The Vandits: Rolling Heavy Through Calgary

The Vandits Vanuary Fundraiser
is Generating desert heat
in the heart of winter 

20 January 2018

By Christine Leonard 

Show a little class and stand by your van.

Once a year Calgary’s legendary Vandits Van Club throws an epic camp-out under the wide prairie skies. Raising a stage and riding the lightning to a remote rural location in central Alberta, the cadre of van-enthusiasts pack their coolers with ice and their impromptu grandstand with a procession of daring musicians drawn from miles around. Vantopia sets the tone for the summer to come and leaves attendees with ringing ears and visions of tornadoes dancing in the rearview. We asked Cory Martens, vice president and founding member of Vandits VC, and owner/operator of Twinbat Sticker Company, for the low down on the motor club's upcoming Vanuary fundraiser in support of Alberta’s own desert rock showdown. 

BeatRoute: Who are Vandits VC?
Vandit Cory Martens: Vandits VC are a van club from Calgary. We only like vintage vans, beer, and rock ‘n’ roll.

BR: How did The Palomino Smokehouse become the de facto hangout for Vandits VC?
CM: The owner, Arlen (Smith) and I go way back. We got to talking a bunch of years ago about how we both had just acquired boogie vans. We decided we should drive them together. The rest is kind of history. I don’t exactly know how we got to 16 members! Just rad people buying rad vans, I guess. Aside from basically being our clubhouse, The Pal is just a bitchin’ venue.

BR: What’s the deal with the Vanuary Fundraiser show?
CM: Vanuary is our Winter Van Jam…sans vans. We like to keep the vanning spirit going even in the winter by getting club members and other buddies to learn a bunch of vannin’ tunes. It’s always a riot. It also acts as a fundraiser for Vantopia. This year we have Electric Owl, Riff Pigeon (a Woodhawk redux), RAW, Buffalo Bud Buster, 2/3rds of Nothing, Stab Twist Pull and a special Vandits VC Supergroup (think Denim Machine meets Chron Goblin)!
 

BR: Tell us about the Vantopia event that the Club puts on at the start of summer. CM: Vantopia is our gigantic annual blowout. Three days of partying in the country with a tonne of vans, bands and beer. We usually have around 20 bands from all over to provide the soundtrack to partying in your van. We’ve noticed that over the years the number of tents has greatly diminished, while the number of vans has increased significantly. Last year we had around 80 boogie vans. It seems our message is being heard!  

BR: What do you have in store for Vantopia in 2018?
CM: This year will be number six. This year we’ve already confirmed a bunch of bands that are gonna blow some people’s minds. Also, Matchstick from Custom Vanner Magazine will be coming all the way from Los Angeles again this year to MC. That's always a riot. Our goal is for everyone to have a safe time partying their brains out.

BR: So, how does one become a “Vandit”? How do I know if my van is worthy?CM: Our members are mostly just a bunch of best friends that happen to own vans. As for what a sweet ride looks like, I’ll tell you what we don’t hate: side pipes, a jacked-up booty, and mag wheels. No VW, no FWD. 

BR: My Grandparents are touring the Baja in their RV. How does joining a Van-Club stack up in terms of the ultimate retirement plan?
CM: Are you asking if there’s money in vanning? Hahahahaha. Well, there isn’t. But who’s to say you can’t quit your job, sell your house and live in your van? No one. 

BR: Other than attending the Vanuary show, how can people support Vandits VC and Vantopia?
CM: Buy our stuff, our merch game is strong: http://vanditsvc.bigcartel.com/ 

Vandits VC Vanuary Fundraiser in support of Vantopia 2018 featuring:  

Electric Owl, Riff Pigeon (a Woodhawk redux), RAW, Buffalo Bud Buster, 2/3rds of Nothing, Stab Twist Pull and a special Vandits VC Supergroup happens January 27 at The Palomino Smokehouse (Calgary) 

“Stand by your Van” a short documentary video from Vantopia 3.  

CM: “It’s a pretty decent representation of what goes on there.”  

Black Mastiff: Another Trip Around the Sun

Harlo’s B-day: 

The Palomino’s pitmaster celebrates

02 January 2018By Christine Leonard 

Calgary’s heavy metal honky-tonk bar celebrates their favourite birthday bash with headliners, Black Mastiff.

Laps around the sun, zeros on the odometer, pints of lager downed, pounds of shredded pork consumed – there are innumerable ways to count the rings on the tree when it comes to calculating the duration of one’s existence. And in the case of The Palomino Smokehouse’s pitmaster, Arlen “Harlo” Smith, the annual bash thrown in honour of his birthday is the best way to mark the passage of time in a manner that’s sure to resonate over the course of the next year. 

“I was born in ‘73,” says Smith, doing the math. “I’ll be 45!”  

A fine vintage to have achieved, but it’s not his first rodeo by any stretch of the imagination. Like Harlo (Smith’s alter ego) himself, these annual whoop-ups have a bit of a track record around Calgary. 

“We did this back at the Drum (& Monkey Public House), although it was a little less exciting at the Drum. This will be the sixth one here at The Palomino. It’s never really on the day of my birthday unless my birthday happens to fall on a Saturday because nobody wants to go to a fuckin’ rock show on a Sunday. My birthday’s on a Monday this year,” he grumbles. “Truth be told, I don’t really give two shits about my birthday, I just like a good rock show! And in January it’s hard to get a good rock show.” 

Ironically, despite presenting incendiary and mind-blowing musical acts throughout the year at his showroom and eatery, the amber-bearded Smith rarely has the opportunity to stop and savour the sounds coming from the venue’s two stages. Thus, curating a wishlist of bands especially for his birthday is truly the best gift the dedicated owner/operator could receive, as it gives him a license to join the crowd on the other side of the bar. Not that he ever stands still for very long. 

“This party is essentially just an excuse for me to bring in bands that are probably too expensive to play this room normally. It’s like, fuck it, you work hard all year long and you deserve to do something totally self-serving once a year on your birthday. Out of all the shows we bring through I probably get to watch about four a year, this is one of them. Even at the birthday party, I’m still working. I’m so fuckin’ mild now. I’ve totally mellowed in my old age. Ah, that’s not true I’ve still got plenty of anger,” he says with a chuckle. “This is one of the four times over the year that I actually get to let it go and party!” 

2018’s festivities will likely prove to be no exception with a trio of groove-heavy bands slated to perform amidst the establishment’s heavenly garlic and brisket-scented atmosphere. Promising an equally drool-worthy menu of hard-rockin' entertainment, Smith has a meaty trio of bands lined-up to ensure the evening is packed with heavy hooks and gritty gusto. 

Rolled out in his customary whiskey-cured, business-casual fashion, Harlo’s B-Day bash is destined to set an auspicious tone for the year to come. And what better way to defrost your January blues than by cozying up to some dry ribs, sparkling suds and face-melting riffs with a few dozen of your closest Palo-pals? 

“This is just a roomful of people I enjoy,” confirms Smith. “It’s all my buds, and all the bands, and all the people who come to rock shows and the people in my van club. It’s just a party. That’s what I like about it.” 

 Don’t miss Harlo Davidson’s Birthday celebration with Black Mastiff, Woodhawk and Denim Machine Jan. 6 at The Palomino Smokehouse and Social Club (Calgary)