SPILL FESTIVAL REVIEW: EAST TOWN GET DOWN INDEPENDENT MUSIC & FOOD FESTIVAL @ INTERNATIONAL AVENUE, CALGARY (AB)

EAST TOWN GET DOWN INDEPENDENT MUSIC & FOOD FESTIVAL

@ INTERNATIONAL AVENUE, CALGARY (AB)

MAY 23, 2026

On May 23, Calgary’s International Avenue showcased the East Town Get Down Independent Music and Food Festival, a place where fans of spectacular food and amazing music can come together. The unique one-night festival featured over 40+ incredible independent musical acts at 10 non-traditional venues, all within six blocks of one another. Each venue offered delicious five dollar authentic food plates and fantastic drink specials to enjoy while watching the musical acts.

The first musical act I saw was Autonomous Apes at Paradise Lanes. A day before the festival, the Vancouver-based rock band released their newest album, Terms and conditions. Most of their set consisted of songs from this album. Autonomous Apes delivered some terrific tunes filled with highly memorable choruses, fascinatingly melodic guitar riffs, a heavily distorted sound, and a superb combination of punk, grunge, and post-hardcore. “Star” was one of the main standouts from their set.

Then I saw Southern Albertan singer/songwriter Veronica Raine at Bravo Restaurant. Raine completely captivated the audience with her stunning voice, powerful lyrics, and gorgeous guitar playing. Raine’s newest single, “moonlight,” was one of the main highlights from her set. Many of the songs Raine performed have yet to be released or recorded. All these songs were amazing, so hopefully there will be recorded versions of them soon!

Once Raine’s set was finished, I headed over to Border Crossing Pub to catch Crystal Eyes. The Calgary-based indie band played lots of great new material that will appear on an upcoming album. This new album will definitely be great! Crystal Eyes’ set was full of hypnotically catchy songs that perfectly combined dream rock/pop, indie pop, new wave, and shoegaze. Plus, their sound, especially the synth, was wonderfully entrancing. They ended their set with an amazing cover of Gary Numan’s “Cars.”

Then I went over to TG Juice Bar & Breakfast to watch King Of Foxes. The Edmonton-based indie rock band captivated the crowd with their irresistibly explosive anthems packed with electrifying guitar riffs and infectious hooks. King Of Foxes also performed a handful of acoustics songs that were just as good as the more rocking songs. “Dynamo was one of the main standouts from their set.

I headed back to Border Crossing Pub to see 36?, an art rock act based out of Calgary. 36?’s music was outrageously creative, super surreal, insanely catchy, and unabashedly weird. Their energy was off-the-charts, making their set a very enjoyable time. The band also wore some very rad and snazzy matching outfits for the show! “I Think My Dog Knows I’m High” was one of the main highlights from their set.

As soon as 36? finished, I went back to Bravo Restaurant to catch Elbow Kiss (Em Boreen), a folk singer from Victoria. Elbow Kiss wowed audiences with their beautiful voice, delicately soothing guitar playing, and heartfelt lyrics. They performed some astonishing songs yet to be recorded. I am really looking forward to hearing recorded versions of those songs! “Blue Ember,” a song they released this year, was my favourite from their set. After their set was finished, they headed over to Maane’s Filipino Food Stuff to perform alongside Spencer Krug, as they were featured on several songs of Krug’s newest solo album, Same Fangs. This venue was absolutely packed with people to see Krug and Elbow Kiss, with many waiting in line to get in, so I was unfortunately unable to see it, but I’m sure it was an unbelievable show!

Up next, I saw a bit of rapper/hip-hop artist Arlo Maverick’s set at Anh Tu’s Kitchen. Hailing from Edmonton, Maverick’s set was very entertaining. With delightfully groovy beats, catchy choruses, and a fun energy, Maverick’s music had everyone dancing along. In addition, Maverick’s stage presence was incredibly magnetic, capturing the entire audience’s attention. “Rainy Days” really stood out from his set.

I caught a few songs of Calgary-based rock band D-Day Lewis’ set at Massawa Bar & Restaurant. Packed with gritty blues swagger, intense punk energy, hard-rocking headbanging guitar riffs, and a heavy in-your-face sound, D-Day Lewis put on a great show. “Alive” was my favourite song from their set.

After that, I quickly went over to Pacific Hut Restaurant, where the Chicago-based rock band Stuck was performing. A lot of their set was songs from their album Optimizer, which they released earlier this year. From start to finish, Stuck’s set was full of unrelenting sonic mayhem, chaotically loud guitar riffs, aggressively thunderous drumming, and wild energy that had the crowd going crazy. “Net Negative” was one of the most memorable songs from their set.

The last musical act I saw was Victoria-based rock singer Art d’Ecco and his Demon Band (d’Ecco’s touring band) at Pacific Hut Restaurant. d’Ecco’s voice was unreal and the Demon Band were all extremely talented musicians. The music was phenomenal as well, with many tunes, especially the glam rock ones, being stuck in my head. People were either rocking out or dancing to pretty much the entire set. d’Ecco and his Demon Band closed the night off perfectly, playing a few absolutely magnificent new songs that will be on d’Ecco’s upcoming album. I can’t wait for this album! “True Believer” was a main highlight from d’Ecco and his Demon Band’s set.

This year’s East Town Get Down Independent Music & Food Festival was a blast, and I’m looking forward to going to it again in the future!

Festival Links