Ned Kroczynski Ned Kroczynski

In Conversation: Concrete Vehicles

For anyone who’s been to Sled Island, visiting Calgary’s Palomino is a must. The Palomino (or “The Pal” to those who prefer slang) is a barbecue joint and music venue in the center of downtown Calgary. Inside, it is dimly lit, with walls covered in mud-brown paint and exposed brick. It smells like propane and barbecue sauce and feels like you’re inside a piece of brisket—you could call it rustic. This is the location I chose for my interview with Concrete Vehicles, a five-piece punk band from Vancouver, British Columbia.

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Ned Kroczynski Ned Kroczynski

In Conversation: SAMWOY

Sled Island 2026 taught me three new things about Calgary: the Palomino isn’t as good as it smells, the trains are free downtown, and there is more than one library. The last one may seem insignificant, but when you’ve agreed to meet at a library for an interview, it becomes quite important. When I went to meet Sam Woywitka (of SAMWOY) for a 1 p.m. interview on June 19, I paced around the building for 10 minutes before realizing there was, get this, another library, at which point I dashed outside and hopped in an Uber that took me to the correct spot. When I arrived, Sam was very forgiving and led me to his car for the interview below.

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Ned Kroczynski Ned Kroczynski

In Conversation: Nora Kelly

The Nora Kelly Band’s set at Sled Island was stunning. The band was funny, charming, and knew how to take themselves seriously when the music demanded it. They were playing at Pin Bar on 17th Ave in Calgary, a bar with—you guessed it—pinball machines, about eight of them in a small room to the right of the stage. Nora and I agreed to interview after her set, by which point I’d drunk two tall cans of PBR and had grown quite sweaty from all of my head-nodding and slight swaying.

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