| >> THE 411
There is a new live music venue in Calgary. The Palomino Smokehouse and Social Club (109 7th Avenue S.W.) opened in July, at first catering to Calgary’s excellent rockabilly scene (featuring bands like The Smokin’45s, The Firebrands and Hurricane Felix). Partly due to its convenient location on the downtown C-Train line and partly because of its comfy rustic atmosphere, the club has decided to broaden its demographic to a wider array of local bands: Hot Little Rocket, The Means, and Pressure Kill Common Style have all played there in recent months. Promoter Brianne Payne has high hopes for the Palomino. Given that the capacity is competitive with other contemporary venues like the Hifi and Broken City – with bands from Thursday to Saturday, two floors, authentic southern barbeque, plus Ronnie Hayward and his trio every Thursday and Friday at 5 p.m. – there doesn’t seem to be anything holding the venue back. I love being around as new music venues establish themselves with the help of local bands.
It has been a big year for Calgary anniversaries. CJSW had their 20th anniversary, Fast Forward just had their 10th, and there have been so many Calgary band reunions - permanent and one-offs alike (Sacred Heart Of Elvis, Pussy Monster, Fire Engine Red, among others). But no band has had as many reunions as Shecky Forme. In fact, they have regrouped so many times that they’ve actually decided to downplay the situation by changing their name to Magic Fire (woogie!).
"We're a band that hardly ever gets to be in the same town anymore, so we make a point of getting together over the holidays every year to keep the fires burning," explains the band’s bassist Aaron Booth, who has enjoyed an impressive solo career since moving to Toronto in 2001.
"Last year we spent a few days in a high school band room recording raw, spontaneous material for a long distance recording project that's still in progress. The year before that, we played a New Year's Eve 'reunion' show."
So will there be anything new this time? Yes and no.
"We write songs based on improvisations," answers Booth. "So for this show we thought that it would be fun to take elements of songs by our favourite bands from Calgary and improvise new ideas based on their melodies and rhythms."
Chad Van Gaalen, Hot Little Rocket and The Primrods are all on their "to do" list – all the old classics. Shecky Forme are the new Rod Stewart of Calgary.
Catch Magic Fire at Broken City on January 29th with local favourites The Fake Cops, Diego Medina and stand-up comic Donald Wood. |
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