Vulcan, Alberta, Canada - Hosts Spock Days

SPOCK DAYS LIVE LONG

TREKKIE CONVENTION GOES INTO ORBIT WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE TREKCETERA MUSEUM

An annual, community-wide Star Trek Convention, Spock Days, is occasion for perking up one’s ears and pursuing a bit of recreation in Canada’s Star Trek capital. Four fun-filled solar rotations of costume parties, celebrity appearances and mingling in the interest of inter-planetary friendship, Spock Days has been turning other bastions of science-fiction fandom green with envy for the past 21 years. A crop-circle-worthy locale on the undiscovered prairies, the festival’s birthplace in Vulcan, Alberta is more than the namesake of Spock’s logic-espousing home world it’s a cosmically certified tourist destination.

“The Town of Vulcan is genuine,” confirms Star Trek enthusiast and repeat Spock Days attendee Shannon Sigvaldasson. “For the residents of Vulcan and the surrounding area, this weekend is their Mardi Gras and they go all out! The whole community sees the benefit of aligning with Star Trek culture and, in so doing, creates a larger, world-renowned identity for their town.”



Enhancing Vulcan County’s reputation for being a veritable Rigel 7 of dark skies and space culture, curators of fandom Michael Mangold and Devan Daniels have announced the impeding launch of Canada’s only Star Trek-themed museum. The Trekcetera Museum is set open during Spock Days with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring this year’s special guests. Actors Robert Picardo “The Doctor” and Ethan Phillips “Neelix,” of Star Trek Voyager fame, and senior illustrator Rick Sternbach are slated to headline this year’s festivities.

“The real joy of seeing celebrities in Vulcan is that the setting provides for more up-close encounters and one-on-one time,” says Sigvaldasson. “There is a kind of freedom and safety that being in Vulcan allows the stars versus the comparatively rigid schedule of a typical convention.”

Guest of honour and Spock Days emcee Robert Picardo, who is also known for his roles as Richard Woolsey from the popular TV series Stargate, will be delivering an original live performance along with his former Voyager co-star and astro-gastronomer, Ethan Phillips. A senior illustrator and designer for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager and the first two seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, special guest Rick Sternbach will also regale the congregation with insights into his role in creating hundreds of props and set-pieces for the franchise and personal stories of assisting the show’s writers.

“Go for the whole weekend, there’s no reason to leave! Book a hotel room or campsite early, they fill up quickly. Be sure to catch the Parade! Walk the main streets; each shop you wander into will have some fun and unique Trek memorabilia. And, if a group of Klingons invites you to drink with them, do it!”

Spock Days runs from June 7 to 9 in Vulcan, AB.

Originally published in BeatRoute Magazine June 4, 2013
By Christine Leonard

Calgary Metalfest 2013

Return of the Beast 

Calgary Metalfest enters its second summer

by Christine Leonard


Calgary Metalfest II featuring Skeletonwitch, Intronaut, Scale the Summit, Into Eternity, Anciients, Endast, Wake, Disciples of Power and many more
Dickens Pub June 6-8, 2013


Now in its sophomore year, Calgary Metalfest was originally conceived as a hell-raising party for local soundman/producer Nathan Renaud on the occasion of his 30th birthday. Far surpassing the traditional party benchmark of waking up the neighbours, the success of the premier installation was a pleasant surprise for Big Nate.

“I call myself the ‘sole proprietor’ of Calgary Metalfest,” says Renaud. “Mainly because I started last year’s festival as an excuse to see all my friends. The first year my selection process was entirely selfish and short-sighted.”

Despite its casual nature, the inaugural event was a success. “You can’t imagine the relief I felt when our venue reached 90 per cent capacity on that first night. The place only held 500 people and 460 showed up! I couldn’t have been happier; I was walking around handing out kegs and bonuses.”

Confident he could out-do his previous effort, Renaud spent the past 12 months contacting and booking over 80 bands from across the country to perform during Calgary Metalfest 2013’s four-day showcase. It hasn’t been easy deciding who will converge for the second edition of this extravaganza of extreme music; the enthusiasm displayed by Canadian metal bands seeking exposure for their brand of high-octane hardcore has precipitated a waiting list of would-be stand-ins.

“It was obvious that there was a demand for this festival, but the logistics were a bit of a nightmare at times,” says Renaud. “I have to give a big shout out to Tyson Cale Boyd of ConcertWorks in Edmonton for putting me in touch with many of the acts that were coming through; I was super-fortunate to be able to pick up Skeletonwitch from Athens, Ohio and Intronaut out of L.A. When it came to selecting from the demos and applications submitted by local bands, it seemed like we had received submissions from every damn one of them.”

Augmenting his role as producer and stage manager for Scarab Productions (purveyors of Calgary’s international metal festival, Noctis), Big Nate also plays bass for the local tech-death ensemble KYOKTYS. As a musician himself, he has come to appreciate a hands-on approach to mounting an unforgettable show. And although Big Nate has to remind himself to pause and enjoy the melodic chaos, he’s determined to make sure everyone involved leaves feeling like it’s their lucky day.

“It’s going to be crazy,” he says. “I’m sure the Breathe Knives, Witchstone show on Saturday is going to sell out, but Broken City has allowed me to open up their rooftop patio for an all-ages shaker. So, we’ll have all of those cross-over thrash bands like Oh, Shit! and Epidemic playing up there, just for fun. Hardcore standup comedian Jason Rouse from Hamilton will be performing and emceeing the festival. He’s hosted Monsters of Comedy and the Metal Hammer: Golden Gods Awards and he’s the crudest motherfucker I’ve ever heard.” Thankfully, attendees will be able to travel between venues with ease — they’ll have a shuttle running between them from 6 to 9 p.m. each night. And while it’s looking more like an official festival than last year’s event, Renaud still sees it as a celebration of his 31 years on earth, calling it “the best damn birthday party you’ll ever attend.”