When life gives you Lucas Lemons
Happy New Year, everyone. Let’s get the year going with some great music as quickly as we can. Except … this is the quietest time of the year for a lot of musicians and venues.
It’s tough to blame them — after the great parties and/or family time at Christmas and New Year’s Eve, this feels like the right time to take a break. But don’t worry — there are still some great performances to catch in the city, even if most of the hard rockers are taking a bit of a vacation.
LUCAS LEMONS AND CONTRAFACT
When: Saturday
Where: Capitol Music Club What: I typically try to not talk about two performers simultaneously, but Lucas Lemons and Contrafact are the hip-hop artists holding down the fort for the Capitol’s hip-hop night. There are a lot of local artists who seem to start in the rock or folk or jazz genres in Saskatoon — frankly, there are more access points to those genres in Saskatchewan — so it’s great to see some rappers and hip-hop artists coming out of the province. The two performers have very different-sounding rap styles, so it should be a good show.
THE KARPINKA BROTHERS
When: Friday
Where: The Bassment
What: The Karpinka Brothers are great. You know how I just said there are more access points to genres like folk in Saskatchewan? These guys are some of the best in the business. Their music fits a beautiful niche while still being widely accessible. It’s refreshingly energized without sounding like pop, it’s acoustic without sounding like country, and the lyrics are fun and catchy without losing any depth — and I haven’t even got to the vocals yet (the harmonies are excellent, in case you were wondering). This is a band that is almost a must-see when they play, and The Bassment is a great venue for them.
THE GERARD WEBER GROUP
When: Saturday
Where: The Bassment
What: I know I’ve already stumped for a group performing at The Bassment in this column (see previous item), but I never get tired of giving shout-outs to young local talent. Gerard Weber is a brilliant saxophonist who has studied at the University of Saskatchewan and in the southern United States; the rest of his group — Adam Streisel, Paul Suchan, Nevin Buehler and Brett Graham — are certainly no slouches in the Saskatoon music community. The show is advertised as being focused on the works of guitarist Pat Metheny, and as a combination of polished jazz quintet music and an exploration of “the soundscape of electronic effects.” Sounds pretty cool to me.