Volbeat motors manic metal mashup
Volbeat wears its influences on its sleeve – or would if frontman Michael Poulsen didn’t prefer to bare his arms to display his many tattoos. His vest. He wears his influences on his vest: Sewn patches of Motorhead, Johnny Cash, the Ramones, the death metal band called Death, and so on. Bursts of just about […]
WEEKEND MUSIC: Big hand for Fitz
In the middle of festival season, a rare weekend without one finds Edmonton with a cadenced assortment of gigs both big and small. From Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas, and Volbeat, at Rexall Place, to a couple of gigs at the River Cree, to the smaller but equally vital smaller venues, there’s a little something […]
The Tragically Hip’s heartbreaking goodbye
Gord Downie is wrong about one thing: Courage does matter, and it couldn’t come at a better time. Without courage, he could never have mounted what may well be the last Tragically Hip tour ever – in the face of a devastating diagnosis of terminal brain cancer. The 52-year-old singer is obviously feeling well enough […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: The Courage of the Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip comes to Edmonton for likely the last time Thursday and Saturday – and rave reviews have been pouring in since the tour opened in Vancouver last week. That’s rather unsurprising given the nature of this tour. In May, singer Gord Downie was diagnosed with one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. […]
Peter Gabriel and Sting make magic
This was a match made in heaven – and the result was a religious experience. So it works out. Two British rock Gods, Sting and Peter Gabriel, have put their own great music above rock star ego to perform together in what will surely go down as the best collaboration of the decade. At their […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Festival GO
There are sure to be plenty of Rattatas, Magikarps, Diglets, Zubats, Pidgeys, Jigglypuffs, and various Lickitungs lurking between Pokestops and Battle Gyms at Edmonton attractions this weekend. They’re everywhere, these Pokemon. Who knew? The best part of Pokemon Go isn’t the game itself – a long walk for a scavenger hunt – but the distractions […]
KISS STILL ALIVE!
“Let me remind you that patriotism is always cool!” declared Paul Stanley at Rexall Place on Tuesday night. There was general agreement among the 10,000 members of the Edmonton regiment of the KISS Army. Cue O Canada – the proper version – sung by a proper member of the Canadian military: Maj. John Kim. Man […]
REVIEW: Blink-182 comes on strong with the new guy
Shuffling band lineups are nothing new in music. It’s a rarity to encounter a group with any sort of longevity behind its name that hasn’t endured its fair share of turnover. But losing a key member, particularly one whose voice has become a band’s hallmark, can be a make or break moment. Blink-182 doesn’t appear […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Blink-182’s mature immaturity
Paul the Apostle had something to say about Blink-182: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child – but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Times sure have changed! And one could find no better rock band to embody […]
Justin Bieber a mannish boy
Justin Bieber has matured – yet the boy inside the man still likes to play. At the show on Tuesday night in Edmonton, there was a slide, swings, monkey bars, a trampoline and a water park! Justin even appeared to be dressed in play clothes. His fans have matured, too. The 13,000 women who turned […]
James Taylor’s got a friend in Edmonton
If an artist can ruin his music by acting like an ass – we’re looking at you, Kanye – would it follow that good conduct could actually improve an artist’s music? It’s all very subjective and personal, of course, but it’s worth thinking about. Think about the easy listening legend James Taylor, who donated proceeds […]
