DEAN BRODY & THE REKLAWS
Two of Canadian country’s biggest names join forces for the Hometown Heroes Tour, bringing chart-toppers, small-town storytelling and enough truck-ready singalong choruses. Rising star Nate Haller opens the night.
November 7 at WinSport Event Centre, winsport.ca.
SYNC SOUND AND IMAGE CONFERENCE
Part conference and part electronic music playground, SYNC brings together producers, visual artists and industry insiders for a day of workshops, networking and live electronic performances.
November 14 at Studio Bell, National Music Centre, studiobell.ca.
EXHUMED
Death metal veterans Exhumed roll into Dickens with support from Jarhead Fertilizer, Savage Master and Molder for a gig unlikely to contain a single acoustic guitar
November 11 at Dickens, dickensyyc.com.
THE BILLY JOEL SONGBOOK
Tony DeSare and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra put a symphonic spin on Billy Joel. A great show for that one friend who’s got a terrible Piano Man karaoke rendition in their back pocket.
November 13 and 14 at the Jack Singer, calgaryphil.com.
TEMPO: A SYMPHONY OF EDM
This writer has always felt that Beethoven could use more bass. Electronic Symphonia takes on iconic EDM anthems as classical musicians and festival energy collide in one very loud experiment.
November 14 at The Palace, thepalacetheatre.ca.
TINC x ASIANMADE
Your “just one drink” plans are in serious jeopardy. TINC makes her first Calgary appearance with enough house, EDM and club energy to keep the dance floor occupied well past reasonable decision-making hours.
November 14 at Rumur, rumur.ca.
TRUCK VIOLENCE
The name isn’t subtle, and neither is the music. Montreal’s Truck Violence bring their DIY brand of noise rock and post-hardcore to The Palomino with support from Jed Arbour and Tetrapodwhy. Don’t forget earplugs (and if you forget them, shove some wads of toilet paper in your ears).
November 17 at The Palomino, thepalomino.ca.
MOZART + MAHLER
Like your emotional devastation delivered by people in formalwear? The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra pairs Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 with Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 for a cinematic evening of classical.
November 20 and 21 at the Jack Singer, calgaryphil.com.
TURNOVER
Come relive every heartbreak you’ve ever had while pretending you’re over it. Turnover brings emo anthems from Down On Earth alongside the catalogue that made Peripheral Vision an indie essential.
November 20 at The Palace, thepalacetheatre.ca.
ELVIS COSTELLO
Nearly 50 years after “Radio Radio” and “Pump It Up” first rattled speakers and pissed off SNL, Elvis Costello is still cooler than most of the bands he influenced. Catch the songwriting icon for an intimate performance in support of the Owen Hart Foundation.
November 21 at the Jubilee Auditorium, jubileeauditorium.com.
MATT DUSK: A VERY SINATRA CHRISTMAS
Some things never go out of style, like far-too-early Christmas celebrations. Matt Dusk does things the old-fashioned way with sharp suits, sharp vocals and a dose of Rat Pack energy.
November 24 at Bella Concert Hall, events.mtroyal.ca.
BABY JANE
Cali DJ and producer Baby Jane blends house, pop and goth-y sounds into sets designed to keep floors and hearts moving. The Winter Forever Tour lands in Calgary for one night of late-night MIDI escapism.
November 27 at Commonwealth, commonwealthbar.ca.
GWAR
Not so much a concert as a full-scale alien invasion with guitars, GWAR brings decades of heavy metal chaos and gloriously excessive theatrics to Mac Hall. We dare you to wear a white shirt and get right up front.
November 28 at MacEwan Hall, machallconcerts.com.
PROTEST THE HERO
Some bands write riffs, but Protest the Hero constructs large-scale prog-metal obstacle courses. The Canadian headbanger veterans arrive with Royal Tusk and Kaonashi for a night of controlled, heavy chaos.
November 30 at The Arrowhead, thearrowheadcalgary.com.
GENE SIMMONS BAND
The tongue, the legend, the man who turned rock and roll into a business model. Gene Simmons brings his solo band to Calgary for a night of KISS classics, hard rock staples and enough rock-star mythology to fill your dad’s beer cooler twice over.
December 1 at Grey Eagle Event Centre, greyeagleresortandcasino.ca.
NEW YORK JAZZ & CABARET: KIZUNA TRIO
Trade the mosh pit for a martini. Tim Tamashiro’s KIZUNA TRIO does a New York-style jazz take on classics from Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Cole and Bennett.
December 2 at Betty Lou’s Library, jazzyyc.com.
MIDNIGHT CHANNEL
For anyone who finds jazz a little too predictable, Midnight Channel balances complex compositions with head-spinning improvisation, making every performance feel like a conversation nobody wants to end. Tendavillage and Hip Hip Thursday round out the bill.
December 5 at The BLOX, bloxartscentre.ca.
