Archive for December, 2011

Zachary Lucky is coming back to our city and this is your chance to see him perform in the intimate setting of The House of Commons (6435-Bow Crescent NW). We caught up with Zachary this week prior to his Calgary visit:

When was the last time you visited our city?

I think the last time I played in Calgary would have been at  the end of April / May.  I did a short tour around the West Coast which included a stop at The House of Commons.  So it’s been quite some time.  I’m real excited to come back and play some of the new material.

Is there anything in particular that you missed about our city?

I’ve always been a big fan of the southern half of Alberta.  I think it’s especially beautiful – both the people and the landscape.  Calgary has always felt
homey to me – nice people – nice venues – its never a burden to come back to.

You’ve just released a live digital album that will provide you with support for your March 2012 Album release ‘Saskatchewan’. It’s only been 10 days or so, but how have your supporters and fans embraced  this offering?

So far we’ve had a pretty positive response.  We’re about half way to our goal, so if you’re at all interested in supporting the cause then head over to www.zacharylucky.bandcamp.com

You’re playing at the House of Commons, and you’ve played many intimate shows and venues over the years. What can someone new to the Zachary Lucky experience find at the show next week?

My shows at The House of Commons always end up being magical.  There is something about having so many people in such a small intimate space – people who do and don’t know each other – and who do and don’t know my songs.  The night always ends up being very special for any number of reasons.  Come expecting to here quiet folk songs, and stories from the road.

Zachary Lucky plays The House of Commons January 7th, 2012 at 7pm. Admission is between $5-$10 donation for the artists and you can find out more on the Facebook event page.

Zachary Lucky has been featured on Shot at The Dark in the past.

A classic Clive Friend photo of my favorite city. From “CANADA FROM THE AIR”.

hi-res HERE

Back again with some music to get you excited to complete your shopping, or even just to use as a way to calm yourself in this hectic time of the year.

Featuring Feist, Chris Austman, The Dudes, Sam Savage Smith, The Wooden Sky, Leeroy Stagger, Mother Mother, MBF, Rah Rah, and Hot Hot Heat:

Playlist

Last year, Mayor Nenshi started a Calgary holiday tradition by reading Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas on CityTV. This year, he took a late-night break from his busy holiday schedule to record a reading of Clement Clarke Moore’s holiday classic ‘A Visit from Santa Claus’ (also known as The Night Before Christmas or Twas the Night Before Christmas).

So, gather the kids around the old CRT monitor, pour them a hot chocolate and pour yourself something warmer, grab your snuggie, get comfortable, and enjoy the Mayor’s version of this classic tale.

Happy Holidays!

The Calgary Public Library has digitized their Postcard Collection in order to provide Calgarians with a useful online historic resource.

We’ve posted a few of the Postcards from the Past here but head over to the website for more historic holiday greetings.

See them all.

Our good friend Michelle at Simon & Schuster was kind enough to send us a copy of The First Stampede of Flores LaDue by Calgary author, and Alberta Centennial Medal winner, Wendy Bryden.

Published in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the world famous exhibition, and authorized by the Calgary Stampede, this is a cultural history of the west told through the extraordinary life of World Champion ladies trick roper Flores LaDue.

An inspirational true-life story of how the unshakeable bond between true loves can conquer the insurmountable, this story chronicles the life and love of Flores LaDue and Guy Weadick, an unlikely pair who initially despised each other, only to marry five weeks later. LaDue’s love for rodeo promoter Guy Weadick, which began among the rough-and-tumble vaudvillians in the first Wild West shows, endured through North American performances and audiences of Europe to culminate in the wide open plains and ranches of the West, and resulted in the most spectacular of achievements, the establishment of the greatest outdoor show on earth.

An intimate portrait of the two fiercely determined rodeo performers who brought the world rodeo circuit to Calgary, successfullly influenced the Big Four who would in turn fund the exhibition, and catapulted the city into international fame by establishing one of the most iconic events in western Canadian history.

It’s also a fascinating story of the city of Calgary and a testament to the community spirit of the province of Alberta at the turn of the century, revealing the early days of Calgary and showing how the Stampede changed the landscape and identity of the city we know and love today.

Pick up a copy for a loved one and for yourself, and read an in-depth account of our history and the first days of the Calgary Stampede, and a new direction for Western Canadian culture.

This past week the CORE invited me to their centre to take a peek at the newly renovated mall and to create a shopping list of awesome holiday gifts ideas.  Have you made your list and checked it twice? Here’s a peek at a few of the stocking stuffer ideas from some great local-area shops to help you round our your shopping list.

For the domestic goddess

One of my favorite places to visit is Land and Sea Gifts for all their one-of-a-kind accessories and offbeat products you can’t find anywhere else in Calgary.

Case-in-point are these handcrafted coasters from Cedar Mountain Studios in British Columbia. They come in a variety of prints to fit any home décor. Available separately, you can pick up as many as you want (and maybe a few for your own home as well).

For the coffee fiend

Calgary’s very own Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters have been making signature roasts and blends for the last few years at their flagship roasterie in Inglewood and cafes around the city. Now they have brought their unique brews to the CORE with a pop-up shop in Holt Renfrew.  Pick up a bag or two of decadent beans from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Columbia and more from around the world. These stocking stuffers are sure to be a hit for any of your caffeine-addicted loved ones.

For the indulgent beauty

Canmore’s Rocky Mountain Soap Co. makes the best soaps around as they are 100% natural and smell awesome. Perfect for all skin types, they come in scents like grapefruit, cocoa butter, green tea, lavender, pumpkin and many more. If you can’t decide which soaps to get, try one of these sample packs instead.

For more gift ideas, check out the CORE Holiday Gift Guides (including ours!) for some last-minute inspiration. What are some awesome gifts that you are giving away this holiday season? Send us a tweet @ciawesome and let us know!

Chow Down in Cowtown is an (almost!) weekly account of Calgary’s most awesome eats from Ceci n’est pas un food blog.

The Blackfoot Truck Stop is one of those Calgary “landmarks”. Like Peter’s Drive-In, it’s one of those one-of-a-kind places (in the city, at least) that you must visit just once just to say you’ve been there…
Read more

Haven’t finished your holiday shopping yet? Haven’t even started looking for your gifts yet? No worries, there’s still plenty of time to get the perfect gift for the culture vulture in your life. Look no farther than performance specials and ticket packages from Calgary’s great arts and culture scene (thanks to the awesome folks at Calgary Culture for compiling the list).

All I Want for Christmas is the King Eddy

Long live the King! Play your part for the National Music Centre and ask for a brand new King Eddy for Christmas. Who doesn’t want seven-days-a-week live music in their Christmas stocking? Sure beats that bag of tube socks you were expecting! Shop online for King Eddy Christmas ornaments, “Long Live the King” t-shirts and more.

Cantos.ca

Theatre Junction GRAND Gift Packs

Give the gift of culture with a night out at Theatre Junction GRAND! Choose from two gift options, both including 2 tickets to a Theatre Junction GRAND show and a $40 gift certificate to UBU Lounge.

TheatreJunction.com

filling Station Holiday Sale

Nothing warms you like a new litmag! Give the gift of filling Station for a huge discount. Get a 3-issue subscription for just $15. That’s $9 off the newsstand price! Then get up to 5 gift subscriptions for just $10 each with purchase of your own subscription. Bonus: Everyone who orders a gift subscription will receive a special surprise!

FillingStation.ca

Vertigo Mystery Theatre and Y Stage Gift Passes

Vertigo Mystery Theatre has three great shows coming up after Christmas: When Girls Collide, Rope and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Choose a two-ticket gift pass to one of the three post-Christmas Vertigo Mystery Theatre shows ($80 for adults, $65 for seniors) or one ticket to each of the three post-Christmas Vertigo Mystery Theatre shows ($115 for adults, $90 for seniors). Y Stage has four shows between January and April: n00b, The Cat Came Back, For Art’s Sake and Baobab. Pick up a Y Stage Family Pass (up to 6 tickets to one show) for just $40. Purchase online or call the Vertigo Mystery Theatre box office at 403.221.3708.

VertigoTheatre.com

To see the full list of gift and goodies ideas, check out Calgary Culture’s Holiday Gift Ideas post.

When the talents of local musician Jordan Klassen collide with the vision and creativity of vidoegrapher Brock Mitchell, nothing but pure magic is sure to result. To mark the release of Jordan’s new EP ‘Kindness’, the two have joined forces and made a truly beautiful and inspiring video.

JORDAN KLASSEN presents KINDNESS EP from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.

Watch for ‘Kindness’ to be released February 12, 2012. In the meantime, enjoy!
Wonderful people doing wonderful things!