Entertainment
BY S ILV I A P I KA L
I’M WITH
THE BAND
JOURNEY BEHIND
ALBERTA’S MUSIC
FESTIVALS
UNTIL AUGUST 2018 Every year thousands of
Calgarians flock to local music festivals, or make the
pilgrimage to cities and towns across Alberta, to
celebrate genres spanning hip hop, folk, blues and more.
Festival Alberta (page 34) at Studio Bell, home of the
National Music Centre, takes a look at the history and
impact of Alberta’s music festivals.
“Festivals are part of the spirit of Alberta,” says Mike
Mattson, digital content coordinator with the collections
team. “You get to hear about a bunch of music you might
not know about, and have a sense of belonging and be
with other like-minded souls.”
The exhibit includes photos, video interviews, concert
footage and memorabilia, including a set-up from a
“tarpie” in honour of the festival fans who show up early
with lawn chairs and coolers to stake out a good spot.
It also takes a look at legendary events that put Alberta
on the map, like Festival Express, the 1970 train tour
across Canada that stopped in Calgary and included
legendary musicians Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin. The
exhibit is in Studio Bell’s Drop-in Zone.
The National Music Centre’s new Backstage Pass Tours
provide a behind-the-scenes look at artist spaces,
musical instruments and treasured artifacts, including
the famed Rolling Stones Mobile Studio—a truck that
recorded albums from the band and several other
legends, including Led Zeppelin. Tours will run twice on
Sundays at 12 pm and 1:30 pm (page 32).
HONOURING LEGENDARY CANADIAN MUSICIANS
UNTIL FALL 2018 The National Music Centre is showcasing some impressive memorabilia honouring 2017 inductees to the Canadian
Country Music Hall of Fame and Canadian Songwriters
Hall of Fame.
Some of what you’ll find in the Showcase: 2017 Inductees
exhibit includes a vintage guitar owned by Neil Young
and a song book with lyrics for Bruce Cockburn’s “If I Had
a Rocket Launcher” and “Lovers in a Dangerous Time.”
There is also memorabilia from inductees Paul Brandt,
Harvey Gold, Beau Dommage and Stéphane Venne.
Adam Fox, director of programs for NMC, says he hopes
visitors are inspired to revisit the discographies from the
artists or discover music new to them.
“If you’re a country music fan, and you’re here to see
Paul Brandt’s representation, and you go, ‘What is this
Dommage?’ You might Google it and find something
you can get into,” Fox says. “I hope you walk away with a
sense of pride in the amazing diversity of Canadian talent
we produce.” (page 34)
MARCH/APRIL 2018
where.ca
31