Dan and Ryan Blog

We're two guys who want to share all the cool things we find. We post four times a day, Monday to Friday.

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one of the craziest endings to a football game came this past Thanksgiving weekend in the states. Tie game, no time left on the clock. Alabama is about to attempt a 57 yard field goal with their backup kicker.

-R

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Music Video of the Week: I Love You - Said The Whale

So as the month of a November comes to a close, the city of Calgary gets hit by a bunch of great touring acts. On Monday, we saw the insanely epic Nine Inch Nails put on a stellar show at the dome. Last night, Head of the Herd took on Republik. Tonight, my high school rugby coach will be playing with his band, Dojo Workhorse, minutes before Said the Whale takes the stage at the MacEwan Ballroom. Tomorrow, Canadian rapper Drake will take stage at the Dome, if you're into that kind of thing. And to cap off a wild week, on Monday rock legends, Pearl Jam, will take over the Saddledome. I swear concerts hit this city in waves.

Now whenever Said the Whale is brought up, I always like to mention my own personal connection to the band. I have parents. My parents own a condo out on Vancouver Island. One of the neighbors that owns a condo out there is a retired school teacher from Vancouver. She worked with another woman at her school. That woman had a daughter. And that daughter plays keyboards in a band called Said the Whale. And now you know.

I guess you could say we're pretty tight.

Seriously though, check out the show if you get the chance and enjoy the weekend!

-R

P.S. The music video is a parody of Most Extreme Elimination Challenge so what's not to love?

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Music Video of the Week: Hurt - Nine Inch Nails

So tonight, living rock legends Nine Inch Nails finally pay a trip to the Saddledome. This is the concert I've been looking forward to most ever since Mumford and Sons. It's gonna be wild if you get the chance to see Trent Reznor in person tonight.

Hurt is featured today as my favourite song from the band. I just don't think you can beat the piano progressions. I also really like this straight instrumental version as well.

The song was actually covered by the late great Johnny Cash in 2002, shortly before he died the following year. Many people feel that Johnny Cash perfected the song but I still feel that NIN does it better. To each their own. Feel free to give each a listen and make your mind up for yourself.

-R

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Last week when Winnipeg was in Chicago, a fan stole former Flame Adam Pardy's helmet. Tonight, Chicago is in Winnipeg and there has been talk of fans might wear hockey helmets to the game in reference to the incident.

-R

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During last night's game against the Blue Jackets, Reto Berra made a candidate for "Save of the Year". I just can't stop watching it.

-R

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Somebody decided to mix this Thai insurance commercial with the Dead Island trailer song. What happens next catches you completely off guard.

-R

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Pretty much sums up hitting on girls at a bar.

-R

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Jimmy Fallon likes to have fun with his guests, and sometimes will play games with them. In this case, he plays a very dangerous game called Egg Roulette with Tom Cruise.

-R

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An incredible solution to rush hour woes, this "zipper truck" adds an extra lane depending on the direction of traffic.

-R

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Music Video of the Week: The Mother We Share - CHVRCHES

One of the best bands that I discovered at Sasquatch Music Festival last May was a new Scotish band called CVRCHES (pronounced "Churches"). I think this particular song is a great testament as to why they stood out to most festival goers this year. It was released as a single and has gradually gained momentum giving the band some great international acclaim including a performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Recently, X92.9 has been hosting online Music Advisory Panel (MAP) surveys where the listeners could rate a sample of the songs played on the station. Sure that's great, whatever. But at the end of one of their surveys last month they asked for some suggestions for new songs and I listed a few including this synthetic masterpiece. Cut to last Thursday, I'm driving in my car and hear what else but this song come on as a new cut added to the rotation. I may not have been the only one to suggest this song, but needless to say, I'm pretty proud to say that I at least helped contribute to the station.

-R

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Music Video of the Week: Guns and Ammunition - July Talk

This is a good weekend to be a music fan in Calgary as three quality bands come to Cow Town.

It all begins tonight at the Saddledome, when legendary rock band KISS finally take the stage. The band was originally scheduled for the final Saturday of the Stampede, but of course the June floods effectively postponed the show. Now, four months later, Calgary's KISS fans will get to rock and roll all night.

Then tomorrow, two big indie rock shows will hit YYC, beginning with Hollerado at Republik. The band from Ottawa has made a habbit of playing shows in Calgary, making stops here 5 times in the past 3 years. But the last time this band played happened to be during the Sled Island music festival on Wednesday, June 19. I was originally planning on going to that show, but a heavy rainstorm kept me at home. Twenty four hours later the water from that storm turned into the devastating Calgary floods. Hopefully tomorrow night's show will be a bit more accessible.

And finally, the cream of the crop, July Talk will be playing the Gateway tomorrow night as well. Don't let SAIT's bar venue fool you, it's actually an excellent to go watch an intimate show from a lesser known band. I can make a huge testament to it from the incredible shows I've seen from Family of the Year and Wildlife earlier this year. I can't imagine July Talk would even threaten to take a step down.

There's a big opportunity to see some great live music this weekend and I really hope you get to take advantage of it.

-R

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Former Flame Adam Pardy (now of the Jets) takes a big hit in Chicago that gave a very drunk fan the opportunity of a lifetime.

-R

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Walk Off The Earth's Sarah Blackwood is joined by two (attractive) friends to cover Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball. What more do you want for a Thursday afternoon?

-R

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I think the entire Rob Ford crack scandal is just an attempt to get everyone to forget that he did this.

-R

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Music Video of the Week: Cut The Curtains - Billy Talent

Okay, I did my time and fulfilled my promise. The last two weeks, you saw pop and country featured under MVOTW. Now it's time to go back to some rock with the band that started it all for me. Back in January 2004, I heard Billy Talent for the first time. I consider them to be the band that's changed the way I view music and has led to a decade of truly enjoying some alternative rock and basically anything I can get my hands on. I consider Ben, Ian, Jon and Aaron to be my first favourite band. They were also the first real concert I went to as well as one of the first albums that I ever owned and listed to front to back. They've introduced me to one of my current favourite bands, Rise Against, and even helped turn me on to my current favourite station, X92.9.

While They were just in town last March, they're back in town tomorrow at Flames Central for their 10th Anniversary Tour. As a tribute, I'm featuring my favourite song from their debut self titled album, Cut the Curtains. It was never turned into a single, so you likely haven't heard it before but I hope you give it a try. It was part of the backbone that led 12-year-old rebel-wanna-be me into a new wave and taste of music.

-R

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Josh Sundquist - Halloween King

-R

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One of the best couples costumes from this year; Peter Pan and his shadow.

-R