COMMENT: Nickelback, the Talus Dome and some basic civility
Posted on November 27, 2011 By LH Thomson Culture, Front Slider, Visual Arts
It’s funny how a small shift in perspective can change how we view things and influence human behaviour, particularly in the arts, where the debate between art, popularity and finance rages eternal. We all benefit from considering others’ perspectives sometimes, whether it’s on Nickelback being publically shunned or a public art installation. One man’s interpretation […]
Sexual trade show all about education, insight, sex toys
Posted on November 23, 2011 By Mike Ross Front Slider, Theatre
When tying up one’s sexual partner, it’s easy to learn knots that won’t constrict blood vessels or cause nerve damage. And one should always have a safeword, preferably not “please … don’t … stop” or combination thereof. These are just some of the many things you can learn at Taboo, the Naughty … But Nice […]
THEATRE: Fiction stranger than truth in Offensive Fouls
Posted on November 22, 2011 By Mike Ross Front Slider, Theatre
Strange but true: Fiction can sometimes illustrate truths about reality even better than reality. Wrap your heads around that, non-fiction people. This idea is demonstrated in a big way with Concrete Theatre’s touring school plays. The latest production, Offensive Fouls, deals with racism, something young people – heck, most people – are often unwilling to […]
GIGGLE CITY: Jon Lajoie brings viral comedy to the stage
Posted on November 21, 2011 By Mike Ross Comedy, Front Slider
Jon Lajoie is admittedly a “little hungover” when reached on the phone for an interview one recent morning. Some kind of late-breaking Halloween party, apparently. We’re trying to get him to explain how it is that some guy with a viral YouTube video suddenly becomes one of the hottest new comic performers in Canada – […]
EDMONTON RADIO: Awkward Travis mocks the shock jocks
Posted on November 18, 2011 By Mike Ross Comedy, Culture, Front Slider, TV and Radio
Awkward Travis has asked spelling questions to drunk people on Whyte Avenue, accosted Oilers fans to talk about Twilight and tried to get women to give him their bras at the mall. He got his nickname one day when he approached people sitting by themselves in a coffee shop and said, “Hey, you look lonely. […]
ARTY PARTY: AGA Refinery a Monster ball
Posted on November 17, 2011 By Mike Ross Front Slider
Anything living “Up North” is tougher, stronger, larger, hairier and able to drink more than their Southern counterparts. It’s survival of the fittest in the harshest realm on Earth. Edmonton “is already halfway there,” says local artist Fish Griwkowsky, who was tasked to convey the “Up North” spirit in the Art Gallery of Alberta’s Refinery […]
The Tea Party returns: No politics, just music and maybe a lot of money
Posted on November 16, 2011 By Kevin Maimann Front Slider, Music
The Tea Party reunited just in time to get into an unwelcome mix-up with the American political movement of the same name – which prompted a stir about the band and its Internet domain, teaparty.com. Estimates floating around on the value of the name have hovered around a million bucks. While drummer Jeff Burrows admits […]
O Canada, Bonnie Ste. Croix records for thee
Posted on November 16, 2011 By Kevin Maimann Culture, Front Slider, Music
Bonnie Ste-Croix’s passion for Canada runs deep. The singer/songwriter loves her home country so much, she named her latest album Canadian Girl and recorded every song in the collection in a different Canadian town. Which makes it a little bewildering that after a solid 15 years of touring, her Saturday gig was her first time […]
Stephen Colbert wades into Keystone XL debate
Posted on November 15, 2011 By Adrian Lackey Culture, Front Slider, TV and Radio
Hey, who cares what that Obama guy thinks: America’s political right now has Stephen Colbert on the Keystone XL Pipeline case. Colbert waded into the debate over the line, which would ship Bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands more than 2,500 kilometres to be processed and sold in the U.S. President Barack Obama delayed approval of […]
Hyper-real surreal takes the stage in Falling: A Wake
Posted on November 14, 2011 By Mike Ross Front Slider, Theatre
The great thing about magical realism is that you get the magic out of the way first. Then you get to enjoy real characters behaving realistically in a really unbelievable situation. This sort of work-out for the imagination is what Wishbone Theatre, a new Edmonton company, has been going for – that and the acting […]
Johnny Reid to belt it out at Rexall Place April 19
Posted on November 14, 2011 By Staff Front Slider, Music
Finally Johnny Reid gets the idea. Why do four shows in the Jube when you can do one at Rexall Place? And don’t give us this guff about wanting to get “intimate” with the audience. That’s four shows! Just put four times the energy into one show – hell, twice would be more than enough […]
CONCERT REVIEW: Les McKeown keeps Rollermania alive
Posted on November 11, 2011 By Robin Schroffel Front Slider, Music
He may look a little less svelte in his tartan-accented custom leisure suit than he did on the cover of “Dedication,” but Les McKeown and his group of faux-Bay City Rollers proved Thursday night why Rollermania should not be forgotten. The Century Casino was packed with overgrown teenage girls who rushed to the front of […]
