One of the hardest things about Sled Island is arranging your music schedule to hit as many great bands and venues as possible, each and every night. Popular shows can cause lineups and capacity issues, swerving you to unknown acts in fun new venues, completely destroying any sense of planning you might have had going in. It’s like the old Yiddish saying, Der mentsh trakht un Got lakht (Man proposes, God disposes); except you can add to the end of that, un der Sled Island Chaval al ha zman! (If I messed that up, slicha!)
So, what’s your initial plans today? Do they involve a late lunch at Local 510, where Iceberg Ferg is scheduled to be singing in the rain of the parking lot? If anyone could pull it off, it’s Ferg, whose folk music comes heavily seasoned with jazz and blues, with a heaping side of comedy that doesn’t detract from the overall musical presentation.
Maybe after lunch, you’re thinking about heading over to the East Village Block Party, where pop-rock local Mark Mills will be performing? Mills is scheduled for five in the afternoon, so a late lunch could easily be stretched into an early departure – after all, Mills’ energetic sets are just the thing to keep you going for the rest of the night.
And while everyone is talking about the Jon Spencer set at the Legion late tonight (with good reason), don’t forget about the comfy confines of the New Black, where Calgary’s high-powered hip-hop duo Dragon Fli Empire will be wrapping up an evening of all-ages fun. If you’ve gone this long without seeing DFE live and in person, it’s time to end the drought and get your rap on.
Of course, these are just suggestions; where you actually end up tonight is up to you and chance.
