MUSIC PREVIEW: Oh Wonder lives up to name
The aptly-named band Oh Wonder continues to to support their standout 2015 eponymous release on an anything-but-traditional rise to fame and glory – and Edmonton is lucky to get them on Monday night at the Starlite Room. The British duo Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West crafted the album by writing, recording, and releasing one […]
Brother Octopus a weird band in a weird town
Brother Octopus may claim to be an actual octopus, but his – its – music is completely and utterly human. Scan their lyrics for cephalopodic references. There aren’t any. They write songs that deal with childhood: “Do you remember when the floor was lava, only the sofa was safe to travel?” With the future: “If […]
Courage! There is hope for Gord Downie
It’s been an emotional day for Canadian music fans, with the sad and sudden news that Tragically Hip frontman Gordon Downie has terminal brain cancer – and that after receiving treatment, his doctor has given him the OK to proceed with a tour of selected Canada towns this summer. UPDATE: The dates announced Wednesday include […]
Middle Eastern musician finds muse in Edmonton
Mohsin Zaman lived most of his life in Dubai, United Arab Emirates – and only when he came to Edmonton did he start seriously making music. Now he sounds “Albertan.” Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not. The 29-year-old singer-songwriter says he had a “strict upbringing” from his hard-working Pakistani parents, who moved to Dubai in 1978. The […]
Beyonce slays rainy night in Edmonton
Of course Beyonce’s Formation tour began with the song called Formation – she and her dancers entered the stage at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday night draped head to toe in sparkly black with tall felt pilgrim hats and Beyoncé warming the crowd up by getting people screaming, “I SLAY!” And slay, Queen B did. The […]
REVIEW: Who’s converting who in The Conversion?
The Conversion is a powerful new play from Edmonton’s small but feisty theatre troupe, “Kill Your Television.” The company has only produced about one play a year in its 15 years, but has won an astonishing number of Sterling Awards (seven so far). Past successes have included Eric Bogosian’s SubUrbia and the gothic Fringe hit, […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Is Edmonton a Beyonce kinda town?
Is Beyonce any bigger a draw than she was in 2007 or 2009? Because she played Edmonton those years, and neither show sold out. That was in Rexall Place – and now she’s at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday. Tickets are still available. Granted, this is only one of two dates in Canada on her Formation […]
Selena Gomez a star above her music
In a world of love songs about love and dance songs about dancing, Selena Gomez is a pop star about being a pop star. They spent a lot of money and energy making her look great at Rexall Place Monday night – more effort than was spent on the songs themselves, so great was the […]
NDP MLA puts music to public service
The list of professional musicians elected to government office is very short indeed. In fact, David Shepherd – MLA for Edmonton-Centre – seems to be the only example in Alberta history. He performs Thursday at the Needle Vinyl Tavern: “Shepapalooza” – also featuring White Lightning and Ben Spencer – which turns out to be a […]
Moby Dick comes alive in brilliant Studio Theatre play
Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick; or, The Whale was published in 1851. It may have flopped then, but we have not escaped this watery tale of Captain Ahab’s obsessive quest for the white whale since. There have been many movies, television shows, adaptations, plays, college English essays – even Orson Wells became obsessed with it, but that’s […]
