Five bands to watch at the Big Winter Classic this weekend

Who holds a music festival in the middle of winter? With outdoor stages? In potentially freezing weather?

Adrian Urlacher's answer to those questions is simple.

"Why don't we?"

Urlacher is the man behind the second annual Big Winter Classic music and beer festival, which kicks off Thursday night in Calgary.

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The festival, which features roughly 70 bandsincluding 60 from Alberta is spread out across three venues and five stages in downtown Calgary. Two of them are outdoors.

"We have seven months of winter. It just seemed like a great opportunity, a great spot to have something that would bring people out of their houses," Urlacher told the Calgary Eyeopener earlier this week.

In addition to the bands, attendees can also partake in a sampling of craft beer from around Calgary.

"We have 17 craft brewers that have all come together to collaborate to create unique casks," Urlacher said.

The three venues Last Best Brewing and Distilling, Broken City and Dicken's Pub also collaborated to create their own beer for the festival.

With the lineup featuring everything from rockabilly to hip hop, CBC Calgary asked localentertainment writer Mike Bell to share his picks for the bands you just can't miss this weekend.

Said the Whale

Thursday, Jan. 19at Dicken's Pub

"Said the Whale is a B.C. folk pop band. To be able to see them in a smaller venue is kind of nice. They have such broad appeal good, light melodic stuff."

Listen to Said the Whale's first single from their upcoming album.

Holy F--k

Friday, Jan. 20 at Dicken's Pub

"Holy F--ck are another one that are kind of up there when it comes to alternative, experimental, electronic acts in this country. Pretty much everything they release will be considered for a Polaris prize. It's quite the coup for Big to get them to play."

Chad VanGaalen

Saturday, Jan. 21 at Last Best's outdoor stage

"He's one we take for granted. Chad writes really kind of mournful art folk that canbe fairly rocking. Chad's brilliant. He's a brilliant artist, animatorand musician. There are few people I would consider artistic geniuses that I've ever met, but I'd include him there."

Have a listen to this Calgary artist below.

The Wet Secrets

Saturday, Jan. 21 at Last Best's indoor stage

"They're, to me, one of the greatest things on the planet.They wear marching band uniforms and they have a two-piece horn section. The music itself is so wonderful, just great rock pop. Absolutely fantastic. You have tobe prepared to smile a whole lot."

Here's "I Can Swing A Hammer."

TUNS

Saturday, Jan. 21 at Dicken's Pub

"They are theEast Coast supergroup which features ChrisMurphy from Sloan, Mike O'Neill from The Inbreds, and Matt Murphy of The Super Friendz. They got together and they released an album last year. It's really fun, really great power pop. They have a song called 'Mind Over Matter.' It's just perfect."

Listen to "Mind over Matter" here.

For more information about the Big Winter Classic, you can visit the festival's website.Tickets range from $45 for Thursday's shows to $125 for a weekend pass.

With files from the Calgary Eyeopener