INTERSTELLAR GROOVES: The Weekend in Live Music
Go ahead, try and pick one genre or theme for this weekend’s musical offerings. We dare you!
Edmonton is about to be inundated by live tunage.
Shout Out Out Out have a CD release party this weekend.
Rexall Place plays host to two nights of diametrically opposed genres, with Iron Maiden performing as part of their Maiden England World Tour on Friday night, and then Il Divo tucking you in on Saturday. The inaugural Interstellar Rodeo also kicks off on Friday and runs throughout the weekend over at Hawrelak Park, featuring heavy hitters like Gillian Welch, Randy Newman, and Blue Rodeo, but with a hefty dose of new music as well, such as Michael Rault on Friday and Polaris short lister Cadence Weapon on Saturday. This festival may be destined to be a big part of the city’s music scene for years to comel definitely try to take in at least some of it if you get a chance.
And, yes, there’s still more – nightly performances at Capital Ex continue, with Matthew Good being the feature performer on Friday night, and a total of three release shows, the biggest name of which is Shout Out Out Out Out on Saturday.
Friday
Interstellar Rodeo. Arguably the most anticipated night of this new festival, particularly with Gillian Welch headlining, for which the Edmonton twitterverse is going mad about seeing. Also performing is transplanted local Michael Rault, whose newest EP “Whirlpool” just recently came out (and is well worth a listen), and Alejandro Escovedo And the Sensitive Boys, who put on scintillating performances throughout last year’s Edmonton Folk Music Festival. Hawrelak Park, 5pm, $65 (or $180 for the entire weekend / $105 for youth and seniors / $30 for children).
Gillian Welch plays the songwriter-studded Interstellar Rodeo this weekend.
Iron Maiden. These Brits have been putting out metal albums since their eponymous release in 1980, and two of their members (Steve Harris and Dave Murray) have been with the band throughout its lifecycle. The band has one Brit Award, one Grammy, and one Juno, and numerous other accolades from all sorts of organizations and outlets. Their show Friday is part of the band’s Maiden England World Tour, with the setlist and stage show largely based on the original 1989 concert video of the same name, which was recorded during the 7th Tour Of a 7th Tour in 1988. Coheed And Cambria open.
Drive the Day. These local alt-rockers have a release party in amongst all the other Friday night events; the quartet’s debut album “Freedom Over Fear” takes aim at a variety of subjects. Haven Social Club, 8pm, $10.
Capital Ex. Friday night’s musical entertainment on the TELUS Stage is Matthew Good. Four albums as the Matthew Good Band. Another seven solo albums. It’s all extraordinary songwriting, musicianship, and down and dirty Canadian rock and roll. Calgary’s The Dudes open. Northlands, 8:30, free with admission to the grounds.
Iron Maiden After Party Featuring Striker. This retro speed metal band is currently working on their next album, after a well-received debut full length called “Eyes In the Night” a couple years ago. From the Dust Returned declared it “flies like an eagle from beginning to end”. Pawn Shop, 11pm, $10.
Saturday
Interstellar Rodeo. Saturday’s artists include Jason Plumb And the Willing, Jenn Grant, Richard Buckner, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Cadence Weapon, Hawksley Workman, and the timeless Randy Newman. Hawrelak Park, Noon, $85 for an all-day ticket or $65 for the evening.
Il Divo. This UK group, created by the man we all love to hate, Simon Cowell, is a melting pot of four male singers from around the world: France’s Sebastien Izambard, Spanish baritone Carlos Marin, American tenor David Miller, and Swiss tenor Urs Buhler. They’ve sold over 26 million albums worldwide. Rexall, 8pm, $49.50 and up.
Dead Red Pine. The second release show occurring this weekend features this local indie experimental folk group, for their own debut eponymous EP. Local blog arguejob.com declared their “live performances of these songs are even more staggering”. Elevation Room, 8pm, $10.
Capital Ex. Simple Plan and Ten Second Epic are this evening’s entertainment on the TELUS Stage. The former is a Montreal pop-punk act with four albums, all of which have peaked in the top ten here in Canada. Northlands, 8:30, free with admission to the grounds.
Shout Out Out Out Out. The biggest release party of the weekend will be hosted by this local group at the Starlite Room for their new album “Spanish Moss And Total Loss”. Their live shows are always insanely energetic, and worth the price of not just admission, but the anger of your better half for ditching some “important” dinner at your in-laws. From every indication, this is the best of all their albums to date, and may well move them to the next step of their evolution where they’re playing this level of live venue throughout North America. It would be well deserved. Faunts and Kumon Plaza open. 9pm.
Sunday
Interstellar Rodeo. The final day of the festival wraps up with The Sojourners, Shakura S’Aida, Wagons, The Beauties, the husband-and-wife “smoldering duo” of Whitehorse, and the always popular Blue Rodeo. Hawrelak Park, Noon, $85 for an all-day ticket or $65 for the evening.
Capital Ex. The last night of entertainment at this year’s Telus Stage is Sebastian Bach, best known for being the frontman of Skid Row during their rise to prominence. He’s also released a number of solo albums since then, and appeared in a variety of interesting television and movie choices. Northlands, 8:30, free with admission to grounds.
