Ann Vriend splits herself in two to render ’80s rock in a jazzy vein
Posted on April 3, 2012 By Mike Ross Front Slider, Music
Having more than one personality can be challenge in real life, but it can be a real asset for a professional musician. Ask Ann Vriend, whose alter ego “April Valiant” and her band the Valiant Thieves perform Thursday at the Blue Chair Cafe: covers of ‘80s songs rendered in a jazzy vein, Madonna’s Material Girl […]
Russell Peters plays Rexall Place June 21
Posted on April 2, 2012 By Albert Smith Comedy, Front Slider
There aren’t a lot of stand-up comedians who can play the hockey arenas. Russell Peters has to be doing something right. Performing June 21 at Rexall Place as part of the Notorious World Tour – tickets going on sale April 14 – the Indo-Canadian comic is known the world over for his good-natured “racial” humour. […]
Western Canada Fashion Week suffers growing pains
Posted on March 31, 2012 By Robin Schroffel Front Slider
They say that third time’s the charm – let’s hope that holds true for the third year of Western Canada Fashion Week. After changing its name from Edmonton Fashion Week in March 2010 to reflect a decade of accomplishments and attract a broader audience, WCFW has been doing its best to grow into a player […]
Local fashion, fine but rarely groundbreaking, on stage at WCFW
Posted on March 30, 2012 By Robin Schroffel Front Slider
Sandra Fernandes, creator of Western Canada Fashion Week, and Lynn Mandel, wife of mayor Stephen Mandel, strode to the end of the hardwood catwalk hand in hand, said a few words about Edmonton’s arts scene, shed a few tears, and with a dazzle of flashes from the photo pit, the fall/winter 2012 show was off […]
WHO NAMED THE BAND: Christian Hansen inspired by people with autism
Posted on March 29, 2012 By Mike Ross Front Slider, Music
You can read a lot into a good band name, especially when there’s a good story behind it. Take, for example, Christian Hansen – who simply would not have had the courage to name his band Christian Hansen and the Autistics if he hadn’t been teaching music to actual autistic people. Wrap your head around […]
Performance art meets rock and roll fantasy in Blue Man Group
Posted on March 26, 2012 By Mike Ross Front Slider, Music, Theatre
For evidence that Blue Man Group might be more than just Stomp with Smurfs, we turn to its musical director Julian Cassanetti. For starters, he says, Blue Man Crew is more like a rock show than people might realize. Starting an eight show run at the Jubilee Auditorium Tuesday night, a lot of what happens […]
Sinead O’Connor to headline new Edmonton summer music festival
Posted on March 23, 2012 By Albert Smith Dining, Front Slider, Music
Sinead O’Connor, Randy Newman and Blue Rodeo are playing in Hawrelak Park’s Heritage Amphitheatre this summer – some of the biggest names ever to have performed there. So say goodbye to the low level jealously that occurs among Edmontonians around the end of July when the Calgary Folk Music Festival happens the same weekend. The […]
GIGGLE CITY: 25 years to life in drag for Guy in Disguise
Posted on March 23, 2012 By Mike Ross Comedy, Front Slider, Theatre
What do you say if you’re such a convincing drag queen that a guy asks for your number? “911.” What do you call a drag queen’s girlfriend? A fruit fly. What do you call a group of drag queens? An embarrassment of bitches. Darrin Hagen has a million of them. Edmonton’s Transvestite Laureate and founder […]
UNFAIR USE: Pitbull vs. Lohan could cause irreparable harm to artistic freedom
Posted on March 20, 2012 By Mike Ross Front Slider, Music
If you doubt that words have power, ask a rapper. Ask Pitbill when he performs Thursday at Rexall Place. Better yet, take a picture of him with a Kodak and then ask him. The Florida superstar – who will be backed up by fellow Florida rapper Flo Rida – is in legal trouble from Lindsay […]
Comedian Bill Maher to perform July 6 at the Jubilee Auditorium
Posted on March 19, 2012 By Albert Smith Comedy, Front Slider
New rule: If you’re going to be a “political” comedian, you’d better be funny. If not, run for office – or get a job on Fox News. That’s not one of Bill Maher’s official “New Rules,” the title of two of his best-selling books, but maybe it ought to be. Fans of the acerbic liberal […]
THEATRE REVIEW: God of Carnage a comedy of bad manners
Posted on March 17, 2012 By Adrian Lackey Front Slider, Theatre
Remember how Seinfeld pimped itself as a “show about nothing?” On reflection, we can all realize what a lie this was. Seinfeld was the new rulebook of etiquette for the upcoming millennium. The comic deceit, however, is that this new book of etiquette was being written by four people who were the most oblivious to […]
MUSIC: Shuyler Jansen leads the herd through grunge rock, alt country and beyond
Posted on March 16, 2012 By Mike Ross Front Slider, Music
This was really weird: All the Edmonton punk rockers from the early ’90s seemed to unplug their guitars and “go country” at the same time. By the end of the decade, you could barely find an alternative rock band playing in an alternative rock bar. They were all playing country. No, not the sort of […]
