MUSIC PREVIEW: Founds Grounds Abounds

MUSIC PREVIEW: Founds Grounds Abounds

Two of the city’s most extraordinary promoters, Double Lunch Productions and Sweaty Palms, have joined forces to put on an epic series of shows called the Found Grounds Music Series at the Backstage Theatre (Old Strathcona Arts Barns), during the city’s Found Festival. Friday’s show is perhaps the pinnacle with Jessica Jalbert. She is of […]

LISTEN HERE: Ken Stead in Trouble

LISTEN HERE: Ken Stead in Trouble

If you’ve got trouble, wait, don’t run! This kind of trouble is lots of fun! This familiar commercial for the old board game may offer insight into the mindset of local singer-songwriter-rocker Ken Stead when he wrote a song called Trouble. It deals with man (or woman, depending) who finds himself in a real relationship […]

Bob the Angry Flower

Bob the Angry Flower

Proud! NEXT COMIC: Bros also prideful in End of the Earth:       Next: SOCIAL MEDIA HAPPENINGS goes deep:    

SOCIAL MEDIA HAPPENINGS

SOCIAL MEDIA HAPPENINGS

Well, happy Canada Day anyway! NEXT COMIC: Bob the Angry Flower is proud:       Next: Going bro in End of the Earth:

End of the Earth

End of the Earth

How else would you know your beer is cold? NEXT COMIC: Bill Benson waxes poetic on Canada Day:       Next: Bob the Angry flower is full of something today:

WHO NAMED THE BAND: The Dungarees fit perfectly

WHO NAMED THE BAND: The Dungarees fit perfectly

Naming a country band is just as difficult as naming a rock band. It’s like branding a cow – to use a simile country folk may be familiar with. The cow doesn’t want to be branded. It resists the branding iron, because it hurts. Yet once the scar has healed the cow barely notices the […]

Opera NUOVA’s Secret Garden blooms in dark musical at Festival Place

Opera NUOVA’s Secret Garden blooms in dark musical at Festival Place

Many remember Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved 1911 novel The Secret Garden as a great read from their childhood. It’s about a hidden garden that flowers and brings new life to all who enter. A new production of the Lucy Simon (music) and Marsha Norman (book & lyrics) 1991 musical from Edmonton’s Opera NUOVA – in […]

MUSIC PREVIEW: Edmonton honoured to host Edmonton Music Awards

MUSIC PREVIEW: Edmonton honoured to host Edmonton Music Awards

It’s an honour just to be nominated – but it’s better to win. That’s what most award nominees say (or at least think secretly) – and the musicians vying for trophies at the annual Edmonton Music Awards are surely no exception. The gala taking place Thursday at the Winspear Centre features seven performances: Ben Sures, […]

REVIEW: Two-minded winter play sparkles in summer Shakespeare festival

REVIEW: Two-minded winter play sparkles in summer Shakespeare festival

The Winter’s Tale is Shakespeare’s great “problem play.” It has been staged with varying degrees of success for 500-odd years and is still regularly produced today. At the Freewill Shakespeare Festival in Hawrelak Park until July 14, this is the “serious” play to balance the comic one (Two Gentlemen of Verona: READ REVIEW). Actually The […]

SOCIAL MEDIA HAPPENINGS

SOCIAL MEDIA HAPPENINGS

We sent Bill Benson to cover the North Country Fair – and this is what he comes up with. MORE SOCIAL MEDIA HAPPENINGS: Bill meet a new superhero: Can’tSayAnythingAnymore-Man Bill comes out of the nerd closet Bill watches all the TV    

Bob the Angry Flower

Bob the Angry Flower

Let the argument commence: Who is/was the worst US president? MORE political Bob: Incredible Iranian ‘crisis’ (June 17, 2019) Mr. Lefty Cred speaks Fruitless NDP election rally Why we have unions  

Shakespeare sitcom gets a Freewill facelift

Shakespeare sitcom gets a Freewill facelift

Geoffrey Rush’s seedy theatre manager character has a bit of advice for budding young playwright William Shakespeare in the movie Shakespeare in Love. “If you want to succeed as a writer,” he suggests – all you need is “comedy, love and a bit with a dog – that’s all they want.” Tom Stoppard (who won […]