Friday
i-Robot
The Swallow-a-Bicycle theatre company is putting on i-Robot this Friday, a play takes places in the future where robots are a commonplace part of society. The story follows a roboticist who seeks to protect his robots from an electronic virus known as ‘Infanta’. The show will be located at the Art Box on 17E, 1807 42 St SE. For more information on i-Robot, you can call 403.397.8559 or email charles@swallowbicycle.com. There will be a ton of great Beakerhead events happening over the weekend, so make sure to check out the site to see what other cool events may be of interest.
Saturday
The Walrus Talks
The Beakerhead festival presents the Walrus Talks Experimentation, which will be hosted by Theatre Junction Grand on Saturday afternoon. The event includes six speakers who will engage the crowd with thoughtful ideas and perspectives about innovation and discovery in the future. Speakers will include poets, scholars, musicians and scientists. The speeches begin at 3pm and there will be a reception to follow. For more information, click here. Tickets are $25. Black Betty is right next door if you’re in the mood to grab dinner afterwards. Black Betty’s is also a great place to start your evening with a glass of wine or a burger.
Braids
Braids is an experimental indie group based out of Montreal and they are currently on tour with their second album, ‘Flourish//Perish’. Braids was shortlisted for the Polaris prize in 2011 for their debut album ‘Native Speaker’. The band grabbed a lot of positive attention when they came to Sled Island two years ago and their full energy show is packed with raw talent. The group will be at Commonwealth this Saturday and you can get your ticket here. Doors at 6:30 pm. Consider sticking around for the Modern Vintage DJ sets after the Braids show. This is also your chance to sample the Chuck Ragan hotdog at the Tubby Dog kiosk in Commonwealth. How can you go wrong with peanut butter, bacon and pickles?
Picnic
The Cliff Bungalow Community Centre is putting on a Picnic Saturday to celebrate the season with great people, food and music. This is a free event open to everyone, so come on out and enjoy diverse local acts like SAVK, Fever Feel and Axes of Conversation. There will be a garden playground courtesy of the Leaf Ninjas and Green Calgary. This will be of interest to any gardeners out there who need a few gardening tips. The Picnic is a chance to enjoy the diversity and vibrancy of our city. Saturday is calling for nice weather and this may be a great chance to test out the new bike lane on 7th Street SW. For Picnic information, click here.
Sunday
Maker Fair
The Alberta College of Art and Design is hosting the Maker Fair this weekend. This fun fair brings together crafters, exhibitors, educators and people interested in technology. This event has a little something for everyone. There will be demonstrations with LED lights, colour changing cocktail dresses and robots that are capable of making sidewalk art. The fair begins at 10am. For information, click here. Kensington is just a short or ride away from ACAD and has many great places to stop for lunch or coffee after you’ve checked out the fair.
James Murphy DJ Set
James Murphy is the mastermind behind LCD Soundsystem, which is one of the coolest bands to have ever existed. LCD has made some memorable dance punk hits for the last decade, including singles like “Losing My Edge” and “ Dance Yourself Clean.” While the band is no longer together, Murphy is still out there making great music. Murphy will be in Calgary on Sunday night and you won’t want to miss this DJ set. For those of you who have to work Monday, think about taking the morning off. For tickets and more information, click here. Seeing as the show is on Sunday, this is a great chance to grab a choice spot on one of the many downtown patios before the show. National is always a great place to stop for a cold one.
Top photo courtesy The National