CONCERTS: Blink-182 at Rexall Aug. 27, Bachman & Turner at the Jube Sept. 26

Get ready for the “Punk Concert of the Decade” – and that’s enough of that nonsense. Tickets for go on sale Friday for Blink 182’s show at Rexall Place Saturday, Aug. 27. Opening will be Rancid and Against Me, which are popular modern punk bands very much in the spirit of the headliner. Blink’s drummer […]

You Said It: Supertramp Rocks Edmonton

[View the story “You Said It: Supertramp Rocks Edmonton” on Storify]

NEW RELEASES: Black Lips, Raleigh layer on the influences

The Black Lips and Raleigh, two bands in almost diametrically opposed genres and nearly a continent apart, have crafted superb albums that have one thing in common: they’ll appeal to anyone who likes good music. Atlanta’s Black Lips will release a sixth studio album, “Arabia Mountain”, on June 7 (Vice). The quartet combines garage rock […]

Edmonton connects with Africa’s best at one-day gala

It’s one of the most mindblowingly cool nights of entertainment and arts this city has to offer and, in a way, perhaps the most quintessentially Canadian event E-Town could stage. It’s not high profile, but there’s more on offer than at a lot of festivals. OK, so it must be brutally obvious we’re talking about […]

Gene Simmons to talk our ears off Aug. 6 at the River Cree – for $80

So KISS snubs Edmonton for Fort McMurray (July 2, story here) and all we get is a lecture from Gene Simmons? Hey, we’ll take it! The legendary KISS bassist is also an accomplished raconteur – so we’re excited that the man of the big tongue in more ways than one will be doing a spoken […]

FISHEYE: Golden U2 memories

What, you think we were going to leave it at that with U2? Here are a few shots using Hipstamatic on my wife’s iPhone, first time I ever used it. Seemed an appropriate way to shoot the show, the artifice of nostalgia using the most modern technology. (Read fan reviews of the concert here and […]

Supertramp to play Concert of the Day on Sunday at Rexall

So long, U2. Thanks for the “concert of the decade.” Now it’s time for the next concert of the decade: Supertramp at Rexall Place on Sunday night (June 5). We need another decade. Tell you what: Let’s consider 2011 up to U2 in Edmonton on June 1 the ‘10s, and everything here and after as […]

Sled Island bands head north

Sled Island? Works for us! Calgary’s Sled Island is quickly becoming an important new music festival, and Edmonton is increasingly benefiting from spin-off shows. This year, the weekend of June 24-26 will see three bands play at various venues after finishing up at the Calgary festival. First, on Friday night as part of The Works […]

YOU SAID IT: U2 fans react to Edmonton show

[View the story “U2 gets raves for huge Commonwealth show” on Storify]

Folk fest sells out

The folk fest has sold out – in a good way. Weekend passes for the annual Happening on Hill Aug. 4-7 at Gallagher Park are gone. They went in the first two hours after they went on sale today (June 1). It is said demand was so great that the phone lines crashed, the online […]

NextFest celebrates growth of Edmonton’s arts community

With local outfits like U22 Productions and Next Gen and events like NextFest and Pecha Kucha, Edmonton has an explosive arts vibe these days. Maybe it’s the social networking or the sense of appreciation for the important things that sometimes comes about after a recession, but hardly a night goes by in E-town without a […]

Solo punks tread softly on the working road

The punks are here, and they’re armed with acoustic guitars. New City Compound is hosting four punk rockers-gone-solo Friday night. Dave Hause, who fronts Philadelphia pop-punk band The Loved Ones, is on the bill along with Tony Sly (No Use for a Name), Mikey Erg (The Ergs, Star Fucking Hipsters) and Ben Disaster of local […]