MUSIC PREVIEW: Endless Bummer Showcases Edmonton Talent
This weekend features the return of the Endless Bummer festival, a diverse collection of gigs, featuring the best of the best of local and regional bands, taking place at a variety of venues throughout the city.
There are two kickoff shows on Thursday night. There’s an all-ages gig at The Aviary, featuring art rock quartet Doreen and Lethbridge psych rockers J Blissette (6 pm, $10, BUY), with The Eclipse and House Calls also performing; and an 18+ show taking place at the Buckingham, featuring Calgary veterans DRI HIEV and Slut Prophet, as well as Dual Nature.
Other notable artists appearing throughout the weekend include soul-R&B artists Carter and the Capitals (above) Friday night at The Aviary (8 pm, $10, BUY); alt-country-punk project Stripmall (Friday at Maki Maki, alongside Fitness and DJ sets from Rhythm of Cruelty and Alton Upbeat); and, finally, an afternoon gig on Saturday featuring shoegazers Tiny Desk, with additional performances from Stretch and Perphume (at The Grizzlar Coffee & Records).
Other venues include Arcadia, Sewing Machine Factory, and Mill Creek Café & Catering. Check out the Endless Bummer facebook page for more details.
Thursday 21
Old Man Luedecke – Nova Scotia’s Chris Luedecke is one of the nation’s most decorated banjo players, and a world-class singer-songwriter to boot. He’s touring to support an album he released earlier this year, Easy Money, which was recorded at Montreal’s hotel2tango studio with local folk musicians Howard Bilerman, Afie Jurvanen, Fats Kaplin, and Tim O’Brien. He’s bringing a full band along this time, with Charlotte Cornfield playing bass (and opening), and Mike O’Brien on guitars and Jamie Thompson on drums. He was also just recently nominated for a pair of 2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards – Traditional Singer of the Year, and Traditional Album of the Year. Festival Place, 7:30 pm, $28.50. BUY
Air Supply – Lost in love or not, after all these years, England’s Graham Russell and Australia’s Russell Hitchcock continue to tour, now as a duo. The original band had some other-worldly success in the 1980’s, with the aforementioned track, Every Woman In the World, The One That You Love, Here I Am, and Even the Nights Are Better among their most famous tracks. River Cree Resort & Casino, 8pm, $124.95. BUY
Friday 22
Ashley MacIsaac – Speaking of decorated Canadians, this fiddle player needs no introduction in these parts. The Cape Breton native has three Juno awards on his shelves, and continues to tour and release scintillating new material. His latest is 2016’s FDLER, a collaboration with Jay “Sticks” Andrews. Festival Place, 7:30 pm, $41.25. BUY
Saturday 23
Cat Clyde – This blues-pop artist out of Stratford, Ontario, continues to tour to support her debut album Ivory Castanets, which came out in May 2017, and her follow-up Hunters Trance, which came out in June of this year. Her velvety voice and funky Americana guitar journeys are sure to raise your spirits, and have you raise some spirits. Temple at The Starlite Room, 7 pm, $10 advance, BUY
Craig Cardiff – This Ontario folk artist has released an astronomical sixteen albums, including 2017’s Novemberish (Songs From the Rain) and 2018’s Upstream Fishing All the Words, He Is: Birthday Cards For Bob Dylan. He was nominated for a Juno in 2012 in the Roots and Traditional Album category for the album Floods And Fires. Station On Jasper, 8 pm, $22. BUY
Chantal Kreviazuk – This multi-talented artist’s debut album Under These Rocks and Stones was released in 1996, and found high regard in Canada and the United States. She has continued to record her own material (her most recent album is 2016’s Hard Sail), but also does a great deal of collaboration, work on movie and television soundtracks, and songwriting for other artists, such as Kelly Clarkson, Mandy Moore, Christina Aguilera, and Jennifer Lopez. Century Casino, 8 pm, $70.10. BUY
