CLASSICAL MUSIC: 17-year-old concert pianist an ‘old soul’
Asked what kind of music he likes outside of classical, piano wunderkind Jan Lisiecki doesn’t hesitate, “I love Pink Floyd.” Good answer, kid. He says it “takes him back.” So what’s more amazing – that a teenager loves Pink Floyd, or that a teenager has reached international fame as a master concert pianist? On stage […]
What’s in a name? Edmonton doesn’t have a clue
Edmonton can’t be the only city that has such a boneheaded habit of badly naming and then constantly renaming its festivals, buildings and streets. On July 10, organizers of the Capital Ex festival released the six choices to replace the name Capital Ex, which had in turn had replaced Klondike Days. They are: – EdFest […]
OK, we admit it! The Calgary Stampede rocks
It would be hard to find anyone who doesn’t think the Calgary Stampede is a WAY better party than Edmonton’s Capital Ex. It’s probably not even in the same league. Well, maybe some foolhardy people on the board of directors of Capital Ex think so – but that’s probably about it. And surely, almost everyone […]
REVIEW: Julius Caesar an old story full of surprises
In the program for Julius Caesar, now playing at the Freewill Shakespeare Festival in Hawrelak Park, director John Kirkpatrick is quoted, “I have decided to set the play in a world/time period of my own imagination…” It’s a pragmatic and serviceable idea given William Shakespeare’s constant – and anachronistic – references to “clocks,” something which […]
THEATRE: Ron Pederson proves you can go home again
The case of actor Ron Pederson is more evidence supporting the old saying: You don’t know how good you’ve got it at home until you leave. From an almost sure shot at fame in Hollywood – where funny Canadians seem to shine – the former star of MAD-TV, writer-performer for the Craig Ferguson Show and […]
FESTIVAL SCORECARD: Too many festivals? Not enough festivals!
Edmonton is unique amongst Canadian cities in that we have five seasons: winter, spring, summer, fall and festival. Festival season is roughly defined as beginning with The Works Art and Design Festival and Edmonton International Jazz Festival in June, and ending with the Symphony Under the Sky near Labour Day. After that, it’s back to […]
EDMONTON RADIO: Melissa Wright more than just a Rock Chick
K-97 midday host Melissa Wright has a tacit agreement with her mother – she won’t talk about her mom on the air, and her mom won’t listen just in case she does. As it happened, one afternoon both mom and grandma were in the car and flipped on the radio just in time to hear […]
LAWBREAKERS BEWARE: Local bicycle vigilante will mess you up
He rides through Edmonton with his U-lock hanging from a special loop on his hip, ready to swing it at bike thieves or drivers who piss him off. He’s a bit like Batman, or maybe Dirty Harry – avenging wrongs committed against cyclists. He even wears body armour, although technically it’s part of his mountain […]
WHO NAMED THE BAND: Shuffle Demons to get crazy at jazz fest
The Shuffle Demons don’t actually shuffle. They play funky grooves. And they are not literally malevolent supernatural beings summoned by an evil sorcerer to wreak havoc on helpless humans, though they are perhaps best known for the ritual sacrifice of “Hockey Night in Canada” to the God of Saxophone. Consider this, says band founder Richard […]
Sam Roberts Band to play Capital EX festival
The soon-to-be-ex Capital EX festival is throwing a big rock party in the last year operating under its short-lived name that replaced Klondike Days. A short list of new name suggestions will be released on July 10. Meanwhile, Sam Roberts was announced Thursday as another big headliner at the Telus Stage, playing Saturday, July 21. […]
Korn to keep it as real as possible at Boonstock
It’s a golden opportunity to talk to Korn’s new drummer Ray Luzier, to see how he feels about the band experimenting with dubstep on its latest album, The Path of Totality – a type of electronic dance music where the services of a real drummer are not usually required. He relates a fan encounter, “One […]
Jim Cuddy, Jay Mohr to headline 2012 Edmonton Comedy Festival
Jim Cuddy is among the big name comic talent coming in for the second annual Edmonton Comedy Festival, announced Wednesday … and wait a minute, Jim Cuddy is the singer from Blue Rodeo. He’s no comic. “Actually,” says comedy fest producer Andrew Grose, “Cuddy is a really funny guy.” Apparently he’s got some funny songs, […]
