What Kind of Metal Do Aborted Play?

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You may look at the name Aborted and say, “Sure, that’s metal. I get that. But just what kind of metal is it?” Vocalist Sven de Caluwe was talking about the band’s eight album, The Necrotic Manifesto, and can probably give you a good idea of what you’re in for.

“The album is our own take on the sordid tales of the Necronomicon,” he says, “the ‘book of the dead’, of corpse drowned in a sauce of gore and fun covered with a good old 80s slasher vibe.”

That’s probably all you need to know going into this show. If you come around, you’ll see these Belgian metal veterans bringing heavy, occult sounds that blend death metal with grindcore to wear down audiences everywhere.

Aborted are in the Exchange on Sunday, May 31 with Fit for an Autopsy, Archspire, and Dark Sermon. Doors at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $20 plus service charges and are available at Vintage Vinyl, Madame Yes, and online at TicketEdge. Tickets available at the door barring a sell-out. All ages and licensed.

SaskRoots Night Brings Out Our Province’s Bluegrass and Folk

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GrassRoots Regina are real torchbearers for folk and roots music in the Queen City. For years, they’ve been presenting traditional and up-and-coming acts from Canada and the world, putting on dozens and dozens of shows. Concerts like the upcoming SaskRoots Night, happening Saturday, May 30 in the Exchange, give them the opportunity to showcase roots music from our own province.

The acts playing are diverse while still falling into GrassRoots’ territory. The evening will see performances from bluegrass trio In with the Old, husband-and-wife duo the Grid Pickers, and folk duo the Great Plains.

The show starts at 8 p.m. and costs $15 in advance at Back and Beyond, Traditions Gallery, and Vintage Vinyl or $20 at the door. Like all shows in the Exchange and the Club, it is all ages and licensed. For more information, go to GrassRoots Regina’s website.

Did You Check Out Great Lake Swimmers?

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Last night, Tuesday, May 26, the Regina Folk Festival Concert Series had Great Lake Swimmers in the Exchange with the Weather Station. Judging from reactions online, people had a great time.

If you’re looking for more music from the RFF, you’re in luck –– the fest itself is just around the corner. From August 7 to 9, they’re bringing artists like Sinead O’Connor, Vance Joy, Blue Rodeo, the Sheepdogs, and Jenny Lewis to Victoria Park. For the complete lineup and ticket information, go to their website.

Reverend Horton Heat Can’t Stop

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How do people age? Some slow down, some get self-consciously “mature”. Jim Heath, the Rev of Reverend Horton Heat, has been at it for over thirty years and he’s not up for any of that.

Take a listen to the appropriately titled Rev, the act’s 11th album and first on Victory Records, and you’ll hear that they’re still as sharp as ever. The man and his band have a way of finding humour in the little things, of picking out true-to-life details and not treating them with some oppressive seriousness.

That’s without mentioning the music. The Rev and his band still cut straight to the quick of it with every song, laying down rockabilly that’s quick and loud and hits hard every time.

Reverend Horton Heat is in the Exchange on Thursday, May 28 with Nekromantix and the Brains. Doors at 8 p.m. Show at 8:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $27.50 plus service charges and are available at X-Ray Records and online at TicketEdge. Tickets available at the door barring a sell-out. All ages and licensed.

620 CKRM’s Proudly Saskatchewan Showcase Comes to the Exchange

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For decades, 620 CKRM has been exposing Southern Saskatchewan to the best country talents out there. With the Proudly Saskatchewan Showcase, they’ve been looking for the emerging artists of tomorrow right here in our own province.

This year, the weekly run-offs will be held in the Exchange on May 24, 31, and June 7. The shows are all matinees, with doors opening at 1:30 p.m. and the show starting at 2:30 p.m. Winners from these days will go on to play a showcase at the Casino Regina Show Lounge on Saturday, July 4.

Artists could win prizes including cash, recording time, and more. The top three artists get to perform on the main stage at the 2015 Craven Country Jamboree. Details on the competition are up at 620 CKRM’s website.

Recently Announced!

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It’s been a busy few weeks for show announcements! The Exchange and the Club are going to be hopping through May and June, so here are some of the big, get-your-tickets-now shows we can tell you about.

– Zandra Productions and South Saskatchewan Music Productions present Aborted in the Exchange on Sunday, May 31 with Fit for an Autopsy, Archspire, and Dark Sermon.

– Zandra Productions presents Veil of Maya’s Matriarch Tour in the Exchange on Saturday, June 13 with Revocation, Gift Giver, and Entheos.
– Limblifter are in the Exchange on Wednesday, June 17 with Library Voices.

– Rawk Entertainment presents Swervedriver in the Exchange on Saturday, June 20 with Shitty Dream.

– Zandra Productions presents Goatwhore in the Exchange on Wednesday, June 24 with Black Breath, Ringworm, and Theories.

Along with all those concerts, the Cultural Exchange has a new show to add to its New West Concert Series. In addition to Zerbin and the Gay Nineties, who are playing in the Exchange on May 20, we’re pleased to be hosting Vancouver, B.C. folk-rock act the River and the Road with guests in the Club on Thursday, May 21.

For details on these and other upcoming shows in the Exchange and the Club, go to the Events section of our website.

Zerbin Continue on Wide-Ranging Path

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Indie-rock group Zerbin’s new album, Darling, just came out, but reviews are already coming in.

“Irresistible pop melodies launch the band’s brightly polished sound into fresh territory,” Dusty Organ wrote of Darling. “Fun and upbeat in all the right ways, Zerbin are proving they are ready to move onto bigger and better things.”

Variety can sometimes cover up weakness, but that’s far from the case for Zerbin. The Edmonton, AB trio –– multi-instrumentalists Jason Zerbin and Peter Mol, along with Duran Ritz –– work in influences that can be grand and sweeping or grounded. The group can do it all, and are going to keep doing it all.

Zerbin are in the Exchange on Wednesday, May 20 with the Gay Nineties. Doors at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are $10 and are available at Vintage Vinyl. $10 at the door. All ages and licensed.

National Fiddling Day Celebration in Regina

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Fiddlers in Regina and area –– rosin up your bow and come down. The Cultural Exchange presents the first National Fiddling Day, celebrating its 30 years of fostering fiddle music in Saskatchewan with a gathering of fiddlers on Saturday May 16 in the Exchange.

The evening will begin with an “open mic” session allowing established or pick-up groups of fiddlers to showcase their music. For the rest of the evening, there will be a wide-open fiddle jam for players of all ages and skill levels to enjoy group fiddling and maybe even learn some new tunes. There’s no charge for admission and the public is invited. The show starts at 7 p.m.

“Fiddlers don’t get a lot of opportunities to gather and play,” said Malcolm McLeod, a fiddler for more than 40 years and the organizer of the event. “There are hundreds of fiddlers in Regina who love the instrument and the music and we hope to see most of them at this fiddle party.”

This spring, the Parliament of Canada gave unanimous approval to a private member’s bill sponsored by Senator Elizabeth Hubley to proclaim the third Saturday in May as National Fiddling Day. The bill took almost a year to be debated and approved by the Senate and then the House of Commons before it was given Royal Assent.

Fiddling has a rich history in Canada and has roots throughout our entire nation. Scottish, French, English, Slavic, Nordic, and Métis music have all influenced Canadian fiddling. Fiddle music connects all regions of Canada and is a delight to all those who play and listen.

In 1985, the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange Society started the Emma Lake Fiddle Camp. For 10 years, it was the only fiddle camp east of Ontario and it sparked a movement for the preservation of the fiddle music and playing in Saskatchewan.

For more information, please contact the Cultural Exchange at 306-780-9494 or Malcolm McLeod at 306-527-6547.

Connie Kaldor Loves Saskatchewan

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“I’m at the point where if I get an idea, I just want to go and do it.”

That’s what Connie Kaldor told the Leader-Post recently about her process when it came to her new album, Love Saskatchewan. By now, we can’t be surprised if the singer-songwriter knows what she wants to do and just how she wants to do it.

Kaldor, born in Regina and now living in Montreal, QC, has been writing, recording, and performing music for well over three decades, with well over a dozens albums released in that period. She’s won multiple JUNO Awards, too.

Now, she’s turned her focus back to her home province, singing about the people, culture, and landscape of Saskatchewan.

Connie Kaldor plays the Exchange on Saturday, May 9 with Annette Campagne. Doors at 7 p.m. Show at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are $32 plus service charges at Bach and Beyond and $35 plus service charges online at Picatic. Tickets available at the door barring a sell-out. All ages and licensed.

Harry Manx Is Irreplaceable

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There’s no one quite like Harry Manx out there, and if anyone wants to try, they’ve got some catching up to do.

It’s not just the discography reaching back to 2001, when he put out his debut solo album, Dog My Cat. It’s the years of experiences that led into that album and the dozen that followed. The UK-born, Canada-raised and –based artist played and traveled a lot as a younger man, going through his home country, Europe, Japan, and India. He picked up not only influences but also new instruments and techniques while out on the road.

Chief, or at least the most unique among them is the Mohan Veena, a 20-string Indian guitar. It encapsulates part of Manx’s music, a blend of Western blues influences with styles he picked up in India. You can be sure to here it live and on his new album, 20 Strings and the Truth, which came out in February.

Harry Manx plays the Exchange on Friday, May 8. Doors at 7:30 p.m. Show at 8:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $35 plus service charges and are available at Bach and Beyond. Tickets available at the door barring a sell-out. All ages and licensed.