MUSIC PREVIEW: Lionel Richie king of soft soul
If you think it should be Lionel Richie opening for Mariah Carey at Rogers Place on Friday night instead the other way around, all you have to do is go to the scoreboard. Before Mariah was ever born, Richie had paid his dues as a member of the 1960s soul band The Commodores, known for […]
REVIEW: Guns N’ Roses best cover band ever
Here’s a sign you may be about to see a good concert – when the band rehearses in your town the day before the show. What an honour. People living in the Commonwealth Stadium area were reportedly treated to the echoing din of Guns N’ Roses running through Glen Campbell and James Brown tunes on […]
PLAYBOT: Fringe held over!
Fringe or death?! Oh, you choose death? Well then, death by Fringe! It only feels like death. It’s just withdrawal pains after another Fringe come and gone: 2,000 plays in 200 venues over 20 days, so do the math. I am PLAYBOT. I don’t do math. I make jokes and rewrite press releases. Also poetry: […]
3 Fringe IMPROV shows
Unscriptured By Travis Bernhardt, Vancouver, Venue 10 (Acacia Hall) Whether you praise Jesus, Allah, Jehovah or something in between, people of every belief system can congregate to The Church of Travis Bernhardt. His Fringe show Unscriptured is an improvised church service based on audience suggestions. The show feels like a Sunday afternoon televangelist program. Voted […]
3 Fringe plays about SEX and RELIGION
Sex, Religion, and other Hang-Ups By Gangland Productions, Los Angeles, Venue 5 (King Edward Elementary School) Which three subjects pique everyone’s interest in a conversation? Sex, religion, and politics – but let’s not open the political can of worms right now, and stick with sex and religion. These two opposing forces seem to infiltrate most […]
1 senseless Fringe SKETCH comedy
Peter N’ Chris’ Best Bits By Peter N’ Chris, Vancouver, Venue 23 (Princess Theatre) Peter N’ Chris (Peter Carlone and Chris Wilson) are a Vancouver sketch duo who have played at many a Fringe here and elsewhere all over North America. They have done the Just For Laughs Festival and their sketch work has been […]
1 exquisite Fringe LEMOINE
The Exquisite Hour By Teatro La Quindicina, Venue 12 (Varscona Theatre) During the last hour of sunlight, when the setting sun travels through more of the atmosphere, the illumination comes from soft, indirect light. In The Exquisite Hour, Edmonton playwright Stewart Lemoine has used this beguiling time of day as a magic opportunity for two […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Die Antwoord heel vreemd!
Now that the showman of showmen Beck has departed the city, there’s a bit of a let-up in the gig schedule for the weekend as the city steels itself for its next big show, next Wednesday’s Guns N’ Roses gig at Commonwealth Stadium. Tickets still available. There are a handful of interesting gigs around our […]
1 grand Fringe OPERA
Pagliacci By Pop Goes The Opera, Venue 16 (Holy Trinity Anglican Church) At the Fringe you can expect most anything. Somewhere young ladies are reading naked (see program: page 107) Elsewhere you can catch a grand opera. Granted, there is no symphony orchestra in the pit or heavenly choir in the loft for Ruggero Leoncavallo‘s […]
The Royal Foundry melts down genre
Edmonton’s next big thing is getting a little tired of being pigeon-holed. If you want to call The Royal Foundry anything, call them a pop band – and if you’ve been paying attention to pop radio you’ll know it encompasses all genres of music: Rock, folk, punk, electronic dance, jazz, Latin, Caribbean, hip hop, classical, […]
FRINGE: Drag deity does deadly Devil
Mike Delamont: The Devil By Mike Delamont, Victoria, Venue 37 (La Cite Francophone) Veteran comic Mike Delamont has once again elevated stand-up comedy into a high art form at the Edmonton Fringe festival. In contrast to his other hit show, God is a Scottish Drag Queen (returning to Edmonton in October), this time he’s that […]