In what was one of the more exciting events leading up to the centennial Calgary Stampede (so far), Canadian bands The Sheepdogs and The New Cities were announced as Coke stage headliners for 2012 at a packed event at Flames Central. Billed only as the Coke Covert concert, the secret event drew quite a crowd that lined up down the street.
Sparing no expense, Coca-Cola and The Calgary Stampede threw quite a bash. Participants were entered in a draw, got a free drink ticket and were treated to mini-burgers and poutine! All of this before the first band was had even been announced.
The New Cities were the first band to be announced. This electro-pop band from Montreal has been to the Calgary Stampede before, providing support for fellow Canadian band Simple Plan. Their high energy set had the younger members of the audience bouncing up and down as the lead singer belted out high notes while climbing on to railings and leaving the stage to interact with the audience. After the set, the host of the evening raffled off an autographed guitar from the band, as well as a Lammle’s shopping spree and Johnny Reid tickets.
Before announcing the final band, the host brought the suspense to an apex and allowed a flashy video to announce the final band. Some of the other artists announced during the video were; K’naan, Our Lady Peace, Carly Rae Jepsen, Mother Mother, Big Sugar, Awolnation, Seether and many more. The entire list can be found here: Coca-Cola Stage Lineup 2012
Finally, the crowd became fervent as the final band was about to be announced. From the moment the announcer mentioned the band was from Saskatoon, the crowd started to explode. Rumours had already been circulating that a certain Saskatoon band who were featured on the cover of Rolling Stone had been picked to headline the evening.
Amidst the frenzy, long-haired rockers The Sheepdogs took to the stage and powered their way through a solid set of rock and roll inspired by the era of rock music now called ‘classic’. It was as if the Sheepdogs drove their van straight from the 1970s and through Calgary on their way down to the Sasquatch music festival in Washington this weekend.
Overall, the show was a lot of fun! Calgarians should be looking forward to all of the many events taking place this summer as a part of the centennial Stampede celebration, it’s going to be a busy summer!
Keep on top of what’s going on downtown by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.
Related Posts
| Tweet |
|
