The Slice was packed on a Tuesday for a special filming of a new reality TV show called Rise Up ! for Hoku TV, Tuesday, Oct. 26.
A nice cross section of western Alberta talent and one from Mexico were on the bill to entertain a packed house.
As expected a couple of acoustic artists opened the show beginning with Kyley Styles. He was winding up his set with an acoustic version of “Teenage Dirtbag,” and one of his own before making way for Tim Steinruck, who was also doing double duty as second camera man.
and also fronts the band the Mighty One, but he was playing solo acoustic sets for this tour.
He opened with a cover of “Rocky Mountain Way” and noted how excited he was to be back on the road playing music.
He played a couple acoustic versions of a few A Mighty One songs.
He wound up his set with an obscure Johnny Cash cover which drew a huge round of applause.
Things got a lot louder after that.
Edmonton’s Sun of Man brought a more metal feel to the stage. They had a lot of energy, playing a set full of dark, heavy music with snarling vocals and grinding riffs.
The spirit of Rage Against the Machine was strong in Edmonton rap rockers Revolution Engine, who brought a the enthusiastic audience back to the late’90s.
There was a lot of stabbing, jarring riffs and shouted, rap vocals on songs like “Juggernaut Generation”which was one of several songs that sounded like beat poetry performed over a bed of vicious riffs.
It seemed like everybody was waiting for Puerto Vallarta metal band the B34st, which ran the gamut of the past 30 years of metal music.
They gave a nod to the ’80s with their first couple of songs which featured polished riffs and some Eddie Van Halen style fretboard tapping.
They also had the sleazy ’70s energy of Black Oak Arkansas on others.
They slowed things down for the more ’90s detuned numbers. They featured, big, brash background vocals.
The drummer’s arms were a blur throughout as he bounced around and spun his drumsticks and caught them.
Makiisma wound up the shoot with their usual set of spooky, dark folk and country.
They brought out the big guns first with Lead singer Megan Brown doubling on vocals and violin which special guest James Swinney played guitar for the first couple of songs.
Drummer Keenan Pezderic, keyboardist TJ Waltho and bassist Kieran Swinney laid down the solid bedrock of alt country goodness.
— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
