A continuous gust of wind is scraping claws along Whyte on Sunday night, raising dirt on the street’s south side, needlessly ragged under construction again. Those smoking cigarettes on the street definitely not 50 metres from the door are unharassed, save by the night. Inside The Black Dog it’s packed, 40 Thieves crushing meeklings in front of giant college-beer banners. Suddenly, the power dies, emergency lights only. Lee Klippenstein and Caleb Neumeier turn slightly less punk than I hoped, frozen without their juice. But Grant Callaghan keeps drumming. “Neil Peart!” someone chants, and a kid with a shaved head asks, “Do the beer taps still work? FUCK!”

As there has been all day, there is screaming.

Best in Show III is The Dog’s (successful) attempt to throw an all-day, trophy-less pageant of local music. Billed were six bands, with a fantastic sneak-attack from Idyl Tea, an old-school trio from the end of the ’80s making music together again, despite their drummer Craig Metcalfe living in Lethbridge. (Craig used to sell me Devo and Metallica LPs way back when I was cutting French class in high school and my friends and I would walk over to Vic and check out their art chicks.) The band, with Everett Laroi and Hank Engel up front, looked much the same as the old days, just dressed better. Less wistful, more grown-up, the songs were solid.

The day opened a little late with Colleen Brown, who I’m trying not to mention every five seconds, though a number of people who hadn’t seen her in a while were laudatory. Michael Rault was next with a couple mates, a killer mix of desperate blues and ’50s pathos. All kinds of old crusties searching for Labatt 50 stop and listen.

After Idyl Tea steps out of the time machine, ManRayGun does a great set, a tough-looking band spanning decades of experience, backed by Silas Grenis’ unstoppable drum training with The James T. Kirks. Their versatile rock makes them one of my current favourites and a really hard act to follow, as Doug Hoyer learns during the alcoholic shift change. His stuff is campier, singer/songwriter-chatty, but still has loyalists. For the record, 40 Thieves are right back in the battle as soon as the power returns, but having been there since two, it’s time to stagger away.

Man, eight years since Sept. 11? Not last year’s, you know which one, dink. Our generation’s JFK assassination, it’s nuts to think the entire wretched Bush presidency could now fit in the space between that terrible Tuesday and this Friday.

Still, if you’re looking for a place to hang your hat that night instead of engaging in an evening of pointless discussion about whether the world is better or worse since then (worse), Devilsplender’s Hometown Riot CD release is that night at The Haven. Former Edmontonian Rob Malowany says, “I can honestly say that I am proud to be from Edmonton. I’ve been playing shows there for 20 years. I feel today that I am working my hardest to represent Edmonton to a new audience.”