WHAT’S GOING ON: Touring Artists Have Lots of Post Pandemic Music!
The pandemic has afforded famous recording artists the opportunity to make music with a freedom they could only dream about before.
Usually records were made – quickly – between tours, where the real money was supposed to be. Some acts would tour too much, wear out their welcome. But hey, no tours for two years, and so there was nothing to do but sit in your studio and make records. And they did. Creativity flourished. Now that concert tours are sorta back, pretty much every star coming to Edmonton has lots of new songs, some with new directions, some very interesting twists cooked up in relative isolation. Collaborations ran rampant: From Elton John working with Dua Lipa, to Dua Lipa working with Miley Cyrus, to Travis Barker working with Will Smith’s daughter Willow, to Travis Barker working with Machine Gun Kelly, to Rivers Cuomo working with Billy Talent, to Rivers Cuomo working with AJR, to Rivers Cuomo working with Todd Rundgren. You know, Rivers, you can take a day off once in a while. You too, Dua Lipa. You too, Travis Barker. Kid Rock, meanwhile, is busy with a new song that makes Toby Keith look like Woody Guthrie. You have to admire his Chutzpah.
Which brings us to Avril Lavigne – who brings her new tour to Rogers Place on Thursday, May 19, 2022, backed up by grandson and Mod Son. She also worked with Travis Barker, and had already planned a world tour behind her 2019 album Head Above Water when it all went kerflooey. Hence the name of the 2022 tour, eh: BITE ME.
Fun fact: Avril’s brief collaboration with Chad Kroeger of Nickelback resulted in a very silly song called Hello Kitty in 2014, with an even sillier music video. Haters called cultural appropriation, but it was clearly meant to be a cute nod to Japanese culture, both homage and fromage, a “frhomage,” if you will, and not the utter abomination some people thought it was. The creators, however, did get in trouble from the owners of the Hello Kitty brand. Oops! “Someone throw a cupcake at me!”
But hey, 2014 was like EIGHT years ago. Avril is 37 years old now, and has put out nine records so far.
Corb Lund may have two entire albums of new material when he comes to town with his band The Hurtin’ Albertans on the Back to the Barrooms 2022 tour (paying homage to Merle Haggard), at the Starlite Room Feb. 4-5.
He released Agricultural Tragic last June. Those who know his work and his life will understand the title. Then he promised even more new music in 2022. Surely we’ll hear some at the show. This in addition to nine other previous albums dating back to his roots in 1995, so that’s a lot of well-trodden ground.
Xmas Theatre!
Based on the 2003 movie that has become a Christmas staple, Elf: The Musical plays at Festival Place Dec. 11-23, featuring a cast of 30 and a 15-piece chamber orchestra.
The Citadel Theatre has launched its holiday tradition, A Christmas Carol, this year starring Ted Dykstra as Scrooge. It plays until Dec. 23. You will be visited by three – no, four ghosts, including Marley.
Maybe they can turn Jason Kenney’s Hot Boy Summer into a wacky Christmas musical. Maybe they’ll do a nod as this smash hit extends its run at the Grindstone Theatre and elsewhere until Dec. 16.
Nothing says Christmas like rock ‘n’ roll. One of the seminal figures of the art form is celebrated at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre with Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story until January 2022.
