The Calgary Folk Music Festival’s 10th annual Block Heater festival took place this year from Feb. 14-15. Block Heater brought in artists and musicians from around Canada and Calgary to curate a festival buzzing with excitement for live music. The festival was spread across three different locations in downtown Calgary: Horizon Heating Stage at Legion #1, Central United Church and The Palace Theatre.
The Feb. 14 lineup consisted of a collection of known and renowned acts like the duo Sammy Volkov and Dana Wylie, and highlighted local fan favourites like Sunglaciers.
At Central United Church, the folk duo Sammy Volkov and Dana Wylie sing a number of soft and melodic songs that are nostalgic and incredibly heartfelt. Volkov and Wylie began their partnership in 2022 and released their first collaborative album The Day Had to Come in 2024.
Volkov and Wylie took turns leading songs in a playful manner as well as including light and relatable jokes to continue engaging with the audiences. Both sang in-tune and carried a dual harmony to create layers and a new sense of liveliness in all the songs, which perfectly accompanied the guitar-led songs.
Volkov and Wylie are both skilled with the guitar, bouncing between different strum patterns, picking patterns, and more. Their use of the guitar sets the pace for a song, creating the mood of either a high-strummed song or a slow finger-picked song. Songs like “Secret Subway Conversations” and “Saw the End Before it Started” reflect on heartbreak in past relationships which make their songs a sympathetic reflection of human interactions. While there is a focus on romantic relationships, some songs also focus on familial relationships, making their performance emotional and sincere.
Opening the night at the Palace Theatre was the Calgary-based band, Sunglaciers, who set the tone for the night by infusing a number of genres to create an entrancing performance. Since forming in 2017, Sunglaciers are best known for their songs openly experimenting with the punk-rock genre and alternative rock.
The band performed a number of songs from their most recently released album, Regular Nature, including songs like “I Remember the Days” and “Kafka”. Audiences were treated to an electric experience, with each band member playing magnetic tunes. Band frontman Evan Resnik’s strong stage presence added more buzz to the overall performance by providing powerful vocals. Guitarist and keyboardist Nyssa Brown played an essential part of the show by elevating the band’s sound through improvising many guitar riffs and solos. From going between 80s-inspired rock to new wave, Sunglaciers put on a dynamic show that left audiences wanting more.
The strong opening numbers at Block Heater set the stage for an exhilarating weekend of fun musical performances. The wide range of genres created a space for audiences to enjoy good music and celebrate local artists.
Information on Calgary Folk Music Festival and Block Heater can be found here. To see more of Volkov and Wylie’s music, click here. Details about Sunglaciers can be found on their website.
