Celebrating Sled Island’s inaugural winter festival
Photo credit: Jess Arcand l Hotline TNT @ Bob-Sled / Palomino Smokehouse
The inaugural edition of Calgary’s newest winter festival, Bob-Sled took over the Palomino this past week. Thanks to the curation from the team behind Sled Island, Bob-Sled was able to highlight local favourites as well as bring in some phenomenal out of town talent that made trekking outside in January worth facing the freezing cold.
Here are a few of the REVERIE team’s highlights from the festival:
Barbara
Denver's Barbara has found a second home in Calgary. Their third appearance at Sled Island, the band took over the Palomino Smokehouse's dimly lit basement on night one of Bob-Sled. The quartet wove through their set with the confidence of seasoned performers while maintaining the endearing wobbliness that's become their signature sound. “Being back in Canada feels like a dream. We love Canada," their vocalist grinned mid-set, sparking cheers from the room. With tracks from Escape Artist and a few teasers from their upcoming album recorded with Connor Birch (Flaural) and James Barone (Beach House), Barbara left the crowd swaying, immersed in a hazy, heartfelt dreamscape.
- Jess Arcand
Photo credit: Jess Arcand l Barbara @ Bob-Sled / Palomino Smokehouse
Big Rig
The second night of Bob-Sled brought together a powerful showcase featuring Big Rig, the solo project of west-coast group The Courtneys' Jen Clement — alongside Toronto jangle-pop darlings Ducks Ltd. and local R&B art punks Bad Bodies. In a moment that perfectly captured the spirit of musical community, Clement announced that a portion of the night's merchandise proceeds would go to support LA wildfire relief efforts — a particularly poignant gesture given Cola's forced withdrawal from the festival after their lead singer lost their home to the fires. The crowd responded in kind, clearing out the merch table in a showing of solidarity that speaks volumes about our city's music scene. As the set wound down and the last notes rang through the basement, there was a palpable sense that this wasn't just another show, but a moment where music, community, and compassion aligned perfectly.
- Jess Arcand
Photo credit: Gabrielle Cadiang l Big Rig @ Bob-Sled / Palomino Smokehouse
Fold Paper
On Wednesday night, Winnipeg post-punk quartet Fold Paper built off the energy from the evening’s openers — Cat Piss and PERRA — and had the Palomino basement booming. Frontman Chell Osuntade shouted during the track "Nothing To Report,” “let’s get five big booms for Bob-Sled” an homage to Tik-Tok superstars AJ & Big Justice. The energy from Fold Paper’s set was infectious, with crowd-goers singing along and dancing while hearing old and new music from the Winnipeg band.
- Gabrielle Cadiang
Photo credit: Gabrielle Cadiang l Fold Paper @ Bob-Sled / Palomino Smokehouse
Hotline TNT
Hotline TNT was the headliner for Saturday night’s sold-out show and the crowd couldn’t have been more appreciative. When the band mentioned their Edmonton tour stop the night before (after a few boos), the Calgary audience took their request for a stage diving competition between the two cities very seriously. The show was filled with high energy antics, from the tom drum mysteriously disappearing from the kit and into the crowd, to band members hopping off the stage and into the eager hands of the audience to crowd surf. At the end of their set, the crowd was able to goad Hotline TNT into ending the night with a two song encore. Everyone in the basement on Saturday night left sweaty and with a huge smile on their face.
- Kenn Enns
Photo credit: Jess Arcand l Hotline TNT @ Bob-Sled / Palomino Smokehouse
Bennett Mitchell
After six days of Bob-Sled, Sunday afternoon felt like a warm, reassuring hug to congratulate those who made it to the festival's last day. Calgary’s own Bennett Mitchell opened up the Palomino basement for Silvering, Ghostkeeper, and headliner Ada Lea, setting the tone for the matinee. Bennett’s crooning voice meshed with his folk-twang sound evoked feelings of closeness and comfort within the crowd. Playing tracks from his 2022 album Mouse and some unreleased tracks set to release this year, the intimacy of Sunday’s shows at the Palomino was the perfect way to close off an incredible festival.
- Gabrielle Cadiang
Photo credit: Bennett Mitchell l Big Rig @ Bob-Sled / Palomino Smokehouse
After an excellent week at Bob-Sled, we couldn’t be more excited to see what the Sled Island team has planned for their June festival! Stay tuned for the first wave announcement from Sled Island (hopefully) coming soon!