HORROR AT FRINGE 2019: St. Kilda a terrifying tale
St. Kilda Stage 11 (Nordic Studio Theatre) New York’s Jody Christopherson is a quintuple threat – playwright, actor, master of dialects, singer, and most distractingly impressive: An operator of the dreaded “looper.” You know, that thing where you record a segment of sound, hit a switch and it repeats over and over again? Ed Sheeran […]
FRINGE 2019: 2 scary HORROR SHOWS
It’s been a years-long quest to find a good horror at the Fringe that isn’t a comedy. Pickin’s are slim, lemme tell ya. Are artists SCARED they won’t be able to really scare people without having to yuk it up at every turn? Must they laugh in the face of DEATH? Short answer: Maybe. However, […]
MASTERS OF THE FRINGE NO. 2: A Momentary Lapse a witty Lemoine
A Momentary Lapse Stage 12 (Varscona Theatre) The “Law” has collared two miscreants: Louise (Jocelyn Ahlf) is a flute playing yoga practicing Amnesty International member, wife and mother. Then there’s Arthur (Luc Tellier) a twitchy 16-year-old Grade 12 student and sometime pyromaniac. The pair created a ruckus on a flight and have been summarily dumped […]
PLAYBOT’s final FRINGE fantasy
EDITOR’S NOTE: Shortly after this story was first published in August 2018, the experimental A.I. program known as ‘PlayBot’ turned evil and had to be powered down permanently. This is its last report: *** FRINGE 2018 – By PLAYBOT Speaking as a computer algorithm developed to rewrite press releases in a snarky tone, I am […]
Edmonton Rock Fest Producer Values Odd Career Path, Held Hostage by Rock ‘n’ Roll
Before Todd Crawshaw became the producer of the Edmonton Rock Music Festival, he worked at the Edmonton Maximum Security Prison as a violence cessation counselor. “I’d work with guys doing time for abuse of spouses and children in their lives, in a bid to help them develop easier ways to deal with problems instead of […]
7 Must-See Folk Fest Sessions
Hidden in the Edmonton Folk Music Festival’s massive weekend schedule are some real gems – mini-concerts you’d never see anywhere else, on six side stages strewn across the Gallagher Park site. The best might be overlooked if you’re not in the right place at the right time. They used to call them “Workshops,” but that […]
EDMONTON THEATRE DOGGOS!
They’re natural performers who crave attention. They have great instincts. They can improvise at the drop of a ball. They hardly ever poop, pee, puke, or bark on stage. And they work cheap. Yes, Theatre Dogs are a breed apart – and there’s a surprising number of good bois who have graced Edmonton stages in […]
LISTEN HERE: Coutts in cahoots with 15th Century French monk
Singer-songwriter-guitarist Paul James Coutts, who has been active in both the Edmonton and Calgary music scenes for more than 25 years (currently based in Edmonton), is taking a bold leap with the release of his solo debut album, Utterances. It’s crunchy on the outside, sweet in the middle – and deep all the way through. […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Bar raised at Taste of Edmonton
Longtime locals should remember a time when the musical acts they booked at Klondike Days, Taste of Edmonton, The Works, and other summery general interest not-actually-music festivals came off like an afterthought on a low budget. In short, meh … Times have changed, and the live music bar seems to have been raised for these […]
YOUR FAVOURITE BAND SUCKS: Summer of Concert Cancellations in Edmonton!
The latest cancellation to plague Edmonton’s summer of 2019 concert schedule is Rob Zombie – who has pulled out of the CHAOS Festival at Kinsmen Park on July 26-27. No word on the reason beyond “unforeseen circumstances.” His replacement? The Cult. No shade on The Cult, a dependable British rock band, but they’re not in […]
WEEKEND MUSIC: I will follow Death Cab for Cutie into the dark
I Will Follow You Into the Dark kills me every time I hear it. The 2005 song by Death Cab for Cutie is on the subject of literally undying love. It’s a perfect song with acoustic guitar, over which frontman Ben Gibbard sings a dark lullaby: “Love of mine, someday you will die, but I’ll […]
LISTEN HERE: Ken Stead in Trouble
If you’ve got trouble, wait, don’t run! This kind of trouble is lots of fun! This familiar commercial for the old board game may offer insight into the mindset of local singer-songwriter-rocker Ken Stead when he wrote a song called Trouble. It deals with man (or woman, depending) who finds himself in a real relationship […]
