426-5050, whatever happened to the Lydo?
Four-two-six, five-oh, five-oh, if you’re hungry, call the Lydo! Never had such crappy Chinese food gained such a huge local reputation – thanks to the little jingle written to go with their phone number that remains an Edmontonian brainworm 10 years after the place went bankrupt. A lot of people who ordered Lydo vowed never […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Surrounded on all sides
The region is now in the epicentre of the perfect storm of festival season. Vast musical gatherings are surrounding the city on all sides. The long range forecast calls for more festivals of all kinds – at least until school starts – so the public is urged to take proper measures. Step 1: Which one […]
Fred Larose was a ‘musician’s musician’
Fred Larose didn’t live to see his own name in lights, but he probably wouldn’t have wanted it there anyway. His legacy will be as a prince among sidemen – the unassuming, rock-steady, hard-working bass player who holds down the crucial bottom end and puts his gifts to the service of making others sound great. […]
MUSIC: No soapbox on jazz crossover from activist folk singer
A folk singer has made a jazz record – is this news? Maybe it ought to be. It doesn’t seem to happen very often. Dale Ladouceur, Edmonton singer, songwriter, producer and the city’s chief practitioner of the 10-stringed “Chapman Stick,” says she didn’t plan for her latest album to be so, you know, “jazzy.” But what […]
FESTIVAL GUY: Interstellar Rodeo a triumph of Edmontonian proportions
“Eclectic” may be too generic a word to describe the mish-mash of musical genres thrown together for this year’s Interstellar Rodeo – everything from Americana from Steve Earle to the electronic art rock from Edmonton’s own Shout Out Out Out Out. There seemed little cohesion between the different artists at the weekend’s cosmic soundwave soup […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Interstellar Rodeo a roots-rock spectacular
Think of it as a little “aperitif” to the Edmonton Folk Music Festival: The Interstellar Rodeo – featuring an ensemble cast of incredibly talented musicians Friday through Sunday in beautiful Hawrelak Park. Like the folk fest, this one is SOLD OUT, and you can expect future editions to follow suit, as this fledgling music festival […]
MAIMANN ABROAD: Ultra Europe Festival how raves should be done
SPLIT, CROATIA – Picture Kim Jong-un dancing in the grass, donning a North Korean flag next to Barack Obama, who’s all smiles as he hammers out a deal with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over a vodka-Red Bull. Despite Electronic Dance Music’s staunch apolitical nature, a party like this year’s Ultra Europe Festival in Croatia could be just […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: The Taste of Music
You may know it for the food, but this year’s incarnation of The Taste Of Edmonton is pulling out all the stops in its musical lineup as well. Thursday night starts off with a bang, as Vancouver’s Hey Ocean! takes center stage, whose catchy melodies will surely whisk you away to a laid-back beach. The […]
Local singer to tackle cyberbullying in new video
An Edmonton pop singer has found the perfect location to shoot a music video with an anti-bullying theme – at the same high school where she was bullied. Going by the name of ESMA, the 24-year-old dance music artist has the blessing of the Edmonton Public School Board and the school principal to shoot at […]
KISS for Kids – next generation to rock and roll all nite
Surprisingly, there weren’t a lot of children at the recent KISS concert in Edmonton – unlike the Love Gun tour in the same building 36 years ago, or the recent Rush concert, which was a regular father-and-son affair. But there was still ample evidence of youth being corrupted by hardcore members of the KISS Army […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Party all nite, rock every day
Many of the kids who flocked to KISS back in the day now have kids of their own – which is why Friday night’s triumphant return of the aging painted wonders at Rexall Place is expected to be a real family affair. If you’re getting painted up – and hey, who isn’t? – keep in […]
So much for the rivalry: Edmonton helps Calgary
The outpouring of support from Edmonton’s arts community to flood-ravaged Calgary and area has been truly inspiring. You’d think that ridiculous inter-municipal rivalry didn’t exist at all – even if it was hockey season. The latest gig announced in a number of local charity events features Corb Lund with Jr. Gone Wild , Sunday, July […]
