Story Engineers spin yarns in the service of commerce
Posted on March 12, 2012 By Mike Ross Culture, Front Slider, Lit
You may have seen the commercial – more like a mini documentary, really, about modern womanhood. We see little girls declaring they can do anything, teenage girls learning how to do anything, grown women doing anything: scientists, doctors, lawyers, captains of industry, you name it, their stories all quite believable and touching and empowering. At […]
FREE STUFF: Win Hedley tickets!
Posted on March 11, 2012 By Albert Smith Contests, Front Slider, Music
THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED By far the most interesting contestant to emerge from Canadian Idol was Jacob Hoggard. Playing the classic class clown, the B.C. singer had punk mojo, disco moves, rock showmanship, and while not the best voice of 2004’s sorry crop of wannabes, it didn’t seem to matter, plus he got better – […]
Media celebrity Mark Scholz to prove his musical mettle in Blue Montegos
Posted on March 9, 2012 By Mike Ross Front Slider, Music
When faced with a media celebrity in a band expecting to be taken seriously, some observers cross their arms and frown and say things like “OK, Mr. Bigshot, this better be good.” It comes from the feeling of the unfair advantage that all non-musical celebrities have: an already established name airlifted into a comparable level […]
Musical theatre invasion continues with Mary Poppins, Rock of Ages and Billy Elliot
Posted on March 7, 2012 By Albert Smith Front Slider, Theatre
Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cheree, a sweep is as lucky as lucky can be – and that’s what musical theatre has done to popular culture: a clean sweep! Thanks a bunch, Bono, South Park dudes, Glee, Steven Spielberg, Green Day and lest we forget, Cats! Segue gracefully to the big announcement Wednesday that […]
Dining downtown not what it used to be – and thank goodness for that
Posted on March 6, 2012 By Scott Lingley Dining, Food, Front Slider
There was a time not that long ago when dining downtown meant having a clubhouse with fries at Hawkeye’s before a movie at the Paramount Theatre. Not anymore. While I would give just about anything to have the Paramount back, it’s hard to argue with the allure of 27 top-flight restaurants showcasing their virtues with […]
GIGGLE CITY: Wayans Brothers keep it personal
Posted on March 6, 2012 By Mike Ross Comedy, Front Slider
For all the complaining that stand-up comics do about being stand-up comics, it can be a road to the big-time. Just ask the Wayans Brothers – this amazing show-biz family from Brooklyn that used comedy to escape poverty. Scary Movie, Scary Movie 2, White Chicks and the TV series In Living Color are just some […]
TRUE TALES OF THE ROAD: Steven Page comes clean
Posted on March 5, 2012 By Mike Ross Front Slider, Music
It’s hardly worth stopping the presses for a drug scandal in the music business. Of course the Barenaked Ladies were a special case: cleancut, fresh-scrubbed Canadian popsters whose most popular song referenced Kraft Dinner. They didn’t live that scene often witnessed backstage at rock shows: Pot smoking, booze drinking, journalists being asked to leave so […]
GLOBAL VISIONS: The Loving Story a touching chapter in Civil Rights movement
Posted on March 3, 2012 By LH Thomson Film, Front Slider
Loving Story is a touching slice of history – director Nancy Burski’s tribute to a little-remembered by highly significant moment in U.S. civil rights history, told through the eyes of an interracial couple in the ’50s. Richard Loving had a fortuitous name – he loved his wife, she loved him, and that love beat segregation. […]
LEADER OF SIDEMEN: AB Trio the indie rockers of jazz
Posted on March 1, 2012 By Mike Ross Front Slider, Music
This happens in jazz more than any other genre of music: A collective consisting of amazingly impressive soloists winds up sounding like a bad lounge act – with amazingly impressive solos – and gets away with it because people don’t want to appear dumb for disliking such an allegedly higher form of art. Occupational hazard. […]
LOVE SHACK: Can a shed be a historical building? In this town it can!
Posted on February 29, 2012 By Rob Drinkwater Culture, Front Slider
For generations of Edmonton boys, 12 was a magic age – because you were now old enough to get a paper route. You could earn your own money. You had responsibility and status. And you were granted entry to the legendary “Paper Shacks.” Edmonton once had dozens of paperboy shacks where boys gathered daily to […]
Depth from the heart of darkness for Tom Olsen
Posted on February 28, 2012 By Mike Ross Front Slider, Music
There’s a new alt-country star emerging in Edmonton – from a most unlikely place. Leading to a gig with his band The Wreckage at the Almanac on Friday, April 21, Tom Olsen has been a noted journalist – he was the legislature bureau chief for two major Alberta dailies (Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald) – before […]
Those who can do, teach – Kevin McDonald shares his comedy secrets
Posted on February 28, 2012 By Mike Ross Comedy, Front Slider, Theatre, TV and Radio
Everyone’s a comedian – that’s one cliche come true in the age of the internet. What will NEVER become a famous saying, according to Canadian comic actor Kevin McDonald, is this: “Everyone’s a GOOD comedian.” But he’s here to help. The Kids in the Hall member perhaps best known as the “Slipped My Mind” Guy […]
