Bear Grillz + Company Rock Palace Theatre

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Photo: Max Weinberger

By Andrew Walker

It was a tad chilly on the final Saturday of November, but that didn’t stop dubstep fans from packing Palace Theater to see Bear Grillz on his Demons Delux Fall Tour, the final stop on the Canadian leg. Better yet, fans were excited to see this tweet from the DJ himself the day of the show:

That gave Calgarians an extra reason to celebrate, while making Edmontonians jealous as his Edmonton show was cancelled the night before due to bad weather at the Denver airport.

Fortunately, Calgary was given the all clear and doors opened right at 9 pm to local talent warming up the crowd.   

At 10 pm, the dancefloor was more than half full when OG Nixin took to the decks, playing all the heavy hits including a taste of Skrillex’s “Cinema”. Somnium Sound followed at 11 pm with another heavy dose that included a brief pause of the crowd belting “Sun & Moon” just before Lucii took over.

Lucii’s set was on another level and those that watched her Bass Canyon set were in for a treat and she did not disappoint. Her set included a quick throwback to LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” and her original “I Need Your High” which she sang live along with others. A neat fact from the night was that it was the debut performance for both OG Nixin and Lucii in Cowtown with OG Nixin smiling before he left the venue saying, “That crowd was lit, I love Calgary.” 

Photo: Max Weinberger

After a quick changeover, a furry head with red lit eyes and mouth appeared on stage and the crowd was ready. The two subs in front of the stage were finally cranked and Bear Grillz threw down one of the heaviest sets Palace Theater have seen in quite some time. Spending equal time with the mic and mixing, the Denver based DJ included “Happier”, “Heads Will Roll” & “Thnks fr th Mmrs” before massive drops.

A great way to warm up from the cold weather and reunite with the dubstep community before the beginning of exams and the Christmas rush.

NERVO + Young Bombs rock FUSION Grey Cup

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By Andrew Walker

When the hometown Stampeders were eliminated from the Grey Cup a few weeks ago during semis, most Calgarians would feel like the Grey Cup and the yearly festive activities wouldn’t be the same, especially since the championship game was held at home. But that didn’t stop local dance music goers from packing the inaugural FUSION tent outside McMahon Stadium to witness Australian DJ duo NERVO grace the decks, the first time the twin-sisters were back in Cowtown since 2015.   

The FUSION tent itself was massive, lots of room with a massive centre bar and food to the right. Although the place had heaters, it wasn’t particularly warm, but once the openers took the stage, fans had no trouble warming up with the beat.

The night kicked off earlier than most shows would even consider with doors opening at 7 pm. Local talent warmed up the crowd with some 90s throwbacks and groovy house.

Vancouver based DJ duo Young Bombs took the stage at 10:30 pm and that’s when the event went to another level. The last time the duo played in Calgary was back in the summer of 2017 when they opened up for The Chainsmokers, and just like last time, they did not disappoint. The duo kicked things off with some bassy house, switching to trap, then dropping crowd favourites such as Still Dre and their remix of Young Dumb & Broke and Starry Eyes.  

To help finish the night, twin sisters Olivia & Miriam hopped on stage just before midnight and the crowd was ready for some NERVO. The sisters kicked things off with their smash hit “Revolution” along with crowd favorites Great Spirit, “Old Town Road”, “Al Pacinio” & “Infinity”. Two notable highlights include Miriam sharing a bottle of Jägermeister with some of the fans front row and treating everyone to a live performance of their new track, “Faded”. The moment was also special considering it was the first time they played it in Canada. NERVO ultimately went above and beyond their set time of 1 am, giving fans an extra special moment. A great way to end the night and send football and EDM fans home happy.