MUSIC PREVIEW: Is Edmonton a Beyonce kinda town?
Is Beyonce any bigger a draw than she was in 2007 or 2009? Because she played Edmonton those years, and neither show sold out. That was in Rexall Place – and now she’s at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday. Tickets are still available. Granted, this is only one of two dates in Canada on her Formation […]
Selena Gomez a star above her music
In a world of love songs about love and dance songs about dancing, Selena Gomez is a pop star about being a pop star. They spent a lot of money and energy making her look great at Rexall Place Monday night – more effort than was spent on the songs themselves, so great was the […]
NDP MLA puts music to public service
The list of professional musicians elected to government office is very short indeed. In fact, David Shepherd – MLA for Edmonton-Centre – seems to be the only example in Alberta history. He performs Thursday at the Needle Vinyl Tavern: “Shepapalooza” – also featuring White Lightning and Ben Spencer – which turns out to be a […]
Moby Dick comes alive in brilliant Studio Theatre play
Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick; or, The Whale was published in 1851. It may have flopped then, but we have not escaped this watery tale of Captain Ahab’s obsessive quest for the white whale since. There have been many movies, television shows, adaptations, plays, college English essays – even Orson Wells became obsessed with it, but that’s […]
Harpdog Brown gets real
If Harpdog Brown has been faking it all these years, he deserves an Oscar – in addition to his two consecutive Maple Blues Awards for the best blues harmonica player in Canada, plus the Juno nomination. He’s too convincing for it to be an affectation. By now, more than 35 years after he started with […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Hedleyheads heart Hedley
It’s always both a blessing and a curse when your favourite band plays a show at Rexall Place. On the one hand, you get to share the experience with a lot of other people. On the other hand, you’re going to have to pay arena concert prices to see them, and pray to the gods […]
THEATRE: Gordon the bleakest of black comedy
Director Bradley Moss’ production of Morris Panych’s play Gordon is billed as a black comedy – but might be called a bleak comedy because they don’t get much bleaker. Gordon is not for the faint of heart. It’s full of violence, both implied and real, awash in profanity with sudden death just a faltering heartbeat […]
The Who bids farewell to Edmonton Coliseum
It almost escaped me that The Who on Sunday night was likely the last time I’d see a band at Rexall Place … or rather, the Coliseum. It’s always been the Coliseum to me, regardless of whatever corporate entity owned it. I’d been going there since I was a kid, when my mom would take […]
REVIEW: ELOPE tackles City of Angels
For 33 years ELOPE (Ensemble for Lyrical Operetta Productions Edmonton) has been presenting musical entertainments for Edmonton audiences. They are not a professional or even semi-professional troupe. They come completely out of the community and represent an opportunity for those who might not find it elsewhere to plant their feet on a stage and sing. […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Band together for Fort McMurray
Given the swift and overwhelming support from all Albertans in the wake of the terrible fire ravaging Fort McMurray, it’s likely a lot of musicians at this weekend’s gigs will be helping, too. Not by picking up shovels, but by doing what they do: To spread the word to their fans about the No. 1 […]
Metal culture exploded at Shredmonton
There are a lot of funny things about heavy metal culture – and it’s not clear if metalheads are in on the joke. For instance: BAND NAMES: Dying Fetus is one of the shockingly named bands playing the inaugural Shredmonton, a heavy metal conference and showcase happening May 6-8. Also on the list are bands […]
REVIEW: Annie old, not tired
You might be thinking that the Broadway Across Canada production of Annie currently at the Jubilee Auditorium might be a little old and tired. You might think that in Edmonton, near the end of its long run of road shows, the cast might be phoning it in. Well, it doesn’t take more than 20 seconds […]
