CKXU at Sled Island 2024 Blog: Day 2
Another day of Sled Island has come and passed. Thursday night at Sled Island included performances from Soul Glo, Kari Faux, Oranje, and Cherry Glazerr! I actually was playing a gig at Pin Bar last night with the band Sentries, and we were billed with HARSH, Midnight Peg, and GRIMELDA. It was such a killer show but unfortunately it means I couldn’t give as many bands the same blog treatment as I did last night as I was caught up wearing my musician hat and not my blogger hat. However, I do have a few notes from the Pin Bar show and I even was able to sneak over to Dandy for the Oranje set before I had to scurry over to the Sentries gig.
7PM- Oranje
After posting yesterday’s blog I jumped down to catch the Albertan Emo Math-Rock Instrumentalists Oranje, play at Dandy Tasting Room. Dandy Tasting Room was a new venue for me to check out; I had never been there before but they’re one of Sled Island’s biggest sponsors for this years festival. The vibe there is seriously top notch. A great patio with a transparent garage door that looks into their “stage” which is just flat ground as all good indie stages should be. Getting artists on the floor with a desperate audience across from them is always going to be preferable to watching some band with your neck cranked at an obtuse angle.
So with the vibe right Oranje took the stage with a shimmering keyboard loop playing the band in. The band did a great job warming the crowd up into their set by not totally flexing the muscles in the first tune, which they very well could have done because all three of them are incredibly talented. Having recently graduated from the University of Calgary music program the power trio of Oranje also lend their talents to K-Riz’s live band as well as numerous other local acts.
Though Oranje is (mostly) an instrumental band they really prove that they do not need to rest behind a traditional front man in their sets. Being the powerful trio that they are, they find such a nice sonic balance with twinkling, lightly overdriven guitar tones synergizing so well with their 5 string bass and a cracking snare drum. The combined sound of the band cannot be overstated. Obviously the sound would be lost too if the songs weren’t as beautiful composed as Oranje’s songs are.
The first ~15 minutes of the set were pure instrumentals, with Joseph their guitarist not even introducing the songs before they kicked into each of them. Instead, 8 bar guitar loops bridged any gaps between songs that may have occurred within the set, the loops fit so well not only in a musical sense but it also signalled to the audience when one piece ended and another began. After a handful of tunes Oranje introduced Drew, the front person of Sunderer, another Calgary based band playing primarily post punk music to join them for a few more songs.
The dimension that Drew’s lyrics and performance added to the show was exquisite. A level of drama and angst that was hammered home through the thoughtful composition that beautifully intersected Drew’s pained lyrics and delivery. After the few brief but delightful conversations I have had with the band they claim that they don’t want to add a proper front-person to the band on a permanent basis, instead opting to work with different people as opportunities arise and make sense to the three of them. Claiming it helps keep their creative energy flowing by working with new people and also helps keep the music fresh for their ever-growing audience.
Drew left the stage and Oranje closed out their show with one last instrumental, featuring one last display of fantastic instrumental chops from each band member, in particular this near-polyrhythmic section where the drummer seemed to be feeling the song in 3 while the guitars were in 4, and then eventually alternating that feel across that section of song. An overall brilliant show by Oranje, and with thanks to Dandy Tasting Room, a fabulous start to my second day at Sled Island 2024. Keep up with all things Oranje with the links below and be on the loop out for an interview to be aired on CKXU featuring all three members of the trio!
Instagram: @oranjeband
Bandcamp: oranjeband.bandcamp.com
And check out Drew’s band Sunderer
Instagram: @sund.erer
This is where the blog is going to get even more informal than it already is as I headed to Pin Bar to prepare to join the band Sentries for their performance later in the night.
~8:45 Arrival at Pin Bar
I entered Pin Bar to find an already raucous crowd enjoying HARSH who for this gig painted their faces to look like one of the FBI’s most wanted gangs, Juggalos. While HARSH was able to keep the audience in check it’s no doubt that if they were not such professionals total chaos could have ensued if they let the dangerous Juggalos go wild in the venue. It’s a miracle really that their Juggalo laced crowd did not bump into some of the other most dangerous music-affiliated ganges such as The Swifties or Kanye Stans; sparks could have really flown under those circumstances. Props to Sled Island’s security team.
Joking aside, HARSH played a very fun set filled with fun facts and Faygo root beer, seriously. I have to commend HARSH on their ability to commit to the bit, it’s such fun times that make Sled special and an un-missable event to go to year after year. HARSH have been such a positive punk band to have in the heavy music scene and it’s a treat to have them be a Sled Island staple. Make sure to check out HARSH’s social media channels to not miss any other themed gigs.
Instagram: @harshtheband
Bandcamp: harshtheband.bandcamp.com
Up next was Edmonton’s Midnight Peg, who was a fantastic thematic choice to have come after Harsh. I had never had the pleasure of seeing them play live before but know of them through their associations in Alberta’s punk scene at large, and CKXU even has a few of their CD’s in our music library. Similar to Harsh, Midnight Peg put on a brilliant show however it didn’t feature any Juggalo make up; they made up for it by playing an incredibly tight set. They made it seem as if they had been practising and performing their songs for years and that energy ensured that they would be commanding the audience for the following 40 minutes.
The front woman of the band was the best kind of antagonist, creating a friendly energy through the music but calling out audience members between verses. Not enough to make anyone uncomfortable but enough to keep the audience on their toes and anticipating what comes next. Another thing Midnight Peg did so well was the composition of their set. HARSH plays to a very straight-ahead punk feel and to some degree Midnight Peg does as well but near the end of their set the songs got longer and more dynamically complex to properly showcase the full extent of their talents. Which ended up blending beautifully with the Sentries set as those songs much longer and larger in a sonic scope. Check out all of Midnight Peg’s social media channels and music here!
Instagram: @midnightpeg
Bandcamp: midnightpeg.bandcamp.com
Now the next band to perform was Sentries, who I have already mentioned I was filling in on drums for so I do not have the most unbiased look at the set we played so I will try to hit the key points as best as I can. The energy from the audience was so right, the crowd had thinned out a little bit which we could understand considering this was Sentries first gig juxtaposed to the gigging experience of HARSH and Midnight Peg. Elliot, Sentries frontman had added a new song of his to the set and didn’t quite have the lyrics figured out by the last jam so he ended up taping an old gas station receipt to the body of his guitar with all the lyrics written on it so he could find his way through the tune. It worked a treat both in function and as a great pre-set joke. Sentries covered the well known IDLES song “Colossus” which many audience members noticed quickly and made the performance of the song that much more special.
It all went very well and we can only hope for there to be more Sentries gigs in the future, maybe closer to Sentries HQ in Coaldale but for now that is tucked away in the collective Sentries conscience. After Sentries, GRIMELDA took the stage who I unfortunately had to miss due to loading my gear out and a strict bedtime to make time for press obligations early the next morning. Elliot however did catch their set and raved about their performance, and if Elliot liked it then they must be pretty sick he can be the best kind of choosey when it comes to his music taste. Check out Sentries and GRIMELDA music and social media below!
Sentries Instagram: @sentries.wav
Sentries Bandcamp: Sentriesband.bandcamp.com
GRIMELDA Instagram: @grimeldatheband
GRIMELDA Bandcamp: grimelda.bandcamp.com
That concludes CKXU’s second day at Sled Island 2024! Another fabulous day of performances and meeting friendly faces. Stay tuned to CKXU.com for tomorrow’s blog featuring a guest write up on the Mick Jenkins show happening at The Palace Theatre, as well as a recaps of many other shows happening at Sled Island 2024.
Photos by Kort Woycheshin, @flamesgrain on Instagram
Written by Jeremy Collier, CKXU’s Jazz Director