Terminus took over Dickens in Calgary this past weekend and for four days, darkwave, synth, post punk and industrial music got to shine in our city. The highlight of Terminus is easily the sense of community it nurtures. For many of these artists, it’s their first time stepping foot in Canada, and for many of these fans it is their only opportunity to see these acts without having to travel outside the city.

The festival does not constrain their artists to typical festival set times, creating a uniquely supportive environment where headliners are able to perform onstage with each other, often for the first time. Thursday night headliner Kontravoid brought Saturday headliner Nuovo Testamento’s Chelsey Crowley on stage to perform their song “Losing Game,” and on Sunday, collaborators Houses of Heaven and Ms. Boan gave an encore performance of their joint track “Deserve.”

*Photo Credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) l Houses of Heaven and Ms. Boan @ Terminus*

There’s an air of gratitude at Terminus, the crowd shows up early, stays late and remained consistently respectful of both performers and fellow fans. I can’t think of any other festival where headliners are able to dance within the crowd. Special credit should be given to Dickens as well for creating this space. From their pride mural on view as soon as you walk down the stairs, to their permanent gender neutral washrooms, elevator for wheelchair access, and drink menu boasting more than twenty non-alcoholic options, it’s clear they are taking the steps to make everyone feel included and welcome, which only adds to the festival atmosphere.

This one-of-a-kind festival was full of discovery. Here are a few of our favourite acts from the weekend:

Bootblacks

Brooklyn-based post-punk trio Bootblacks were oozing charisma as they took to the Dickens stage on Friday night. Vocalist, Panther Almqvist, was a pleasure to watch. Decked out in leather pants and a particularly gaudy silver chain, the band leaned into their cultish aesthetic and the crowd was ready to become devotees. Synth and electronic drum player, Barrett Hiatt was able to move the audience with the flick of his wrist and no one stopped dancing until their set was finished. We are eagerly awaiting what's next for Bootblacks, their Bandcamp hints at a new album coming very soon! - Kenn Enns

Mareux

Tik Tok sensation Mareux was an outlier on the festival lineup, primarily due to his guitar-centric sound on songs like “Summertime”, but I personally felt like it was the perfect way to ease my way into what Terminus had to offer. With a style that has been described as “gloomy romanticism”, Mareux created space for more subdued sounds before erupting into heavy synth work that felt like a gothic afterparty. While most of the crowd took in the fog and soundscapes, gently swaying from side to the side, the front row was the most energetic as they jumped along in excitement. Mareux strategically left their hit “Perfect Girl” for last, a track which features drag superstar Violet Chachki in the music video. The song is instantly recognizable within the first 5 seconds of hearing it, so it wasn’t long before crowd-goers started shouting along to the catchy opening synth line while sharing embraces with one another. - Jess Arcand

Night Club

Terminus had a stellar Saturday night lineup and electronic duo Night Club was a highlight of an already phenomenal evening. Lead singer Emily Kavanaugh is an absolute firecracker of a performer. Dressed in a Gerard Way Revenge era ensemble, Kavanaugh commanded the stage. Her piercing eyes were able to stare into the heart of the crowd, and when she said dance, no one would dare disagree. “Crime Scene” and “Barbwire Kiss” off of their latest album Masochist were standout performances. - Kenn Enns

Nuovo Testamento

We were transported back to the 80’s with Nuovo Testamento and if it was up to us, we would have stayed in that room forever. Chelsey Crowley charmed the audience with crystal clear vocals, early Madonna dance moves like a scene from True Blue, and the catchiest of hooks amongst the hard hitting instrumentation of Giacomo Zatti and Masbucci. The set flew by as we danced the night away to their discography that is stacked with hits, including “The Searcher”, “Wildlife”, “Heat”, and the title track of their latest album “Love Lines”. The show ended with Chelsey expressing her genuine love of Terminus and Calgary. It’s safe to say that the feelings are certainly mutual, with many festival attendees eager to see the group play live again. - Jess Arcand

Devours

Vancouver artist Devours never fails to deliver a performance that is saturated in sentimentality. With lyrical content that packs a punch and impressive production techniques that serenades the ears ever so sweetly (like the power ballad “10 Things I Crave About You” - it’s impossible to not get choked up during the chorus, especially when you’re missing someone, and Devours sings “…wake up on your porch singing Feist with you. Bare chested in my grief since you left in June”), Devours has the full package that I look for when I attend a show. They closed their set out with a preview of their next album, which is said to be the title track for the record. Let’s just say it’s going to be big and WILL make you dance your worries away, at least for a few moments of bliss. - Jess Arcand

Ms. Boan

Clad in leather and latex, Ms. Boan dominated the stage in every sense of the word. From her cinematic visuals to her authoritative vocal performance, lead Mariana Saldaña was a pleasure to watch. She seamlessly blended together her Spanish and English tracks into a dramatic and intense production. Saldaña ended her set with the Boy Harsher collaboration “Machina,” and in a testament to the collaborative nature of Terminus, she also joined Houses of Heaven during their set to perform their single “Deserve.” - Kenn Enns

Male Tears

The last day of a festival can be draining on even the toughest music fan, but California Male Tears supplied the energy needed to pick things back up. Their set erupted a full dance frenzy, with an attendee swinging their hands in the air, handcuffed together, as James Edward crooned dirty words like “dominate me” in The Cure-esque fashion. With catchy synth lines from tracks off their latest record to Paradisco, the show reached it’s full potential with the new wave stand out “Regret 4 Nothing”. From their clown makeup aesthetic to their 80’s inspired charm, Male Tears are one of the acts that made me leave Terminus remembering why I come every year: to discover something special that becomes my next new obsession. - Jess Arcand

Terminus Music Festival 2024: Weekend Recap