FOLK FEST REVIEW: Hozier gets hosed, hardy fans party to Church in the rain
At the first night of the 2019 Edmonton Folk Music Festival on Thursday, almost everyone had one thing on their mind: the weather. Organizers especially had their eyes on the weekend’s forecast – and they weren’t happy. Fortunately, the heavens held their gates closed (mostly) on Night One for an incredible variety of surprises from […]
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 […]
WEEKEND MUSIC: Storm before the storm
This weekend, the city finds itself in the relatively calm eye of a musical summer hurricane – after being buffeted with both the esteemed Interstellar Rodeo and the rampaging frenzy of Chaos AB last weekend. Then of course the world-renowned Folk Music Festival is coming up, then the Fringe. Before the eye wall hits us […]
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. […]
Interstellar Rodeo: Consistent in Musical Diversity
Interstellar Rodeo always presents a diverse lineup that pushes boundaries of musical genres – and the comfort levels of the audience. And, for the second year in a row, the festival was subject to the whimsy of the unstable Alberta weather. With the kind of “summer” we’ve been having, that part really came as no […]
Manson Has Power Over Chaos
Metal heads of Edmonton were rejoicing at the creation of a new music festival, held on July 26 and 27 at Kinsmen Park. However, the first ever Chaos AB festival of metal music experienced some chaos of its own, due to the unpredictable weather. The hot and sunny first night on July 26 saw performances […]
Backstreet Boys karaoke schtick a porcine makeover
On Thursday night, The Backstreet Boys proved that you can put makeup on a pig and that such a porcine makeover can work wonders. The lads (Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean and Kevin Richardson) who cornered the boy band industry with their take on spit-shined gawkery and nabbed the teen market […]
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 […]
REVIEW: Billy Idol shows off his age in short River Cree concert
It’s a shame that Mythbusters isn’t running on the telly these days, because if there’s one popular fabrication that needs to be debunked, it’s that being a sexagenarian has absolutely nothing to do with sex. All they have to do is trot out Billy Idol as Exhibit A – and silence those age-shaming social media […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Founds Grounds Abounds
Two of the city’s most extraordinary promoters, Double Lunch Productions and Sweaty Palms, have joined forces to put on an epic series of shows called the Found Grounds Music Series at the Backstage Theatre (Old Strathcona Arts Barns), during the city’s Found Festival. Friday’s show is perhaps the pinnacle with Jessica Jalbert. She is of […]
