2011 events:

  • March 16
    • Thom Golub/Heather Segger/Chris Dadge
      Double bassist Golub is one of Alberta's finest improvising musicians, having run a seminal series of weird music in Edmonton (with The Improvisor's Network), his home base, and having played with a nice handful of players, including Shane Krause, Darren Williams, Bent Spoon Trio, and the late Dan Meichel. His work also emcompasses jazz, folk, and contemporary composition. Segger, a heavy, heavy player on the trombone, and also an ex-Edmontonian, resides in Toronto, where she plays with, among others, the Mark Segger Sextet, Blunt Object, and co-curates the very fine Leftover Daylight concert series (which has graciously played host to hometown acts such as the Bent Spoon Duo and Nomoreshapes). She has also worked with Dave Douglas, the ICP Orchestra, and Broken Social Scene. Dadge is well-known in the western Canadian music scene as the main force behind Bug Incision, as well as a prolific improvising percussionist and string mangler. His work has appeared on labels such as Holy Cheever Church, Brokenresearch Editions, and House of Alchemy, and aside from his groups Bent Spoon Duo, Midnighties, and Mama Safari, he's worked with Eric Chenaux, Mats Gustafsson, Peter Evans, Gordon Allen, and Rachael Wadham.
    • Free Nude Celebs
      Jordon Hossack's solo project. You know him from Azeda Booth, but this is an entirely different affair. The link is in Hossack's unique voice, but where the AB stuff is highly stylized and richly orchestrated, this work reveals his super-personal approach to melody, song structure, and phrasing, usually just accompanied by guitar. Check out his two new albums for download.
    • WEEDS CAFE (1903 20th AVE NW), 8-10pm, PAY WHAT YOU CAN, ALL AGES
  • March 19
    • Jeff Younger's Devil Loops / Leaney/Dadge duo / Eric Hamelin
      Vancouver's Jeff Younger appears to be one of the most insanely busy guitarists in the western half of Canada. One look at his website (www.jeffyounger.net) will attest to this. His group The Unsupervised visited Calgary in the summer of 2010, playing their superb compositions of open-ended jazz/rock pieces, he plays in a variety of pop, rock, and country units, and involves himself with a bunch of other groups straddling the line between jazz, improv, rock, and composed music. This time he's brining his solo act, Devil Loops, to the stage for a set, then sitting in with a couple Calgary mainstays. The Leaney/Dadge duo is a solid take on the classic tenor sax & drums tradition, and both individuals bring a developed, passionate voice their axes, and also usually some other stuff, including effects, small additional instruments, and the like. Their new album 'Continuity' is in preparation for release on Bug Incision, and will be available at the show. Eric Hamelin (known for his work with Nomoreshapes, Chad van Gaalen, Ryan Bourne, and Caveaged) is one of the city's finest percussionists, and one who seems to have, in the last year, developed a really solid and interesting voice as a solo performer. He combines straight drum chops with strings (violin, cello, and/or guitars, usually) with electronics, to create a coherent, visceral blend. His forthcoming Bug Incision album will provide further evidence of this.
    • WEEDS CAFE (1903 20th AVE NW), 8-10pm, PAY WHAT YOU CAN, ALL AGES
  • April 6
    • YANKEE YANKEE /// Protagonist/Antagonist /// SCOTT MUNRO
    • YANKEE YANKEE:
      The solo project from Whitney Ota, the main man behind Unit Structure Recordings, a member of (Dundas with Stew Elton) and a buncha other projects. Take heed: "Yankee Yankee is the continuous sound development of Whitney Ota. Recently exploring synth and guitar realms Yankee Yankee attempts to disturb the activity of the mind by entrancing it with arpeggio pulse and ea...r piercing guitar harmonics. Drawing inspiration from many areas for this project, reference points like Eleh/Silver Bullets/Cluster/Goblin/Sun Araw/Early Popol Vuh may be drawn upon but approaching these influences with Sonic Youth's "kill yr idols" mentality."

      PROTAGNIST/ANTAGONIST:
      Mr. Larry McDowell, who has been appearing at Calgary's werido music settings with a wonderful regularity, is also one of the core components of Discord. Nothing like a little give n' take. He'll be performing another one of his finely honed improvisations for his electronics rig, which now has gear in it that I can't really identify. One of the most consistently rewarding performers on the scene right now.

      SCOTT MUNRO:
      Of the Bent Spoon Duo, Lab Coast, Chad van Gaalen, Gunther, Blanket, blah blah blah. While working on compiling a solo album for Bug Incision, Monty has stumbled across a variety of excellent performance modes. It might be prepared baritone guitar, sampler(s), viola, voice, or all of these things. Always a nice, direct shot of mangled melody and scratchiness.
    • WEEDS CAFE (1903 20th AVE NW), 8-10pm, PAY WHAT YOU CAN, ALL AGES
  • April 25
    • Nilan Perrera /// Bent Spoon Duo + Jay Crocker /// Beneath These Idle Tides
    • WEEDS CAFE (1903 20th AVE NW), 8-10pm, PAY WHAT YOU CAN, ALL AGES
    • Nilan Perera is a guitarist from Toronto, and he's worked with artists such as Jandek, both Parkers Evan and William, Susanna Hood, and many more. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7 UAxQ_aSfw)

      Chris Dadge is a percussionist from Calgary, and he's worked with artists such as Bent Spoon Duo, Mats Gustafsson, Eric Chenaux, and Lab Coast.

      Jay Crocker is a guitarist/multi-instrument alist from Calgary (for a short time more...) , and he's worked with artists such as Ghostkeeper, Nomoreshapes, and as a solo artist.

      Scott Munro is a multi-instrumentalist from Calgary, and he's worked with artists such as Chad van Gaalen, Bent Spoon Duo, Peter Evans, and Gunther.

      Beneath These Idle Tides is Myke Atkinson, a multi-instrumentalist from Calgary, who's worked with artists such as Azeda Booth and Kris Ellestad, and is responsible for many other excellent things in the city.
  • May 16
    • Garf-Jovi (Montreal / Calgary)

      Jesse Locke and Jeremy Curry first made experimental music together as founding members of the free-improv psych/kraut clusterfuck Space Rabies (one of the only bands known to be banned from the Marquee Room). Two years later, with both members playing in numerous groups and solo incarnations, Jesse returns from a sojourn in Montreal for the first performance from this new duo project. Mixing mind-scrambling electronics with all manner of auxiliary instrumentation, it's sure to defy logic and expectations.

    • Yankee Yankee

      Yankee Yankee is the continuous sound development of Whitney Ota. Recently exploring synth and guitar realms Yankee Yankee attempts to disturb the activity of the mind by entrancing it with arpeggio pulse and ear piercing guitar harmonics. Drawing inspiration from many areas for this project, reference points like Eleh/Silver Bullets/Cluster/Goblin/Sun Araw/Early Popol Vuh may be drawn upon but approaching these influences with Sonic Youth's "kill yr idols" mentality.

    • Chimes of Our Lives (duo of Chris Dadge and Jean-Sebastian Audet)

      This is the duo of Chris Dadge (Bent Spoon Duo, Midnighties, Lab Coast, Mama Safari) on drums and Jean-Seabstian Audet (Faux Fur, Pencil Ledged, Wealth Plant) on electric guitar. Though the two have worked together before in Audet's Faux Fur project during the month of August 2010, this will be their debut performance as an improvising duo.

    • WEEDS CAFE (1903 20th AVE NW), 8-10pm, PAY WHAT YOU CAN, ALL AGES
  • May 20
    • Longhand
      This is the trio of Tony Wilson on guitar, Russell Sholberg on double bass, and Skye Brooks on drumset. Them three are well-known for their work in a large array of Vancouver ensembles. Wilson has been on the British Columbia music scene for a good stretch, making his presnece known specifically in Vancouver in that city's scene of creative players. He's led the Tony Wilson 5tet (of which the other 2/3 of Longhand are members) and Tony Wilson Sextet, collaborated with a variety of other improvisors (William Parker, Wilbert de Joode, and Han Bennink among them), and has maintained a fine solo outlet, on the record Horses Dream and on stages, including a Bug Incision show in Calgary a few years back. Sholberg and Brooks are equally well-traveled, the two having logged hours with the Aeroplane Trio (whose recent Drip Audio set is fantastic), and individually with Fond of Tigers, Co-Pilots, Inhabitants (Brooks) and Pugs and Crows and Cat Toren Band (Sholberg). As could be expected from such combined CVs, the music covers a lot of ground, shuffling between Scorch Trio-style burners to straighter numbers which recall Gone Just Like A Train-era Bill Frisell trios. On tour in support of their new CD.
    • XL Hippie
      Is the new duo of Chris Dadge and Eric Hamelin. The two have been making the scene in Calgary for near a decade now, playing in a healthy sampling of the city's pop, jazz, and avant-garde combos. Dadge's work with the Bent Spoon Duo, the Leaney/Dadge duo, Lab Coast, Jay Crocker, Midnighties, Raw Kites, and collaborations with Eric Chenaux, Peter Evans, and Mats Gustafsson has prepared him well for this duo. Hamelin has put in time with Nomoreshapes, Caveaged, Chad van Gaalen, Ryan Bourne, and has worked with Zubots Josh and Jesse, Calvin Johnson, Chris Schlarb, and others.
    • Terrible Crayon
      Mark Fleischhaker has been committed to making bizzarre, perverse, and self-informed music for the better part of his life. It also happens to be top-notch. He's been seen recently playing in the semi-improvised rock trio Lord Something (with Scott Munro and Chris Dadge), and he's also been a part of the all-vocals Fleischhaker-Munro duo, Ole!, and Coverage, a Descendents/All tribute band.
    • WEEDS CAFE (1903 20th AVE NW), 8-10pm, PAY WHAT YOU CAN, ALL AGES
  • JUNE 2 @ Cantos: David Haney solo and w/ Chris Dadge, Aaron Leaney

    • Doors at 7:30pm, sets at 8:00pm (solo) and 9:00pm (groups)
      Cover is $5 suggested donation, all ages

    • David Haney is a pianist from Portland. He grew up in Calgary during his pre-adult life, and then moved to the US to pursue his musical studies at a variety of institutions. For the early poriton of his career, Haney mainly concerned himself with composition, but upon switching his focus to performing in the late 1990s, he was soon touring and playing with the likes of Roswell Rudd, Julian Priester, and John Tcichai. He has since recorded and performed with Han Bennink, Wilbert de Joode, Andrew Cyrille, Dominic Duval, and others, mostly for the highly regarded free jazz/improv label Cadence. (http://haneydavid.tripod.com/)

      Haney will perform solo, and in combination with Chris Dadge and Aaron Leaney.

    • Chris Dadge is a drummer/percussionist from Calgary. His work in an improvising context ranges from full-kit playing to more minute investigations of texture and found sound. Dadge is the principal organizer behind Bug Incision, and also plays in a variety of projects in the city including Bent Spoon Duo, Lab Coast, Midnighties, XL Hippie, and Mama Safari. On stage and on record, he's collaborated with, among others, Eric Chenaux, Mats Gustafsson, Peter Evans, Gordon Allen, and Josh Zubot. (http://www.bugincision.com/chrisdadge)

    • Aaron Leaney is a tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, flautist, keyboardist, improvisor, and composer. He has split his time during the last decade between Calgary and Toronto (where he studied at Humber), and performs regularly in a number of ensembles, including the Aaron Leaney Three (a project showcasing his open-ended jazz compositions), the Leaney/Dadge duo, and an ongoing solo vehicle utilizing numerous instruments and effects. He also has a number of albums available, both self-issued and through Bug Incision. (http://aaronleaney.com)

    • Cantos Music Foundation: 134 11th Ave SE
  • June 15
    • Burro - a new improvised-rock supergroup featuring Whitney Ota (Yankee Yankee), Stew Elton (No River), and Andrew Hume (Seizure Salad, Extra Happy Ghost)

      Protagonist Antagonist - Larry McDowell solo!

      Hamelin/Fisk - Eric Hamelin on drums and Simon Fisk on bass, with possible guest.
    • WEEDS CAFE (1903 20th AVE NW), 8-10pm, PAY WHAT YOU CAN, ALL AGES
  • July 13
    • JC+YC
      JC+YC is an improvisational electronic duo. Heavy rumbles, dark wavy pulsating grooves, sticky marshmallow chunks, whale sounds, and harsh tones are some of the things you can expect from these two slobs. It's like falling flat on your face in a sewer, with a C.H.U.D. rave in full force. You will feel like you have been swimming in hawaiian punch for hours after experiencing Jeremy Curry and the Yellow Circle.
    • Bitter Fictions
      Bitter Fictions is the solo guitar/loop project of Devin Friesen. "Catchy '90s drenched guitar abuse in the vein of Trumans Water or Pavement complete with era-perfect ennui'd vocals with warm, lush bedroom drones sandwiched between", says Kevin Boyer from Sloth Records. "'90s-style noise rock from the Touch and Go/Quarterstick axis [...] Feedback-laced fun from start to finish, yet not for the faint of heart", says Jesse Locke in FFWD Weekly.
    • Chris Dadge
      Solo performance from percussionist Chris Dadge, in the vein of the solo cassette releases that have been trickling out. Member of Bent Spoon Duo, Midnighties, Lab Coast, Lord Something, and runner of Bug Incision.
    • WEEDS CAFE (1903 20th AVE NW), 8-10pm, PAY WHAT YOU CAN
  • August 11
    • A special Bug Incision presentation at Cantos:

      Simeon Abbott is a pianist and guitarist from Toronto. He works regularly with such groups as Lamp Chops (a duo with Colin Fisher who have a disc out on Bug Incision), Ghost Eye (with Steve Ward and Dan Gauchet), Danielle Duval, the Parker-Abbott Piano Duo, and his solo songs project, Cat Fur Omelette. His playing has suitably diverse breadth, from "odd-meter groove to swing to ECM-like lyricism to free improvisation, his playing seeks to abolish the typical." 

      This set sees him on an instrument that usually he does get to utilize in free improvised contexts in Calgary. He will be performing on two different pianos, solos and in duo with Chris Dadge (percussion, of Bent Spoon Duo, Lab Coast, etc).

      www.reverbnation.com/simeo ​nabbott
      www.bugincision.com/chrisd ​adge

      Also on the bill this evening is the new-found duo of Josh Fraser (aka Suicide Bomber) and Aaron Sereda (aka nR, and runner of the No Face concert series). A few weeks ago, Whitney Ota hosted a great night of truly ad hoc playing at Frosst Books, and I witnessed these two get down with just vocals and delay through a PA, and it was great. Can't wait to see it again.

      www.myspace.com/bombtechni ​que
      www.myspace.com/aaronsered ​a

      There might be one more artist added, we'll see.

      Cantos: 134 11th Ave SE
      Doors at 7:30, music starts around 8
      Pay What You Can (traveling artist!)
      Feel free to bring non-alcoholic beverages, as there will be nothing for sale
  • August 17
    • nR is the solo project of Aaron Sereda (who just played a fantastic set last week at Cantos) is a multi-faceted beast that seems to have a healthy number of modes for performance. This is a specially requested set of Sereda's monolithic, hypnotic keyboard work. Gonna be good. 

      Jeff McGregor is a fine player of the saxophone, both the alto and soprano varieties, as well as the flute or clarinet. He is also an accomplished drummer, having spent many years on the road with Tynald Ronler's celebrated sextet. On this night he will be performing a selection of works for solo alto saxophone, derived from concepts he developed while working as head recording engineer for classicial saxophone CDs for the Naxos label. He has since returned to Calgary, and is treating us to this performance.

      Hate Brahms is a duo made up of Jean-Sebastian Audet and Michael Halls. These two play together in Faux Fur, and the recently-minted incarnation of the You Are Minez live band. Their debut on the Bug Incision stage last December was noisy and great. More please.
  • August 23
    • Josh Zubot is in town for a very brief spell, and he will play what is sure to be a raging duo set with our very own hero Eric Hamelin on the drums & whatnot. For anyone who hasn't heard Zubot (yep, his brother is Jesse, the west-coast representer of killing violin playing) in action, it's difficult to find a way to hype it adequetely. He is an absolute monster, in a whole spectrum of styles and scenes, and he can mostly recently be heard on the flat-out wonderful album Subtle Lip Can (with co-conspirators Isiah Ceccarelli and Bernard Falaise). which was released on Drip Audio earlier this year. 

      Hamein is one of the main pillars of improvised music in Calgary, having honed his skills in Nomoreshapes (with our old pal Jay Crocker), Caveaged (with Brad Hawkins, and occasionally Ryan Bourne), and with his more-recent string of really great solo performances, utlilzing drums, percussion, guitar, cello, and violin. He's fresh off the road with Chad van Gaalen (one of his handful of 'straight' gigs), and it'll be a pleasure to see him again.
    • Bent Spoon Duo
    • WEEDS CAFE (1903 20th AVE NW), 8-10pm, PAY WHAT YOU CAN
  • September 22
    • JP CARTER, a bitchin' trumpet player who has graced Calgary numerous times over the last decade. You might know his lyrical, effects-saturated trumpet stylings from such projects as the Inhabitants, Carsick, Aeroplane Trio, Fond of Tigers, Great Aunt Ida, Destroyer, and many more. He's gonna sit in with:

      The Bent Spoon Duo, who is comprised of Chris Dadge and Scott Munro, playing a bunch of strings, percussion, and samplers. They do their best to render the sources of their sounds unidentifiable, and they figured that ol' JP would be able to worm his way in there no problem.
    • IILS;YLS is the solo project of Noah Michael (Brain Fever, Pine Tarts etc.). IILS;YLS is like Calvinball or the Beatles, with my only consistent method is to try something different every time. After participating at a Noise-Roulette show during Choose Yer Own fest I got really excited about Noise! This all marks our return to Weeds cafe after our first 2 shows there 6 years ago.
    • WEEDS CAFE (1903 20th AVE NW), 8-10pm, PAY WHAT YOU CAN
  • bug incision and weird canada present:

    J A N D E K live in concert

    Friday, October 21, 2011
    Calgary, Alberta
    Cantos Music Foundation (134 11th Ave SE)
    Doors at 8:00, Show at 8:30
    with guests:
    Mark Dicey, percussion
    Scott Munro, trombone

    Saturday, October 22, 2011
    Edmonton, Alberta
    The Artery (9535 Jasper Ave)
    Doors at 8:00, Show at 8:30
    with guests:
    Tom Murray, bass
    Eric Cheng, keyboards
    Sean McIntosh, drums

    Tickets available in advance or at the door:

    $15 adult / $10 student

    Calgary: Hot Wax Records, Sloth Records, online (via Paypal)
    contact: bugincision@hotmail.com

    Edmonton: Listen Records, Blackbyrd Myoozik, online (via Eventbrite)
    contact: aaron@cantorrecords.com

    For more information on JANDEK:
    Guide To Jandek: http://tisue.net/jandek/

    CANCELLED - to be rescheduled for early 2012

  • November 9, 2011:
    • Mugbait:
      These guys from Edmonton got in touch a little while back, and we're glad they did. Super tense, noisy little electronic vignettes, from what's been heard so far. Looking forward to it.http://www.myspace.com/ mugbait

      Leaney/Dadge duo:
      Aaron Leaney have been playing as a duo since 2006, when they released their first album of liver performances, 'Duo'. Since then they've continued to make appearances in various formations and settings, including more of this duo, as well as Leaney's trio and other projects. Their last album 'Continuity' was released on Bug Incision in early 2011. http://aaronleaney.com/http:// www.bugincision.com/ chrisdadge

      Also, Free Nude Celebs will play. It's been a while, and it's always awesome to have ol' Jordon and his great tunes.
    • WEEDS CAFE (1903 20th AVE NW), 8-10pm, PAY WHAT YOU CAN
  • December 7, 2011:
    • DARKLILY
      This is the combined efforts of Lyle Pisio (sax, possibly/probably something else, too) and Mark Dicey (percussion, piles of junk). The two are well known outside the world of music, Pisio as a animator of great invention and detail, Dicey as a visual artist working in various mediums, but both are also situated deeply within the history of Calgary free music scene. The bands tokyosexwhale, Tomato Tomato, Scum de Terre, Street of Crocodiles, and Superdeluxegasjockey have all benefited from the presence of these two. Their work on their respective instruments speaks to the lineage of freely improvised music (I've always thought there were nice parallels to groups like Los Angeles Free Music Society and Smegma, Nihilist Spasm Band, the A Band, etc) but they've also injected healthy doses of their own personalities. It's been a while since they've hit the stage, and I, for one, am stoked.

      MIDNIGHTIES with MONTY
      Cody Oliver and Chris Dadge comprise this sundry duo of guitar and percussion. Both favour the option to enhance their sounds with crummy amplification, and a have inclinations towards the denser end of note dispersion. Cody's involvement with Nach Hause, the organization whose demise directly preceded Bug Incision's inception, makes for a nice inter-generational pairing. They will be joined by the very fine Scott "Monty" Munro, on viola and trombone, probably amplified as well. Check out samples of their stuff on http:// www.bugincision.com/ bim-44.html

      LAND...SINK
      This is the mystery set of the night. Shawn Dicey (of the low-frequency end of Lab Coast, and in the past a member of Ox, Jane Vain, and Koichi's Portable Ashtray) has mentioned that elements of the performance will include a TV, an answering machine, and guitar. No idea what to expect, but it's gonna be good.
    • WEEDS CAFE (1903 20th AVE NW), 8-10pm, PAY WHAT YOU CAN
    • December 15, 2011
      Bug Incision and Unit Structure Sound Recordings Present:

      Burro
      The trio of Whitney Ota (Yankee Yankee, proprietor of Unit Structure Sound Recordings, host of White Lodge Black Lodge on CJSW), Stew Elton (of No River), and Andrew Hume (of Seizure Salad and burrito-making fame) has been ripping it up all over town this year. They've got a very natural, uncontrived approach to the guitar/bass/drums format, improvising freely, stretching out loose-limbed, primal bass & drum interplay and splashing various guitar heroics all over the top. This night will be in honour of two new releases from this unit, a cdr on Bug Incision and a tape on USSR. 

      Mama Safari
      This project from Chris Dadge and Scott Munro (aka Craig & Bud) has recently taken to the stage, after two 'studio' albums (the first of which is out on snappy green & yellow tape format, the second of which is comin' soon) and a live-performance-oriented series of live practices (which will also see the light of day on various upcoming cassettes). The music is instrumental, sometimes catchy, more often disorientingly druggy-sounding, and features the extensive use of Casios, samplers, and drum machines. 

      Protagonist/Antagonist
      Larry McDowell's had his head down, creating clean, well-crafted pieces of music all on his own. Sometimes it happens towards the abstract side of things, more suggestive in its forms than overt, but he's also recently been dipping his toes into the waters of party-friendly dance-y music.

      Fraser-Sereda
      Josh Fraser (Suicide Bomber) and Aaron Sereda (nR, and runner of the very fine No Face concert series) combined forces a few months back at an event Whitney Ota put together. That event was an open-call night of strange mash-ups, one of which was the vocals-only duo of Fraser-Sereda. The set one of the most memorable of the year, I'd reckon, finding a delicate balance between absurdity and profundity. These dudes need to make a record.

      The night will commence around 7:30, and be done before midnight, I believe.
    • Tubby Dog: #103, 1022 17 Ave SW