For mature audiences

Calgary trio Grown-Ups started their set by saying they wouldn't be doing any of that crazy running around like openers Young Stalin. They certainly turned the volume up though; they're a raucous bunch with a lot of cymbal smashing, power-chording and shouting.

Nominal bassist Darrell Hartsook, drummer Sara Hughes and her hubby Josiah.



Downstroking action!



Darrell sings!



Sara hits!



Reflective action!



Fishy action!



Josiah works the frets.



Shadowy shouty action!



More Darrell! Not shown, his famous missing tooth.



More Sara!



The shouty end!



Since this show Darrell has departed to be replaced by bassist Andrew. They've got a few shows coming up, all in Calgary.

• Show reminder: It's a good night to be at Babylon with Ty Segall, Teenanger, Holy Cobras and So Cow; Professor Le Strange, Auto Racing and Ginger Fox play Zaphod's; Scott Cook is at the Rainbow.

Tyranny and publication

If it's Thursday, it must be time for Rock'N'Roll Pizza Party ... well, perhaps not now since Nine and the RRPP have parted ways. Their last two shows were hosted by the kind folks at The MVP Lounge, and they may be the last for a while (I hope not). Anyway, this particular Thursday was back in June, just after Crowded House. Calgary's Grown-Ups were passing on through, and locals Young Stalin were picked to open.

Spen runs around! Spen also does the We Are Pretentious Assholes blog/zine.



Former Critical Conditioner Maverick plays bass.



Cory plays guitar and you can just make out Finner on drums.



More Spen!



More Finner!



The whole slightly reflect lot!



The shouty bit!



Shadowy action from Maverick and Cory!



Shadowy Spen!



Spen works the crowd.



Assorted running about ...



Young action!



The crowd in a reflective mood.



No news on what they're up to right now.

• Show reminder: There's folk music aplenty at Raw Sugar. If you feel peckish in the morning you can always check out the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals breakfast (from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. - more like brunch, really), with music by Tanya Davis, Chris Page, Jim Bryson and Andrew Vincent; later in the evening Octoberman, Winchester Warm and Andy Swan will play. There's no shortage of loud music around town either, with Polymorphines, Rockalily Burlesque and The Nightmares at Babylon, Blood Ceremony, Sons of Otis, Electric Magma and Gypsy Chief Goliath at Rainbow as part of CKCU's 35th anniversary celebrations and Uncooperatives, Loviatar and Bless This Mess rocking the Dominion Tavern. Bruce Peninsula, and Ghost Keeper are at Mavericks, upstairs at Cafe DeKcuf you'll find Carpenter, Cobra Skulls, Cheap Girls and Hamilton. There's yet more Randypeters reunionizing at Irene's; Fire & Neon, The Birthday Girls and Will Asaad perform at Zaphod Beeblebrox; The Big Bend and The Bushpilots will be at the Elmdale House helping mutual member Tim Pechloff celebrate his birthday. Trees, Wildlife, Our Books and Authors and Dark Mean congregate at the Avant-Garde.

Just a short hop

Last time I saw Nobunny was a wild and crazy show at the Polish Combatant's Hall. Things were a little more sedate for this show at Nine in the early going since Nobunny had to manage guitar duties for the first bunch of tunes.

I'm wondering how much longer Nobunny's mask can hold out ...



Masked action!



Regular guitarist Jasbunny (a.k.a. Jason Testasecca of Studdogs and Okmoniks) handled the traps.



Barefoot bassist action!



Kicking action!



The whole lot!



Okay, now to get things really started!



Allie Hanlon (White Wires, Peach Kelli Pop) takes over on drums, freeing Jason to pick up an axe and Nobunny to indulge in some acrobatics.



And the crowd goes wild!



Double the Allie.



Nobunny rides again!



Microphone swallowing action!



Guitar action!



Shadowy band action!



The whole lot!



Nobunny preaches to the converted.



The end!



He's playing Brooklyn tonight, before hopping the Atlantic for a slew of European shows.

• Show reminder: Guttermouth, The Real Deal, The Valveenus and Gusto Fiasco play Mavericks; 5 Pounds of Pants and Whiskey Face perform at the Rainbow; Alyssa Munaretto with opener Brothers Through The Hill.

Bright young things

The Nymphets seem to have left their bass player somewhere ... it doesn't seem to matter much since, apart from some technical difficulties, they pulled off another fine set of Jonathan Richman-meets first-wave punk rock.

Jared and twice the usual amount of Johanna.



The dynamic duo and their mirror image.



Johanna sings!



Singalong action!



Johanna sings some more!



Johanna hits!



Jared sings!



Guitar action!



Nymphet action!



More Johanna!



The shadowy remix.



Faceoff action!



The end!



They have a single release show coming up in September in Montreal ... I guess that means a new single is en route.

• Show reminder: She Roars, The Disco Vikings and Dr/Jr are at the Rainbow; Scene Through Your Eyes, Brain Damage, The Cowards and Apocalypstic perform at Mavericks.