Kemo Treats: Sane Clown Posse
The theory that parodying something long enough causes one to turn into the very thing being made fun is put to the test with Kemo Treats. Six years after starting the most ridiculous gangsta rap duo in Edmonton – if not the entire world – its co-founder Greg Goa remains clear on the targets of […]
WHO NAMED THE BAND: Slayer slays the course
Slayer is such an awesome band name for a group of guys who loved nothing better than to frighten as many people as possible. “We knew that kind of stuff pissed people off,” says singer and bassist Tom Araya, referring to the devilish songs and imagery the California thrash metal band came to be known […]
Mr. Chi Pig at home in the city that punk built
Ken Chinn – aka “Mr. Chi Pig” – has been spotted wandering old Edmonton haunts as he prepares for SNFU’s CD release show at the Pawn Shop. He seems to be having a pretty good time. He shows up for an interview in a jolly mood, attired like a WWI pilot. First thing he does […]
INTERVIEW: Dan Savage makes punditry cool
On Christians and the whole gay marriage thing, Dan Savage says, “Jesus Christ Himself condemned divorce, yet we’re not amending state constitutions to prohibit people getting divorced. It’s hypocritical of these people to say that they cannot come around on the gay issue because of the Bible when they ignore so many other parts of […]
INSIDE THE JOKE: John Wing wings it
Rather than focus on the entire Edmonton Comedy Festival, Oct. 16-19 at venues around town; rather than focus on one specific comedian performing therein, maybe it would be fun to zero in on just one joke. In doing an absurd in-depth examination of said jest, with any luck we can tease out all the humour […]
The Command Sisters on front line in war against bullying
Who better than teenagers to make an anti-bullying video? Sarah Command of the local folk duo the Command Sisters is 15 years old and has just started high school – on the front lines in what has become a hot button issue. “I definitely have had my fair share of bullying,” she says, referring to […]
DANCE: From Metallica to Brian Webb and Beethoven
You don’t often see “metal chicks” in the world of contemporary dance – or vice versa – at least not until the very real possibility that bands like Metallica will get a house gig in Las Vegas. Oh, it’s going to happen, you wait. And they need dancers for these things. Nancy Sandercock, who appears […]
EIFF REVIEW: Belgian bluegrass drama hard to watch in more ways than one
There are a number of worthy ideas you can take away from The Broken Circle Breakdown – the gala closer of the Edmonton International Film Festival, Saturday, Oct. 5 at 7 pm in the Empire City Centre 9 Cinemas. One, it’s pretty much the best romantic melodrama about Belgian bluegrass singers you’ll ever see. The […]
EIFF REVIEW: Spinning Plates feeds heart and soul
Towards the very end of Joseph Levy’s acclaimed documentary Spinning Plates, airing Oct. 3 as part of the Edmonton International Film Festival, there is a defining moment. World-renowned chef Grant Achatz compares his ultra-expensive, ultra-exclusive Chicago restaurant to those hometown spots run by his parents when he was a kid. He says, “It’s the same […]
EIFF REVIEW: Furry friends forever in Furever
The only thing missing in Furever is a visit to another country whose citizens aren’t so privileged, maybe one that doesn’t spend $52 billion a year on cats and dogs. In some places, people think we’re crazy for pampering what’s for dinner. It’s strangely ironic that the only place in the world you can get […]
EIFF REVIEW: Muscle Shoals does its namesake proud
The great electric blues guitarist Otis Rush had some cracking albums in his day – and like his live gigs, they always started out with something smoking that really set the tone. In 1969 it was an album called “Mourning in the Morning.” Like most things musical, attempting to describe its incendiary, note-stabbing kickoff, all […]
MUSIC: His name is trouble
Ben Sures has a lot of family lore to draw from. It starts at conception – said to be in Japan following a Beatles concert in 1966, “but I have never been able to confirm that,” he says. His name translates from Yiddish as “Son of Trouble” – which he chose for the the title […]
