WHAT IS PULSE?
Pulse Music Journal is Saskatchewan’s hub for music indulgers. We ‘eat/sleep/breathe’ the music and entertainment industry – plug into our outlet while we highlight new music, recap live performances, and interview the biggest names, local legends, and the newest initiatives surrounding our local music scene. We are honoured to be a leading cultural staple in the Saskatchewan music and entertainment scene.


WE SUPPORT SASKATCHEWAN’S ENTERTAINMENT & MUSIC SCENE
Whether it’s reaching out to a newly released project, musician or creating a spotlight for local talent to be heard on any of our stages, as well as opportunities to be heard opening for larger acts on our full-venue stage. We look forward to reopen and launch our newest concepts that strongly support the local music in our city. The local music scene is super important to us – we are a small city, but we have big dreams. Let’s grow and support each other – putting Saskatchewan on the map for premium music and entertainment experience.

STAYING TRUE TO TRADITION IN THE NAME OF ROCK AND ROLL
One Bad Son has made their legacy in Saskatchewan as a talented and successful rock and roll band. 16+ years later and the band has stayed humble and true to their roots. Creating inspiration and opportunities for Saskatchewan musicians to learn, grow and perform on the biggest stages. From Amigos to Coors Event Centre, One Bad Son has been blowing the roof off of Saskatchewan since 2004. Making the Saskatoon stop on their tour land on the weekend before Christmas has turned into an annual tradition after their first Christmas Show in 2013. Experiencing a One Bad Son Christmas Show is like nothing else – imagine the best concert combined with the best house party you haven’t been to yet. Keeping tradition alive while creating one big family in Saskatchewan. One Bad Son are celebrating authenticity and delivering tough gritty rock and roll.
Approaching the weekend of the annual Christmas Show, One Bad Son sat down with us to chat Christmas traditions, how the annual OBS Christmas Show came to be the biggest show year after year, the most memorable One Bad Son Christmas Show, sharing the stage with rising Saskatchewan musicians, being considered role models for talent in Saskatchewan, the feeling of playing in a room of 1000 people that feel like family and so much more.
We also get to chat about Shane Connery Volk’s illustrations in the new book “Short Stories from Saskatchewan and Beyond”, how Kurt Dahl juggles so many roles in the scene, and we learn some of their favourite songs to perform.
Enjoy! Stay tuned for an exciting announcement on our Instagram and Facebook.

SASKATCHEWAN FEELS LIKE ONE BIG FAMILY. WHAT ARE YOUR HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS? GROWING UP? AND NOW?
ADAM HICKS: There’s nowhere better to spend Christmas than here in Saskatchewan. I love it. As a kid I remember heading to the outdoor rink every Christmas Day for some shinny with friends and family. I still try to that today. Obviously a more recent tradition is the amazing OBS Christmas show every year at Coors Event Centre. I guess next year we gotta do two!!? Another fun tradition is having our friends over for some rum and eggnogs while watching The Trailer Park Boys Christmas special.
KURT DAHL: Ah man. It’s always been my favourite time of the year, and now I get to see it through my kids’ eyes and it’s even more magical. Mostly just getting together with family and taking time to slow down and be grateful. With lots of food and drink. And Clark Griswold.
SHANE CONNERY VOLK: This year will be a lot different for me, as I know it will be for so many people. I’ll definitely be having a few of my long-standing Christmas traditions (butterscotch cookies with icing is a must haha), but I am looking forward to making some new traditions too! As the great Gord Downie once said, “And you can’t be fond of livin’ in the past. Cause if you are, then there’s no way that you’re gonna last.”
“WE GET TO DO WHAT WE LOVE”
– ADAM HICKS


THE ONE BAD SON ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SHOW AT COORS EVENT CENTRE HAS BEEN GOING STRONG FOR 7 YEARS IN A ROW.
WHAT MAKES THIS SHOW SUCH A SOUGHT-AFTER EVENT EVERY YEAR?
HICKS: Wow! 7 years in a row now. That’s crazy. Well for me it all started in 2004. I remember jamming with the guys and really wanting to be able to play Coors one day (or whatever it was called back then). It’s one of the best venues in the city and I’ve seen so many amazing acts there. So it was a goal from the very start. Now that we are Coors vets!! There’s even more reason to come back every year. It really is like an early Christmas present. Nothing can beat 1000 screaming OBS, Saskatchewan fans. What makes it so special is that we are usually coming off a big fall and winter tour. We are firing in all cylinders and it’s a perfect party to end the year. The opening bands are always amazing and usually great friends of ours. The staff is great. The free unlimited liquor is great!! Haha. The list goes in. But it is the fans that keep us coming back.
“IT’S NOT JUST A HOMETOWN SHOW”
– SHANE CONNERY VOLK
WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS SHOW MOMENT FROM 2013 TO LAST YEARS SHOW WITH SPECIAL GUESTS THE HOURHAND AND TADOMA?
HICKS: Well the first one was so amazing. Just to finally get on that stage was surreal. I think we were all a bit nervous about how ticket sales would go. But of course that faded fast and 7 sell out later makes us feel pretty good. One year that stands out, maybe 2015 or so, was when there was absolutely no heat in the building. And of course it was -30 that day. But of course the amazing staff got some last minute heaters (not the 1000 bodies, although that did help) and the show kicked ass. Nothing can stop these shows (almost). Other great moments were hanging with all the other bands that we had the pleasure of sharing the stage with. Shout out to The Wild!, The Lazys, The Classy Chassys, The Barrelman, Bombargo, The Reckless Famous, The Hourhand, Tadoma, the list just keeps going. Wow. We are blessed!


EARLIER THIS YEAR KURT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN BOMBARGO ON THEIR LIVESTEAM SHOW – GOODTIME QUARANTINE.
THIS YEAR HAS ALLOWED OPPORTUNITIES FOR MUSICIANS, CREATIVES AND LEADERS TO CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER BY USING DIGITAL ASSETS. HOW WAS THAT EXPERIENCE CONNECTING WITH THE GUYS FROM BOMBARGO? AND HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY CHANGE IN THE WAY THE DIGITAL WORLD IS BEING UTILIZED BY MUSICIANS?
KURT: The Bombargo guys are great. Great band, great people. The Goodtime Quarantine was a blast. My ribs were sore from laughing. I’ve been lucky to be their lawyer and friend for years and have seen them grow and flourish as a band. They are a good example of a band using technology to really connect with their fans during this pandemic and find new ways to get people engaged.
The Hourhand opening for One Bad Son on December 21st 2020 at Coors Event Centre
ONE BAD SON HAS BEEN A REFERENCE POINT FOR ASPIRING MUSICIANS OF ALL GENRES, AND OPENING FOR THE ONE BAD SON CHRISTMAS SHOW HAS BECOME A GOAL FOR A LOT OF ASPIRING MUSICIANS.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE REACHED A TIER OF SUCCESS IN YOUR MUSIC CAREER TO BE IDOLS TO THOSE FOLLOWING YOUR FOOTSTEPS?
SHANE: It’s a very surreal feeling! The boys and I have had a lot of aspiring musicians tell us how they look up to us, and how our success has given them a sense of something to shoot for. That is something we are all very grateful for! There are bands and artists we all look up to, and to be that band for someone else is something I never expected. The life of a touring musician is an incredibly tough road. We’ve worked hard, stumbled and picked ourselves up so many times in our career, and we’re really happy that younger bands can look to us for inspiration to keep going and keep pushing!

Introducing Bohemian – Brewed in Canada in the tradition of Czech style lagers since 1926, this beer has both taste and balance. Originally independently brewed in Saskatchewan, now brewed in British Columbia. It pours a clear medium gold colour, has low carbonation and a light floral hop aroma mingled with sweet rain smells. Bohemian has a smooth taste, that makes for an easy-drinking beer. Now proudly brewed by Molson Coors Canada with the same tradition of using no preservatives in the original recipe.
A Saskatchewan Tradition – 5% alcohol.

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. ONE BAD SON HAS BEEN A WELL-OILED MACHINE SINCE DAY ONE, THAT IS THE REASON WHY THE CHRISTMAS SHOW IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE LOOK FORWARD TO.
WHEN YOU ATTEND THE ONE BAD SON CHRISTMAS SHOW – IT FEELS LIKE YOU ARE WITH 1,000 OF YOUR CLOSEST FAMILY MEMBERS FOR CHRISTMAS. HOW DO YOU STAY SO HUMBLE IN SUCH A TRYING INDUSTRY?
HICKS: It’s honestly very easy for us to stay humble in this industry. Believe it or not we did not and still don’t just play sold out, killer shows. We’ve done many long gruelling, exhausting tours. Driving 12 hours to play for 10 people really makes you appreciate the big nights. We get to do what we love. Not everyone can say that. We will never take that for granted.

BANDS WILL TOUR ALL YEAR, MAKING A SINGLE HOMETOWN STOP FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE THAT THE CHRISTMAS SHOW WAS YOUR TIME TO BLOW THE ROOF OFF OF SASKATOON EVERY YEAR?
SHANE: When we started, we obviously played Saskatoon a lot. We built an incredible following here (we still see faces in the crowd that we recognize from our Amigo’s, Roxy and Bud’s days!). We’d played a lot of New Year’s Eve shows in the beginning. They were always fun, but a little frustrating because they were never really our shows you know? So we thought about trying something that would capture the energy of our New Years’ shows, but something we could really make our own. I think it was KD that had the idea of doing a big show just before Christmas. A lot of our fans who live in other places are home at that time, and people are looking to go out and celebrate on those last days before Christmas. It felt like such a risk in the beginning, and we never expected it to get as big as it is! To us, it’s not just a hometown show, it’s also a way to thank our amazing Saskatoon fans for the love they give us year after year! It’ll be tough not having it this year, but get ready for OBS Christmas 2021!
THE ARTWORK FOR THE OBS TOURS, SUCH AS ONE BAD SANTA ARE ILLUSTRATED BY THE MULTI-TALENTED SHANE CONNERY VOLK.
RECENTLY, SHANE ILLUSTRATED A BOOK CALLED “SHORT STORIES FROM SASKATCHEWAN AND BEYOND”. DOES YOUR ILLUSTRATIONS INSPIRE MUSIC AND/OR VICE VERSA?
SHANE: Doing the illustrations for “Short Stories from Saskatchewan and Beyond”, which was written by my brother Ryan, was an awesome experience. I’ve also finished my first comic book work with a 5-issue series titled “Nottingham” for comic book publisher Mad Cave Studios, which is due out in March! None of this would’ve been possible if the OBS boys hadn’t put so much trust in me to design the art for our merch, posters and a lot of the art for our albums as well. I honestly love doing OBS art so much! I have some new designs in mind for 2021 that I can’t wait to get to work on! I wouldn’t say my art inspires our music, it’s more the other way around. As a lyricist, I have a love of certain themes which I’m sure you can hear in the songs and see in my graphic art, but it’s so awesome to sit in a room with my best friends, come up with killer music, then translate those ideas into the art that you get at the merch table!
“SO MANY TALENTED ARTISTS COMING OUT OF SASK RIGHT NOW”
– KURT DAHL
WHILE MOST MUSICIANS GET IMMERSED IN THEIR OWN CLAIMS TO FAME AND FOCUS SOLELY ON THEIR OWN RISE TO THE TOP
DRUMMER KURT DAHL SPENDS ANY TIME HE IS NOT PERFORMING WITH ONE BAD SON TO WORK WITH OTHER MUSICIANS TO HELP FURTHER THEIR GOALS. KURT IS A HUSBAND, FATHER OF THREE, ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER, PRESIDENT OF SASK MUSIC AND HE JUST RECENTLY LAUNCHED HIS OWN MANAGEMENT COMPANY – SOUND + VISION MANAGEMENT. HOW DO YOU FIND THE TIME TO JUGGLE ALL OF YOUR ROLES, AND WHAT IS THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS?
KURT: Well, that’s super kind of you. For starters, I’ve got an amazing wife who is the real rock star here. She takes care of four kids if you know what I mean haha. From there, it’s really the classic thing where if you’re doing what you love, it doesn’t feel like work. I get to help other creative people achieve their dreams which is pretty amazing. I say it every day – how lucky am I to have two or three careers that I truly love. Most people don’t find one, and that’s not lost on me.
LEADING UP TO YOUR DECEMBER TOUR IN 2019, YOU ALLOWED YOUR FANS TO HELP DRAFT OUT SOME OF YOUR SET LISTS BY VOTING.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG TO PERFORM AS A BAND? WHY?
SHANE: For me, it really depends on the tour. Last year we celebrated a decade of OBS music, so we picked songs that we hadn’t played in a really long time. I think “Love Sick Love” was one of my favourites from that tour. More than favourite songs, for me, there are favourite moments that I look forward to every night. KD kicking off “Psycho Killer” with that killer beat, the sound of the crowd when Hickser gets up and hits the first notes of “Retribution Blues”, and of course any time I get the chance to scream out a big note! The one I hit after the solo in “Raging Bull” is one of my top faves. I always picture Halford, Cornell, Plant, Dickinson, and all the greats at that moment. I try to make them proud haha.

THIS YEAR YOU DIDN’T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE A LOCAL ARTIST ON THE STAGE WITH YOU.
WHO ARE THE ARTISTS THAT YOU FEEL WE SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR IN 2021?
KURT: There are so many amazing artists coming from Sask right now. There’s more talent per capita here than anywhere in the world. Seriously. Some artists that I’ve been loving lately include Dead Levee, Katie Tupper, The North Sound, People of the Sun, Beach Body, Factor Chandelier, The Garrys…the list goes on and on.

FROM YOUR FIRST SHOW AT SASKATOON’S ICONIC AMIGOS STAGE
TO SHARING THE STAGE WITH THE LIKES OF DEF LEPPARD, SEBASTIAN BACH, MARILYN MANSON AND THE ROLLING STONES, WHAT IS NEXT ON THE ONE BAD SON BUCKET LIST?
HICKS: Well. To play real live shows again!! This year has been tough on a lot of people, for many different reasons. I really do believe live music can help people through tough times. So being held back really sucks but I am positive we will get through this and we will write and release our best song to date. If I stop believing that then I’m not motivated enough anymore. So I guess I just really want to give our fans what they deserve.


IN THESE TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY, ONE THING IS FOR CERTAIN
WE KNOW THAT THE 2021 ONE BAD SON CHRISTMAS CONCERT IS GOING TO BE NEXT LEVEL – CAN WE EXPECT NEW MUSIC TO ROCK OUT TO IN THE NEW YEAR?
KURT: Yes! I hope so. The pandemic hasn’t made it easy for us to get together and write, but not even a pandemic can stop this band. We’re far too resilient.