Metallica destroys Edmonton
There was a lot of violent imagery on the big screens for the Metallica concert at Commonwealth Stadium Wednesday night. Couldn’t help but notice the icing on the cake: Wars, fights, death, destruction, fire and so on. Fitting. Just once it would be a hoot to see rainbows and butterflies accompanying such a massively brutal […]
Ghost of Joe Bird in new Fringe play
It would be disrespectful to the memory of the late Joe Bird to show respect to his memory – according to his best friend and longtime comedy partner Wes Borg. Or words to that effect. It should be obvious that Borg’s new Fringe play Get Me The F#ck Out of Edmonton may contain salty language. […]
Folk fest plays second fiddle to elements
Let’s just get all of our “Four Strong Winds” jokes out of the way in the sopping wet aftermath of the 38th annual Edmonton Folk Music Festival. A Mighty Wind, too. The 38th annual fest started on Thursday with an evacuation due to dangerous gusts of wind causing alarming flopping TV screens, and ended Sunday […]
Folk fest blown out by mighty wind
Before it was evacuated on Thursday night, people were having a blast at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. They were just getting warmed up with the furious fiddling hurdy-gurdy goodness of the Quebec supergroup called Solo; and a smokin’ set of Haitian samba from Lakou Mizik – and then Mother Nature stepped in. A sudden […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Best of the folk fest
The dominant event across most genres this weekend of course is the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, a veritable staple of the city’s music scene since 1980. In fact, there’s usually a dearth in gigs over the weekend because most venues don’t want to schedule anything against this juggernaut, certainly the largest music festival in the […]
REVIEW: Bunnymen get Edmonton hopping
With only two original members from their beginnings in late 1970s Liverpool, Echo and the Bunnymen lit up Union Hall in Edmonton on Saturday night – despite the dim lighting. Founding frontman Ian McCulloch was in fine form, with brooding vocals reminiscent of Nick Cave, or maybe Jim Morrison of the Doors, which they’ve been […]
Where will Willie get his weed?
We can only speculate why Willie Nelson doesn’t come to Canada more often. Is it because he’s 84 years old with 72 albums and dozens of classic songs to his name – or because he allegedly smokes pot and doesn’t want to get busted at the border? He’s certainly not going to bring his stash […]
Lady Gaga takes control in Edmonton
Just once it would be nice to see one of these superstar pop divas let down their ridiculous hair, loosen up and get real – but no, Lady Gaga, one of the best of them all, had to reinforce the pop diva stereotype and come off like a control freak at Rogers Place on Thursday […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Hit the road, Jack
Congratulations, you have survived the summer up to now – to reach “peak festival” in Alberta. On this weekend it is impossible to go to any public park, farmer’s field or even your own backyard without there being some kind of festival happening. Getting out of Edmonton will only bring you to more festivals – […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Mission to Mars
The incredible Bruno Mars is in town this weekend for a pair of shows, Sunday and Monday nights at Rogers Place. With a wide range of musical talents, from writing to singing to playing guitars and the keyboards, he is currently touring to support his 2016 album 24K Magic, although it’s his debut from 2010, […]
Ed Sheeran hits Edmonton right in the feels
Ed Sheeran is a force to be reckoned with. Opener, James Blunt, referred to him as the biggest male artist in the world which isn’t an exaggeration. All you have to do is take a look at the music charts and see Sheeran’s name everywhere. Sheeran is no stranger to Edmonton having played here multiple […]
Interstellar Rodeo a civilized festival
There were no complaints overheard at Interstellar Rodeo. That’s because I was too busy not complaining myself, sitting there in the front row (the “obstructed view” seats were usually open) with a bowl of delicious coconut curry chicken with sesame cranberry cabbage salad from Filistix, and a (plastic) glass of the finest Medici Ermete Concerto […]
