Colin James comes back to say hello in March
Colin James may be famous for the line where he just came back to say goodbye – but Canada’s blues-rock poster child has never said goodbye even once and he still keeps coming back at least once a year. This time it’s at the Winspear Centre on Monday, March 30, 2015, on tour to support […]
REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac plays to its strengths
For a band so relentlessly intent in telling us to forget yesterday – as in their 1977 hit Don’t Stop, Fleetwood Mac sure makes a lot of money keeping the past alive, as evidenced by the full house at Rexall Place Saturday night on their current “On With the Show” Tour. In the years before […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Resurrection Weekend
The smalls promised they’d never ever tour again, goodbye forever even when hell freezes over and maybe not even then, but is anyone really mad that they lied … er, changed their minds? Musician’s prerogative. Hey, we’re glad they’re back. The resurrection of one of Edmonton’s favourite alternative rock bands of the 1990s is of […]
Sam Roberts on the Cult of Montreal
Montreal has become such a fount for all that is cool in Canadian rock that it’s hard to imagine it ever wasn’t. Westerners imagine this ancient, exotic city teeming with culture and sophistication, a place where Leonard Cohen hang outs at the bilingual open-mic poetry night, and where every original band that draws more than […]
DARKROOM: The eight lives of Jim Gray
In the pantheon of rock musicians who by normal logic of consequences shouldn’t even be alive is Jim Gray. Call him the Keith Richards of Edmonton. Still alive. Still playing music. Didn’t see that coming, did ya? Gray himself is the source of most of the dark jokes about the unlikelihood of his continued existence, […]
EDMONTON RADIO: Clayton in the driver’s seat
Clayton Bellamy says he feels weird when he hears his own song on the radio – especially when he’s the DJ on the air at the time. Who would’ve guessed it would turn out to be CISN Country that takes one of the biggest risks in Edmonton radio history? They’ve put a recording artist with […]
Keith Urban is back in Edmonton in July
Do not accuse Keith Urban of being one of these “bro-country” guys who’s only concerned with sex, drinking and driving, not necessarily all in that order or all at the same time. This New Zealandic country superstar’s muse is more basic: He’s a sucker for a love song. There is no way else to explain […]
Nickelback to return to Edmonton in March
Can we all just admit that bashing Nickelback is so old that even pointing out that it’s old has itself become old, and move on already? There are far more hateful bands to hate on, for as someone wise once said, haters gonna hate. With that, the news is out that Nickelback has announced an […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Season of the Indie
The fall touring season continues as both Canadian and American acts try to get in the last few gigs before the cold sets in. Notable touring acts this weekend include a performance by indie folk-rockers The Strumbellas on Thursday night, followed up by Paper Lions on Friday night, who are performing on an extraordinary bill […]
Linkin Park to play Rexall in February
Linkin Park is the band that one prominent nu-metal peer claims he caught tracking their guitars. Their guitars! Yes, please be advised that portions of many live concerts in all genres of music will often contain pre-recorded backing tracks. It is industry practice. We’re working on a campaign to get parental warnings printed on concert […]
Taylor Swift in Edmonton summer of 2015
Players, it has been said, are going to play. That’s why they call them players. Same with haters, heart-breakers and fakers. The musical question now is what you call those who “shake it off” – shakers or shaker-offers? Ponder as excitement builds for Taylor Swift’s return to Edmonton. She plays Aug. 4-5, 2015 at Rexall […]
Let’s talk about Beard Club
As Rocktober spurts into Movember, it’s the perfect time to explore the effect of beards upon the musicians who sing through them. Do beards shape an artist’s music or is it the other way around? Itchy question. Nobody talks about this sort of thing without getting their ‘staches in a knot, muttering about all those […]
