Sled Island Weekend Recap: Show Me The Body, L4ZR GR1D, Victrix, Alice Longyu Gao, Sunglaciers, and more

L4ZR GR1D

One of my favourite Sled Island discoveries happened at the Palomino when I saw experimental/heavy trio L4ZR GR1D. A mix between Machine Girl, Death Grips, and 100 Gecs - the project put on a standout performance that presented a more unique and interesting side of the lineup that deserved true admiration. Joined by one of the best vocalists in the heavy metal genre right now, Kyle Ball of WAKE, L4ZR GR1D is a one-to-watch act as they rise from the Calgary underground amidst all of the buzz. We enjoyed their set so much, we ensured to hit up their show at the Legion ahead of Show Me The Body so we could dance under the lights of their laser projections one more time. - Jess Arcand

Victrix

One of the true joys of being a music fan is tracking an artist you love from their very beginnings, which I can say I have done with Victrix. One year ago at Sled Island 2023, I was at the very first live performance of Victrix, on the main floor of the Palomino, supporting Laurence Anne, and was transfixed. Cut to December 2023, Victrix was headlining the Palomino downstairs for the release show for the first EP I Saw Me, one of my favourite releases of 2023, a five song gem by Micky Jane and producer Chris Dadge. Now, in June 2024, Victrix is back playing Sled Island, in a new three piece iteration (alongside the mayor of Studio B, Brock Geiger, on bass and Carl Glacier on drums), in the primo spot supporting Juana Molina. It could not be more deserved and well earned for MJ of Victrix, witnessing the leveling up in real time, a year of hard work paying off in a huge way.

Over those three aforementioned shows, you witness MJ getting more and more confident, songs she was debuting in June 2023 have now become sturdy, stage-tested standards that people know the words to in just a year’s time, like “Dysfunctional,” and “Did You Know.” By the time Victrix is ready to close with their killer freakout “Zombie,” you realize you are in the presence of one of the most exciting new indie groups in Calgary today. With some tantalizing teases of new material, like wonderful new addition “Fantasy,” the next year in the world of Victrix should prove to be just as wonderfully satisfying to track as the last year was. - Ben Goodman

Hermitess

REVERIE Magazine presented our second showcase with Sled Island and kicking things off at Pinbar were local celestial beings: Hermitess. Led by Jennifer Crighton, her vocals and harp felt like a warm hug as we started the day. Oftentimes seeing a show at 1pm on Sled Saturday feels like catching music at 8am due to the chaotic late nights, so easing our day in with Hermitess was a delightful drift to experience and calmed our senses. As they bridge ethereal folk sounds with orchestral dreamscapes, Hermitess is a staple in the music scene that we always have our eyes on in anticipation for what they do next. - Jess Arcand

Sarah Davachi

How do I begin to talk about this? Sarah Davachi, the Calgary expat returning to Sled Island, became what was said to be the first artist in Central United Church-show history to be able use the church organ for a 49 minute, droney, ambient instrumental set, exclusively using the organ and nothing else. Those are the nuts and bolts of what Davachi did on Friday. What follows after is how each audience member reacts to it and what they individually bring to the performance. For some, they were brought to tears. For others, they were questioning their existence. For myself, it was a journey of being impressed Davachi was doing it, as the church vibrated with every button press, then 15 minutes in, wondering “is that all there is?”, 25 minutes in being like “that IS all there is,” and by the end, being incredibly moved.

Now, as mentioned in past reviews, I am not a music theory expert and I barely know the different parts of the organ Davachi was playing, so I sadly can’t be much help in describing each individual move she did. That is not the point though. Do you know the different kinds of paints and brush strokes a painter uses when you go to a museum? Probably not, but you look at a painting, make your own judgment, it might dredge up a specific emotion in you as you look at it, as that’s what art is about at its core. A Max Martin-penned pop song about unrequited love, yes, that’s supposed to trigger only one specific emotion and that’s it, which is wonderful in its own way. Art like the Sarah Davachi performance, however, featured zero introduction or closing remarks from Davachi, as she gave no context for what the music she played means and left it open to the interpretation of the attendee. For the people who attended the show Friday at Central United Church, they experienced something that will forever live in the room on that date. Sarah Davachi could come back a week from now and attempt to do the same performance at the same venue with the same organ, but it would be different, as the circumstances would be different, the makeup of the audience would be different. It could only be done like this, on this night, with this group of people remembering these specific experiences tied to June 21, 2024, and for that, I will forever remember it. - Ben Goodman

Alice Longyu Gao

What more is there to say? Alice Longyu Gao put down one of the most memorable Sled Island performances in recent memory - although that shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Stretched to capacity, festival goers packed into the Palomino basement and were given everything that they could handle; yet couldn’t seem to get enough. ALG came with undeniable heat, blasting into a fury of hyperpop electronica driven by hard hitting refrains, eccentric dancing, and intermittent flexes on a blush-pink harp. Early into Saturday morning, Alice brought the room to a rolling-boil with her mega-hit “Rich Bitch Juice” and never looked back, springboarding headfirst into a gyrating storm of energy also known as anything in her catalogue.

Even all the way up here in Canada, Alice played into the crowd perfectly; winning everyone in the room over instantly, especially with LGBTQ2SIA+ attendees, whom she made empathetic connections with. No matter who you are, Alice Longyu Gao surely made an impression if you were lucky enough to bear witness. If not, you can luckily still check out her DJ set at Dickens tonight (early Sunday morning), 12:30 at Dickens. - Liam Dawe

Wallgrin

Vancouver's Wallgrin was a highlight of Friday night. The avant-pop group held a captive audience on the Modern Love patio with a gorgeous and meditative set. Featuring stunning vocals reminiscent of Caroline Polachek, stand out tracks included their newest single Arrow to the Wind and multiple yet to be released tracks. Fans of artists such as Weyes Blood should follow along on Wallgrin's journey as their next release is sure to be stunning. - Kenn Enns

Mick Jenkins

It’s hard to believe that after over a decade of being in the music business, Mick Jenkins made his inaugural voyage to Calgary to assume the duties of headlining Sled Island. The Chicago rapper didn’t waste much time making up for the lost years; jumping into some fan favourites early on. Opening with the poetic cut “Michelin Star” and following up with anthems like “Carefree” off of 2020’s The Circus, Mick Jenkins leaned into the crowd with plenty of numbers from his acclaimed 2014 mixtape The Water(s).

Rocking some new threads from Calgary vintage hotspot From Another, Jenkins spent plenty of time connecting with the city in between tracks. “It’s truly an honour to be here, really, you have no idea,” he admitted.

If you’re even mildly acquainted with Mick Jenkins, you’ll know that he’s all but trademarked the phrase “drink more water”; something that rings ironically in a city with an ongoing water conservation emergency. However, that didn’t stop the audience from continuously chanting the three-word idiom between songs, much to the amusement of Jenkins. You can ask the bartenders, water was definitely not the drink of choice at the Palace Theatre on Friday night. - Liam Dawe

Sunglaciers

I call myself the ‘self-proclaimed number one Sunglaciers fan’ yet it took me almost two years to see them live. It was all worth the wait in the end. With only two members present, frontman Evan Resnik and drummer Mathieu Blanchard, the energy in the Palomino basement was infectious. Playing their older tracks to some of my favourites from their most recent release, ‘Regular Nature’ Sunglaciers know how to get a crowd going, even though there were only two of them. Mathieu Blanchard went absolutely hard on the drums. It was incredible, not to mention his coloured button up is something I would love to steal from him. Evan Resnik knows how to get the crowd going, jumping up and down the stage, to absolutely obliterating the Palomino banner and having it fall to the floor. This was by far one of the highlights of my Day 3. - Gabrielle Cadiang

Show Me The Body

The air was thick and heavy waiting for the 2024 guest curators, Show Me The Body. People were eagerly awaiting to blow off some steam. It was the talk of the crowd as they waited in the Legion that already felt 30+ degrees. From the minute the band joined the stage, the guitars were eerily vibrating and ominous. It was a slow build as vocalist Julian Cashwan Pratt started with “Out Of Place” before erupting the audience into a full frenzy. Everyone had a devilish grin and it was exactly what Sled Island needed to end the last full day of the festival with a memorable bang. Few shots were taken because we were ready to hit the pit. - Jess Arcand

D. Blavatsky

Montreal based DJ and producer packed the upstairs of the Legion on Saturday, as a circle quickly formed for people to communally enjoy the raw sounds of their noise-punk energy. It’s always special to witness a show that can transport you away from what the Legion is; we were no longer in Calgary, but rather an underground rave in Montreal. It’s the artistry that brings people together, and a DIY artist like D. Blavatsky is a perfect example that it doesn’t matter the venue, they will put on a show and offer the crowd the good time they are looking for. It also felt like a homecoming for the artist, who used to host a show at CJSW 90.9 FM, to see ample of CJSW folks in the crowd including our team, the show had a spirit that reinforced our love for music and the community it fosters. - Jess Arcand