I’m a music snob, eh? I used to be what was once hilariously known as a “pop music critic” for a daily Alberta newspaper, and I edited that paper’s (equally hilariously named) “Culture” section, for a time. My job used to be to regard new music festivals – especially corporate-sponsored ones – with suspicion, if not an actual, audible-to-the-newsroom lips-pursed scoff.

Now I’m one of the guys – along with young Button here – selling the merits of the Untapped Alberta music series to the media, and to Albertans, and to drinkers of Button’s beer.

It’s an easy sell.

The usual corporate sponsorship gambit is to find an existing successful arts “property”, in a “niche” market where you want to grow your “market share,” slap your naming rights on that sucker, and then sit back and tell everyone that you’re involved in the “community.” I think Big Rock and ATB Financial (where I work) have done something different here, by creating something new, by giving Alberta artists new opportunities to play, sometimes in mid-size/small communities that don’t often see big acts.

So there’s that.

I also like that the music on our five bills – Calgary, Medicine Hat, Beaverlodge (yes!), Edmonton, and Red Deer – is challenging and diverse and totally wicked awesome. Put another way, it’s not the same safe, bland, predictable, corporate-approved pap that the scoff-y pop music critics of the world might purse their lips to. Would I pay $10, in my normal life, to see Chad VanGaalen and The Wet Secrets rip it up at the Ironwood on the 25th? Uh, yeah!

So there’s that, too.

I hope Albertans respond to this series, with many purple pictures of Sir John A. (proceeds to charity, for real), and just enough responsibly tipped bottles of young Button’s beer. It’ll be a good time. Nothing to scoff at.

[Guest blogger Shawn Ohler works at ATB, duh…]