WHAT’S GOING ON: Weird Al is Coming to Edmonton!
“Weird Al” Yankovic is returning to Edmonton on America’s birthday – and he’s bringing his accordion. Of course he is. He plays the Winspear Centre on July 4 as part of “The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour.” Tickets start at $60 – and the event is expected to sell out. Emo […]
Steve Hackett’s Genesis Masterclass Makes Grown Men Weep at the Winspear
“Progressive rock” is that quintessentially English breed of music that you either love or hate. There’s not a lot of middle ground. It’s safe to say that for the 600 people who attended Thursday night’s show with Steve Hackett of the band Genesis at the Winspear Centre, it was pure magic. It was a criminally […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Tanya Tagaq to Perform New Music With ESO
Tanya Tagaq, the eminently lauded composer and throat singer, is in town this weekend performing a pair of shows with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. The featured work is her newest and epic effort Qiksaaktuq. Translated as “grief,” it is an emotion-laden and driven work paying testament to the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women. […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Bedouin Soundclash reformed, renewed, returning to Edmonton
Next Tuesday the venerable Starlite Room hosts the almighty Bedouin Soundclash. This reggae-ska-pop band out of Kingston, Ontario, recently returned from a nine-year hiatus with a monstrous creation of an album, 2019’s Mass. It’s the fifth album in their catalog, and the return was anything but assured, with lead singer Jay Malinowski writing a novel […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Alexisonfire, not broken up after all, returns to Edmonton
There are few things that can boost a band’s popularity more than breaking up. You do the tearful farewell tour, a lot of your fans show up to see you off, you make some retirement money, and everyone’s happy. Yet still a bit sad – until of course said band gets back together again. Behold […]
ESO to use FORCE in Music of Star Wars
It can be argued that John Williams’ brilliant scores for the Star Wars movies will one day be remembered as widely as Beethoven’s Fifth, The Magic Flute, or even Adagio in G Minor – if they aren’t already. There is a great disturbance in the Force over the impending concerts by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, […]
INTERVIEW: Fun Facts About Steve Patterson, Master Debaters Moderator
Be it resolved! (Whatever that’s supposed to mean.) Steve Patterson is a gifted comedian who brings the perfect Canadian affable sensibility to CBC’s long-running radio show The Debaters. It’s their best comedy show. He is the best man for the job. (At least as good as the original host Shaun Majumder.) Arguing for this case […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Ghost brings Swedish spookypop to Edmonton on Death tour
For a band few people have ever heard of to suddenly appear in Edmonton’s biggest indoor concert venue is worth noting. The band Ghost plays Monday, Sept. 23 at Rogers Place. It’s a smaller-sized concert bowl, but still. Several thousand fans who already know this theatrical Swedish hard rock band are expected to turn up […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Sonic all over the sonic map at Field Day
It’s just a little wish: Sonic 102.9 FM could be, you know, a little “heavier” – ‘cuz we’re a HEAVY town, man – but you have to admit they consistently play the widest variety of the new music, the alternative, the so-called “modern rock,” which is all over the map, sonically. Hence the name. Some […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Edmonton honoured to host Edmonton Music Awards
It’s an honour just to be nominated – but it’s better to win. That’s what most award nominees say (or at least think secretly) – and the musicians vying for trophies at the annual Edmonton Music Awards are surely no exception. The gala taking place Thursday at the Winspear Centre features seven performances: Ben Sures, […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Festival season begins!
It’s a big weekend for festivals, but none in town are bigger than the Edmonton International Jazz Festival, which gets underway Friday. Once again the organizers have done a stellar job attracting a magnificent array of talent in a vast variety of sub-genres and instrumentation from around the world. You might think they’ve put together […]
ANNOUNCES: Walk Off The Earth, The Debaters
If video killed the radio star, then it follows that YouTube made the video star. The perfect case is Walk Off the Earth – the Burlington, Ontario band that parlayed their hobby of making videos of clever pop covers into fame and fortune and a No. 1 AAA hit (adult album alternative) with Red Hands. […]
