GZA / Blist
The Warehouse, Calgary AB March 26

By Josiah Hughes

Local openers Blist have a claim to fame in that one of their members is Andrew Sparacino, the dude who played Tron in the cult classic Fubar. Combining some super goofy, ’90s-in-a-bad-way lyrics with mediocre beats, the rap duo were more corny Organized Rhyme than lovable Beastie Boys. With a city growing as rapidly as Calgary, and a fairly large underground culture, it’s hard to believe this was the best we could produce for a GZA opener.

Harder still to believe the same i>Fubar cast that unleashed CPC Gangbangs could also birth this travesty. They kept saying, “Only two more songs,” but their set never seemed to end. When it finally did, at around midnight, we were treated to an elongated set from their DJ, who spun top 40 hip-hop from the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye and Snoop. The crowd was into it, but it started to run a little long, and soon everyone was chanting “Wu-Tang” so loud it drowned out the music.

By the time GZA (pictured) finally took the stage, it was nearly 1am, and expectations were unreasonably high. Naturally, GZA’s laidback swagger couldn’t match the hype leading up to his showcase, but he did prove to be an able performer, high-fiving his legions and never flubbing a line. Calmly walking back and forth with one hand in his pocket, he had an easygoing presence that made him more exciting to listen to than watch.

Still, the Wu enthusiasts that crowded the capacity venue clung on to every word, ending lines to every song. Dropping abbreviated versions from Liquid Swords and his latest Pro Tools album, as well as some 36 Chambers, GZA covered a lot of material in a little time. It would certainly be a lot more entertaining to catch GZA with a few other Clansmen, but as a solo performer he did his job well.
Annotations of an Autopsy - The Reign of Darkness
Blessure Grave - Judged By Twelve, Carried By Six
Magnetic Fields / Laura Barrett
Hillside Inside Featuring Owen Pallett, Ani Di Franco, Basia Bulat, Bahamas, Hawksley Workman
The Golden Filter / LA Riots / Junior Boys
Hollerado - Record in a Bag
Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR
Pantha Du Prince - Black Noise
Watson Twins - Talking To You, Talking To Me
Buzzcocks - Another Music In A Different Kitchen / Love Bites / A Different Kind Of Tension
Sade - Soldier Of Love
Yukon Blonde - Yukon Blonde
Steve Kaldestad - Blow-Up
Galactic - Ya-Ka-May
Gil Scott-Heron - I’m New Here
Dawn Of Demise - A Force Unstoppable
Janine Stoll - Melancholia
Stygian - Fury Rising
Shining - VI — Klagopsalmer
The Kandidate - Until We Are Outnumbered
Troll - Neo-Satanic Supremacy
Meshuggah - Alive
Dark Fortress - Ylem
Massive Attack - Heligoland
Fear Factory - Mechanize
Reckless Kelly - Somewhere In Time
Arsis - Starve For The Devil
DevilDriver / Suffocation / Thy Will Be Done / Goatwhore
Asobi Seksu
James Blackshaw / Gary Higgins
Lil Wayne - Rebirth
Light This City - The Hero Cycle
Lightspeed Champion - Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba - I Speak Fula
Georgia Anne Muldrow - King’s Ballad
Droids Attack - Must Destroy
Hot Chip - One Life Stand
Ellen Allien / Various - Watergate O5
Through The Eyes Of The Dead - Skepsis
Pierced Arrows - Descending Shadows
Rob Zombie - Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool
Pawel - Pawel
Children Of Celebrities - Stereo Bang Bang
Midlake - The Courage Of Others
Guns N’ Roses
Julie Doiron / Attack in Black
Tegan and Sara / An Horse
Nouvelle Vague
Arch Enemy / Exodus
Between the Buried and Me / Cynic / Devin Townsend Project / Scale the Summit
Fucked Up - Couple Tracks
Magnetic Fields - Realism
Strong Arm Steady - In Search of Stoney Jackson
Harvey Milk - Harvey Milk
Basia Bulat - Heart Of My Own
Ihsahn - After
Living Sacrifice - The Infinite Order
Ihsahn - After
Steve Earle / Joel Plaskett
Scuba / Various - Sub:Stance
Make Me Young - Make Me Young
Taking Dawn - Time To Burn
Postdata - Postdata
Woodhands - Remorsecapade
Buraka Som Sistema / Various - Fabriclive 49
Beach House - Teen Dream
Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring
Various - Born Again Funk
Wetdog - Frauhaus!
Coolzey - The Honey
Rel!G!Ion - Revelations 1
Buraka Som Sistema / Various - Fabriclive 49
Chicago Underground Duo - Boca Negra
Cars & Trains - The Roots, the Leaves
Morton Feldman / Milton Babbitt / Phoenix Ensemble - Clarinet Quintets
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