October is the month to rock at Henotic. There will be 30 bands playing over four days from Oct. 14-17 on both levels of the building, including a lot of local acts plus a few are making their public debuts.
“This is the first time we’ve done Rocktoberfest,” said organizer Paul Lawton, emphasizing it is not just garage rock bands performing. He has been behind several big multi-band festivals including Sled Island South and Mammoth Cave Fest.
Some of the highlights include a return visit from Regina rockers the Hot Blood Bombers and a trio of popular Vancouver bands, We Say Party, We Say Die, Shearing Pinx and Ahna. He is looking forward to seeing the Sublinguals, who opened for King Khan and the Shrines recently plus DCT from Toronto. As well as the Sharp Ends. “They are going to be huge when they break,” he said.
Plus, there are a lot of local bands including the Moby Dicks, the Neccessities, Planet Telex, Jesse and the Dandelions, the Square Waves, Smoke Stack Jacks plus newer bands including They Dead, Chief Mountain, Under the White Dime and Skull Train to Hell Town, which is made up for former members of the New Danger Kids and Life from the Creationists, who Lawton is especially looking forward to seeing.
“That’s going to be really good. And Shearing Pinx are one of the biggest bands in underground music. They put on a very good live show,” Lawton said, adding Rocktoberfest offers an equal mix of local and out-of-town bands.
“Every day there’s bands. There’s something for everybody. But the purpose of it is because we have so much variety (in Lethbridge), is getting local bands who don’t ever play together to play together. Most local bands have their own scenes and groups they play in,” Lawton said, adding he wanted to get all of the local bands in Lethbridge in on this gig.
“While I wasn’t successful in getting all of them, there was an effort made to reach out to bands I don’t usually book or play with,” Lawton continued.
“It’s crucial for the scene to be vibrant for local bands to play with each other often.”
The shows start at 9 p.m. each night. Each band will be playing 20 minute sets. Shows will alternate between the main floor and the GCBC Lounge to allow for a quick turnaround.
“It serves as a good advertisement for each band’s different styles and genre,” Lawton said.
Other great shows this week include a return visit to the Slice by Kingston based Paddy-punkers, the Mahones who play tonight, Oct. 14. They are playing with the Popes which Pogues frontman Shane McGowan founded shortly after leaving the Pogues, Toronto punks the Delinquents and actor and musician Ray Gange who toured as a DJ with Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros and will be DJing on this tour. Admission costs $20.
The Slice is also bringing back popular Calgary funk and R and B band the Mocking Shadows, Oct. 17.
On Sunday, Lee Harvey Osmond is playing the Geomatic Attic. This folk supergroup includes Tom Wilson from Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and Junkhouse as well as members of the Skydiggers and the Cowboy Junkies. Tickets cost $35.

Last week

Henotic had a busy and unusual show, Oct. 7 on a Wednesday night with several acts playing both upstairs and downstairs.
Downstairs, a pair of Netherlands indie pop bands, The Wind Whistles and Paper Tiger, stopped by on a six-week cross-Canada tour. Paper Tiger exhibited superb vocal harmonies and multi- instrumental prowess on guitar, drums and mandolin as well as folksy whimsy.
Downstairs, approximately 70 people took in a one man alternative country rock band called Shotgun Jimmie who warmed them up for the main event — B.A Johnston.
Johnston proved himself to be the bastard child of the Arrogant Worms and Weird Al Yankovic with his straight-out weird lyrics about deep fryers in the bedroom, 7-11 and all about hating squirrels sung to processed pre-programmed ’80s synth riffs and a little guitar. He even followed a couple smokers outside, singing all the while. It was pretty entertaining.
At the Slice, it was metal night with Versus the Nothing who added touches of Good Charlotte and the Foo Fighters. They played some sweet harmonies and some superb singing as well as had impressive showmanship with the singer running through the sparse crowd and dancing on tables.
Friday, Oct. 10 was another busy night beginning with a good crowd at the folk club’s open stage which included a lot of new faces in the audience as well as on stage, including an excellent bluegrass quartet called the Laytons plus Matt as well as the Lion’s Den including Treeline’s Ryan Dyck.
The Chuck Norris All Stars played Henotic with a strong set of countrified metal hits like “Paranoid,” “ Ace of Spades,” “Cum On Feel the Noize” and “TNT” which featured a lot of Telecaster twang and mandolin and some sweet pedal steel playing on “Paranoid.”
I caught This City Defects at the Slice after that for some ear-blistering, hyperactive rock and roll with Primus-inspired bass playing and a strong Bad Brains punk influence.
The hottest gig of the weekend was Oct. 10 at the Slice with three smoking acts beginning with Calgary surf/instrumental/rockabilly band the Ramblin’ Ambassadors. There was a lots of big, bold Gretsch twang which made them a tough act for Rich Hope and the Manvils to follow. But both were up to the challenge. I’d been looking forward to seeing Rich Hope And his Evil Doers (also including drummer Adrian Mack) for a while. He’s a little guy with a huge voice and an even bigger guitar sound with a lot of raunchy blues-inspired slide and finger picking. Not to mention endless energy. He began with “Love Like a Bullet” from his second album, but most of his set focussed on music from his latest CD, “Whip it On Ya.” Some highlights included “My Baby Likes to Boogaloo” and “Jump Around Some”, which segued into a few bars of “Radar Love”, which got an almost full house out on the floor dancing.
A trimmed-down Manvils tore up the place afterward to finish the show with unbelievable energy and lots of upbeat rock and roll which had the crowd jumping along.

Events

Oct. 14
The Slice— The Mahones, the Popes, Delinquents, Ray Gange tickets $20
Oct. 15
Ric’s Grill — Ben Brown
HB’s Lounge — Yuk Yuks
Oct. 16
Mocha Cabana — Karen Romanchuk
Slice — Rachelle Van Zanten
HB’s Lounge — Tom and Curt
Oct. 17
Mocha Cabana — Karen Romanchuk
Slice — Mocking Shadows, Tickets $15
HB’s LOunge — Tom and Curt
Oct. 14-17
Henotic — Hot Blood Bombers, Shearing Pinx, DCT, Ahna , Rich Hope
The Zoo— Hip hop for hunger festival, Break the Bridge B-Boy battle with guests
Oct. 18
Geomatic Attic — Lee Harvey Osmond
Mocha Cabana— Sarah Cole Cd release tour with Tim Smith and Terry Smith
Henotic— Jeff Stryker
Oct. 20
Henotic — Calm asa Coma
Slice — open mic
1010 — Open mic with Greg Gomola
Oct. 21
Slice — the Joys
Henotic — open mic with Schuyler Jensen