Posted on July 9, 2011
By Albert Smith
Comedy, Culture
Mankind is Jerry Seinfeld’s business. His mission is to explore tiny human stupidities, leaving the larger idiocies to other comedians. His tool is a microscope. His result is universal humour. EVERYBODY’S done the dumb little things he talks about, we’re all guilty of the trivial human mistakes he’s built a career on – even Jerry […]
Posted on June 29, 2011
By Albert Smith
Music, The Latest
Who the hell are the Black Keys? Seriously. We’ve never heard of these guys before. Thought it was some combination of Alecia Keys and the Black Eyed Peas – and here they are from out of the blue playing the Big Building, Rexall Place tonight (Wednesday, June 29). The show is sold out. The Black […]
Posted on June 20, 2011
By Albert Smith
Front Slider, Music
Edmonton rapper Doug Crawford has an unlikely organization to thank for getting to open for Eminem on D12’s American tour this fall – Canada Customs. If it weren’t for our polite and efficient border patrol, who obviously didn’t like the look of this posse of Detroit rappers when they came to entertain the good folks […]
Posted on June 20, 2011
By Albert Smith
Comedy, Theatre
Once in a great while Edmonton is privileged to host one of the old-time stand-up comedians, a stubborn hold-out from the days of yore where men were men, women stayed in the kitchen where they belonged and show business was an honourable profession – not the cesspool of fart jokes it’s become today. Neil Hamburger […]
Posted on June 15, 2011
By Albert Smith
Comedy, Front Slider, Theatre
To be willing to “fail happily” is one of the foundations of comedy improv – and also a happy life. When you truly shed your ego in the manner of the Buddhists, even death becomes OK. Cue the sound of one hand clapping. This may all seem too deep for Rapidfire Theatre’s Improvaganza festival, running […]
Posted on June 13, 2011
By Albert Smith
Family, Front Slider
Edmontonians are crazy. We endure the most God-awful winters known to man and as soon as it gets nice, we can’t wait to get out of here. What’s the matter with you people?! OK, we’re willing to keep the wagging finger of shame at bay as long as you agree to keep your trips within […]
Posted on June 7, 2011
By Albert Smith
The Latest, Theatre
There are a few theories we can form from reading the 2010-2011 nominations for the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards – the closest Edmonton gets to the Oscars for the live theatre scene. 1. The Citadel Theatre remains the king of local theatre. 2. One of our brightest playwrights is Brad Fraser, who hasn’t lived here […]
Posted on May 30, 2011
By Albert Smith
Front Slider, Music
The floodlights are on at Commonwealth Stadium. They’re building something that looks like the timewarp machine from Contact. Is Jodie Foster coming? Something’s going on. You can feel the excitement in the air, the local media has gone on full paparazzi alert, fans are staking out the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, the TV weather forecasters are […]
Posted on May 27, 2011
By Albert Smith
Comedy, The Latest
It won’t be long until Shaun Majumder is known for more than just being “the indo-Canadian comedian who isn’t Russell Peters,” if he isn’t already. Maybe it’ll be the other way around before too long. Despite holding the Humourist’s Carte Blanche that allows any non-white comic to make fun of almost any race without consequence, […]
Posted on May 25, 2011
By Albert Smith
Music, The Latest
We already know who’s coming to the Edmonton Folk Music Festival this year: k.d. lang, Andrew Bird, Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, the Gipsy Kings, the Amazing Kreskin, actor-singer Tim Robbins and much, much more. Old news. Check the folk fest website. But it’s the folk fest PRESS CONFERENCE that really puts it all […]
Posted on May 25, 2011
By Albert Smith
Culture, Front Slider, Theatre
Perhaps you or someone you know was once in danger of becoming … chronically single. You’d get set in your ways, get a cat, maybe surf for porn a bit too much for your own good and often have dinner at the houses of friends who now all seem to come in pairs. They’d occasionally […]
Posted on May 24, 2011
By Albert Smith
Front Slider, Music
It would’ve been nice to talk about the whole Christian rock thing with the Grammy-winning Christian rock band Switchfoot, which played at Rexall Place May 27 as part of YC Alberta , the annual Christian youth conference – but sadly, like the Rapture, it was not meant to be. The good news: One of the […]
