Christmas came early this year:

Calgary’s first zine fair is at first a little overwhelming. But not in that comic-con ‘oh-my-god-it’s-shoulder-to-shoulder’ madness. More in that there’s simply so much content, and with little frame of reference, where do you start?

The Zine Tree Collective describes zines as “a self-published magazine or pamphlet made outside of mainstream press and professional media, by all kinds of people about all kinds of things.” The first apparent thing is that these are front-to-back labours of love, with the authors and creators of the zines displaying their work proudly behind their tables. Willing to chat, and still punching together new issues with their long-reach staplers as they do so. 

 … Read More

That hair... That voice... That new hit single on the techno charts...

It's always iffy when an actor or actress decides to dip into a music career. But what about directors? Google doesn't pull up any hits. Woody Allen sings in his own charming little musical, but that doesn't really count. Which brings us to David Lynch. This..This is an entirely new beast:

Good Day Today by threeminutesthirtyseconds

Even the title, "Good Day Today," sounds like a naive practical joke. But aside from a few gunshots and broken windows, it's a genuinely catchy, upbeat little number.

Compare this to his first proper 'song', used in his most recent film INLAND EMPIRE. It uses the same technique of high-pitched, distorted vocals, and a repetitive rhythm, and yet the two … Read More

Fiction or non-fiction, speakers or shows, Wednesday November 24th is the day to be entertained for absolutely free. Take your pick:

PechaKucha Night #6: One - It's kind of like TEDTalks, only quicker. Smart people talking about interesting things. Speakers have 20 slides, and 20 seconds per slide to talk about their topic. PechaKucha #5 took place in the summer in the Olympic Plaza, discussing The West. This Wednesday's topic is equally and intentionally vague — One — part of the Calgary Public Library's One Book, One Calgary initiative. Guests are far-ranging and varied, which is part of the excitement: Nenshi Campaign Director Chima Nkemdirim, artist/writer/social media guru Wil Knoll, and a collective of glass-blowers known as Bee … Read More

Remember the Jazz Fest disaster last summer? Along with the closing of Megatunes, the shocking day-before-launch cancellation of the festival was of the biggest double-blows to Calgary's music scene.

So in the fallout and aftermath of C-Jazz's last minute pull-out, the big names and headliners got paid as promised, sure. That's a given. But it still left a lot of smaller and local acts hanging without a venue, audience, or show. The Beat Niq and a few other venues tried to pick up the slack, yes, holding their own unofficial festival and impromptu make-up performances. Regardless, it was just an all-around shame.

One of these bands set to perform at the fest (in the Olympic Plaza, no less) was the Kronic Groove Band. The local … Read More

When was the last time you saw images like this? :

The Uptown is screening the complete, restored, two-and-a-half hour cut of Metropolis on Thursday, which evidently contains scenes not seen since the original screenings in 1927. I admit, I haven't actually seen the film. And just watching this trailer makes me feel utterly ignorant.

This being a silent film, The Uptown has also secured live music accompaniment in the form of The Alloy Orchestra:

The Alloy Orchestra is a three man musical ensemble, writing and performing live accompaniment to classic, silent films. Working with an outrageous assemblage of both traditional instruments and peculiar objects, they thrash and grind soulful music from unlikely sources … Read More