MUSIC PREVIEW: Pride, in the name of love
“Pride” has come to mean so many different things since it was shortened from “Gay Pride.” It’s pride for your own sexual identity, be you gay, bi, trans, somewhat curious or simply straight and supportive of the rights of all of the above in a lengthening cluster of LGBTQQIP2SAA consonants become so unwieldy that only […]
REVIEW: Annie old, not tired
You might be thinking that the Broadway Across Canada production of Annie currently at the Jubilee Auditorium might be a little old and tired. You might think that in Edmonton, near the end of its long run of road shows, the cast might be phoning it in. Well, it doesn’t take more than 20 seconds […]
Eagles of Death Metal: The Rock Must Go On
At the Eagles of Death Metal concert in Edmonton Thursday night, frontman Jesse Hughes didn’t say much about the Paris terrorist attacks that killed 90 of the band’s fans in November of 2015. Their merchandise man Nick Alexander was among the victims. “It’s been a weird couple of months – and we needed you tonight!” […]
Rihanna shines bright like a diamond
Funny how Rihanna didn’t talk about playing Edmonton on 4/20 – seeing how it’s no secret she’s into weed. Maybe because in such a tightly-scripted Cirque du Diva spectacular there’s no room for empty patter about ridiculous redundant weed holidays. Maybe for some people, every day is 4/20. Who cares? Can’t we be mature about […]
Iron Maiden blows mighty wind in Edmonton
Aside from sports, there is no better place for male bonding than a heavy metal concert – and there is no band with a bigger testosterone cult following than Iron Maiden. Why this is so remains a mystery. Perhaps it has something to do with nerd culture. Maiden is basically a horror comic set to […]
Twenty One Pilots a stress relief in Edmonton
The huge impact Twenty One Pilots has made on young people was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt in Edmonton on Thursday night. These guys are the new real deal. It behooves old people to pay attention. A full house of teenagers and 20-somethings at the Jubilee Auditorium know this music by heart and […]
Marianas Trench not so deep
Hearing the high-powered candy-coated pop-rock-hyphenated anthems of Marianas Trench at Rexall place Friday night and finding it all so strangely familiar, it’s easy to imagine there exists a sinister cabal of songwriters responsible for every hit you hear on the radio. Not so far fetched, is it? Linda Perry, Max Martin, Paul Anka, and Diane […]
Slayer destroys Edmonton
So Slayer wrecked the Shaw Conference Centre on Tuesday night. Their relentless, unrepentant sonic assault literally blew the roof off the place, and caused a structural failure that collapsed the building into an undiscovered coal mine shaft under the river bank. Also an Indian burial ground. The seismic shock waves from Slayer’s explosive riffs also […]
Queens of Sheba also Queens of Rock
It’s a mystery why Heart decided to end its show at the Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton on Sunday night with three Led Zeppelin songs. Much appreciated, but weird. Maybe because Ann Wilson is the female Robert Plant? She sure can hit those high notes – at the age of 65. It’s not like Heart doesn’t […]
Slayer drummer drives order from chaos
Let us take a moment to salute the humble heavy metal drummer. Part trained percussionist and part professional athlete, heavy metal drummers are a special breed apart from peers who work in less demanding musical styles. No offense, other drummers. Do you lose a pound of sweat at every show? Folk music can even live […]
REVIEW: The wonderful Wizard of Oz
There is no way of escaping the infernal ear worm music of The Wizard of Oz. The 1939 MGM Technicolor extravaganza featured words and music from Harold Arlen and “Yip” Harburg and the songs have woven themselves into the fabric of our lives. If things are difficult we Follow the Yellow Brick Road to the […]
