Urban Heat @ Freemason's Hall - Photo Credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)

Edmonton’s Purple City is one of the newer festivals to join Alberta’s music scene. Now in its third year, what makes this festival special is its emphasis on collaboration. Music fans across our province know how often the prairies are overlooked when it comes to tour announcements, but thanks to Purple City’s connections to festivals like Vancouver’s Verboden, the fest is able to bring a diverse array of genres to the city for the first time. With the emphasis on the “newest sounds from the global underground,” this year’s headliner’s included shoegaze stars Tamaryn, post-punk package Gustaf and gothic new wave trio Urban Heat. These heavy-hitters were joined by Edmonton and Calgary gems like Da’at, Sunderer, Still There, and more.

Sunderer @ DECL - Photo Credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)

The festival keeps things close-knit, with Purple City featuring more than 90 artists over the three days, squeezed into nine venues within a two block radius. Thanks to this smaller-scale, navigating yourself between each venue is easy, even for newbies like us. This also leads to a lack of scheduling conflicts since you’ll likely be able to catch at least part of each set you’re interested in. Lastly, there’s Nurple, the stage-diving, leather vest-wearing mascot of the festival. This punk grimace occasionally appeared on stage and spotting him running around in the crowd added the essential element of whimsy to our festival experience.

If you’re looking to attend Purple City next year, bring lots of water (just in case our warming globe cranks the temperature up to 30 degrees again next September) and get excited to find your new favourite band at a phenomenal local festival that prides itself on discovery.

PELADA:

Montreal’s Pelada closed out day one of Purple City at Y After Hours, co-presented by REVERIE Magazine, which audience members and fans alike savoured their set as the duo recently announced they were disbanding with this being one of their final performances. Soaked in hard-tech beats that blends their signature punk ethos, Pelada creates music that feels like a secret revolution. With songs like “Habla tu Verdad,”, which translates to ‘Speak Your Truth,”, and a steady-paced club banger that reflects their disdain for police, Pelada provideds an after-hours show for the people who long for warehouse raves. - Jess Arcand

URBAN HEAT:

Austin’s Urban Heat was a must-see for us after their set at Terminus earlier this year received rave reviews from fellow festival attendees. The headliners for Saturday’s I Die: You Die showcase are currently touring their new release The Tower and it’s clear their robust tour schedule has helped polish their live performance. Frontman Jonathan Horstmann is a magnetic lead for the electronic post-punk three-piece. The singer radiated confidence and it’s hard not to find his energy infectious. If we’re lucky enough to have them back in Alberta again in the future, do not miss out. - Kenn Enns

SPOON BENDERS:

Spoon Benders were the absolute highlight of my festival experience and an apt name for a band whose live performance felt like magic. The progressive psych-rock band did not have a single dull moment during their set and looking across the stage, you could easily stay mesmerized by the way any of the band members are able to launch themselves, bend backwards and kick across the stage all while never missing a note. Lead vocalist Katy Black is a marvel to watch and I cannot recommend their most recent album How Things Repeat enough. - Kenn Enns

STILL THERE:

Emo still lives on through one of our favourite Calgary bands Still There. Pulling inspiration from midwest indie/rock groups such as Mineral, Two Knights, and Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate), Still There has honed their sound in such a way that could easily become the next big group in the genre if released on a label like Count Your Lucky Stars or Topshelf Records. Their music is the comfortable, familiar, and confessional sound that we need right now from an emo revival outfit. - Jess Arcand

GUSTAF:

Gustaf brought their NYC post-punk sound to Edmonton and it’s safe to say the band isare built for live performances. It’s impossible to take your eyes off of vocalist Lydia Gammill who’s stage presence is reminiscent of David Byrne mixed with the cynical humour of Larry David. It’s a sarcastic dance that the band engages in while touching on subjects like desire and emotional extremities. What quickly breaks the fixation, is Tarra Thiessen’s trunk of trinkets, where she’ll occasionally pull out intriguing toys to play, like the oink from a plastic pig, a triangle, or a kazoo. And what better way to end the night then with Purple City’s mascot Nurple crowd surfing from the stage. Without a doubt, this is a band that continues to climb their way up and they are not one to be missed. - Jess Arcand

MADELINE GOLDSTEIN:

Hailing from Los Angeles, Purple City was Madeline Goldstein’s first performance in Canada. Her music hasd a dream-like texture that is situated nicely within the dark wave genre, with a dash of 80’s nostalgia. Twirling around the stage in a long skirt, Madeline channeled her inner Stevie Nicks and Madonna, fluttering around the stage with pop perfection at the Freemason’s Hall: a fitting venue to turn into a gothic club. Madeline’s charm permeated the audience as she continually expressed her gratitude to be playing the festival, which felt reciprocal because it’s shows like Madeline that remind us why festival’s like Purple City are so special. - Jess Arcand

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