WHAT’S SO FUNNY: Graham Neil honours brother with comedy
Posted on June 26, 2012 By Mike Ross Comedy, Front Slider
Don Neil loved stand-up comedy. He never missed a show by his brother – CTV Edmonton entertainment correspondent and sometime stand-up comic Graham Neil – and after he died of cancer three years ago, Graham and some comedy friends decided there was no better way to honour Don’s memory than with an annual comedy show. […]
St. Nicks skydive for the Edmonton Food Bank
Posted on June 25, 2012 By Adrian Lackey Front Slider
If you think the site of multiple St. Nicholas’ jumping out of an airplane in the middle of June is weird … well, you might be right about that. But organizers of the 2012 Edition of the Edmonton Singing Christmas tree might counter that it’s weird in a society as wealthy as ours, 15,000 people […]
Metric to bring sweet and crunchy sound to Rexall Place in November
Posted on June 25, 2012 By Albert Smith Front Slider, Music
A year and change after the band wowed the crowd at Sonic Boom 2011, Metric is returning to headline in its own right – inside the big building this time. At last. The band plays Thursday, Nov. 15 at Rexall Place, with Stars opening. Tickets go on sale Friday. On the strength of such killer […]
JAZZ FEST: A user’s guide – Botti and beyond
Posted on June 12, 2012 By Mike Ross Culture, Front Slider, Music
It’s not who you know, it’s who you don’t know – and that’s the key to enjoying a good jazz festival. This wisdom, above, comes from Kent Sangster, artistic director of the Edmonton International Jazz Festival, which runs through July 1 at venues around town with headliners like Wayne Shorter and Chris Botti and many […]
WHAT’S SO FUNNY: Improvaganza to bridge comedy arts
Posted on June 11, 2012 By Mike Ross Comedy, Front Slider
An embarrassment of riches awaits the hungry comedy fan this week – fortunately, the brave performers at Improvaganza are immune from embarrassment. Also, they generally never say no to any suggestion, another trait that will hold them in good stead at Rapid Fire Theatre’s annual “international improv comedy festival,” opening Wednesday at the Varscona Theatre. […]
Area improviser Mark Meer up for Canadian Comedy Award
Posted on June 7, 2012 By Mike Ross Comedy, Front Slider, Theatre
Mark Meer appears to be the only Edmonton nominee at this year’s Canadian Comedy Awards – and that says more about Mark Meer than it does about any possible bias against Edmonton. We’re just one funny town in a funny country – and this particular local actor just happens to stand out because he works […]
COMIC INTERVIEW: Kathleen Madigan keeps it out of the box
Posted on June 7, 2012 By Mike Ross Comedy, Front Slider
Unlike comedians for whom the craft of stand-up comedy is merely a launch pad to sitcom or late night TV heaven, Kathleen Madigan prefers to stay out of the small box, to keep it pure, to work hard to make comedy something best experienced by a live audience. Ironically, this makes her a better comic […]
Citadel Theatre leads field for Sterling Awards nominations
Posted on June 5, 2012 By Adrian Lackey Front Slider, Theatre
The 2011/2012 Edmonton theatre season has wrapped up like all theatre seasons have ended for the last quarter century – with the announcement of the Sterling Award nominations. And what tight races we have this year! The main event will feature a bare-knuckles, all out, pier five brawl between Arthur Miller’s classic post war masterpiece […]
INTERVIEW: The 8 Labors of Henry Rollins
Posted on June 3, 2012 By Mike Ross Comedy, Front Slider, Lit, TV and Radio
As a stand-up comic with a gift for going over the top, Henry Rollins makes Denis Leary look like Steven Wright – but he’s not really a stand-up comic. As a motivational speaker, Rollins is more motivational than Tony Robbins and Gene Simmons rolled into one – but he’s not really a motivational speaker. As […]
WRITER CITY: Editor’s ‘invisible contribution’ honoured
Posted on June 2, 2012 By Wayne Arthurson Front Slider, Lit
Jalal Barzanji’s The Man With the Blue Pajamas – detailing the Iraqi author’s imprisonment at the hands of Saddam Hussein – might not have been possible without the work of Edmonton editor Peter Midgley, who was shortlisted for the $2,000 Tom Fairley Awardby the Editors’ Association of Canada. This is the only national award that […]
Area band Random Falter gets $10,000 boost from NOW! radio for new CD
Posted on June 1, 2012 By Kevin Maimann Front Slider, Music
Local alt-rock band Random Falter has been working toward its debut album for four years – but it would have been a lot longer if not for a generous cash prize from NOW! Radio 102.3. The band financed more than half of its upcoming debut with a $10,000 “10K20” grant it won last October from […]
What’s the point of public art? The clue is in your wallet
Posted on May 31, 2012 By Stuart Adams Culture, Front Slider, Visual Arts
To get the balls rolling – over 1,000 of them – I LIKE the Talus Dome sculpture. I find myself looking for it as I drive towards the Quesnell Bridge. The shiny balls catch your eye from a distance – a welcoming just before you launch across the broad expanse of pavement and concrete. The […]
