Posted on October 6, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Music, The Latest
You gotta hand it to Billy Corgan. Here we were at Rexall Place on Friday night with our faded hoodies, our toques as fashion statements, our old piercings put back in. We were all ready. Even though we were many years older, nearing or at middle aged, we were ready. Ready to go back to […]
Posted on September 24, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Culture, Front Slider, Lit
For years, we have been cocky about our bookstores. As city after city lost their independent book sellers, Edmonton crowed: “We have two strong independent bookstores!” But we crow no more. Although there is no official word from the owners, Greenwoods’ Books is closing in about a week, according to discussions on Facebook and Twitter. […]
Posted on September 14, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Music, The Latest, TV and Radio
Big Time Rush are not only a boy band, they are stars of a TV show of the same name. It’s very much like the Monkees, including the frenetic silliness, the fact that one of them always wears headgear (usually a helmet) and one is not entirely sure if the boys are actually singing the […]
Posted on September 13, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Culture, Lit, The Latest
Running a publishing company has always been a crapshoot – and with the advent of e-books, the ease of self-publishing and the closing of major and minor bookstores across the continent, things are even crappier in the book publishing business. But that didn’t stop two Alberta moms from taking a plunge into it. Tina Moreau, […]
Posted on September 6, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Culture, Lit, The Latest
For the first time since it changed its focus to non-fiction in 2006, Litfest has opened the door to fiction – big-time fiction. The 2012 version of the event – Oct. 17-28 at venues around town – will feature Alexander McCall-Smith, the author of over 50 novels, including the highly successful “No. 1 Ladies Detective […]
Posted on August 18, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Music, The Latest
These days it’s hard to be surprised by a rock concert. It’s all spectacle now: explosions, lasers, columns of flames, 25 foot tall statues, all on a stage the size of a Borg ship covered by an infinity of lights. The music, even the band, seems almost secondary. Metallica’s sold out show at the Coliseum […]
Posted on July 18, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Culture, Front Slider
People of a certain age know the name Bellini. He’s the towel wearing guy that would appear in the odd episode of Kids in the Hall. But Bellini (Paul Bellini is his full name) is more than just that towel wearing guy or the second most famous person from Timmins (Shania Twain is #1). He’s […]
Posted on July 14, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Front Slider, Lit
Minister Faust is a man of many hats. He’s a radio personality and political activist. He’s published his own magazine (the now defunct Africentric Magazine), written for the video game industry (EA Games Darkspore, the sequel to award-winning Spore), plus he’s an award-winning novelist, known for such books as “The Coyote Kings,” “The Space-Age Bachelor […]
Posted on June 12, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Music, Theatre, Visual Arts
If you’re an aboriginal artist, there’s a perception that your discipline is mostly traditional, like pow-wow dancing, beadwork, soapstone carving, stuff like that. There’s also a perception that if you’re an aboriginal artist, you have act or dress a certain way. For example, I’m an aboriginal writer, but some people have expressed surprise that I […]
Posted on June 2, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Front Slider, Lit
Jalal Barzanji’s The Man With the Blue Pajamas – detailing the Iraqi author’s imprisonment at the hands of Saddam Hussein – might not have been possible without the work of Edmonton editor Peter Midgley, who was shortlisted for the $2,000 Tom Fairley Awardby the Editors’ Association of Canada. This is the only national award that […]
Posted on May 29, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Culture, Front Slider, Music
It’s quite obvious that Roger Waters was the smart one in Pink Floyd. The others may have been talented folks, but Waters was, and still is, the deep thinker. When the other version of Pink Floyd appeared in Edmonton several years ago, they had the bigger show in the bigger stadium. And it was all […]
Posted on May 19, 2012
By Wayne Arthurson
Culture, Lit, The Latest
Mar’ce Merrell, known around town as the “Cake Princess,” is mother of five, a writing instructor and author of two kids’ books. Her new novel for young adults, Wicked Sweet, is in stores May 22. Q: OK, you’re in bakeshop with Steven Spielberg and his cupcakes will be ready in 30 seconds. Explain Wicked Sweet […]
