The Allied Arts Council opened Arts Days outside casa with the Arts Days Cabaret, on a drizzly Friday night, Sept. 22.

 A decent   crows huddled beneath the new sails outside casa and chatted amiably amongst themselves in between showers. 

 Local rock band Peace For Bombs  channelled a touch of the ’80s with keyboard powered rock and roll and alternative rock.

 They were just winding up their set of upbeat catchy original music with plenty of vocal harmonies and keyboard hooks.

 If Peace For Bombs referenced the ’80s, The Decadent Phase were all about bringing back the laid back vibe of the early ’70s.

 The rain started to fall as people looked for dry seats under casa’s new courtyard sails.

The Decadent Phase always play a laid back , groovy show with plenty of  freewheeling hippie spirit, jamming and mellow vocals  along the lines of James Taylor from frontman James Swinney. James Swinney (vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica), Tyler Eresman (lead guitar), Keilan Hakstol (percussion), and Keely Evanoff (bass, harmonies) played their usual solid set of laid back late ’60s and early ’70s folk rock.

New keyboardist Josh sang a couple songs  as I took cover in casa from the rain.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat editor

The Duke celebrated “the Equinox” on the weekend with a whole lot of live music.

 I only caught Luke James Bruce’s second set on Friday, Sept. 22  but couldn’t stay for Yarboro.

  I also didn’t make it to Mahoney on Saturday night.

 Bruce played an array of contemporary alt country of the like of Zach Bryan and modern mainstream county.

 But he also threw in some Tragically Hip.

An “older song” “Whiskey Glass” was a highlight.

Bruce hosts Honkers Pub’s open mic on Friday, Sept. 29.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

 Fawns  were winding up  a night of burlesque and rock an roll at the Slice, Saturday,  Sept. 23 with some ’90s and 2000s rock.

I arrived in the middle of a spirited version os Our Lady Peace’s “Starseed.”

Lead singer Mercedes Fawns, sporting a mohawk was an energetic force of nature on stage, showing an impressive set of pipes as Richard Charlton lit up on lead guitar.

There were a lot more keyboards featured in their set than usual.

They also played a solid version of Spacehog’s ’90s hit “In the Meantime.”

 A bluesy, soulful “ I Want to make It With You” included a few bars of the Rolling Stones’ “ Miss You.”

 They wound up their set with their original song  from a few year ago “ Unsafe.”

 I missed Alec Arms set as well as the burlesque. 

— By Richard Amery, L.A. beat editor

The Owl Acoustic Lounge rocked with female powered Calgary garage rock supergroup Self Cut Bangs, Saturday Sept. 23. The band members have been part of the Calgary punk and alternative scene for years, playing in popular bands like Night Committee, Dark Time, Hot Little Rocket and Napalmpom. 

 The spirit of Napalmpom was strong in Self Cut Bangs which formed during the pandemic by Napalmpom’s Shawn Petsche and Cayley O’Neill . They recorded their CD at home during the pandemic.

 They played plenty of too catchy for their own good riffs reminiscent of bands like the Strawberries and Cheap Trick with a bit of the Breeders and a smattering of Pixies.

 Bassist Nicola Cavanagh from the Cardiograms and Night Committee, apparently playing her first gig with the band added haunting harmony vocals and grooved along on bass like she’d always been there.

Pregnant lead singer Cayley O’ Neill strutted the stage like a boss, singing catchy lyrics that were alternately playful and haunting for one of their last shows before new babies and double albums come to light.

 I missed A Trozzo Electric’s opening set and Facecut’s closing set.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor