Still Depths & Preoccupations Live in Calgary: A Homecoming

Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - Preoccupations

There’s something deeply affirming about watching the torch get passed in real time, especially when it is humming through the amplifier of a local band on the rise.

Vancouver’s Still Depths opened Wednesday night’s stop on the Preoccupation’s tour in Calgary, AB with a ferocity that immediately earned them the room. Though still early in their career, the young band already feels like a student of their idols—drawing clear sonic influence from the headliners of the night, Preoccupations, while injecting a distinct 90’s grunge grit into the mix. Their sound (equal parts moody, melodic, and merciless) was all the more powerful live, where dynamic shifts hit harder and guitar feedback rised with intention.

Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - Still Depths

Frontperson Justin Perdomo performed with two microphones, adding a layered, gritty texture to the band’s new material that evoked the rawness of early Nirvana. The dual mic setup brought extra depth to their already immersive sound, pulling the songs in different emotional directions.

Today, Still Depths dropped a new video for their track “Like Hell,” a visceral companion piece to the kinetic energy they brought to the stage. During their set, they shouted out the release, so we were sure to have it on our radar and could feel the excitement in the room for new music on the way. This is a band with a cult following already, as we noticed multiple attendees at SXSW this year rocking Still Depths merch! They’ll be playing the newly announced Dandy Fest on September 13–25, where they’ll share the bill with the likes of Chad VanGaalen, Chris Cohen, No Joy, and more. For those who missed this glimpse of what’s next, the message was clear: don’t make that mistake again.

Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - Still Depths

The show took place at Commonwealth, one of Calgary’s staple live music venues, currently undergoing renovations. While the vibe was as lively and packed as ever, there was a shared sense of anticipation for what’s to come—namely, better sound and much-needed upgrades. Then came Preoccupations, Calgary’s own post-punk luminaries, welcomed to the stage with cheers that had the unmistakable tone of homecoming. It also happened to be lead singer Matt Flegel’s birthday, an occasion the audience marked with a short “Happy Birthday” serenade after the band finished the note of their first song.

And what a note it was. They opened with “Unconscious Melody,” the track that served as a gateway for many fans back in their Viet Cong days. It was a knowing move, leaning into the nostalgia of their early catalogue while reminding the crowd of their staying power. From there, they wasted no time rolling out heavy-hitters like “Silhouettes” and “Continental Shelf,” each met with cathartic sing-alongs and a sea of heads nodding in hypnotic rhythm. Some would say it’s risky to kick off a show with all the hits, but Preoccupations held the room until the very end.

Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - Preoccupations

Despite a minor hiccup with guitarist Daniel Christiansen snapping a string mid-set, the band handled the moment with ease. Flegel stepped in to help, and the exchange felt less like a disruption and more like the kind of scrappy problem-solving you’d see at a sweaty basement show. For longtime fans, it was a reminder that Preoccupations haven’t lost their DIY spirit. If anything, they’ve just refined it.

What stood out most throughout the set was how seamlessly their newer material blended with their early work. Songs from their latest release didn’t feel like departures but rather natural evolutions, textured with a more synth-forward palette but retaining the same unrelenting tension and catharsis. One standout was their performance of “Death,” which took on a new form—less post-punk dirge and more Animal Collective-inspired fever dream. The reworked arrangement leaned heavy into warped synths and atmospheric builds, casting the familiar track in an alien but oddly fitting light.

Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - Preoccupations

The energy in the crowd was electric, with a front row that spanned generations. There were longtime fans mouthing every word next to newcomers swept up in the moment, headbanging and dancing shoulder to shoulder. Even the more subdued tracks inspired a kind of slow-motion moshing, less aggression, and more reverence.

By the end of the night, it was clear this wasn’t just another tour stop. It was a snapshot of a local scene in motion - Still Depths reaching skyward with youthful ambition, and Preoccupations standing tall with a decade’s worth of shadows and sound behind them. It was the kind of show that reminds you music is a living thing: passed down, reinterpreted, and shouted back into the void with love.