MUSIC PREVIEW: Aoki dokey to eclectic weekend
While all eyes are on Rexall Place for Sunday night’s performance by the renowned Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails, the rest of the weekend promises a little something for everyone. From top electronic with Steve Aoki, to folk-rock with The Stanfields and Chris Carrabba’s new project, Twin Forks, all the way to country and […]
CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENTS: Cave, Giant, Butt
Summer with Nick Cave in Edmonton – what could be better? His cold, dark love songs will go well with the heat on Saturday, June 28, when the Australian troubadour plays the Jubilee Auditorium, which happens to be the day after the last day of school. Cave and the Bad Seeds are touring select North […]
INSIDE THE JOKE: Playing the race card to win
One of the jokes that gives Alonzo Bodden a reputation as a smart political comic goes something like this: “I support Barack Obama because he’s black. There are a hundred other reasons: taxes, housing, education, health care … but he had me at black.” Alonzo Bodden is black, too. Would the joke work otherwise? Appearing […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Stars align in Edmonton
The city plays host to a milieu of exceptionally talented touring music acts this weekend and beyond. Friday night is punctuated by alt-country Lindi Ortega’s sold out show at the Royal Alberta Museum, which is getting a reputation as one of Edmonton’s best acoustic venues, and the buzzworthy Hollerado gig at the Starlite Room. Saturday […]
Opera by night, criminal justice by day, drama all the time
Opera singer Bertrand Malo has such a challenging day job – Crown Prosecutor – that it’s tempting to ask if listening to the gory details of horrific crimes is a good way to unwind from the stresses of opera. He answers with a laugh, “Yes, I need both. Opera is a great world. However it’s […]
War Horse a masterful display of equine puppetry
The fake horse was so real that even the real horses were fooled. They wouldn’t get near the thing. And these were trained military steeds from the Strathcona Mounted Troop, no less, a bit freaked out during Tuesday’s photo op for “War Horse,” leading to the play’s run through Sept. 22 at the Jubilee Auditorium. […]
Jerry Seinfeld returns to Edmonton in August
What’s the deal with Jerry Seinfeld? The guy was a huge TV star. He’s multimillionaire. He doesn’t need to work. And now he’s back humping his jokes around on the road like some Yuk Yuk’s comic, playing places like Edmonton. Must be something about stand-up comedy that keeps people coming back. Seinfeld performs at the […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Primus to get trippy
It turns out you didn’t actually have to decide whether to see Mumford and Sons or “xx” on Wednesday night – you could’ve gone to both shows, what with the Rexall curfew and a late set time for xx. Though maybe your bank account would’ve said differently. This weekend there’s a few shows worthy of […]
Freak flags unfurled in new k.d. lang ballet
Well before k.d. lang delivered her memorable speech at the 2013 Juno Awards in which she encouraged Canadians to fly their “freak flags,” she’d already helped create a freak flag flying ballet based on her life and music. She’ll be in Edmonton to see it this weekend, along with members of her family including her […]
OPERA: Dark ache of an unhappy soul in Eugene Onegin
There’s a burning question about opera that most opera buffs never talk about because they fear they’ll look like complete idiots. No problem here: Why not just perform all operas in English? Most of opera fans speak English – so why do they keep coming to operas performed in languages they don’t even understand? Imagine […]
WEEKEND MUSIC: Imagine Dragons, Heart on Big Monday
Whichever era of Heart you’re a fan of (assuming you’re a fan to begin with), the fabulous Wilson sisters will undoubtedly perform songs that you’ll love at the Jubilee Auditorium on Monday night – part of our extended long weekend of Big Shows. What’s not to love? This concert is sold out. Heart is an […]
OPERA: A carnival named desire in Les Contes d’Hoffman
This Hoffman is one messed-up dude. First he falls for a chick who’s clearly a robot and only finds out when her arm comes off. Then he falls in love with a woman who’s so frail she sings herself to death, then with some floozy who leaves him for a cowboy the moment his back […]
