Call it a homegrown festival alternative.
On Tuesday, Calgary radio station X92.9 in conjunction with Union Events promotions announced the lineup for what it hopes to be the first annual X-Fest, an all-day summer music festival featuring top-name talent from the modern-rock scene.
Lollapalooza pioneers Jane’s Addiction; American power-pop faves Weezer; punk-rock mainstays Social Distortion; Jump Around hip-hop act House of Pain; Toronto-based Rural Alberta Advantage; and Calgary’s Michael Bernard Fitzgerald are slated to appear at the event taking place Aug. 20 at Fort Calgary. More artists are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Dave Johnston, director of marketing for Union Events, says the idea for X-Fest came from a similar concept in Edmonton titled Sonic Boom, and grew out of what was perceived to be a void in Calgary’s summer concert landscape, made especially more glaring with the disappearance of Virgin Fest.
“Calgary needs an event like this,” says Johnston. “Granted, there’s Stampede, there’s Sled Island but there hasn’t been anything that fits this . . . musical range.”
As to this year’s musical range, it is a decidedly veteran core of acts, but with fresh interest for Calgary music lovers. Jane’s is generating a great deal of buzz thanks to a new album, The Great Escape Artist, which is due in August, Weezer will be making their first appearance in town in almost a decade, and Social D, touring a new album, have an incredibly strong and loyal local following.
Johnston notes the names are established ones and is hoping they’ll help create a foundation that X-Fest can build and grow on in upcoming years.
“There is every intention to make this an annual event, like Sonic Boom has become in Edmonton, and Sasquatch! (Music Festival in George, Washington) and every other musical summer event that goes on in North America,” he says.
“We want this to be something that Calgary can call its own. Like every summer you know in August there is going to be X-Fest, and it’s going to be on that weekend and you know that particular kind of lineup is coming and you can look forward to it and are anticipating it.
“What the shape of X-Fest is going to be in years to come, who knows? . . . But let’s get through this year first.”
Tickets for the inaugural X-Fest go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. from xfestcalgary.com and primeboxoffice.com.
Calgary Herald
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