As you’re reading this, I’m on a slip-and-slide watching Neon Windbreaker play in Austin, Tex. Really, there’s video. Proceed with caution to ffwdweekly.com.

Still, there’s plenty I’m missing in Calgary — and I’m jealous that you’re catching these shows. The cold-as-ice, hot-blooded type might want to catch Foreigner at the Jubilee Auditorium, but for everyone else, there’s the post-dubstep, ragga-muffing party of Toddla T, who lands at The Marquee Room on Friday, March 18 with untold. And hey, when the idiosyncratic Brit sings to “Come on, get naked!” it’s not a suggestion. Untold gets in on the nudity.

Next, Audio Blood blog-buzz darlings Birthday Boys bring the party — and maybe the, er, birthday suits, too — to the Gateway on Saturday, March 19. Striking all the right power chords, the Peterborough, Ont. polished-clean garager brings its gruff, sing-shout incantations to Calgary audiences. Or, if you’d prefer to unite St. Paddy’s Day with drankin’ music, head to the Palomino for the local young-body-old-soul roots of Scott McLeod, who performs alongside Wheat and Water and the powerful Sean Burns, who travels all the way from Oshawa, Ont. (Everybody’s favourite GM town!)

Or, for a little mix of everything, head to the comfortable confines of Beat Niq for The Worst Pop Band Ever, a self-effacing bunch who combine indie rock standards, restless jazz and, well, pitch-perfect pop. Great musicians, perhaps, but if we’re to take the name of their tour seriously — hint, it’s called “The Worst Tour Ever” — these dudes are also swashbucklin’ liars.

The mid-week options barely slow down. On Tuesday, March 15, Jerusalem black metal overlords Meleschech spit vitriol on an international, all-star metal bill — perhaps one of the biggest of the young year — alongside Greek genre sculptors Rotting Christ, Poland’s Hate and Americans Abigail Williams and Lecherous Nocturne. Um, holy shit. The Republik ain’t ready.

Or, the following evening, the Republik has P.S. I Love You — as detailed in Christine Leonard’s story above — performing with John O’Regan, a.k.a. Diamond Rings. He’s called his live experience “a veritable freak show.” He ain’t lying.

Finally, next Friday — that’s March 25 — local busker-troubadour-everydude Chris Gheran releases Calgary (in case you haven’t seen the ads everywhere). Head to the Ironwood to catch him weigh in on the secondary suites dialogue. Just kidding.