Weird Al brings Mandatory Fun to River Cree
That “Weird Al” Yankovic has a No. 1 album in Mandatory Fun – his first No. 1, and the first comedy album in half a century to hit No. 1 on Billboard – is either a testament to the pop parodist’s continued greatness, or a sign of a flabby record industry. Maybe it’s a little […]
Theatre community devastated after Roxy fire
People mourn the sudden loss of a beloved building as much as the passing of an old friend – and although no one was injured in the fire that destroyed the historic Roxy Theatre Tuesday morning, the Edmonton theatre community is in a state of shock. Words like “heartbroken” and “devastated” are prevalent in the […]
BAND PHOTOS: Who dares say cheese?
In these dark times, would it kill you to smile? Yes, we’re talking to you: Gangsta rappers, heavy metal dudes and other serious musicians whose artistic expression is so important that only scowls can possibly do it justice. As for you, Bono, wipe that smirk off your face! You can’t win. Taking your band photo […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Life is a highway sign
Welcome to a special weekend music preview edition of WHO NAMED THE BAND. Have you ever noticed how many Alberta indie bands have names that might be found on road signs? Check it out: Whitemud Drive, Whitemud, Whitehorse (not from Whitehorse), Rural Alberta Advantage, Scenic Route to Alaska, Exit 303 (disbanded), Exits, Next Exit, Connors […]
Ryan Jespersen jumps to CHED
We’re going to be seeing a lot less of Ryan Jespersen in the future – but we’ll be hearing a lot more of him. The 37-year-old broadcaster’s jump from City’s Breakfast Television to host of The Ryan Jespersen Show on 630 CHED is the biggest seismic media shift of 2015 so far. After a week […]
The Cat Empire plays Edmonton in April
Here’s a question music fans have been asking themselves for years: Is there an Australian Arcade Fire? There sure is. Arguably something of an improvement, actually, is the combo known as The Cat Empire, which blends jazz, hip hop, ska, pure pop sensibility and exotic Afro-Latin rhythms into an intoxicating sound that’s won fans all […]
NYE GIGS: Should Auld Lang Syne be forgot?
Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? It’s a complicated question from such a sappy song we only hear once a year. Christmas carols you hear a few dozen times for a month, Happy Birthday as many times as you have family members and friends, or acquaintances, but Auld Lang Syne you […]
Edmonton People, Places and Things of 2014
Instead of holding a ridiculous contest to determine the Edmontonian of the Year – which is dependent on the determination of the subject and his or her followers to win at all costs, much like a political election – this year we present a straight recap of the most widely read stories on GigCity. Guarantee: […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Singing Christmas Tree a BIG deal
So it’s a set of risers shaped like a gargantuan Christmas tree with people dressed like Christmas tree ornaments standing on it, singing Christmas carols, this “Singing Christmas Tree”? Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Oh, but so much more! A venerable and uniquely Edmonton holiday spectacle, as far as we know, the Singing Christmas Tree […]
Eight Edmonton frets of 2014
There’s just something about this time of year that makes you want to look back … and rant and rave about all the things that made you mad! Somewhere in Mudville are year-end listicles about good things that happened, best this, top that, and don’t forget that in adversity there is sometimes triumph (not always, […]
Top 14 nostalgia shows of 2014
Excluding Bro Country for Young Men – Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Dirk Gently – and Trix for Little Girls – P!nk, Gaga, Lady Perry – which will always be with us, an astounding trend emerges from the 2014 concert season: People sure love nostalgia. Stop whatever has replaced presses! Septuagenarians had a field day. […]