ART: Every day was Halloween for medieval monster makers
Zombies want your brains and vampires want your blood, but the modern pop monsters have nothing on the creepy creatures lurking in the Art Gallery of Alberta – they want your souls. The macabre exhibition “Beautiful Monster: Beasts and Fantastic Creatures in Early European Prints” opened just in time for Halloween and is up until […]
Play me a memory: CBC’s Bosendorfer sold to the ESO
Some have called it Edmonton’s most-recorded piano, and as CBC Edmonton’s house keyboard for close to 30 years, the claim may have some merit. But when the broadcaster announced earlier this year that it was axing its local recording unit, it realized there wasn’t much point in keeping its magnificent seven-foot Bosendorfer that had been […]
VERY A-MUSE-ING: Scalpers thwarted by paperless tickets
There is still joy in Mudville, for Muse has not sold out – failing to leave scores of disappointed fans, who were not crying that they got buggered by the scalpers yet again. Not this time – thanks to “paperless tickets.” Screw you, scalpers. After seats to the British trio’s Feb. 3 show at Rexall […]
WAR ON GRAFFITI: Tagger’s distinctive style leads to charges
Edmonton police used information seized during a June raid at the Paint Spot art gallery to get a warrant to search a graffiti suspect’s home. According to the public court document used to get the warrant submitted by Const. Ryan Katchur, who identifies himself as the Northeast division graffiti resource officer, investigators appear to have […]
CKUA begins big move with $5 million Alberta Culture boost
Not since Fort Edmonton picked up stakes has there been such a fuss over a simple change of address. CKUA’s big move has begun! Celebrating the station being transplanted six blocks East from the decrepit Alberta Block to the smashing new refurbished Alberta Hotel, a 1963 Lincoln convertible packed with dignitaries arrived with great fanfare […]
EDMONTON RADIO: Marriage on the air
There is no longer any such thing as “too much information.” Just listen to the radio for proof. Most of the popular announcers are expected to share EVERY LITTLE DETAIL of their fabulous lives, because making human, personal connections is so important these days. For marketing. So in Edmonton, we learn about Terry Evans’ luxurious […]
Book lovers lament expected closure of Greenwoods’ Bookshoppe
For years, we have been cocky about our bookstores. As city after city lost their independent book sellers, Edmonton crowed: “We have two strong independent bookstores!” But we crow no more. Although there is no official word from the owners, Greenwoods’ Books is closing in about a week, according to discussions on Facebook and Twitter. […]
LIT: ‘Geek moms’ sally forth into fantasy publishing adventure
Running a publishing company has always been a crapshoot – and with the advent of e-books, the ease of self-publishing and the closing of major and minor bookstores across the continent, things are even crappier in the book publishing business. But that didn’t stop two Alberta moms from taking a plunge into it. Tina Moreau, […]
Horses work to tell the story of their own domestication in Cavalia
The horses nuzzle their trainers affectionately, they object when you stop scratching them, they roll around on the ground like giant dogs – it sure seems like the stars of Cavalia are having a great time. But we never know, do we? We can only guess. It’s no stretch to imagine that these well-hung stallions […]
COMMENT: Booking fiction star at nonfiction festival is hypocritical opportunism
For the first time since it changed its focus to non-fiction in 2006, Litfest has opened the door to fiction – big-time fiction. The 2012 version of the event – Oct. 17-28 at venues around town – will feature Alexander McCall-Smith, the author of over 50 novels, including the highly successful “No. 1 Ladies Detective […]