The 10 wildest band names at Big Winter Festival in Calgary

Wild band names are nothing new, we’ve seen some crazy ones over the years. But some at Big Winter Festival in Calgary go above and beyond.

Walking down the path paved by Doug and the Slugs, Puddle of Mudd, and The Band, here are the 10 band names on Big Winter Classic’s lineup that caught our eye.

F*cked Up

So simple, yet so profound. Lead singer Damian Abraham has put together stories and documentaries on medicinal marijuana, death match wrestling, and of course music for VICE. He heads this band that Big Winter Classic describes as having “its own genre hybridization—and it works, it works so insanely.”

FartBarf

A name that gets weirder the longer you think about it. This trio has been together since 2008. The group is set to entertain Big Winter Classic in Calgary with “relentless melodies, robotically tight rhythms, and danceable beats.”

Joe and the Sh*tboys

Described as a “bisexual vegan shitpunk band from the Faroe Islands” they formed because they thought the rock scene in their home had become homophobic. They continue to take on vibe killers everywhere and will be at Big Winter Classic in Calgary.

Surf Boys

Taking a break from band names with swears in them and however you’d categorize FartBarf, there is something fun to us about a group from Saskatchewan with “surf” in the name. This punk rock band from the landlocked province has toured internationally and is now coming to Calgary.

Slow Down Molasses

Another Saskatchewan group with a clever name, this four-man group from Saskatoon says they have “a sound steeped in existential dread and simmering guitar rock post-punk sunshine.”

Holy F*ck

And we’re back to swears. This group’s name was also what we said after seeing some of these band names. They have been together for 15 years and are “never ones to chase the limelight or hop on any genre-wagon that happens to be passing by; they’ve played by their own rules.”

Stripmall

This group described the inspiration for their name as follows: “Stripmall evokes the place where frustration and hope exist. True Alberta contrast where the West meets the concrete.”

Dump Babes

Saskatchewan makes another appearance on this list with Dump Babes jumping off a page when you see it. The group says they got their inspiration (musically, not in the name) from ABBA and have been rolling from there. Their bio says, “They let their obsession with disco take the wheel, and unsurprisingly- it drove them straight back to the landfill.”

ILLHumanNation

Picked for this list specifically to drive spell check and our editors crazy, ILLHumanNation takes a couple of reads before you put it all together. The young rappers from Saskatoon say they are trying to change the way people see hip-hop in Western Canada.

The Won’ts

This one is here more for how it looks than how wild the name really is. There is something about seeing “ts” after the apostrophe that caught our eye. This group of best friends has toured with the Surf Dads and described their sound as “a blend of group harmonies, surf guitars, and vintage combo organs.” Also, “The Won’ts” is now what I’m going to call my list of new year’s resolutions.

 

All of these bands, and many, many more are performing at Big Winter Classic from January 25 to 29 at locations across the city. Passes are available now.

Big Winter Classic

When: January 25 to 29, 2023
Time: Varies by show
Where: Various locations across the city
Cost: $117.93 for weekend passes