Eight surprising things about Paul McCartney in Edmonton
Never let it be said that Paul McCartney didn’t have the element of surprise on his side for his historic first appearance in Edmonton. He played the crowd at Rexall Place like a violin on Wednesday night – kept his fans guessing from start to finish. Here’s a quick look at some of the surprising […]
Fort Saskatchewan gets first radio station, lots of Bon Jovi, with Mix 107.9
Tucked away at the end of the radio dial, waaaay up at 107.9 FM, is Fort Saskatchewan’s very first radio station – which launched Tuesday morning as Mix 107.9 FM with a format that could only be described as “Somewhat Contemporary Hits Radio.” Once CFKT’s big-ass 20,000 watt transmitter is fired up, we’ll be able […]
What to expect when you’re expecting Paul McCartney
Edmonton is on the brink of full-blown Macca Mania, a frenzy of celebrity excitement not seen since Bieber Fever – except with Baby Boomers instead of teenage girls in their own rush of blithering Beatlemania 50 years later. Wow, man, circle of life. Leading up to Paul McCartney’s sold out shows at Rexall Place Wednesday […]
Sexually exploited women share their stories in disturbing documentary
The trick in making a good documentary is knowing when to stop. The story that continues after the end of Rosie Dransfeld’s disturbing new film “Who Cares?” – a stark look at street prostitution in Edmonton – is just as tragic and touching as anything in the documentary itself. One of the main subjects, Shelly, […]
WEEKEND MUSIC PREVIEW: So long, EEC!
If the history of Edmonton’s volatile live music scene has taught us anything, it’s that when one bar goes down, another pops up somewhere else – but there’s always a lot of sadness, as if we’d lost a close friend. Or at least a familiar acquaintance. We’re still heartbroken over the closure of the Sidetrack […]
Are the Chili Peppers modern age Beach Boys?
Not since the Beach Boys has there been a band that’s as all about California as much as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Playing Wednesday and Thursday at Rexall Place, these keyed-up Angelinos are the quintessential modern Golden State rock band. Thanks to a wonderfully raucous cover of Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground in 1989, they […]
Leonard Cohen the Godfather of great singers who can’t sing
The Return of Leonard Cohen Sunday night reminds us of a very special class of singer-songwriter for whom the art of singing is secondary to the art of songwriting. Let’s just say that Len – like Neil Young, like Bob Dylan, like Tom Waits, like Lou Reed, like Nick Cave, name your legendary croaker – […]
It’s funny because we all do it – the magic of relationship comedy
If we’ve learned anything about comedy, it’s that the more universal the topic, the better. As an astute observer of comedy once said, “Everybody knows what a vagina is.” You sniggered there, didn’t you? Of course you did. “Vagina” is a funny word. So is “penis,” for that matter. There’s a lot of material there. […]
On thin ice: play looks at global warming
One of the most disturbing things about global warming is hearing people’s reactions on how it’s going to affect their “lifestyle.” Another example comes in a play called “6.0: How Heap and Pebble Took on the World and Won” – a funny yet poignant tale of champion figure skaters trying to stage a comeback in […]
Nelly Furtado returns to Edmonton in January with new album, new sound
You know who we haven’t seen around these parts for a while? Nelly Furtado. She’s coming back to Edmonton, first time since 2007, to play the Jubilee Auditorium on Tuesday, January 15, touring behind her new album, The Spirit Indestructible and the new hit single therein, Big Hoops (The Bigger the Better). Tickets go on […]
Alice Cooper revisits Nightmare, Obama re-elected – coincidence?
Alice Cooper is one of a number of rock stars expected to be bummed out by Obama’s re-election – but at least he’s taking it in good humour. He tweeted before the election, “If I’m #elected I promise the formation of a new party A third party, the #WildParty!” And afterwards, “Did I win?” Contrast […]
The Fifth Estate looks at the uncertain future of elephants in zoos
Lucy the elephant is one enormous local media celebrity. The old girl is going national again this Friday at 9 p.m. on CBC-TV as the star of The Fifth Estate episode “The Elephant in the Room” that takes a hard look at the “bitter fight over the future of elephants in zoos.” The only thing […]
