It’s that time of the year when most of us look forward to getting outside, browning our pale winter skin, and seeing some shows–and I for one am very happy to be back in Alberta for this special season after years of absence!
There are some great concerts coming up in our region in the next two months, so if you haven’t hooked yourself up with tickets yet, You’re going to want to get in line before It’s too late. If You’re not sure which concerts to throw your pennies at, here is a little compilation of the dates I think you should be seriously considering:
June 29 ? The White Stripes
Undoubtedly this will be impossible to grab tickets for unless you plan a Detroit Rock City-esque attack on Calgary on the night of the concert, but for those of you who are really into this band, you went and bought tickets the second you heard about the tour. Jack and Meg White are back after announcing an indeterminate hiatus while Jack recorded with the Raconteurs; after the release of Icky Thump with the White Stripes this February, however, this is gonna be a show not to be missed. Apparently the anniversary show in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, sold out in a mere 12 minutes.
July 5 – Vans Warped Tour
After some initial confusion about the Alberta location for Warped, it looks like we’re doing it up in Calgary after all (probably because everyone, including myself, whined to no end that we’d have to drive to Edmonton and break years of tradition). Who’s on stage this year? While I’ve already revealed the heartbreaking news that Anti-Flag and NOFX are not on the bill, we do have Bad Religion and Pennywise as our headliners and a few decent subliners to add into the mix, like Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Killswitch Engage, and New Found Glory.
July 18 and 19 ? Rise Against
Now here’s what I’m really looking forward to, and if you want to see them live you better have your tickets already! Ticketmaster has sold out for both the Calgary dates and the Edmonton show, so while you might be able to grab some seriously expensive tickets from an online scalper, chances are you just aren’t going. The boys are back in Canada for a few dates after only recently finishing up their nationwide tour with Anti-Flag and Moneen, so we’re incredibly lucky to have them back so soon.
July 26 ? Nickelback
For all you fiercely proud Albertan rockers, Nickelback is home and playing in Calgary with Puddle of Mudd, State of Shock, and Daughtry. They aren’t really for me but I know so many of you wouldn’t miss it for anything. For that old-school rock vibe That’s inescapable in every car or pickup throughout the province, this is one of those homegrown events you really ought not to miss.
Get onto Ticketmaster, hound those scalpers, do what you’ve gotta do, but don’t waste the summer! I’ll be chiming in with my thoughts and hopefully some non-blurry pics of the Warped Tour and Rise Against so maybe I’ll see some of you there. Have a blast!