Get ready to let your “freak flag fly,” at LEMF, Aug. 18 in Galt Gardens.
If you enjoy electronica music, the seventh annual LEMF  (Lethbridge Electronic Music Festival) is the place to be.

“There’s people in colourful costumes. It’s a place to make a total ass of yourself in a non judgemental atmosphere. It‘s a place to let your freak flag fly,” said organizer David Fritz aka Marty Funkhauser when he is on stage. He noted the event attracted 4,500 people attending throughout the day and he is hoping for more this year with five headlining acts.
“We have five headliners this year, two from New Zealand (Cheshire and Sammy Senior), one from Australia (Slynk), one from the U.S (Joe Nice) and one from Canada (Wood N Soo),” he continued.

“Having five headliners is unusual for us, but everything just seemed to work out this year, he said, adding their performances will be staggered throughout the day, so people will be able to catch all of their sets.

“This will be Cheshire’s first tour of Canada. He‘s beginning it here,” he said.

“He plays glitch funk music, but he also plays live saxophone over top of it and he does some scratching as well,” he said.

“Wood N Soo play multi-genre soul dub and  electronica. There are two of them they play a two by four set which is four turntables and two mixers,” he continued.
“Joe Nice is a dub step guy. He’s one of the godfathers of dub step,” he said adding He is one of the few DJs still using vinyl.

“Sammy Senior plays ghetto funk and glitch hop. Slynk plays glitch hop and most kinds of funk,” he continued.

Fritz will be one of 30 DJs performing on three stages throughout the day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

It is a short week due to the long weekend, yet there still a lot going on.
It is an excellent week for loud, local rock and roll.

 Chief Mountain plays for Paint and sip at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Aug.  8.
it will be a super night for music,” because after that, local ’90s rock trio the Supervoid will be joined by Seattle musician Mark Palm’s pop-rock project  Supercrush. He used to play in a variety of punk and hard core bands including  shoegaze band Modern Charms.

This month’s edition of the Windy City Opry at the Slice features an all local line Up on Wednesday, Aug. 8 with local roots band Rancho Deluxe and a songwriting circle including Megan Brown and Victoria Officinalis. The music begins at 8 p.m. There is a $10 cover.

The Slice features a super special guest to host the Thursday night jam— Kansas City blues musician Amanda Fish and her drummer Glen James. She has Fish, the sister of fellow blues musician Samantha Fish, just released her sophomore CD “Free.”

It will be a fantastic weekend as well.
The Slice slow things down on Friday, Aug. 10 with Toronto folk duo Piper and Carson performing featuring Piper Hayes and her partner Carson Ritcey-Thorpe
 The Slice turns things up with a big metal show, Saturday Aug. 11 with Calgary’s King Mammoth and local metal band Extrados. There is a $10 cover for that show.
The Owl Acoustic lounge slows things down on the weekend with a couple of excellent folk shows.

Kansas City based blues musician Amanda Fish is taking advantage of her first visit  to Canada.
 She and her drummer will be stopping by the Slice to host a superjam on Thursday, Aug. 9.

“This is the first time I’ve ever been in Canada and o even out of my own country, so I’m  doing everything I can that is Canadian. I’m drinking  Labatts and eating poutine,” said Fish, upon being pleasantly surprised by a ride on an indoor roller coaster in the West Edmonton mall.
 She is enjoying a rare multi-day gig , this time at Blues on Whyte in Edmonton.

“That never happens at all, so it is really cool,” she said, adding the tour has been going well.
“I’m really digging Canada. Audiences have been great. We’ve had a great reception,” she said , noting  they aren’t mixing her up with her well known  sister Samantha Fish, who is also an excellent blues musician.
“They definitely know about Sam,”she said, adding their styles are different.
Amanda Fish just released her brand new, sophomore CD “Free,” but she won’t have on this tour.

I was performing at the Coutts Arts Festival, Sunday, July 22, so wasn’t able to catch a lot of the other entertainment on the sunny Sunday afternoon at the Coutts Centre just outside of Nanton.

 The Groove Apostles played some sweet, groovy instrumental jazz  music.

 Ben Price entertained after that with a lot of humour as he got an audience member to help him with his uncuttable cutting rope trick.