BreakOut West Music Festival Showcase at The Open Studios

Fri. October 2nd The Open Studios Victoria BC $30
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BreakOut West Music Festival Showcase at The Open Studios

4 Amazing Canadian Bands Will Rock The Open Studios for BreakOut West Music Fest
Event can be attended in person In-Person Event
Music Country / Roots / Bluegrass / Rockabilly Pop / Rock / Indie Punk / Metal / Hardcore
Fri. October 2nd + Add to Calendar The Open Studios (All Ages)
8:00pm - 11:30pm  Doors at: 7:45am $30

Artists

gnarwhal
show pony
franklin
black tea

Presented by:

The Open Studios
The Open Studios is an all-ages, downtown creative arts hub ...
Open / Operational
breakout west music festival

Event Description

4 Amazing Canadian Bands Will Rock The Open Studios on Friday October 2nd as part of the BreakOut West Music Festival Showcase!

A $30 Festival Wristbands gives you access to 55 bands at 10 venues over 3 nights!
So get yours while they last: https://admitone.com/events/victoria/community/festival/breakout-west-festival-2026/CRRR7R

Here's a look at the talent coming to The Open Studios:

FRANKLIN
Yukon
Hailing from Whitehorse, Yukon, FRANKLIN is the melodic, sludgy, tension-building riff-machine your nightmares have been waiting for. This two-piece metal-menace features Kirsty Wells screaming ethereally harsh vocals and slamming the fuzz and distortion-fuelled bass, while Evan Joel hits drums with blunt-force intensity alongside raspy support vocals. FRANKLIN reflects the under-sung desolation, mania, and limitlessness typical of the north.

Lovingly dubbed “gateway metal” by listeners, the duo spent 2025 sharpening their teeth with a storm of festivals and tour dates throughout the year, plus four slow-burning but gnawing singles, a fiery music video, and a three-part live-off-the floor series. FRANKLIN independently released their debut LP “decay” in January 2026 after landing features in CBC’s Top 100 Canadian Songs of 2025 and Exclaim!’s Most Anticipated Albums of 2026. With upcoming tour dates planned, and musical collaborations on the horizon, FRANKLIN expects to push themselves even further in the coming year.

https://franklintheband.com/


Show Pony
Manitoba
Dressed to thrill in snake skin boots and a shimmer of sequins, Show Pony’s raw fusion of gutsy punk energy and arena-shaking rock 'n' roll pulls listeners into their electrifying glam-soaked universe. Their sound is a high-octane mix of soaring melodies, blistering riffs, and infectious pop choruses that stick in your head long after the show ends.
Hot off the release of their debut EP For The Masses in 2026, the band has continues to make strides. Along with touring Western Canada and opening for Mannequin Pussy, the band is slated to tour Europe in spring 2027.

https://www.showponyofficial.com/

Black Tea
Saskatchewan
BLACK TEA, a new Canadian rock trio from the prairies of Saskatchewan, recorded their debut album in a small log cabin perched on the edge of a valley. Drawing inspiration from the 70s revival of bands like Rival Sons, Marcus King, The Black Crowes, and fellow prairie rockers The Sheepdogs, their music is rich with nods to British and Southern rock royalty, with a heartfelt delivery that is uniquely their own. Their emotionally charged debut album, Now That You’re Here, is a coming-of-age tale of love, loss, growth, and gratitude that will resonate with rock and roll die-hards and casual listeners alike. Their debut single, Living Easy, peaked at #7 (Mediabase) and #9 (Billboard Canada) where it spent 29 weeks on the charts. Their breakout Top 10 hit single will awaken your southern soul and have you bopping along to what has proved to be a certified prairie rock classic.

Gray Farrow (vocals, keys, bass), Cole Van Woert (guitar, vocals), and Dawson Dressler (drums) have been performing together since their early teens, building a strong rapport that only comes from a decade of rock and roll together. The “fellas,” as they refer to each other, have developed a natural chemistry on club and festival stages across the country, supporting some of Canada’s greatest bands. Their energetic live show, packed with blues standards and timeless classics, is a riveting tribute to the greatest music in the rock and roll canon.

https://www.thebandblacktea.com/

Gnarwhal
Northwest Territories
Gnarwhal is a heavy alternative fuzz rock band from Yellowknife, Canada, carving out a distinct voice in Canada’s heavy underground. Since forming in 2022, they’ve crafted a sound that fuses doom, grunge, and progressive metal—gritty, dynamic, and built on massive riffs and raw energy.

Their 2023 self-titled debut album earned a Western Canadian Music Award nomination and helped launch the band beyond the North. In 2024, they followed it up with Altered States, a more experimental EP that pushed their sound into spacier, weirder territory without losing the low-end punch and emotional weight that defines their music.

Taking a hands-on approach to every aspect of the band, Gnarwhal has steadily built a national following through touring, turning basements, bars, and festival stages into sweat-soaked sonic assaults. Their live shows are loud, cathartic, and rooted in a deep connection between the band and their audience—no frills, no posturing, just riffs and release.

Now a growing force in the national heavy scene, Gnarwhal released their sophomore full-length, Lucid Machines, in 2026. Named one of Exclaim! Magazine’s “Most Anticipated Canadian Albums of 2026,” the album landed on the Global Doom Charts and earned the band its second Western Canadian Music Award nomination, further cementing their place among Canada’s rising heavy acts.

With Lucid Machines, Gnarwhal continues to expand its reach, bringing a distinctly Northern voice to Canada’s heavy music landscape.

https://www.gnarwhalband.com/

Venue

The Open Studios
634 Humboldt st.
Theatre
Unknown (needs research)
Open / Operational

Event Poster

BreakOut West Music Festival Showcase at The Open Studios - Sep 26th @ The Open Studios

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