Up and coming Calgarian Andrew F is ready to rock MacEwan Hall with Reckless Abandon

If you haven't heard of Andrew F yet, listen up.

At just 17, he's well on his way to becoming one of the most downloaded, Googled, YouTubed and radio-requested local musicians of the decade.

He's been No. 1 on the Canadian Billboards Emerging Artists Chart for the past five weeks and assumed a comfortable spot in the Top 10 list of iTunes downloads for the past six weeks.

He's just finished filming the videos for his first two singles The End and Crash and Burn and is catching the attention of music industry insiders and execs like crazy.

On top of it all, Andrew F is an affable high school kid from Calgary with an overdeveloped interest in helping others.


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Together with his bandmates Dennis Hann, Sean Abercrombie and Matt Boutin, Andrew Franks will be lighting up the MacEwan Hall Ballroom Friday night in one of those shows that you'll surely be bragging about seeing years down the road when they make it big. Special guests Calm Asa Coma and Crystal Kid will be opening.

Friday night's concert also marks the CD release party for his debut album, Reckless Abandon. For every ticket sold to the show, Andrew will donate $5 to the Calgary Food Bank. Considering tickets are only $22 to begin with, it's an offer that tops the generosity of many older, supposedly wiser, philanthropist types.

With a capacity of 1,000 people, this rising teen rocker could very well raise $5,000 for the Food Bank without breaking a sweat.

And did we mention all who attend the show get his new CD for free? You don't even have to hear his music to like this kid. Rock on, Andrew F.

Visit www.andrew-f.com for more.

BEST OF SEPTEMBER:

A few great things that went down in Calgary this month:

- The annual ladies-only Peanut Butter Classic charity golf classic raised $72,000 for the Youville Residence Society of Alberta and 44 lb. of peanut butter for the Food Bank, making these chicks with sticks the Charity Superwomen of September.

- Best Bash on our radar this month was a tie between the ridiculously sold-out DJ Tiesto concert at Flames Central and Amanda Hehr's 30th birthday party at La Vita e Bella.

- Notable new additions for the palates of the people in September included Rush Restaurant on 9 Ave. S.W. and Olives in Arriva. And lest we forforget our new neighbourhood favourite -- Little Lebanon Pita and Donair on 17 Ave. S.W.

- Most underrated party place of the month: The Marquee Room -- made all the more fab this month thanks to the Film Fest.

Head to Six in the City to see what's on this week.

RENOVATION RUNDOWN

Unless you were living under an evening-news-hour rock last week, you likely heard about CTV's Operation Renovation initiative.

The annual event sees a local non-profit group benefit from a much-needed makeover, while all sorts of generous volunteers and local businesses roll their sleeves up to make it happen.

For the fourth year in a row, reno-experts Albi Renova and president Brian Mauer stepped up to bear the brunt of the designing, planning and interior finishing for the 2008 Operation Renovation charity of choice -- the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter.

Home to as many as 40 women and children per night, the space has seen its fair share of wear and tear, and was in desperate need of an overall renovation.

After an entire week of CTV anchors, reporters, volunteers and personalities picking up a paint brush and pitching in their time, the front foyer, living room area, therapy room and kitchen were all revamped to be a place of light and hope.

While the reno has wrapped up, it's never too late to donate. To lend a hand, call 403-539-5130.