FRINGE HOLDOVERS: The people, and the critics, have spoken
Want to see that great Fringe play that got five stars in all the papers, but found it’s all SOLD OUT? They hate it when that happens – which is why we have the annual Fringe Holdovers, the Fringe After the Fringe, starting next week at the Westbury Theatre (Venue 1, Arts Barns) and at […]
FRINGE EXCLUSIVE: Inside the Critics Studio
There is a secret room located deep in the bowels of the Fringe headquarters where the hopes, dreams, aspirations, talent and hard work of theatre artists are CRUSHED by the bucketful. It’s the “media room,” where Fringe theatre critics practice their art for 10 days every August. More than 65 journalists, broadcasters and bloggers are […]
The Smashing Pumpkins to hit Edmonton in October
Wait, didn’t the Smashing Pumpkins break up? They couldn’t have – because the band is coming to Rexall Place on Friday, Oct. 5. It’s part of a tour behind the new album, Oceania. Tickets start at $62 and go on sale Friday Aug. 24. Must have missed the reunion party there. But what the band’s […]
FRINGE OF THE PICKS: Locals expected to rise to the top
According to a highly scientific study tracking the statistical average quality of Fringe plays over the last 20 years or so, a full sixty per cent of Fringe plays are now at the level of “not bad,” up significantly from past ratings of “OK.” It’s what you say to a friend asking about that play […]
The Weeknd, Band of Skulls to play Edmonton in September
The Twitter-sphere, Blog-o-verse and Facebookopolis are abuzz today with news that one of Canada’s hottest new indie acts – The Weeknd, a.k.a. Abel Tesfaye – is coming to town. His cinematic music, which has been “going viral” on social media, performs at the Edmonton Event Centre on Wednesday, Sept. 26. Tickets are $40 and go […]
ANNOUNCING: Marianas Trench and Maya Angelou in October
Pop quiz: What modern pop-rock band sort of sounds like Nickelback and is named for the deepest point of the Earth’s oceans? If you answered Marianas Trench, you’re probably already hip to the Vancouver band’s impending tour, coming to Rexall Place Monday, Oct. 29. With Down With Webster in support, tickets go on sale Friday. […]
Seven ways the Edmonton Folk Music Festival is like Disneyland
Well, there goes another folk festival – into the inevitable Four Strong Winds, whose annual performance at the end of the event marks the beginning of fall in Edmonton. Suckers! Longtime festival-goers – especially longtime festival-goers with kids – may notice certain similarities between the Edmonton Folk Music Festival and Disneyland. It’s eerie when you […]
REVIEW: Cirque du Soleil’s Quidam defies the laws of physics
You can really summarize any Cirque du Soleil show by calling it an amped-up adult circus, a collection of incredible and joyous athletic feats punctuated by complete lunacy. Quidam, which runs through Sunday at Rexall Place, is no different. The stunts that are performed leave you spellbound, and then they usually crank it up a […]
ART: New Latitude 53 Writer-in-Residence aims to incite
Blair Brennan’s first official act as the new Writer-in-Residence at Latitude 53 was to post a quote from well-known GQ Style Guy Glen O’Brien (which first appeared in Artforum magazine): “Art writing should be art or shut the fuck up, you’re bringing me down.” You might guess that it won’t all be sweetness and light. […]
Royal Wood returns to folk fest with matured music, showmanship
John Royal Wood Nicholson – better known by his two middle names “Royal Wood” – gains more ground with every one of his releases. And “We Were Born To Glory” may be his best album to date. It’s no accident he was nominated for a Songwriter of the Year Juno in 2011, which opened up […]
REVIEW: Yanni’s unmemorable music comes alive on stage
Here’s a phrase you may never have seen before: Yanni rocks. Sure, it’s not like the traditional way you might say, “Nickelback rocks, man!” but the high priest of New Age music defied every expectation by putting on an upbeat, vibrant and – dare I say it – rockin’ show at the Jubilee Auditorium on […]
