The Who bids farewell to Edmonton Coliseum
It almost escaped me that The Who on Sunday night was likely the last time I’d see a band at Rexall Place … or rather, the Coliseum. It’s always been the Coliseum to me, regardless of whatever corporate entity owned it. I’d been going there since I was a kid, when my mom would take […]
REVIEW: ELOPE tackles City of Angels
For 33 years ELOPE (Ensemble for Lyrical Operetta Productions Edmonton) has been presenting musical entertainments for Edmonton audiences. They are not a professional or even semi-professional troupe. They come completely out of the community and represent an opportunity for those who might not find it elsewhere to plant their feet on a stage and sing. […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Band together for Fort McMurray
Given the swift and overwhelming support from all Albertans in the wake of the terrible fire ravaging Fort McMurray, it’s likely a lot of musicians at this weekend’s gigs will be helping, too. Not by picking up shovels, but by doing what they do: To spread the word to their fans about the No. 1 […]
Metal culture exploded at Shredmonton
There are a lot of funny things about heavy metal culture – and it’s not clear if metalheads are in on the joke. For instance: BAND NAMES: Dying Fetus is one of the shockingly named bands playing the inaugural Shredmonton, a heavy metal conference and showcase happening May 6-8. Also on the list are bands […]
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 […]
REVIEW: West Side Story a vibrant revival
Back in 2005 when director Bob Baker brought his superlative production of West Side Story to the Citadel there was a feeling of it being “unfinished” – the run ended too soon. Audiences were clamouring for tickets – the performers certainly felt they had more to offer. But it was a co-production with a Calgary […]
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!” […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: M83 blows up real good
The French electronic music quintet known as M83, now based out of Los Angeles, is enjoying huge success thanks to their unique electro-pop sound and one insanely popular track, Midnight City, off their 2011 album Hurry Up We’re Dreaming. The band has been touring hard ever since, and plays a sold-out show at the Winspear […]
Cheap Trick review: We’re all alright
Rock ‘n’ roll took a devastating blow a few days ago, leaving fans heavy with sadness at the abrupt shock of it all. But, the rock has got to roll. For a couple of hours Saturday night at the River Cree Casino, fans respectfully traded purple for black and white checkerboard – because Cheap Trick […]
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 […]
