Sled Island

Sled Island is excited for the upcoming Calgary Folk Music Festival happening this weekend, July 26 - 29. Every summer, Calgary is treated to a vacation in the city (a.k.a. staycation) when Prince's Island Park turns into a music lover's oasis. Beyond all the great music, Folk Fest is a wonderful place to relax, enjoy the atmosphere and the company of other easy-going music fans. To help our fans guide their own musical journeys this weekend, we've put together a list of a few acts that we'd recommend you really check out... Enjoy!

 

Thursday, July 26th

Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires (6:25pm / Mainstage) Known for his incredible and raw performances.
Beirut (7:35pm / Mainstage) A unique blend of gypsy folk tunes and orchestral pop music.

Friday, July 27th

Cold Specks (5:00pm / Stage 5) On the 2012 Polaris Prize shortlist, Al Spx is making waves with her smoky vocals.
Jeff Magnum (10:20pm / Mainstage) Former Neutral Milk Hotel frontman and mysterious figure of the indiesphere.

Saturday, July 28th

Reuben & The Dark (11:55am / Stage 3) This brooding new project has elevated the talented local artist to great heights.
Kevin McDonald (1pm / Apache Talk Tent) The Kids in the Hall co-founder headlines the new comedy stage addition.
The Rural Alberta Advantage (8:55pm / Stage 4) Soft, dedicate indie folk songs that erupt into a flow of real emotion.

Sunday, July 29th

Am I Right?? (12:15pm / Apache Talk Tent) Local comedian's Jesse and Evan host a live broadcast on their show.
Justin Townes Earle (6:30pm / Mainstage) One of the highlights from Sled Island 2011, JTE returns to toast the crowd.
Randy Newman (7:45pm/ Mainstage) Legendary songwriter with an uncanny sense of melody and cinematic vision.

Sled Island is excited to present Mac DeMarco along with guests on Thursday, July 26th at Broken City. Mac DeMarco, formerly known as Makeout Videotape has put out several releases over the last couple years. He grew up in Edmonton, moved to Vancouver and has since relocated to Montreal. Late last year, Mac got tonsillitis and wrote "a bunch of funny elvis songs" that became the initial Rock And Roll Night Club EP and got him signed to Brooklyn-based label, Captured Tracks. Mac is a loveable dude with a perverted sense of humour. He played a show in Vancouver for the Emily Carr grads and ended up hanging upside down from the rafters with his pants above his knees and his own finger up his butt. A pretty typical thing for Mac DeMarco to do in the company of his friends and increasingly more common on stage in front of strangers. 

Read more about the silly nature of Mac DeMarco in the most recent issue of FFWD Weekly here. 

Watch his latest music video for "Rock and Roll Night Club" directed by Jason Harvey here. 

Don't miss Mac DeMarco along with The Gooeys and The Bitter Pricks at Broken City on Thursday, July 26th. The show is happening after the first night at the Calgary Folk Music Festival. Doors at 9pm, Show at 10pm. $9 tickets available at the door.

RSVP here.

Since way back in 2009, Sled Island has been partnering with Lifetime Collective to produce an incredible video zine series that captures unique aspects of the festival. This year focuses on the creative process and history behind how musicians like Lou Barlow and Craig Finn of The Hold Steady go about creating their work.

Part One features a behind-the scenes, intimate look at Lou Barlow of Sebadoh and Dinosaur Jr. fame, the humble origins of Field & Stream and the transition to rock n' roll for No Sinner's Colleen Rennison.

Part Two of the video zine takes a closer look at the songwriting process behind Craig Finn’s music as well as The Hold Steady. Features throughout also include live performances and in-depth interviews with Michael Feuerstack, Clinton St. John & The Sacred Chester Marching Band and finally, The Mountaineer. 

A special thanks to the guys at Deluxe Design Group, the production company that also put together the Sled Island 2012 Trailer for their work on the Lifetime Video Zine series. Stay tuned for more awesome footage to come!

Sled Island and Commonwealth present Shut Up and Play The Hits: The Finals Days of LCD Soundsystem on Wednesday, July 18th. The screening is part of a North American wide release on that day!

On April 2nd 2011, LCD Soundsystem played its final show at Madison Square Garden. LCD frontman James Murphy had made the conscious decision to disband one of the most celebrated and influential bands of its generation at the peak of its popularity, ensuring that the band would go out on top with the biggest and most ambitious concert of its career. The instantly sold out, near four-hour extravaganza did just that, moving the thousands in attendance to tears of joy and grief, with NEW YORK magazine calling the event “a marvel of pure craft” and TIME magazine lamenting “we may never dance again.” SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS is both a narrative film documenting this once in a life time performance and an intimate portrait of James Murphy as he navigates the lead-up to the show, the day after, and the personal and professional ramifications of his decision.

Due to demand, we've added a second screening at 10pm. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door and moving fast. It's an 18+ event. Advance tickets are available at Sloth Records and online. Don't miss your chance to see this incredible film in the company of an engaged audience at Commonwealth Bar & Stage on July 18th. RSVP here.