Miesha & the Spanks with Whitey Houston and Johnny de Courcy & the Death Rangers
Thursday, April 18, 9 p.m.
Broken City (613 11th Ave. S.W.)
Tickets: $9
After being part of several popular but ultimately failed local bands, Calgary rocker Miesha Louie is today confidently in control of her career and music. While her earlier experiences – first with the Lolitas, then Hogpuncher and Bogart! – gave her a taste of the spotlight, the guitarist, singer and songwriter also learned that the, umm, unique interpersonal dynamics of a band can pull focus away from the music.
So, since 2008, Louie’s creative outlet has been Miesha & the Spanks, a retro-groovy-punky-bluesy garage-rock duo of herself and drummer Stuart Bota. The band has achieved an increasing amount of traction on the hard road to success, winning X92.9’s Xposure contest in 2011 and turning heads in Toronto last month during Canadian Music Week.
Meanwhile, Louie’s music continues to evolve. The dark-eyed 28-year-old’s honest lyrics and signature rapid-fire vibrato give her tunefully catchy melodies a bit of a knife-twist, but there’s control and wisdom embedded in the rock ‘n’ roll energy. “I think ‘matured’ is a good word,” she says. “And that’s absolutely where my writing has gone.”
The band’s third album, “Girls, Like Wolves,“ produced by indie-rock icon Ian Blurton, is slated for a July release. Fans will get a preview of the new tracks Thursday night at Broken City, where Miesha & the Spanks share the bill with Edmonton band Whitey Houston and Vancouver alt-pop-rock outfit Johnny de Courcy & the Death Rangers.
Those on hand will also get a first look at Louie’s brand-new alpine white Gibson Firebird – trust us, it still has that “new-guitar” smell.
“It’s going to be a really great rock show,” Louie says, noting her admiration of Whitey Houston, also a garage-rock duo. “When I heard Whitey was playing, I said ‘I have to be there.'”
Music Note: Chase your shot of rock ‘n’ roll with some sweet country harmonies on Friday, April 19, when award-winning Calgary band Pear headlines at the Calgary Folk Club (5432 Dalhart Rd. N.W.). Tickets are $25; doors open at 7:30 p.m.