Purple City adds 60 more bands including Tamaryn, Radioactivity, Kacy & Clayton

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Purple City Music Festival was due to announce another 50 bands this week, adding multiple hypnotic hissing snakes to its 2024 Medusa poster.

Lucky for us, though, that turned out to be 60 more acts — including a rare show by New Zealand-born, swirly new wave shoe-gaze legend Tamaryn, here with a full band.

Also bolstering the Sept. 6-8 headliners (already boasting New York art punks Gustaf, UK doom metal act Conan and psych-y Portland shredders Spoon Benders) are chipper Austin OG punk act Radioactivity and the hypnotizing reverb twang of Toronto’s Fiver — don’t miss that one.

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Saskatchewan second cousins Kacy & Clayton are confirmed on the bill, serving up their pretty folk and roots vibe.

Wolf Eyes of Detroit, meanwhile, will bring its chaotic wall of sound from the peak of an experimental noise showcase presented by new Edmonton label Honey Farm Records, making its public-facing debut.

Also heading up to Edmonton from New York are punchy-echo drone rockers Dead Leaf Echo.

Besides the international acts, a phalanx of local artists will be joined by musicians from around Alberta, newly declared acts including popular female-fronted doom duo Mares of Thrace from Calgary and Lethbridge’s solid country songwriter Skinny Dyck, adding pedal steel and psychedelia to the Purple stew.

Sunglaciers, St Arnaud and Bridgeland are also up from Calgary, Rathjen and company hoping to strengthen the bridge between our cities.

The awesome, slow-burning Radiation Flowers is in from Regina, metal bangers Iron Tusk here from the Siksika Nation, plus gothy Vancouver synth sorcerer Total Chroma, who just played Terminus fest in Calgary.

The non-profit, youth-focused, all-ages Purple City is in its third full year now, up to ten stages in six downtown venues — including the outdoor street stage outside of Starlite with beer gardens and, yes, Love Wrestling pile-driving and body slamming in a ring all weekend.

“It’s the most we’ve done ever,” says Purple City’s executive director Ryan Rathjen. “This second wave is mostly submission bands — this year we had 410 bands apply from all over North America: Toronto, a bunch from Calgary, Montreal, Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle, New York…

“They saw the festival lineup from last year and just want to come experience it.”

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Besides the submissions, headliners were approached by the fest from around the world, selected by a split gender committee with help from guest curators lending expertise, including locals Project 23 and Capital HC, Sisika Nation’s Moments Fest, Vancouver’s Verdoden Festival and The Fruit Loop Society of Alberta.

As well as local stoner metal heroes Black Mastiff banging heads together again, more Edmonton-flavoured acts have been announced, like ol’ school rockers Real Sickies and the current, all-star-band version of CKUA darling Amy van Keeken & the Mind Readers, returning home from Vancouver.

In van Keeken’s expat band are a number of players from Conduit, also on the bill, including skate-punk singer James Stewart.

Folk-punkers Fire Next Time and the comical country of Bobby Tenderloin are two more locals on the roster, as well as VERTTIGO, Visitor, Beach Towels, Tebby & the Heavy, Pseudo Antigone, Dylan Ella, Baby Jey and many more.

There will also be free educational industry panels, more details coming soon.

“And Sunday afternoon at the outdoor stage from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.,” says Rathjen, “New Standards will be doing a jazz showcase featuring but not limited to current students from the MacEwan music program.”

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It’s hard to name a genre that was left out — hot country and polka, maybe?

Tier 2 wristbands to the all-ages three-day festival can be purchased at purplecityfest.com for $125 plus fees all in until they sell out (Tier 3 is $150+), while a VIP Weekend Pass is $200 plus fees.

See you on the streets in September!

fgriwkowsky@postmedia.com

@fisheyefoto

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