THE DISTRICT HEAT

We love to rock

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Last week, we had a chance to play a show at a new venue we hadn’t played before, the Nite Owl. In a little “Flashback Friday,” I’d like to talk about that show, the Nite Owl, and the awesome bands we shared the stage with.

The Nite Owl, which resides in the basement of the building that held the now-defunct Vinyl, projects an intimate, Rock & Roll vibe. They’ve been putting on loads of shows, and the turnout was great.  Due to a last minute drop, they now had an open spot on the bill and we were asked to fill in. We were fortunately all available and so gladly grabbed the opportunity to play the new venue.

We started the night off first, and turned up the energy for a mostly unfamiliar crowd. At our last couple of shows we’ve had a chance to try out some new songs we’ve written since the album, and they’ve been a big hit so far. We’ll be sure to keep playing them so if you haven’t caught us live recently, come check them out!

Following us was the band Crooked Spies. This four-piece brought a bluesy, gritty rock sound that blew me away. The riffs were awesome, the rhythm was tight, and the vocals were powerful and catchy. I was happy to swap CDs with these guys as their debut album Treason is great front to back.

Next on was Thrill of Falling. I hadn’t heard these guys before, but they had a cool set that showed off their atmospheric, hard hitting rock. They had a lot of diversity between their songs, which is a great way to get to know a band, and showcases their versatility.

The last act of the night was Dollhart, formerly known as Jenavive. They had amazing harmonies, and poppy guitar and bass lines layered over a bed of synths. After a few more conventional rock acts, Dollhart was a bit different and a nice changeup to close out the show.

All in all it was a great show, and a great chance to play a new venue in front of new fans and with new bands. We’re looking forward to our next show, and would love to come back to Nite Owl sometime.

Stew

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Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to post an entry to cover a couple shows we played recently. We got to meet a few new bands, and reconnected with some others. Here’s a quick rundown of the highlights:

May 28th @ DISTORTION: The first show took place at Distortion on MacLeod Trail, a brand new live music venue and bar (brought to you by the owners of its predecessor, The Distillery Public House. They’ve got a great stage, awesome sound, and friendly no-nonsense staff. We’ll definitely be back in the future!

We were up first, and although the Thursday crowd was small, they made up for it with enthusiasm. A special shout out to the friendly Joel, who won a copy of our cd by correctly identifying our rendition of Weezer’s “Undone”.

Second up were IN DARKNESS, a metal band that can only be described by the combination of the following elements: (1) Long Hair. (2) Pounding rhythm. (3) Shredding guitar. (4) No shirts - you get the idea! Needless to say, they had everyone in the crowd banging their heads and doing this: \m/ \m/ Distortion Show

Up last (and headlining the event) was GLENEAGLE, an alt-country band from Kamloops BC who are currently on tour throughout Western Canada. These guys delivered the kind of pure hand-crafted Canadian music that could only have originated among the beloved Rocky Mountains. Everyone was captured by their interesting compositions and tight, energetic performance; we (the crowd) made sure to push them until they ran out of material. I’m definitely going to keep my eye on this band (in the good “I’m a fan” way, not the “creepy stalker” way…)

May 29th @ THE DOG AND DUCK: The following day we played at The Dog and Duck as part of the “Phat Hatters Ball”, an event put on by local band Burlap Sac where attendees were encouraged to show up donning their craziest looking hat (with the winner taking home a package prize of band merch!).

Kicking off the night was solo act SHANNON ELIZABETH, giving the night a comfortable start with a captivating set of acoustic songs. Next up were CLOCKWORK CROWS, a three-piece rock band who kicked the night up with a great mix of original tracks and covers (I particularly enjoyed their rendition of Bowling For Soup’s “1985”). Following them were THE DISTRICT HEAT, an *amazing* local indie rock band who…oh ok I’ll stop. And the final, headlining act was BURLAP SAC. In addition to being the night’s organizers, hosts, and sound engineers, these guys put on an energetic performance and got the crowd on their feet. I’d recommend this band to anyone; their music has such a great representation of multiple genres that there’s truly something for everyone.

And the winning hat for the night? A “Dead Baby Fascinator” fashioned from a decommissioned Cabbage Patch Kid and perhaps a shoelace. Other favourites were “Purple Squid Hat”, “Elsa the Male Princess”, and The District Heat’s own Sean Swanton with his Viking helmet that nearly blinded six people.

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As always, yesterday’s show was ridiculously fun. Playing at the Blind Beggar Pub always has kind of a “going back home” vibe for me. It’s probably a combination of it being the first place we ever played live and the great atmosphere that Adam, the manager, promotes to help foster new musicians in the local scene. You never really know what to expect when you’re paired up with bands you’ve never heard of before, but I’d have to say last night’s lineup was stacked!

Opening the show was Vic Patt with nothing but his melodic vocals backed by folky acoustic riffs. I’m usually a little biased when I see a one man setup. I always imagine how much better it’d be if you threw in some drums and maybe a bass, but with Vic I didn’t think about it for a second. His cover of Coldplay’s Yellow especially caught my attention and took me a minute to place the song since he had really made it his own.

Next up was Burlap Sac. These guys kicked in the door with a unique kind of ska and hip-hop sound which kind of reminded me of the Beastie Boys. They gave off such an energetic vibe the whole show and you could tell they were loving it! Their lead singer also happened to be their drummer which always gets my attention and my undying admiration. In my opinion, it is by far the hardest vocal + instrument combo to pull off, and pull it off he did. The rest of the band was just as impressive each adding in their unique vocal styling for layers upon layers of rap, harmonies, shouts and even some beat-boxing!

Finishing the night, after our set, was Pretty Ugly. Man do these guys know how to rock! With their shredding guitars and pounding rhythms you just couldn’t help but get into their music. It also happened to be their bass player’s first show. Oh, and she’d only started playing bass 3 months ago. Yeah, no big deal…

For our turn, we pulled out a new Red Hot Chili Peppers cover along with our newest song, Magic Eye, which is probably the most rocking song we’ve written to date. Every time we play I just can’t get over how cool each and every one of our fans are. They show up and rock out like no body’s business leaving a trail of party induced destruction in their wake… and I love it! Without you guys there really wouldn’t be that much of a point to doing what we do and I can’t thank you enough!

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Only a few days left to vote for yours truly in cbcmusic‘s Searchlight competition! Any votes you give us will be refunded in hugs :) http://music.cbc.ca/#!/artists/The-District-Heat

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It is with a heavy heart that I write this week’s blog entry. A few months back we received some amazing news that we were selected to play a new festival here in town, Limelight Music Festival. This festival would serve to showcase this city’s vast talent pool and highlight what a great music scene Calgary has. We honestly get excited about just about any opportunity to play, however this one was special and we felt very privileged and humbled to be a part of it. While we have connections with some of the bands on the bill, many of them we had never met, and so we couldn’t wait to meet some new faces. In addition, not only would this provide an excellent opportunity to get some free press, but the festival was to be held at MacEwan Hall. I’ve seen so many mind blowing shows at that venue, and being told that we would be playing there was basically a dream come true.

As the date drew closer we awaited further details such as ticket sales and other promotional items but didn’t hear anything. Unfortunately we received word last month that due to some unforeseen circumstances the festival was not going to be able to come together this year. Organizing a festival is a massive undertaking and an enormous risk. While we are very disappointed, we understand the circumstances and the need to do it right.

Now, don’t let this post bum you out too much, because every cloud has its silver lining. While the festival will not be held this year, it has simply been postponed to 2016. The bands have been notified that we are all still to be included on the bill, despite the year delay. In addition, there will be some promotional shows this summer to showcase some of the bands that were to be involved. We’ll be sure to keep you all in the loop with details for those. SO, in summary, the festival will still happen, but now we get to play some supporting shows as well. Thanks for your patience and understanding and we hope to see your smiling faces at the Blind Beggar May 2. In the meantime, I’m going to go get some ice for my Mac Hall blue-balls. Until next time… ta ta!

Sean

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Doing a little basement recording and things are sounding good!

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Do you like free stuff! Why am I even asking, of course you do! Well check this out, every time you vote for us from a Fan account in CBC Music's ‪Searchlight‬ competition (and you can vote EVERY day, from EVERY browser on EVERY device you own!) you'll get entered for a chance to win these sweet prizes: http://music.cbc.ca/#!/blogs/2015/3/Enter-to-Win-Searchlights-Yamaha-Fan-Giveaway

What are you waiting for?!

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Check out this awesome time lapse of the new National Music Center going up! Sooo stocked for them to finish!

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Official contestants in CBC’s Searchlight competition! Be sure to vote if you like our stuff! http://music.cbc.ca/#!/artists/The-District-Heat

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So as some of you may know, this past Saturday we played a show at a downtown venue called Wine-Ohs with a band called Until Red. We’d never played there before, so while we had some ideas we weren’t quite sure what to expect. In the end, the show was a load of fun, and despite being a little different for us it was a great time.

We knew going in that Wine-Ohs was looking for something a little bit gentler than our usual performance, and that we’d be expecting to play for a slightly less Rock-and-Roll crowd.  In appreciation of that we did pick a set list of originals and covers that wasn’t going to scare anyone off, but we still tried to deliver the energy and flare that comes with The District Heat brand. In the past, we’ve been a bit nervous about playing in front of unfamiliar crowds at strange new venues, but we’ve grown into enjoying the challenge and we were all able to relax and have a great time. We were even coaxed into showcasing a new song, Exploding Kittens, and the whole house seemed to be rocking along with us.

After we were done, Until Red got their chance on stage, and they put on an awesome show. Their Guitar-Drums-Keys three-piece and impeccable harmonies gave them a real signature sound; all three were great singers and musicians, and got their chance to shine. Each tune was easy listening that could really relax your shoulders, but they still held the audience’s ears the whole way through. Wine-Ohs was there only stop in Calgary on their Western Canada tour, but it’d be great to see them come back through here someday.

Altogether it was another great show and I can’t wait for the next one!

Stew

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The boys from Until Red (Dylan, Roman, and Liam) playing a wicked set at Wine-Ohs last night! Never heard of them? Check them out! http://www.untilred.com/

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Writing out the set list like a real musician.

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Hi Everyone,

On Saturday (March 21st) we’re playing at Wine-Ohs, supporting the band Until Red on the Calgary stop of their Western Canada tour. Until Red is a self-described “70’s Inspired Yacht Rock” band from Brandon, Manitoba.

I’m excited for this show and feel a sort of kinship with the band - partly because I share my name with their hometown - but mainly because I grew up in Manitoba (Winnipeg, specifically) before moving to Calgary in 2012. In my experience, Manitobans draw a strong cultural identity not from their predominant agriculture industry or (mostly) 100 km/h highway speed limits, but rather from the diversity of their performing arts scenes. Some of my best memories are watching performances at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the Winnipeg Ska & Reggae Festival, and of course, Folklorama.

If this post has a point, I guess it would be to please check out Until Red. They seem like inspired, Friendly Manitobans and have a couple free tracks available for streaming on their website - I really like “Wasted”, there are some nice piano textures and a great bass sound. I’ll leave a few links here. Should be a fun night!

http://www.untilred.com https://www.facebook.com/untilred https://www.facebook.com/events/1613981762169486/

Cheers, Brandon

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What are the odds we all wore a different version of our band shirts to practice? Apparently really good!

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Ever get stumped while writing a new song? Maybe you're new to song writing and just curious on how to get started? Check out our latest blog entry for some helpful tips! http://thedistrictheat.ca/#blog