The curse of high expectations: Alice in Chains in Edmonton
In the harsh light of a new day after the buzz has worn off, Alice in Chains seemed a bit sad. It wasn’t just the fact that barely more than 6,000 people came to Rexall Place on July 4 to witness what must’ve been the band’s first ever Edmonton appearance – though that was part […]
FLOOD RELIEF: Albertans band together in adversity
The Calgary-Edmonton rivalry seems awfully silly – sillier than it already is, that is – in light of the devastating floods that swamped our sister city to the South. Sure, she may be a bit more of a looker, a bit more successful, better dressed and have a better head for business, and frankly we […]
COMMENT: How about an author on City Council?
You know what might be interesting to see on the next Edmonton City Council? Someone who can get to the heart of the story – who’s not a former newspaper reporter. Candas Jane Dorsey has been creating and collecting stories for decades. The award-winning novelist has thrown her hat into the ring for the upcoming […]
Friendly fairies frolic in fantastical Freewill festival
It weren’t for Shakespeare, Disney would look a lot different today. No Tinkerbell! Before the great playwright first produced A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1660, fairies were evil. They put death spells on people, stole their babies, spread disease, imparted loose morals upon comely maidens. In general, fairies were unpleasant manifestations of the public fear […]
Jr. Gone Wild embroiled in emblem imbroglio
Once a rebel, always a rebel. One of Alberta’s favourite rock bands is in trouble from the Province of Alberta for unauthorized use of Alberta’s official coat of arms. Jr. Gone Wild altered the Alberta shield for use as a logo for its recent reunion, unknowingly contravening the Emblems of Alberta act. Special permission is […]
REVIEW: Taylor Swift is THE drama queen
OK, Taylor Swift, we get it: We are never, ever getting back together. The pop superstar might as well have blazed those words across the stormy Edmonton sky in flaming letters as she sang them for her grand finale at Rexall Place on Tuesday night. Some 13,000 mainly young female fans sang along to every […]
New music festival to boost downtown Edmonton
Too many music festivals? Not enough music festivals! Adding to an already jam-packed slate of events in the area this year is a new one called Up+Downtown Music and Art Festival (UP+DT), happening Oct. 12-13 at venues around downtown Edmonton. Hence the name. That’s kind of a novel approach to a multi-venue event, but after […]
After low key start, Jazz festival hits high gear
So much jazz, so little time – especially if it’s “free” jazz where “time” takes on a completely different meaning, as does “free,” because you still have to pay to see it. Hope that helps. It’s always hard to choose among so many acts at the Edmonton International Jazz Festival. It didn’t really have a […]
Dance and rock cultures mingle at Boonstock festival
“Are you a rocker or a raver?” the Bear announcer asked the caller looking forward to Boonstock 2013 this weekend. Amazingly, the caller replied that she’s a little of both. She will rock out to such rockers as the Headstones, Godsmack, Sebastian Bach and Slash from Guns N’ Roses, and then maybe paint herself blue […]
JAZZ FEST: Nuela Charles finds her niche
The trouble with making music that’s different and unique is where to rack it. Nuela Charles, who earned a four year music degree from a bible college in Saskatchewan, initially had some luck in the Christian music scene, where style isn’t as important as content. In short, sing about Jesus and you’re in. “Everything I […]
Wool on Wolves among locals up for Western Canadian Music Awards
Like hockey season well past its sensible expiration date, awards season continues – but no complaints so far from Edmonton’s music community, which is well represented in several areas beyond the city limits. Nominations for the 2013 Western Canadian Music Awards – happening in Calgary Oct. 3-6 – came out Tuesday to reveal highly-decorated local […]
Things that begin with the letter K in K-Days
Putting the “Klondike” back into K-Days – the festival formerly known as Capital Ex that was formerly known as Klondike Days that was formerly known as the Edmonton Agricultural Society Manure Fair in a story too dumb to go into here – has left the gates wide open for other fun things that begin with […]
