PARTICLE + WAVE installs a new reality: Tasman Richardson looks both ways

A weekend of glitch and entire month of exhibition are on offer from

PARTICLE + WAVE

by Christine Leonard
30 January 2017

What do you get when you combine light, sound, texture, esthetics and philosophy into an immersive artistic experience? The answer itself is a fascinating equation; one that has been given life and room to breathe thanks to an immersive three-day celebration of multimedia art known as PARTICLE + WAVE.

“We started out in 2012, as sort of an experiment during Alberta Culture Days, and our second one was in 2015, so we’re trying to make it a biannual event,” says programming director Vicki Chau, “EMMEDIA wanted to do a festival that focuses on the realm of live audiovisual performances and more on projection art and sound art. It kind of emerged around the same time that Soundasaurus, the Multimedia Sound Arts Festival that was put on by Tammy McGrath, at the EPCOR Centre (now known as Arts Commons) was ending. When Tammy left, Soundasaurus died away and there was a need for a sound-arts festival in the city, so PARTICLE + WAVE picked that up; along with all of the other aspects of media arts, as well as sound, to give the Calgary community something that’s a little bit different.”

Offering a glimpse into the brave new world of multimedia works and installations, PARTICLE + WAVE is the ideal point of entry for those seeking to expand their knowledge of how digital technologies are being manipulated to create provocative works of art that challenge the limits of audio-visual presentation and performance. On the other side of the brain, the festival has been carefully curated so as to provide a frictionless transition between environment and experience, thereby rendering even the most intimidatingly complex examples both accessible and approachable.

“It’s interesting to be able to evolve a festival along with what the artists are producing and to be able to find the venues around the city, such as Festival Hall, that can facilitate their kind of work,” says Chau. “Our partners have been fantastic in supporting us in showcasing the kind of art that can’t be shown anywhere else. Because PARTICLE + WAVE exists in a celebratory mode it is the perfect vehicle for us to present to people who are not already familiar with EMMEDIA or media arts. Everything we do, except for the Feature Night, is free. So, we want to entice the public to come back to EMMEDIA and partake of the year-round events that we have to offer beyond the festival, as well.”

While PARTICLE + WAVE’s biggest soirée takes place on February 2nd, group exhibition Digital Artifacts runs February 4 to March 4 at U-Hall TRUCK, and Janus will run February 3 to 25 at EMMEDIA. Mapping artificial intelligence from the inside out, Janus, produced by Toronto-based multimedia pioneer and guest lecturer Tasman Richardson, is a prime example of using modern software “hacks” to reanimate obsolete computer systems. Richardson’s colourful and stimulating brand of technomancy involves stimulating vintage Atari 2600 consoles to give birth to their own original sounds and images. According to semiotic sampler Richardson, running a device through its virtual death throes in order to capture the “nowness” of the elusive binary life flashing before your eyes is just the tip of the cybernetic iceberg.

“I call it fishing for the invisibles,” Richardson elaborates. “Normally, in post-‘87 technologies, you’d get a blue screen that would censor (as in censorship) and stop any unstable static or noise that happens when you turn on your TV, just to make it more palatable. The problem is that it also cancels out any beautiful, subtle, nuanced glitches that the machines are building and generating. The glitches come straight from the console itself, with no cartridge inside it, and you have to use power failure and brown-outs to ween the machine off of its stabilizing power in order to generate the glitches. So, there’s a real movement of trying to harness those glitches and that’s called fishing for them.”

PARTICLE + WAVE’s main events take place February 2nd to 4th at various venues in Calgary. Shows Digital Artifacts and Janus throughout February at U-Hall TRUCK Contemporary Art in Calgary and EMMEDIA respectively.

Distortion celebrates a decennary

Iconic hardcore venue Distortion celebrates 

a decennary of distorted memories

by Christine Leonard29 January 2017

 It’s not every day that a music venue gets to celebrate a landmark 10th anniversary and such an occasion is even more impressive when that nightclub is one that caters to a predominantly hardcore following. Fortunately for the citizens of Calgary, the venerable institution known as Distortion has endured a decade of slings and arrows while playing an important role in carving out the city’s cultural identity.

“The struggle is really. It’s really real!” says co-owner Sean “Taco” Close.

“When we bought the first Distillery Public House (a.k.a. D1), at 839 – 5 Ave. S.W., none of us had owned a bar before. We had to find investors, take out loans on our homes and start moving with what was happening on the music scene. We started doing weekend shows and then suddenly we weren’t just a pub for the lunchtime suits anymore. The landlords didn’t want us in there, so when it was time to renew our lease they pulled out an old clause and denied us. Which was totally bullshit. But we had momentum, so we started looking for another location.”

As fate would have it, a hot tip led close to a hidden gem in the form of the old Lucifer’s Ballroom underneath Quincy’s Restaurant on 7 Ave. S.W. Soon The Distillery (a.k.a. D2) was up and running with a glorious domed ceiling arching above 10,000 square feet of blistering sound and throbbing lights. The spot became a speak-easy destination for metal and punk fans who favoured the underground bar for its heavy act packed calendar and ‘70s throwback décor.

“We called it our Rock ‘n’ Roll Ballroom and it rocked in there,” recalls Close.

“But it also came with its own set of problems. We had a couple of floods, pipes blew up, and yet somehow despite dealing with all those things, while trying to put up with our slumlord, we had four or five years of awesomeness in that place. Just when there was a light at the end of the tunnel the carpet got yanked out from underneath us and we got shut down and kicked out.”

With commercial real estate at a premium in Calgary at that time the entire operation was put on hiatus for several months while the co-owners sought alternate accommodations. Concerts that had already been booked were diverted to other venues around town, as were loyal staff members, such as lifer Bonnie Parker, who waited to learn The Distillery’s fate.

“The whole bar was in the garage at my house; the sound system, everything,” Close recalls.

“Our backyards were full of chairs and all of the bar furniture, I even used one of our bar tables as my patio table, cuz there was no room for, you know, all this stuff. And then we found the bar in Eau Claire at 222 – 7 St. It was a small place, but it had a little kitchen and good potential and we thought we could make it work and called it The D.”

Sadly, the third incarnation of the venue was met with an unneighbourly shitstorm of political posturing and bureaucratic red tape that would make for an untenable situation.

“That threw us for a loop. We fought and figured out a way we could adhere to all the clauses and stipulations that were put upon us. But we had constant complaints from a handful of the community. They kept bullying us and it just came to the point where they severely restricted our operations. Our landlord knew we had gotten screwed and had lost a shitload of money, so he broke the lease for us and wished us luck. We weren’t sure we were going to recover or if The Distillery would just fizzle out. Once again, the bar got packed up, but this time it was a longer haul. We spent almost a year discussing finding another space. We were selling all our stuff and trying to survive and keep the dream alive.”

Things seemed bleak indeed after the collapse of D3. Business partner and friend Philly moved away, while Close, co-owners Andrew Jay, Mark Russell, and general manager Katie Bevan picked up the pieces. Given the traumatic transplantations of the past, the crew realized that finding the right setting for a loud-as-Hell nightclub was essential to the fulfillment and survival of their collective vision.

“We looked at a whole bunch of places, and a friend of ours mentioned that the Atlantic Trap & Gill was closing down. And sure enough, it was. So, holy shit! We decided to give it one more go! We got it put together and wanted to change the name but to retain the big D, so we came up with the name Distortion. When we went back to the city they actually welcomed us with open arms and gave us all our licenses without batting an eye. We’re two years at this address come April!”

Close continues: “This last year has been one of the hardest for the whole city, let alone to be up and running with a fresh lease, but we’ve always been DIY. The same staff has followed us from the old locations; our current team of ten is rad and has the same idea. We had to do a lot of cleaning and painting and soundproofing, so we all put on our overalls and jumped in there and did it ourselves. It’s really starting to feel like home.”

Finally ensconced in an ideal 280-person capacity locale beneath the Days Inn at 3828 Macleod Trail, the new-and-improved Distortion is a cozy opium-den of the west that also claims one of the most charming bathrooms on the nightclub circuit. At last, the tenacious team behind the bar, where they might very well know your name, can take a moment to reflect on just how far they’ve come.

“Way back in the day I was just a promoter working with Calgary Beer Core and putting on shows at The Underground, Point on 17th, The Castle and then The Distillery,” says Distortion co-owner Mark Russell.

“But instead of just being a music promoter, I wound up getting into the business, as the saying goes. I went from working as head bouncer to one day being appointed manager at D2, and it has just sort of grown from there.”

Quick to commend his colleagues for their “No bullshit attitudes,” Russell appreciates how close the staff has become and the personal milestones that have arisen along the way.

“These are my family members; they’re not just friends anymore. And the fact that they’ve trusted me for so long, and put me in the position I’m in, means a lot.”

Echoing that sentiment of belonging and sense of community, Distortion’s general manager (and wife to owner Sean Close), Katie Bevan, has come of age along with the business and has helped build The “D” from the ground up more than once. A former waitress and bartender, who moved up the ranks to promoter and booker, Bevan has seen a million faces come through her establishment’s doors and the thousands of bands she’s put on stage have undoubtedly rocked them all.

“Our directory of bands and contacts has grown very large over the years, so that makes it easy. As does dealing with the same people,” Bevan reports.

“I probably get a dozen messages a week from who are looking to set up shows. I try to find a place for them and make sure I’m building bills where the bands are complimenting each other. Sean has to trust me; we’re married. In fact, we just celebrated our 10th anniversary!”

A rare opportunity to comb through a mountain of gig posters and photographs from the many performances that have taken place at their four sites, Distortion’s tenth anniversary is not just an accomplishment for the staff and owners, but a testament to the resilient character of the scene they have worked so hard to foster.

“It’s quite crazy when you think about all of the killer shows we’ve had through the different rooms,” reminisces Bevan.

“Everything from the electronic and hip-hop nights to our bread-and-butter punk and metal. I’ll never forget how insane and packed Del tha Funkee Homosapien was. I remember one of the first big name we had in was The Real McKenzies and I was like, ‘No way!’ Since then we’ve done seven shows and formed a relationship with them. The Bronx was a super-wicked fan girl moment for me. The Mad Caddies, too. Such a party. Meanwhile, I’m finding all of these amazing posters for Anvil and Napalm Death and Pig Destroyer and the festivals we’ve hosted like Sled Island and Noctis. We’ve had a blast and we’ve had our setbacks. It’s not easy rebranding yourself and getting your name out there. The scene changes so quickly, we’re keeping our ear to the ground and watching out for up-and-coming bands. My goal is pretty much to keep making Distortion bigger and badder. As long as the ‘Man’ doesn’t bring us down this time!”

Masterminding the metal-fueled anniversary celebrations, Bevan has racked up an evening of debauchery that will entail performances by a pantheon of bands who have all come together to toast the iconic venue and commemorate ten loud years of blood, sweat and beers with an epic party.

“Our ten-year show is going to be crazy! It all started with looking for a list of ten Calgary-area bands who have played the scene for ten years, or more,” she says.

“I thought it would be cool if they could come together and share this accomplishment of being a very small business in the city of Calgary for a decade. I started messaging the list and everybody was on-board. I even persuaded [hardcore beer chuggers] BDFM and [local stoner rock icons] Hypnopilot to reunite. It’s going to be a busy evening with a freak show, contortionists and an experimental second stage that’s sponsored by Long and McQuade. And, of course, plenty of that special energy that hasn’t been duplicated anywhere else.”

Celebrate the Distortion / The D / The Distillery 10-year Anniversary Party on Saturday, February 11th at Distortion. Hypnopilot, Bloated Pig, Caveat, The Press Gang, No More Moments, BDFM, Exit Strategy, and many more will perform.

Chase Padgett goes it solo in ‘6 Guitars’

One-man banned: Six-string samurai Chase Padgett 

by Christine Leonard

24 January 2017

The sonic brainchild of multi-talented performer Chase Padgett and writer/director Jay Hopkins, 6 Guitars is a one-man-jam that puts the drama back into music history. Invented in 2010, the Fringe-tested script exposed the inner worlds of six diverse and captivating characters all portrayed by the actor and musician Chase Padgett. Tracing the lives of six unique entertainers who each represent a different musical style; 6 Guitars navigates the labyrinth of emotion and memory with the ease of a well-rehearsed house band.

“To date I have done this show nearly 300 times,” says Padgett. “In fact, I will cross the 300 threshold while doing this run at the High Performance Rodeo. I have a co-creator named Jay Hopkins who helped me with the initial incarnation of it, but it has significantly evolved since then. If you do something several hundred times over the course of six years, you can’t help but embrace the evolutions that are naturally going to happen.”

Adapting to situation at hand is old hat to the stage-seasoned Padgett, who cut his teeth performing for the vacation-stressed masses in theme parks. His musical education and passion for comedic inventiveness have coalesced in an exhibition that combines visual and auditory stimulation with physical transformation.

“It manifests in the show as a 50/50 balance,” he explains. “About half music and half comedic storytelling. For me as an artist, having a 50/50 ratio is important. I perform as an improviser all of the time when I’m in Portland, but I also have a rich background in music including a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Central Florida. I really want to believe I hold equal footing in each world.”

A veritable chameleon of the craft, the young maestro, Padgett, morphs himself into an octogenarian blues player and an adolescent rocker as he invites the viewer to examine stereotypes from new and acute angles. Touching on the distinctiveness of jazz, classical, country and folk music guitar playing, he draws the listener into the heart of the monologue with expert timing.

“The real X-factor of the piece, so to speak, is the audience members that I’m interacting with on a show-to-show basis. The music and the genre really just becomes the medium to celebrate the individual who is experiencing the show at that time. And I do think that audience interaction is a huge part of it, because it’s one of those few times where live performance will always hold sway and advantage over any pre-recorded medium.”

Prepare for the riff-riding personalities behind 6 Guitars to set up residence in the Mom’s basement of your mind; Padgett’s ability to evoke the essence of a half-dozen authentic souls acting in-concert leaves a lasting impression.

“It’s the result of a combination of observational skills and a genuine reverence for the inspirational figures who are at the core of each character,” he says. “They are all anchored in people that I have encountered; they really pay homage to genuine human beings and their traits. A big part of the central thesis of the show is that genre is transparent. I would even argue that it’s an illusion. It’s very similar to the metaphor that the show holds between music and humanity. That we are all one species. We are all one people. We may sound different, but we’re all saying the same thing.”

Catch 6 Guitars during the final full week of High Performance Rodeo Jan. 23-28 at Lunchbox Theatre. 

The Shrine breed the sounds of Dogtown

Grinding Out a Gnarly Crossover
with The Shrine

by Christine Leonard
03rd, January 2017 

The chimeric hybrid of a gritty garage band and a pool-grinding gang of Dogtown delinquents, Venice Beach combo The Shrine has become accustomed to piercing the rock/metal veil in the pursuit of pure musical pleasure. A prime example of teenage fervor channeled into a constructive outlet, guitarist Josh Landau, bassist Court Murphy and drummer Jeff Murray erected The Shrine in 2008 out of a desire to hear something that was missing on their local scene.

“I was actually just 18 when we started this band,” says Landau.

“From the first time we jammed I wanted to be a singer, but I had only played guitar and sung some backups. I remember I was so frustrated at the time because there was nothing going on in Venice or in L.A. that I was really stoked on seeing. So, we were trying to stir up some action, get something going, have a good time, have a party, say some things that were in my head and see if people reacted the way I did too.”

After four years spent shaking the San Andreas Fault with their unfettered ampage, the band was signed to Tee Pee Records where they flourished; releasing their impactful psych-punk debut LP, Primitive Blast, in 2012. Subsequent tours across Europe and North America saw them filling venues and forging friendships with tour mates including Fu Manchu, Graveyard, Red Fang and Earthless.

“One of the last times we toured Europe we were with our buddies, the great German band, Kadavar from Berlin. They are really fun to hang out with and a great band; definitely worth checking out. Our friends over there have saved our asses so many times. Like whenever we get lost or an amp breaks. Now we’re to the point where you could drop us in Australia, or drop us in Japan, or even in Canada now, and we would know somebody to call to get us out of trouble!”

Somehow managing to stay on the right side of the law, they dutifully returned to the studio to record a second full-length album, Bless Off, in 2014. That flip of the heavy metal bird was followed a year later by the politically-inclined release, Rare Breed. An amalgam of The Shrine’s bold but discriminating influences, Bless Off and its bellicose brother, Rare Breed, introduced a swarming international fanbase to The Shrine’s by-now-signature crossover style.

“It’s tough,” Landau acknowledges.

“We’re just a straight-up rock band, but we get lumped in with the stoner thing when really our influences are coming from everywhere. We like a lot of different stuff, but we’re really doing the straight-up California thing. We are just as inspired by The Doors and Dylan as by Black Sabbath or Hendrix. It was kind of an issue until we found a little psychedelic scene here in Venice. Back then we’d go downtown and play at a punk show and we’d be ‘the Led Zeppelin band,’ but then we’d go to a metal show and be ‘the hardcore punk band.’ People would come up to us after the show ‘Yeah, I got it. But I didn’t… I liked it…. I liked the energy. Are you guys a metal band?’ And we’re like, ‘Who fuckin’ cares?!’ But now, since we’ve toured so much, when we come home we have so many friends we can just play to our own little world. Hell, yeah! L.A.’s real good right now. We do all kinds of stuff you can’t tell your parents about!”

And what exactly does that unspeakable mischievousness entail? According to Landau, The Shrine’s natural curiosity extends well beyond the musical realm.

“We’ve been developing a whole new style, and kind of reinventing ourselves, and demoing new shit, and trying to see what we can come up with next. Seeing if we can come up with something we like even more than the shit we did before. It’s been fun and really good. For us it’s about writing riffs and writing new songs and playing them and running a skateboard company (Eliminator) and making cool shit. We do a lot of different merch and cool skateboard shit and enjoy getting off on surprising people with how far we can take the idea of ‘being a band.’ You know? We’ve got some Converse shoes and skate-wheels and played in some different weird places and are just seeing what we can get away with in that respect.

Landau continues, “The last time we did a proper show in L.A. we did it at a warehouse where we decorated a whole warehouse like the Rare Breed album vibe; kinda like the jungles of Vietnam! We took over our friend’s motorcycle garage and packed like 1,500 people into a free party that had a mix of everybody: skaters, bikers, weirdos, hippies, whatever.”

While their skateboard ethos admonishes them to constantly keep on pushing, the Sweathog-esque threesome has gleaned enough wisdom to know when to hold up and get down to the task at hand.

“Lately, we’re just jamming constantly and working on a new album,” he confirms.

“We’re going to try to get it out in the first half of next year because we’ve got so many fuckin’ songs that we gotta get it out before we start losing them and moving on to other ones. Or, before we forget how to walk and all become mutants with our heads in the sand.”

There seems to be little danger of that. Leather jackets and surf culture don’t readily mix. But it’s good to know that Landau has a pair of deft conspirators at his side in Murphy and Murray.

“One of them is really good with a bow and arrow and the other one can drive really, really fast. You’ve gotta guess who.”

Better suited to getting behind the wheel than reinventing it, Landau and company have no Nostradamus-like predictions as to whether American music is on the cusp of a revolutionary renaissance. Sure, they’ve borrowed pages from the sacred texts of The Ramones to Black Flag, but in the end, the graffiti on The Shrine’s walls has always been written in their own cipher.

“My buddy was just up in the Bay Area at a show and Jello Biafra was there. And my buddy was going ‘Well, hey – the best punk came out of the Reagan years.’ And Jello interrupted him and went, ‘That’s absolutely not true! The best punk came out of the ‘70s!’ and I thought that was fucking great!”

As for their role in the coming Rapture, The Shrine forewarns that the rocky road to man’s ruin will be one Helluva joyride.

“Actually, we’ve got a really epic surprise that we’re going to debut at this show in Canada that’s going to revolutionize stuff for us! But I can’t say it yet. Even crazier than a Theremin. You’ll know it instantly when you see the show!”