MUSIC PREVIEW: Renewed Stone Temple Pilots to rock Howler
The Bear’s Annual Halloween Howler celebrates its 26th anniversary on at the Shaw Conference Centre on Friday night with surviving stalwarts of the alternative rock genre – Stone Temple Pilots.
The band soared to the peak of their genre in the 1990s with hit after hit after hit, from Plush to Vasoline to Big Bang Baby to Lady Picture Show, the heavy guitars and instantly recognizable voice of the late Scott Weiland propelling the band through a number of albums. Most fans probably recognize their first, Core, as their most important contribution to the music world.
The band stayed together through 2013, when Weiland was fired (presumably because of addiction and absence issues), and replaced with Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington. He eventually left the band to re-focus on Linkin Park. In a tragic coincidence, both Bennington and Weiland subsequently died, the former from suicide, the latter from a drug overdose.
In 2017, the remaining three original members of Stone Temple Pilot (guitarist Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz) held an online audition for a new vocalist, and the result is this tour – the first with the winner of that competition, Jeff Gutt. The band has also released new material for this tour on the band’s second eponymous album (the first since 2010), and seventh overall. Reviews have been mixed on the new material, but let’s face it, fans absolutely love this band.
Also on the bill for the Howler are Seether, Default and Age of Days. Doors at 8 pm, tickets $74.65, BUY
Friday 26
Casper Skulls – This Toronto alternative-post-punk project is touring to support their album from last winter, titled Mercy Works. Just three years young, the band’s made enough of a name for themselves that this tour traipses across all four corners of North America, from California to New York to Montreal to Vancouver. The ethereal voice of Melanie Gail St-Pierre gives this band an indie sound that’s just that extra bit special; expect to be hearing more and more about them in the coming years – best to check it out now, before they reach super-stardom. Morewine, Doreen, and The Eclipse also perform. Sewing Machine Factory, 8 pm, advance tickets $10
Bird City – Jenny Mitchell’s project hails from the burgeoning metropolis of – well, Guelph – and can probably best be described as experimental banjo folk. Really. Raw and engaging, her music is both funereal and uplifting at the same time. Really. If you can’t make it down for this show, it’s still definitely worth your while to check out her 2017 album Winnowing. Amy van Keeken, Liam Coady, and Lucas Chiasson also perform. Kasbar (10444 Whyte Avenue), 7:30 pm, $8. BUY
Saturday 27
Short Of Able – After 10 years and three full-length albums, this Edmonton alt-rock band is calling it quits, with the biggest, baddest, going-out-of-business sale you can imagine. Cadence & Nathan open. The Rec Room, 8 pm, $10 advance.
Slaughter – There’s definitely no hope of sleeping all day with this glam metal project in town. The Las Vegas band formed in 1988, and saw their peak popularity in the 1990s with songs like Up All Night and Fly To the Angels. They haven’t released a new album since 1999, but have toured occasionally since then. Mark Slaughter and bassist Dana Strum continue to lead the band. Century Casino, 8 pm, $70. BUY
Monday 29
Reuben and the Dark – This indie folk band is likely the biggest musical project to come out of Calgary in the last number of years. Reuben Bullock and friends released their sophomore album Arms of a Dream in the spring to heady reviews. Their live show is always at the next level in craziness, and their venue this time – the Winspear Centre – makes perfect sense given the cinematic and expansive feel of the newest release. 8 pm, $33 and up, BUY
