synth-pop
mastermind
Aaron Maine
plays a repetitive
and jubilant ode
to the joys of
losing yourself
to dance.
U.S. Girls
Overtime
(Ft. James Baley &
Jake Clemons)
An update of a
track from their
2013 EP that
adds some more
funk flavour and
a sax solo from
Jake Clemons
of the legendary
E Street Band,
U.S. Girls turn
the discovery of
a partner’s lies
into a soulful
and cathartic
call-andresponse
jam
session that
only grows more
chaotic as it
progresses.
Jessie Reyez
LOVE IN THE DARK
Released
alongside an
announcement
that her debut
album is finally
on its way, one
of Canada’s
most promising
songwriters
drops a lovelorn
and cinematic
orchestral
ballad. Reyez
emphasizes the
astral power
of her love
through a variety
of galactic
metaphors,
heavily layering
her vocals
for the most
grandiose effect.
Megan Thee
Stallion
Diamonds
(Ft. Normani)
From the
soundtrack of
the upcoming
Birds of
Prey movie,
one of rap’s
biggest new
personalities
recruits the
effortlessly cool
Normani for a
confident and
bass-heavy trap
banger. Normani
tries out some
raps of her own
on the hook, but
this is Megan’s
comfort zone
to excel as
she steps into
the unhinged
persona of
Harley Quinn.
Kehlani
All Me
(Ft. Keyshia Cole)
R&B star Kehlani
drops a smooth
track where
she dials up
the harmonies
as she thanks
her partner
for embracing
her flaws, but
it’s Keyshia
Cole making
her grand
return from
somewhere
deep in the
mid-2000s that
really elevates
things. Taking
over the second
verse, her vocal
range is still as
impressive as
ever.
TOPS
I Feel Alive
The Montreal
retro-pop
quartet kick off
a new era with
an upbeat and
cheerful track
destined to be
played over the
swaying arms
and floating
beach balls
of a summer
music festival.
Driven by a
catchy rhythmic
guitar hook, the
track captures
the overjoyed
feeling of new
love. To add
to that, the
video sees the
band playing
with adorable
bunnies. What
else do you
need?
Peach Pit
Shampoo Bottles
Peach Pit
frontman Neil
Smith believes
“coping with a
loss can make
you do weird
things.” The
empty shampoo
bottles that
once belonged
to his exgirlfriend
pile up
in the corners
of Smith’s
bathroom as he
runs through
a list of all
the items she
left behind in
a mournful
falsetto.
The 1975
Me & You Together
Song
The English rock
band drop the
artsy surrealism
of their last few
projects and
return to their
old pop-rock
sound complete
with the bouncy
percussion and
wall-of-sound
guitars that
characterized
their breakout
hit singles.
Frontman Matty
Healy tries
to convince
a friend to
take the next
step in their
relationship.
Joel Plaskett
Head Over Heels
Into Heaven
The Haligonian
indie-rock hero
unleashes the
first taste of
his upcoming
QUADRUPLE
album 44
with a driving
acoustic track
accompanied by
a big band-style
horn section
hook. The track
will belong to
the first stage
of the project
documenting
his life’s journey
of the past four
years, and sees
him getting
ready to follow
someone to
the ends of the
earth.
Alec
Benjamin
Demons
Rising singersongwriter
Alec Benjamin
continues to
exorcise his
own personal
demons
through his
highly personal
songwriting
depicting the
darkest, most
anxiety-riddled
corners of his
mind. In a more
hopeful turn
than usual,
Benjamin
instead thanks
his sister for
being there for
him and keeping
him alive in his
trademark airy
falsetto.
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 25

Wings $5/lb after 4pm with beverage purchase, gst not included, dine in only.
18+, legal ID required. this event is open to all SAIT students, staff, faculty,
alumni, members, and guests. please visit Saitsa.com for more information.
Destroyer
Have We Met
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Thur. Feb. 6, 2020
The Gateway Presents
RU PAUL’S
DRAG RACE TRIVIA
FREE TO PLAY
FREE
TO PLAY
Sat. Feb. 22, 2020
MRG Concerts Presents
FERRARO
+ Khillah Khills + Hello Moth + Lissette Xavier
Sat. Mar. 21, 2020
CJAY 92 Presents
THE BLUE STONES
+ MUTE CHOIR
Wed. Feb. 12, 2020
The Gateway Presents
BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH
+ Odario Williams
WED, NOV. 6, 2019
$5/LB WINGS
Wed. Mar. 4, 2020
The Gateway Presents
WINGO
BINGO + WINGS! FREE TO PLAY!
Fri. Mar. 27, 2020
MRG Concerts Presents
HOTEL MIRA
+ Northern Coast + Shuffalo
Sat. Feb. 15, 2020
The Gateway Presents
SOULFLY
+ Toxic Holocaust & more
5:00PM REGISTRATION | 5:30PM BINGO
Saitsa.com/Events
Wed. Mar. 11, 2020
The Gateway Presents
BROOKLYN 99 TRIVIA
FREE TO PLAY
Sat. Apr. 4, 2020
Monster Energy Presents
THE FUNK HUNTERS
+ Special Guests
Free Tickets via Universe.com
Thur. Feb. 20, 2020
CJAY 92 Presents
ROYAL TUSK
+ BRKN Love + Sights & Sounds
Wed. Mar. 18, 2020
The Gateway Presents
THROWBACK KARAOKE
FREE TO PLAY
Sun. May 3, 2020
MRG Concerts Presents
CHRIS WEBBY
+ Special Guests
For a list of all upcoming events visit GatewayYYC.com/Events
And make sure to follow us @gatewaybar to catch all the latest announcements!
18+, Legal ID required. This event is open to all Sait students, staff, faculty, alumni, members, and guests.
Please visit Saitsa.com for more information.
GatewayYYC.com

Reviews
ALBUM
GRIMES
Miss Anthropocene
Grimes Creative Corporation under
exclusive license to Crystal Math Music
Climate change may just kill us all, so
Claire Elise Boucher, famously known
as Grimes, wanted to make an album
dedicated to a fictional goddess who
personifies the disaster. Thus, Miss
Anthropocene was born.
After many delays, false starts and
lack of information, Grimes’ first album
in almost five years is finally here.
Overall, it was well worth the wait.
Melding the poppy and accessible
sounds of 2015’s Art Angels alongside
the more experimental tunes of
Visions, Miss Anthropocene tackles
a more villainous mindset, with songs
about Boucher’s dissatisfaction and
weariness with humanity.
Some of the high points of the
album involve sides to the artist we’ve
never seen before. “Delete Forever”
is a beautiful elven ballad about loss
backed up by an acoustic guitar, an
instrument that seems alien in Grimes’
world. On “My Name Is Dark,” Grimes
goes full rock god, vengeful and cynical
in the best way possible.
Miss Anthropocene is a chaotic
album, revelling in its messiness and
reminding us that Grimes is still here
making music unlike anybody else.
It’s best to just sit back and enjoy the
show.
Best Track: Delete Forever
Fraser Hamilton
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 27

MUSiC ALBUM REVIEWS
CHRISTIAN WEBER
CINDY LEE
What’s Tonight
to Eternity
W.25TH/Superior Viaduct
Cindy Lee’s journey to the
deepest depths of beauty
continues on What’s Tonight
to Eternity.
Eclipsed only by 2015’s
shattering Act of Tenderness,
What’s Tonight continues to
refine songwriter Patrick Flegel’s
explorations in harsh noise,
oldies pop, guitar witchery and
recording experimentation.
The album’s most breathtaking
moments can be found on
“I Want You to Suffer”. In seven
and a half minutes, the song
exquisitely encapsulates all that
Cindy Lee has shown us since
2012’s Tatlashea and solidifies
the fact that Flegel is one of
this generation’s most gifted,
smartest and exciting artists.
Best Track: I Want You To Suffer
John Divney
MAC MILLER
Circles
Warner
Quite a few recent posthumous releases
have been handled haphazardly,
often forgoing artistic integrity
in favour of name recognition.
Mac Miller’s final album Circles
is far from one of those releases.
Nearly finished by the time of his
passing and lovingly completed by
legendary producer Jon Brion, it’s
clear just how much Circles was
meant to be a companion piece
- “swimming in circles” being the
ultimate takeaway.
Circles mostly touches on the
same topics of isolation, heartbreak,
depression and unhealthy
coping mechanisms, but this time
with a much-needed injection of
hope that he could beat it and
come out thriving on the other side
– which only makes it all the more
heartbreaking.
Miller was one to push himself
further out of his musical comfort
zone with every release - he barely
raps on this project. Instead, his
jazzy, mumbling singing voice is
applied to soft and dreamy reverberating
tones that verge on 70s
psychedelic rock. He even covers
a 1972 hit from Arthur Lee, which,
chillingly, centers on accepting
one’s eventual death and living in
the moment.
Miller notes that he spends a lot
of time in his head on the lead single,
“Good News,” and most of this
plays out like Miller acknowledging
the critical inner monologues we
all have, wondering if we’re on the
right path. It’s a shame we never
got to see where he was going.
Best Track: Blue World
Ben Boddez
SARAH HARMER
Are You Gone
Arts & Crafts
If it took a decade for anger to
morph into the exquisite, love to
become a roar, and evocation
to magnify, then Sarah Harmer’s
new album, Are You Gone, has
been worth the wait.
Exploring climate change,
loss, and love through folksy
indie rock ballads, Harmer
wields her intricately dynamic
voice with restraint, such as
on “St. Peter’s Bay” and “The
Lookout,” while “New Low”
and “Take Me Out” punch up the
pace.
Harmer guides us with
grace and a gentle kick in the
gut. Are You Gone is a tender
warning that we aren’t—yet—and
reminds us that the pursuit of art
remedies nihilism.
Best Track: Wildlife
Dayna Mahannah
TENNIS
Swimmer
Mutually Detrimental
The husband-and-wife duo Tennis’
Swimmer is an ode to their pictureperfect
relationship and standing
strong together in the face of tragedy.
Full of starry-eyed declarations
of admiration for her husband,
frontwoman Alaina Moore sings of how
she’d be completely lost if not for his
support. She even jokes that they’re
so eternally intertwined that she’ll likely
end up haunting him as a ghost.
Tennis has always sounded directly
out of another time with their replication
of the glossy sheen of 70s pop, but they
play around with experimental rhythmic
switch-ups and modern percussion
quirks more than ever before.
The album’s title draws reference to
a feeling of uncomfortable suspension,
fighting to keep yourself upright. It’s a
good thing Moore has someone to hold
onto, keeping her afloat.
Best Track: Need Your Love
Ben Boddez
SOCCER MOMMY
color theory
Loma Vista Recordings
Coming off her successful debut,
Clean (2018), Soccer Mommy aka
Sophie Allison dives into deeper and
darker material with color theory,
playing with the concept of nostalgia
and how it warps our perception
of memories, all while assisted by a
throwback alt rock sound similar to
the likes of Liz Phair or Sheryl Crow.
The gorgeous track, “night swimming,”
features Allison’s wavering
vocals about a lost relationship,
weaving through distorted sounds
of a chattering crowd. Many of
color theory’s songs melt into a
somewhat sunny disposition, while
revealing a much darker undercurrent
within its lyrics that’s not
completely explained. It’s a deep
and engrossing album that pushes
the artist known as Soccer Mommy
into fascinating territory.
Best Track: night swimming
Fraser Hamilton
28 BEATROUTE FEBRUARY 2020

DRIVE-BY
TRUCKERS
The Unraveling
ATO Records
KHRUANGBIN &
LEON BRIDGES
Texas Sun EP
Dead Oceans
Perhaps no other rock band can
write so frankly and so accurately
about the American tragedy than
the Drive-by Truckers. After a
three-year absence where lead
songwriters Mike Cooley and
Patterson Hood suffered from
a severe case of writer’s block,
the DBT’s lock, stock and two
smoking barrels are back taking
aim at the good ol’ US of A and its
perilous journey.
Cooley and Patterson simply
do not mince words. In the
sludgy, funk-grunge driven
“Heroin Again” they pose
the question, “why?” and try
slapping some sense into a new
generation of users condemned
to their brain orgasms.
“21st Century USA” recounts
a drive though any beat-up
town filled with fast food joints
and crappy retail outlets where
salvation is finally found in a
“good-time bar to get your bad
swerve on.” But this isn’t a game
of pitching us against them,
it’s a cultural demise that has
everyone trapped in its dead-soul,
commercialized landslide.
Although sometimes the line is
clearly drawn and blame comes
tumbling through. “Thoughts
and Prayers” echoes politicians’
overused expression after another
senseless outburst of domestic
gun violence takes its lethal toll. In
protest with that empty do-nothing
rhetoric comes the chorus, “You
can stick it up your ass, with your
useless thoughts and prayers.”
The Unraveling is the Drive-by
Truckers’ rebel yell — angry, fierce
and all too real.
Best Track: Awaiting
Resurrection
Brad Simm
Khruangbin & Leon Bridges’
collaborative EP Texas Sun
marks the first time the exotic
funk band has written with
a vocalist. The collaboration
finds their colourful rhythm
section masterfully crowned
with Bridges’ bright and soulful
melodies that transport the
listener to the dry heat of the
title track. Tasty basslines and
perfectly pocketed drumming
provide Khruangbin’s classic
hypnotic effect, allowing
listeners to float in and out
for hours on end, catching a
different fruitful lick with
each listen.
A sense of déjà vu from this
collaboration is owed to a joint
North American tour where
their paths converged for the
first time. The EP is an ode to
the “big sky country” of Texas.
Although the artists ride in very
different stylistic lanes, their
origins embody a common
musical vanguard. Speer and
Johnson met at St. John’s United
Methodist Church in Houston –
more commonly referenced as
the house of worship Beyoncé
grew up singing in. Bridges, who
discovered his sound listening
to Texas blues, gospel and R&B,
was a natural detour from their
instrumental norm.
Although this creative side-trip
confirms depth from the trio,
Khruangbin fans still eagerly
await a third album, showcasing
unrestrained flamenco-style
strums, bass-lead melodies,
and dialled in drumming without
accommodations.
Best Track: Texas Sun
Reeghan Carroll
SELENA GOMEZ
Rare
Interscope
Going through trauma can’t be
easy when you’re one of the most
followed people on Instagram.
After some highly-publicized health
struggles – both physical and mental
– and a lengthy breakup with a
certain Canadian pop heartthrob,
Selena Gomez uses her new album
as an opportunity to move past
the pain with upbeat dance-pop
production from the industry’s
most reliable hitmakers and lyrics
centered around self-love.
With her trademark whispery, vulnerable
vocal delivery, she casually
drops references to her medication
in the context of fun pop songs.
There are more than a few less-thansubtle
shots at The Biebs.
Linking up with a kindred spirit in
Kid Cudi, who has had his own fair
share of mental health problems,
on the album’s closing track is
another very powerful moment.
Rare, at its core, is about finally
being able to go out and have fun
once again without everything
weighing on her. Gomez is back,
and “Look At Her Now.”
Best Track: Vulnerable
Ben Boddez
HALSEY
Manic
Capitol Records
The pop landscape can be disorientating,
but on Manic, Halsey’s
third studio album, she works effortlessly
to control that pressure
from within.
The title is a reflection of her
feelings about the loneliness
and euphoria fame brings, while
also accurately representing the
album’s overall sound, which, according
to a recent interview she
did with Rolling Stone, is “literally
just, like, whatever the fuck I felt
like making.”
Manic is far from cohesive, but
that’s likely the point. It still brings
whiplash when you go from a
bitter, country-tinged bop about a
toxic relationship (“You should be
sad”), to angsty pop-rock (the undeniably
fun “3am”), followed by
a smooth hip-hop track featuring
Korean rapper SUGA of boyband
BTS (“SUGA’s Interlude”).
Halsey deserves credit for her
ability to jump in and adapt to
multiple genres within the pop
spectrum. Pop music may be in
a state of disarray, but it’s nice to
Halsey is out there working hard
to evolve, adapt and bare it all.
Best Track: You should be sad
Fraser Hamilton
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 29

TRAVEL
MEXICO CITY
EXPLORE THE
SPRAWLING METROPOLIS
WHERE TRADITION AND
CUTTING EDGE CONVERGE
By KATHERINE MCFARLANE
Mexico City, the seventh largest city in the
world, is almost impossible to get to know
in one lifetime. A city deserving of multiple
visits, its rich cultural history permeates every
aspect of life; the cuisine, the architecture,
and the sounds; all distinctively Mexican, yet
welcoming to anyone open to discovery.
The city has evolved into a vibrant cultural travel
destination thanks in large part to its dedication to urbanism
and an abundance of thoughtful public spaces, an inventive
and modern culinary scene and a long tradition of influential
contemporary art that will satisfy travelers looking for
something beyond a typical resort vacation.
Music is an ever-present part of daily life in the city.
Traditional Mariachi music is ubiquitous in any tourist area and
you will hear modern Latin pop and rock on the radio, spilling
into the streets from every car, store and bus you pass.
The city is a major touring market for artists and has
become home to a number or large-scale music festivals
such as The Corona Capital and the newest addition of
Ceremonia Festival, last year, drawing top tier international
artists such as Rosalia, Kaytranada, and Massive Attack
alongside local talent. Toronto label Arts & Crafts, ahead of
the curve, even set up an outpost in the city in 2008.
DESTINATIONS
Frida Kahlo Museum
The Blue House
Calle Londres 247,
Colonia Del Carmen
The house where the world’s most
famous Mexican artist was born
and died is an essential experience
for any fan of contemporary
culture and anyone who ever
went to art school. Located in the
historic Coyoacán neighbourhood
and close to the amazing artisanal
Mercado de Coyoacan (Ignacio
Allende, between Malintzin and
Xicoténcatl), the museum is one
most popular places to visit in the
city. Book your tickets in advance
online, you’ll still have to wait, just
not as long!
Canals of Xochimilco
Calle del Mercado 133, San Jerónimo
Xochimilco, the Venice of Mexico,
is a truly unique experience. Rent a
boat by the hour, be serenaded by
live Mariachi bands and order freshmade
food and drinks from boats
floating right beside you. Equal parts
relaxing and floating party!
Parque Mexico
Av. Mexico, Cuauhtemoc,
Colonia Hipódromo
Speaking of thoughtful public
spaces, this park is one of the most
beautiful and relaxing refuges from
the hustle and bustle of the city.
Situated in La Condesa, a charming
and walkable neighborhood with
many Art Deco buildings. Take a loop
around lush Amsterdam Avenue and
imagine your potential new life as a
resident of Mexico City!
Casa Luis Barragan
Calle General Francisco Ramirez 14
It’s impossible not to be moved
by this masterpiece of modernist
architect and pioneer of emotional
architecture, Luis Barragan’s
house and studio. A UNESCO
World Heritage Site, it’s extremely
popular and limited spots are available
for the English tour, so book
online ahead of time.
Museo Jumex
Avenida Miguel de Cervantes
Saavedra 303, Miguel Hidalgo
One of the largest private collections
of contemporary art in Latin
America, Museo Jumex features
some of the heaviest hitters in the
contemporary art world. Housed
in a striking building designed by
British architect David Chipperfield,
it is a work of art itself.
30 BEATROUTE FEBRUARY 2020

EATS & DRINKS
Hotel Condesa
Avenida Veracruz 102,
Colonia Condesa, Hipódromo
Even if you don’t stay in this luxury boutique
hotel, head up to the rooftop bar for
a relaxing day-time drink (tequila!) and a
fantastic view of the tree-lined streets of
Condesa. Bonus: they have a fantastic
sushi menu!
Tortas Al Fuego
Avenida Sonora 205,
Colonia Condesa,
Hipódromo
Cheap, casual hole in the wall with delicious
tacos, tortas (Mexico's version of
the Italian sandwich) and open all day. A
local spot (so brush up on some Spanish
ordering skills) and definitely try the al
pastor tacos.
Rosetta
Calle Colima 166, Roma
One of the most beautiful restaurants in the
city, Rosetta is located within a renovated
colonial-era townhouse in the Roma neighborhood.
The menu is Italian with a Mexican
sensibility and it changes seasonally. For a
special occasion, or just to live your best life,
give yourself the gift of this magical dining
experience!
NIGHTLIFE
Patrick Miller
Merida 17, Colonia Roma
Hidden behind an unassuming warehouse
façade, every Friday night (the only night
it is open) the space becomes a wild disco
party, complete with dance-off style battles.
Drawing a diverse, mixed crowd, the
dancers who take up the spotlight do not
come to mess around.
El Plaza Condesa
Calle Juan Escutia 4,
Colonia Condesa,
Hipódromo
A 1600-capacity concert venue right in
the heart of Condesa, El Plaza plays host
to buzzy international acts that you likely
wouldn’t get to see in such an intimate
space anywhere else, as well as regional
artists about to hit it big.
Sunday Sunday
facebook.com/sundaysundaymx
Local party collective who throw dance
parties with a rotating lineup of DJs and
special guests, both local and international.
Location and guestlist are somewhat of a
secret, you have to RSVP to the Facebook
page with a message to get in, so don’t
forget to download Google translate!
SHOPPING
Tianguis Cultural del Chopo
Cuauhtemoc Buenavista 06350
Mexico has a well-documented love for
all rock subcultures, up to and including
The Smiths. These aesthetic choices
culminate here at the city’s goth-punkmetal-etc
themed flea market. Only open
on Saturdays, you’ll find some definitively
underground live music, vinyl and band
t-shirts galore.
Retroactivo Records
Jalapa 125, Colonia Roma
A comprehensive and well-priced selection
of used vinyl in every genre, located in Roma.
Be prepared to dig! If the thrill of the hunt
isn’t your thing and you’re already in the
neighborhood, head over to Roma Records
(Álvaro Obregón 200 Bis 1, Col. Roma) for
the latest releases and reissues. STAR
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 31

That’s Dope
W
ith the industry rising above
and beyond its smoke cloud
of regulations, Canadian
cannabis brands want you to sit back,
relax, and consume kush in comfort.
Sackville & Co., Burb, and Superette
have each designed cozy loungewear
pieces for any kind of session. “Comfort
is key [to] BC bud culture,” says Margot
Zimmerman of the inspiration behind
Vancouver-based Burb’s apparel. The
Burb x Tantalus Sky Pilot Sherpa Jacket
is a dreamy outerwear cloud, perfect
for watching a movie on the couch or
adventuring in the great outdoors.
Sackville & Co. founders Hayley
Dineen and Lana Van Brunt agree
that “the perfect sesh outfit” can be
whatever makes you comfortable. Sold
separately, the duo’s Sackville Crewneck
and Sackville Shorts are made of a
breathable, cozy cotton. The suit comes
in three retro washes and features
cheeky iconography to celebrate the
brand’s design-forward style — without
compromising utility. This is a key part
of Sackville’s mission, say Van Brunt
and Dineen. With the goal of adjusting
the stigma cannabis use has held in the
past, they aim to create products that
fit into your lifestyle “without having to
stash them away in a drawer.” Sackville’s
cannabis accessories beg to be
displayed, on your nightstand or body.
Superette’s apparel also shows
off the brand’s low key but impactful
aesthetic. From dad hats to hoodies,
long sleeves to socks, the Ontarioborn
cannabis company uses organic
materials and their now-iconic rose logo
to brand comfy clothes that encourage
the wearer to simply have fun. Thaomy
Lam, who works in Events & PR at
Superette, says the clothes were made
with “the potential for ash to stain or a
rogue roach to burn a hole” in mind. At
Superette, she adds, “we think those
add character.”
STAR
THIS MONTH IN CANNABIS NEWS AND VIEWS
LAZE AND LEVEL OUT IN
CANADA’S BEST SESH SUITS
Superette apparel available
at superetteshop.com
LEEOR WILD
Sackville apparel available at
sackvilleandco.com
EVA ZAR
By JAIME EISEN
Burb x Tantalus Sky Pilot Sherpa Jacket
available at shopburb.com
JOMAR VICTORIA

NMC presents
ALBERTA
SPOTLIGHT
SERIES
A MONTHLY CONCERT SERIES
HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE MOST
SOUGHT-AFTER ALBERTA ARTISTS RIGHT NOW.
FEBRUARY 13
RYAN LANGLOIS
AND LYNDSAY BUTLER
AT THE KING EDDY
DETAILS AND TICKETS AT STUDIOBELL.CA/WHATS-ON
Show location: King Eddy | 438 9 Avenue SE Calgary, AB
studiobell.ca @nmc_canada #StudioBell

Loving
“..a mix of pop, folk and
lo-fi with a hint of nostalgia
that Paul McCartney
in his heyday wouldn’t
have refused.”
“Mellow, folky indie rock
with a twist of psychedelica.”
“They strive when it comes
to making beautiful,
indie rock lullabies.”
“Reminiscent of a
slightly darker Whitney.
Nostalgic and lovely”
C 2020 L AST GANG RECORDS INC.
If I am only
my thoughts
THE DEBUT ALBUM FROM VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA GROUP LOVING
AVAIL ABLE NOW ON ALL STREAMING SERVICES, AND IN RECORD SHOPS.
EXCLUSIVELY FROM L AST GANG RECORDS, WORLD WIDE.

VIVIAN MAIER, MAY 16, 1957 © ESTATE OF VIVIAN MAIER, COURTESY OF MALOOF COLLECTION AND HOWARD GREENBERG GALLERY, NY.
YYC
THE MYSTERY OF VIVIAN MAIER
GLENBOW SHEDS LIGHT ON AMERICA’S
“SENSITIVE EYE” STREET-SHOOTER
By BRAD SIMM
T
hroughout her life, she worked in total obscurity. When she died in
2009 at 83, Vivian Maier was discovered by chance then instantly
hailed as one of America’s most treasured street photographers.
Maier was reclusive, her history largely unknown other than she
supported herself as a nanny in the suburbs of Chicago’s North Shore
from the mid 50s into the 90s. When she got older and unable to keep
up the payments on a storage space, thousands of her undeveloped
negatives along with hundreds of prints, audio recordings and canisters
of 8 mm film were auctioned off.
John Maloof was one of three collectors who came into possession
of more than 30,000 negatives. After posting some of Maier’s photos on
Flickr, her work went viral the same year she passed away.
Without question, the mystery behind Vivian Maier is just as intriguing
as the body of work she left behind, prompting two film documentaries
to investigate her life. Still, little more than an outline of her background
has surfaced. Through her photographs, however, Maier’s curious
character starts to reveal itself.
Until the end of May, the Glenbow Museum presents Vivian Maier: In
Her Own Hands, an exhibition that features Maier’s career as a whole
and in different areas she explored.
Melanie Kjorlien, the Glenbow’s VP, notes, “There’s black and white
photos from the 50s and 60s and colour work that she got more interested
in during the 70s. There’s short films that she did that are in the same vein as
her street photography, and contact sheets which gives you a sense of her
working as a photographer with the range of images she took.”
One section of the exhibition is focused on Maier’s self-portraits,
which provides a glimpse into who she was. As nanny she took a lot of
photos of children but also gravitated towards those who were on the
lower end of the economic scale, an area that looms large in her work.
“There’s speculation,” says Kjorlien, “that she felt an affinity towards
these people because she too was isolated as an individual and had
financials problems most of her life. She had a sensitive eye towards
those who were more disadvantaged.”
Kjorlien adds, “Some photos of people that are more affluent definitely
have less of a sensitivity. Often times, they are not very flattering images
and that lends to an interesting insight into her personality.”
In addition to her close-up and personal images, Maier captured certain
aspects of change and upheaval that America experienced between the
1950s and 1970s. Over time she experimented with subject matter —
there were fewer people in her photos and more with architecture, walls
of graffiti, random objects and abstract perspectives that concentrated on
urban physicalities and the formal aspects of photography rather than the
shoot-from-the-hip street style she was known for.
Vivian Maier: In Her Own Hands Feb. 8 to May 24 at the Glenbow Museum
CALGARY’S ESSENTIAL
FEBRUARY HAPPENINGS
02.20
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 35

02.20YYCAGENDA
BLOCK HEATER
Winter Festival Heats Up
Programming In Expansive,
Imaginative Fifth Year
n invitation to defrost your
extremities and shake off that
Alingering cabin fever, Calgary’s
Block Heater, celebrating its fifth year, brings
concerts, collaborative sessions and the
warmth of a few dozen local and international
artists to the heart of the city when it’s most
needed. By the estimates of Calgary Folk
Music Festival Artistic Director, Kerry Clarke,
the 2020 installment will be an extravaganza
of entertainment and a celebration of newly
forged partnerships and traditions.
“This year is bigger with more venues,
capacity and programming. We’ll have
three stages on Thursday and five stages
on Friday and Saturday nights and
Saturday afternoon,” Clarke reports. “Our
programming has been expanded to include
more artists, 38 this year verses about 20 in
the first year. Also, new venues and a cool
Black Future Month program that includes
the film, We Are the Roots: Black Settlers
and their Experiences of Discrimination on
the Canadian Prairies, which will be followed
by a panel discussion.”
Best described as a phenomenon that
transforms the entire neighbourhoods of
East Village and Inglewood into a giant
house party, Block Heater is a happening
where the kitchen is always humming and
the parents won’t be home until Sunday.
“It’s an inspiring, multi-genre auditory
reprieve from winter at the halfway mark
between summer festivals that brings
community together to revel in artistic
excellence from the homegrown to the farflung,”
acknowledges Clarke.
An engaging, yet fleeting, opportunity to
immerse yourself in the songs and stories
of up-and-coming and established artists,
Block Heater promises to become the
cornerstone of the city’s winter festival
calendar. With a future that includes further
expansion into the emerging East Village,
it’s a safe bet that this unique musi-centric
event will be sticking around like a tongue on
a frost-coated pole.
“It’s like the summer festival, but with
walls,” says Clarke. “Prepare to dance your
butt off, especially in Canada Music Square!”
Block Heater’s fifth year is as ambitious
as ever, with a sprawling artistic lineup,
including the new Black Future Month
programming. To make sense of it all, we’ve
selected our top shows around which you
can base your own schedule.
Block Heater takes place from February 20 to 22
at various venues in the East Village and
Inglewood. For full lineup and schedule
information, visit calgaryfolkfest.com
By CHRISTINE LEONARD
AFROTRONIX
Friday, Feb. 21 at
ATB Canada Music Square
@ Studio Bell, 8:30 pm
Hailing from Montréal via N’Djamena, Chad, guitarist/songwriter/producer,
Caleb Rimtobaye, is the
innovative Afrofuturist behind the dancefloor-melting
sounds of AfrotoniX. Original DJing, mixing, live
drumming and urban choreography are a few of
the many tools he utilizes to create an irresistible
amalgam of pop, hip hop, Saharan Touareg blues and
Sierra Leone mandingo music.
GEORGE FOK
AMELIE PATTERSON
Friday, Feb. 21 at the ITeam Stage
@ King Eddy, 4:10 pm
Calgary resident and Banff’s inaugural poet-laureate,
indie-folk artist Amelie Patterson paints watercolour
landscapes in wood and wire. Moody yet brightly
backlit, her skyline harmonies and wandering sense
of wonder weave together emotion and portent with
a master’s ease. An organizer, mentor and golden-throated
daughter of the Foothills, she thrusts the
Bow Valley into the sunshine and elevates the trials
of life to the status of high mountain trails.
DJ SHUB
Saturday, Feb. 22 at ATB Canada Music Square
@ Studio Bell, 10:05 pm
Straight outta Fort Erie, Ontario, Mohawk Dan
“DJ Shub” General is often recognized for his
work with award-winners A Tribe Called Red and
is regarded as the Godfather of PowWowStep.
Continuing his superhero-esque mission to spread
joy and social justice, the influential DJ-producer
has generated a new wave of electronic music
that interprets his love of hip hop through the
lense of Indigenous culture.
SEBASTIAN BUZZALINO
36 BEATROUTE FEBRUARY 2020

VILLAGES
Thursday, Feb. 20 at Ironwood, 10:15 pm
Constructing a cultural bridge between mainland Canada and the musical traditions
Cape Breton Island, the pop-rock modern sensibilities of these rank-and-file artists
are a Maritime treasure to behold. Singalong-worthy tunes with deep indie-rock
roots are in order as these shaggy shantymen lean into the heave-ho momentum of
memory, melody and Irish-influenced Celt-synth breakdowns.
FEB. 14
DAVE KELLY LIVE
VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL
FEB. 10
CAMPBELL, CHOI & MONTGOMERY
WYATT CLASSICAL SERIES
FEB. 28
ANDY SHAUF
MARCH 8
ELMER ISLER SINGERS
MARCH 14
DERVISH — THE GREAT IRISH
SONGBOOK
CARSIE BLANTON
Thursday, Feb. 20 at nvrlnd. Hall @ Festival Hall, 9:15 pm
Winter rhythms that’ll leave you anything but blue are the touchstone and trademark
of singer and guitarist Carsie Blanton. At home in the city of New Orleans, the
talented songwriter and entertainer is celebrated for her mischievous explorations
of funk, swing dance, jazz, folk, rock and pop. With a smouldering take on gender
norms, her new album, Buck Up, encapsulates her unconventional outlook within
velvety tones and meticulous melodies.
AT THE BELLA
TAYLORCENTRE.CA
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 37

Tickets on sale now!
02.20YYCAGENDA
TREVOR
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2020
CANADIAN
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Calgary
Friday, June 19
Scotiabank Saddledome
Edmonton
Saturday, June 20
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FREE HOUSE
A TASTE OF EXTRAORDINARY
I
t’s remarkable how white walls, grey
trim and natural wood can make a
room so vibrant, fresh and inviting.
Even in the dead of winter, when the
idea of coziness gravitates to dim light
and dark colours, the Scandinavian
décor of Free House beams bold and
bright, full of warmth.
Free House, which recently opened
in the heart of Kensington, provides the
neighbourhood, as well as the city, with
an elegant but causal food and booze
experience that definitely makes a
strong, win-you-over impression.
“A beer hall for food lovers,” is how
Matty Stewart, the GM for Free House,
likes to frame the new establishment.
“We’re completely local on all 24 of our
taps and all the tall cans come from
Calgary. Towards the summer we’ll
branch out to other breweries in Alberta.”
Stewart says the menu is also
regional, although thoroughly reinvented.
“The style is Canadiana, but food
in Canada doesn’t really have its
own identity. So we work with local
producers and remix dishes into
Dave Cormier, bartender
supreme at Free House.
something delicious.”
A quick glance at the menu reveals
the poutine is made with a red ale
braised-beef shortrib, there’s a
smoked duck DLT along with the wild
boar bacon that’s dressed up with
caramelized onion, aged cheddar,
garlic and roasted tomato. That’s just
a few of the meat dishes.
On the veggie side, the winter
squash is maple roasted with pumpkin
seed pesto, and there’s a roasted
carrot entry served with feta cheese,
salted peanuts, dill and pomegranate.
The seafood plates explore the same
type of imaginative territory.
The Free House team are wellrespected
culinaires that belong to the
Bonnterra, Posto and Cibo restaurant
group. They have a taste for the
extraordinary.
“It’s not your everyday pub food,”
says Stewart matter-of-factly.
Free House is located at
1153 Kensington Cres., NW
By BRAD SIMM
38 BEATROUTE FEBRUARY 2020

LOCAL ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
By SEBASTIAN BUZZALINO
Seth Anderson
FINDS INVENTIVE WAYS TO CHANNEL POSITIVITY ON WE COULD BE
T
he problem with being a self-described
“positive person,” as Canmorebased
folk artist, Seth Anderson,
has discovered, is that life has a way of
challenging
that identity.
It’s easy to practice positivity when the
sun is shining, friends are supportive and
family is healthy, but what happens when
cracks start to show in the facade?
“I wrote the songs on We Could Be
during my father’s fight with ALS (Lou
Gehrig’s Disease). He has since passed
away and this album is part of my grieving
process,” he says. “I’ve always tried to be a
positive person, and going through this has
challenged a lot of things that I believed I
understood about how life, and our world,
works.”
Anderson’s upcoming full-length, due
on February 25 via Snappy Little Numbers,
tracks his emotional state as he works
through loss of his father, challenging
his worldview and trying to figure out
how to move on from it all. Produced by
Eamon McGrath, the process challenged
Anderson to open his artistic craft to new
experiences and emotions.
“I really tried to be open to letting the
songs grow beyond my conception of what
I do as an artist while we were recording
and producing the album. As a DIY-minded
artist, it’s hard to let go of control and be
happy about it in the studio. I wanted to
explore more with this album.”
Seth Anderson will release We Could
Be on February 25. Catch him at the
Buckingham (Edmonton) on February 27,
at the Palomino (Calgary) on February 28
and at his hometown release show at the
Canmore Legion on February 29.
KELLY SCHOVANEK
Scratch Buffalo
ROCK AND ROLL DUO LIVE OUT THEIR DREAMS ON STRAWBERRY SODA
I
nclusivity, self-respect and a love for 70s
punk and junk culture, Scratch Buffalo
are geared up for the release of their first
slab of vinyl, Strawberry Soda. The Calgary
rock and roll two-piece are known for their
relentless drive to scratch out a corner of
the world dedicated to their own brand of
self-expression.
“Making music and sharing it is what
we love to do,” says frontman Chris Naish.
“Rock and roll is where I belong, it’s what
I was made to do. All my strengths, my
weaknesses, my attitude, my style, my art:
in rock and roll, all of those things make
sense.”
But rather than driving themselves
to burn too brightly, the duo, which is
rounded out by Mark Straub on drums,
have wrapped up Scratch Buffalo into their
identities so as not to tease out one from
the other.
“I don’t think in terms of putting things
on the line or anything else like that,” he
says. “I think in terms of, ‘Who am I? How
can I feel my best? How can I be the best
dad, the best husband, the best friend?’
And for me, I can’t do any of those things
without accepting who I am.
“My whole life I thought I wanted to
be a rock and roller. I realized a couple
years ago, I am a rock and roller. It’s not
something I aspire to or dream of doing, it’s
something that I do every day.”
Scratch Buffalo will release Strawberry
Soda on February 8 at Railyard Brewing
(all ages).
Port Juvee
GARAGE ROCK QUINTET LOOKS FORWARD TO THE FUTURE ON MOTION CONTROL
R
etro-futurist without being a throwback
act, garage rock outfit Port Juvee are
unveiling their debut full-length after a
long string of EP and single releases. The
vibey and fashionable five-piece have been
a fixture in the Calgary music community
for years, driving audiences with bouncing
grooves and relentless, jangling guitars that
bridge 70s punk with modern SoCal garage
and surf for a cohesive package that feels as
modern as it does approachable.
Led by frontman Brett Sandford, Port
Juvee have carved out an aesthetic home
for themselves in a scene that welcomes
personal expression and letting bands
define their own identities. “That’s what I
love about Calgary, that it feels like each
band can do what they want and define
themselves in their own terms,” he says over
a janky FaceTime connection from Paris,
France, where he and bassist Logan Juke
are attending Paris Fashion Week on behalf
of the men’s apparel store, Less 17, for which
they’re buyers. “I think it’s so cool that the
thing about Calgary is that we’re allowed to
do our own thing, always.”
Their debut full-length, Motion Control,
comes after an intensive stint in New York
City last year, where they teamed up with
Justin Gerrish (Vampire Weekend) to lay
down the frenetic eight-track banger that
runs the gamut from moody 80s new wave
to sun-drenched, too-cool-for-school jangle
rock. Gerrish connected with the band’s
vibes immediately and helped them develop
their visual aesthetic into a sonic tour de
force.
“We’re all very inspired by 70s, 80s,
dawn of digital technology stuff. We all
work collaboratively on ideas, on our visual
aesthetics and the songs, and then start
workshopping it all. A lot of the guitars on the
songs and the synthesizers on the songs are
throwbacks to that era, we want to reference
I think that honestly, it's those vibes that
come out the most,” says Sandford.
Despite their retro influences, Port Juvee
are a modern band. There’s an immediacy
and urgency to Motion Control that only
accelerates on stage. Their spring schedule
is packed with festival appearances across
North America and Europe, including shows
at SXSW in Austin, TX, New Colossus
Festival in NYC, Treefort Festival in Boise,
ID, and a trip across the pond to play Focus
Wales in Wrexham, UK.
“I just want us to really put everything on
the line. That feeling is what I want for the
band and what we aimed for on the record,”
says Sandford. “We want to be able to have
some good opportunities and put ourselves
in a position to move forward and do the
thing we love.”
Port Juvee will release Motion Control
on February 27 at the Ship & Anchor.
KIRA LOCKE
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 39

02.20YEGAGENDA
Essential Edmonton
Tanya Tagaq's Qiksaaktuq
("Grief") is a collaborative
work with the Edmonton
Symphony Orchestra.
TOP 5 SHOWS OF
THE MONTH
Sponsored by High Horse Coffee Co.
I_O
99ten, Saturday, Feb. 15
Dark, playful and deadly on the dance floor, I_O,
the LA-based techno master, is riding high with his
recent EP, House of God. From pounding Godzilla
grooves to trippy white-light computertronics, I_O
roams across the galaxy plunging into deep space
with no return.
BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH
Starlite Room, Tuesday, Feb. 11
AS YOU LIKE IT
Citadel Theatre, Feb. 15 – Mar. 15
Roaming between Vancouver’s
hippy heyday in the 60s and the
Okanagan Valley’s enchanted forest,
Shakespeare’s romantic comedy
inserts the Beatles songbook with
a stage full of kaleidoscope colours.
And if that’s not enough, it switches
into full-blown bouts of “superstar
wrestling.” As You Like It broke
attendance records at Vancouver’s
Bard on the Beach summer festival in
2018, so don’t miss out on the hype.
1984
Walterdale Theatre, Feb. 5-15
Based on the prophetic novel by
George Orwell, Winston Smith is a
cog in the giant machine-state of
Oceania, pinned down under Big
Brother’s ugly eye as he struggles
for scraps of love and freedom in
a world awash with distrust and
violence.
MERCY FUNK’S
LOVE FEST
The Aviary, Feb. 14
Pour on the love potion and get your
yah-yahs out! Mercy Funk’s infectious
combination of pop, R&B and
soul makes for one helluva disco
date on Valentine’s Day.
TAGAQ & TRUTH
Winspear Centre, Feb. 21-22
Dedicated to the lives of missing and
murdered Indigenous women, Tanya
Tagaq's Qiksaaktuq ("Grief") is a
collaborative work with the Edmonton
Symphony Orchestra that blends
tradition with progressive new
sounds, creating a rich, unpreceded,
powerful presentation.
THE
CONFUSIONAIRES
The Aviary, Feb. 8
Touted as a “rockabilly band for the
modern era,” The Confusionaires are
plum full of swagger that draws from
the early days of Sun Records to the
injection of hot-rod punk.
KFB
The Buckingham, Feb. 27
Explosive high-energy alt-rock and
wistful indie balladeers, KFP have
toured hard in the past few years
and now set to release a new single,
“Glow,” along with a debut performance
in the Canadian film Moments
in Spacetime.
After a nine-year hiatus, Toronto’s soca-centric
pop-bashers Bedouin Soundclash return with a
new album, MASS. Recorded in New Orleans and
fused with jazz, soul, horns, dub and electronica, the
Soundclash pour on their feel-good mash-up.
THE BEACHES
Union Hall, Thursday, Feb. 13
Born out of a pool party listening to The Runaways,
The Donnas and Bowie’s glam spirit, The Beaches
are a femme-driven, four-piece, retro-chic, synth-pop,
rock and roll disco-party. Fireworks guaranteed.
THE ORCHARD
Rec Room, Friday, Feb. 21
Pure beauty from the prairies, The Orchard’s
gorgeous sound is drenched with achin’ to be
guitars and Kasha Anne’s honey sweet vocals.
Rich, seductive country stripped of all hype and
pretension.
ANDY SHAUF
Starlite Room, Saturday, Feb. 29
Regina’s breezy folk-pop singer loves to interrogate, get
tangled and untangled in the complications of life’s little
soap operas. His new album, Neon Skyline, unfolds with
its coffeehouse charm and Paul Simon heart.
SEX, CAFFEINE AND
ROCK N' ROLL
WE MAKE COFFEE. YOU LIKE COFFEE. WE LIKE YOU. THE MATH ADDS UP.
FREE DELIVERY IN THE EDMONTON AREA
ORDER ONLINE - HIGHHORSE.CA
40 BEATROUTE FEBRUARY 2020

02.20YYCMUSIC
The Cheat Sheet BR PICKS THE 5 ESSENTIAL LIVE MUSIC SHOWS
1
TOMMIE AND
THE COMMIES
Sun, Feb. 2 at Broken City
Sudbury’s power-pop collective
bring their 70s-inflected punk
to Broken City for an early show
(karaoke to follow!).
2
JONATHAN TOUBIN’S
SOUL CLAP DANCE OFF
Sat, Feb. 8 at the Palomino
The yearly dance party is back,
headed by NYC’s rapscallion DJ
and his deep collection of soul hits
guaranteed to bring out the best
dance moves in all.
3
THE BEACHES
Tues, Feb. 11 at the Palace Theatre
One of the hottest artists of 2019,
this pop music royalty has taken
the crown with Cheap Queen, topping
best-of lists all over the world.
4 CHIXDIGGIT
Sat, Feb. 15 at the King Eddy
Calgary’s OG pop-punks make a
rare live appearance at an even
rarer small venue for a night of all
your favourite hits.
5
ANDY SHAUF
Fri, Feb. 28 at Bella Concert Hall
Delicate and dulcet, with a
charming, lilting drawl, the Regina
singer-songwriter writes impeccable
anthems for introverts.
1
AMY HELM
Mon, Feb. 3 at the Ironwood
Streaks of Americana, country,
blues, and gospel round out the
Woodstock NY native’s dynamic
sound on stage and on record.
2
BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH
Wed, Feb. 12 at SAIT’s The Gateway
Indie, reggae, and ska combine into
one high-energy dance party in this
summer festival-favourite set.
3
THE DUNGAREES
Thurs, Feb. 13 at Oak Tree Tavern
A rare, intimate show from Edmonton’s
alt-country leaders, who will
pack the room during a strippeddown
set.
4
RYAN LANGLOIS
Thurs, Feb. 13 at the King Eddy
The Red Deer native brings his
raw, honest songwriting to the
Eddy’s stage as part of the winter
season of AB Spotlight.
5
REUBEN & THE DARK
Fri, Feb. 28 at the Palace Theatre
Soaring indie-folk jams set their
strength in the power of love and
unity at this five-piece’s hometown
show in support of their latest,
Un|Love.
1
PARADISE, SCREAMING
TARGETS, FULFILMENT
Sat, Feb. 8 at the Beer Shop
AB punks from Edmonton and
Calgary converge for a pop-up
show at the Beer Shop (basement
of Last Best), including the debut
of another Kevin Stebner-led
post-hardcore project, Fulfilment.
2
ROSS THE BOSS
Sat, Feb. 8 at Dickens Pub
Manowar’s Ross the Boss comes
to Dickens for an exclusive Hail
to England set featuring all the
NWOBHM and power metal classics
you can handle.
3
SOULFLY, TOXIC
HOLOCAUST
Sat, Feb. 15 at SAIT’s The Gateway
Groove metal and blackened
thrash come together for a tour
that promises to be heavier than
everything else.
4
RIOT CITY
AND TRAVELER
Sat, Feb. 22 at Dickens Pub
Riot City and Traveler kick-off
a joint European tour with their
co-headlining party and 7” release.
5
CHURCH OF MISERY
Wed, Feb. 26 at Dickens Pub
Japan’s Church of Misery unleash
their late-60s inspired doom metal,
joined by Vancouver’s Black Wizard
and Buffalo Bud Buster.
1
MARTEN HØRGER AND
NEON STEVE
Fri, Feb. 7 at the Hifi Club
Bass music with an analogue soul
straight from Germany descends
for a set that combines trap, bass,
electro and dance music.
2 WORSHIP
Sun, Feb. 16 at Commonwealth
The collective, comprised of Sub
Focus, Dimension, Culture Shock
and 1991, each bring their own
vision of futuristic bass music to the
dance floor.
3 KUTSKI
Sat, Feb. 22 at the Palace Theatre
The hard dance DJ brings his
relentless party sets to the rave
for an unstoppable night of busting
moves.
4
WAX MOTIF
Sat, Feb. 22 at the Hifi Club
The Australian-born producer
brings R&B, disco and UK bass
to the club with a set full of right
bangers.
5 VINCENT
Sat, Feb. 29 at the Hifi Club
The Canadian DJ made his debut on
the world stage with 2015’s breakout
hit, “Anax,” by blending trap with
electronic influences. This set marks
his YYC debut.
1 BEWHY
Wed, Feb. 5 at MacEwan Ballroom
The Korean sensation brings his
Christian-themed hip-hop to North
America on a sprawling tour.
2 ATMOSPHERE
Tues, Feb. 25 at MacEwan Hall
Minneapolis hip-hop giants spit out a
hit-studded night of songs that span
their 20+ year career.
3
LNY TNZ
Fri, Feb. 7 at the Palace Theatre
Hard-hitting EDM straight from the
heart of the Netherlands’ beating
scene, LNY TNZ pushes the
boundaries of what’s possible on the
dance floor.
4
MEGAN HAMILTON
Fri, Feb. 28 at the Hifi Club
The Minneapolis producer brings
European-inspired, funky house
beats to the North American DJ
scene with her catchy sets.
5
NO MANA,
SPEAKER HONEY
Sat, Feb. 29 at the Palace Theatre
Electro house gets into full swing
with the LA-based DJ, No Mana,
accompanied on a co-headlining tour
with Speaker Honey.
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 41

SAVAGELOVE BY DAN SAVAGE
The Long Game
I’m a 30-year-old bi male. I’ve
been with my wife for five years,
married nine months. A month
into our relationship, I let her
know that watching partners
with other men has always
been something I wanted and
that sharing this had caused all
my previous relationships to
collapse. Her reaction was the
opposite of what I was used to.
She said she respected my kink,
and we both agreed we wanted
to solidify our relationship before
venturing down the cuckold
road. Fast-forward a couple of
years, and we are in a healthy
relationship, living together,
regularly visiting sex clubs
(though playing only with each
other), and beginning to add
some cuckold dirty talk to our
sex play. Then after I proposed,
we got busy… with wedding
plans. Sex and experimentation
were set aside. Once we got
married, we started… looking for
a house. Sex again took a back
seat. Life has settled down now,
and when I bring up my desire to
see her with other men, she tells
me she’s willing, but the conversation
quickly ends. I have
suggested making profiles on
various websites, but it doesn’t
happen. Am I doing something
wrong? I fear that saying, “Let’s
make a profile right now,” is
pushy, and I absolutely do NOT
want to be the whiny and pushy
husband. Any advice you might
have would be amazing.
– Wannabe Cuckold Growing
Frustrated
So you don’t want to be pushy
where the wife is concerned,
WCGF, but you’ll send me the
same e-mail half a dozen times in
less than a week.
Look, WCGF, some people
mean it when they say, “We can
have threesomes/go to BDSM
parties/try cuckolding once our
relationship is solid.” But some
people don’t mean it. They tell
their kinky and/or nonmonogamous
partner what they want to
hear in the hopes that after the
wedding and the house and the
kids, their husband and the father
of their children (or their wife and
the mother of their children) isn’t
going to leave them over something
as “trivial” as a threesome,
a public spanking, or cuckolding.
Complicating matters further,
some people say it and mean it
and then change their mind.
To figure out what’s going on
(and to figure out whether you’re
doing something wrong), you’re
going to have to risk being a little
pushy—not about putting up a
profile, but about having a conversation.
You’re ready for this
to happen, she tells you she is
willing, but nothing ever happens.
If she does want it to happen,
what steps can you take together
to make it happen? If she doesn’t
want it to happen—if she never
wanted it to happen—you need
her to level with you.
Remember, WCGF, she’s the
one being asked to take the risks
here—it’s her picture you want to
put on a profile, not yours; she’s
the one who’s going to potentially
be meeting up with strangers for
sex, not you; she’s the one who
is risking exposure to STIs, not
you. (Although you could wind
up exposed, too, of course. But
just because you’re comfortable
with that risk doesn’t mean she
is.) She also might worry that
you’re going to want her to fuck
other guys way more often than
she’s comfortable with. There
are a lot of solid reasons why she
might have developed cold feet,
and by addressing her concerns
constructively—no face pics, no
strangers, no cream pies, it can
be a very occasional thing—you
might make some progress.
But if it turns out this isn’t
something she wants to do—because
she never did or because
she changed her mind—then you
have to decide whether going
without being cuckolded is a
price of admission you’re willing
to pay to stay in this marriage.
One of my closest friends
kissed me while very drunk,
told his female partner, and
now he’s not allowed to see me
anymore, even in group settings.
(I am also female.) I understand
that cutting off contact is the
universally recommended first
step after someone cheats, but
considering how close we are
as friends, it is heartbreaking
to think I might lose him over
this one incident. We are former
coworkers and we’ve been close
friends and regular drinking
buddies for 12 years. Nothing
has EVER happened between
us before this one very drunk
night. We ended up making out
on the sidewalk outside of a bar
and exchanged a few semi-dirty
text messages later that night,
which—unfortunately for all of
us—his partner saw. He thinks
we just need to be patient and
one day we’ll be able to pick up
our friendship where we left off.
And while I know he needs to
prioritize his partner now, I’m
scared that we actually won't be
able to stay friends after this. Do
I just swallow my sadness about
the likelihood of losing a best
friend over a relatively minor
infidelity? Or is there anything
I can do to help the situation?
FWIW: I’m in a happy open marriage
and have never once tried
to initiate anything with him. I’ve
never been attracted to him before
and wouldn’t want anything
to happen between us again,
anyway, even if the kiss was hot.
Complicating matters, my friend
wanted to re-raise the possibility
of opening up his relationship
with his partner, which he insists
has nothing to do with me. (My
friend is male and his partner
and I are both female.)
– Friend With No Benefits
Hmm… I have a hunch you
were something of a sore subject
before this incident, FWNB,
however isolated. If the text messages
your friend’s partner saw
confirmed fears she’d already
been told were irrational, your exile
is likely to last as long as their
relationship does. But take heart:
if your friend decides to reopen
discussions about opening up
their relationship in the wake of
this incident, your friend will likely
be single again soon. If they do
manage to stay together, FWNB,
the only way to get back into
her good graces—and back in
your friend’s life—is to gracefully
accept your exile. (Going to her
and saying, “It only happened
because we were so drunk!” isn’t
quite the slam-dunk you think it
is, seeing as you and her boyfriend
are drinking buddies.) It’s a
paradox, I realize, but if she sees
that her boyfriend is willing to cut
off all contact with you to set her
mind at ease, FWNB, she may be
willing to give your friendship her
blessing down the road.ex who
ends things with kindness and
respect, well, torches have a way
of burning out over time, and it’s
even possible to will yourself to
set a torch down and walk away
from it. But the kind of emotional
damage done by actions likes
yours, ASSHOLE? That shit can
last a lifetime.
42 BEATROUTE FEBRUARY 2020

SHOES AS
UNIQUE AS A
QUIET VEGAN
(THESE ARE FOR LOUDISH VEGANS BTW)
JOHNFLUEVOGCALGARYTHAVESW··
JOHNFLUEVOGEDMONTONAVENW··
FLUEVOGCOM

SET IT OFF
WITH CAPSTAN, MOBS & ONLY THE STRONG
Feb 15 - The Rec Room
GEOFFREY
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
Feb 20 - Temple
SYML
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
Mar 4 - Commonwealth Bar & Stage
Mar 6 - The Starlite Room
RALPH
PRESENTED BY BEATROUTE LIVE
Mar 13 - Commonwealth Bar & Stage
Mar 14 - Starlite Room
THE BLUE STONES
WITH MUTE CHOIR
Mar 20 - Starlite Room
TIGER ARMY
WITH TWIN TEMPLE AND THE ARK-TONES
Apr 6 - Union Hall
Apr 7 - The Palace Theatre
DAN MANGAN
WITH NICE, NICE, VERY NICE 10TH ANNIVERSARY
Apr 7 - Jack Singer Concert Hall
THE DARKNESS
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
Apr 13 - Union Hall
Apr 14 - The Palace Theatre
SARAH HARMER
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
Apr 24 - Starlite Room