New Edmonton Short Film Festival open to anyone

New Edmonton Short Film Festival open to anyone

It’s wonderful that anyone with an iPhone can become a filmmaker these days. But who has time to sit through 100,000,000,000 YouTube videos to find one or two gems? That’s what film festivals are for – and there’s a new one looming on the local horizon that’s open to anyone who coughs up the $20 […]

End of the Earth, by Chad Huculak

End of the Earth, by Chad Huculak

KISS for Kids – next generation to rock and roll all nite

KISS for Kids – next generation to rock and roll all nite

Surprisingly, there weren’t a lot of children at the recent KISS concert in Edmonton – unlike the Love Gun tour in the same building 36 years ago, or the recent Rush concert, which was a regular father-and-son affair. But there was still ample evidence of youth being corrupted by hardcore members of the KISS Army […]

So much for the rivalry: Edmonton helps Calgary

So much for the rivalry: Edmonton helps Calgary

The outpouring of support from Edmonton’s arts community to flood-ravaged Calgary and area has been truly inspiring. You’d think that ridiculous inter-municipal rivalry didn’t exist at all – even if it was hockey season. The latest gig announced in a number of local charity events features Corb Lund with Jr. Gone Wild , Sunday, July […]

End of the Earth, by Chad Huculak

End of the Earth, by Chad Huculak

Pearl Jam to play Calgary Saddledome in December

Pearl Jam to play Calgary Saddledome in December

The Saddledome WILL be cleaned up in time for Pearl Jam’s December 2 date in Calgary. There is no Edmonton date on this new tour announced Monday, after a mysterious “countdown clock” ran down on the band’s website, but given the flood-related Albertan solidarity demonstrated over the last couple of weeks, we’re not going to […]

A COMIC IN ALL SERIOUSNESS: Kenny V in High River

A COMIC IN ALL SERIOUSNESS: Kenny V in High River

Hack comics making jokes – too soon! – about it being “no wonder they call it High River” would not go over well with Edmonton stand-up comic Ken Valgardson. He’s in High River, living in a tent by the same river that flooded the town on June 20. He’s helping his cousin dispose of almost […]

FLOOD RELIEF: Albertans band together in adversity

FLOOD RELIEF: Albertans band together in adversity

The Calgary-Edmonton rivalry seems awfully silly – sillier than it already is, that is – in light of the devastating floods that swamped our sister city to the South. Sure, she may be a bit more of a looker, a bit more successful, better dressed and have a better head for business, and frankly we […]

COMMENT: How about an author on City Council?

COMMENT: How about an author on City Council?

You know what might be interesting to see on the next Edmonton City Council? Someone who can get to the heart of the story – who’s not a former newspaper reporter. Candas Jane Dorsey has been creating and collecting stories for decades. The award-winning novelist has thrown her hat into the ring for the upcoming […]

End of the Earth, by Chad Huculak

End of the Earth, by Chad Huculak

Friendly fairies frolic in fantastical Freewill festival

Friendly fairies frolic in fantastical Freewill festival

It weren’t for Shakespeare, Disney would look a lot different today. No Tinkerbell! Before the great playwright first produced A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1660, fairies were evil. They put death spells on people, stole their babies, spread disease, imparted loose morals upon comely maidens. In general, fairies were unpleasant manifestations of the public fear […]

REVIEW: Taylor Swift is THE drama queen

REVIEW: Taylor Swift is THE drama queen

OK, Taylor Swift, we get it: We are never, ever getting back together. The pop superstar might as well have blazed those words across the stormy Edmonton sky in flaming letters as she sang them for her grand finale at Rexall Place on Tuesday night. Some 13,000 mainly young female fans sang along to every […]