No Fooling With The Weekend
The jokes all done, let’s get us some weekend.
Tonight you’ve got the 3rd annual Gala Guru, at the AGA. It’s the annual gala of Guru Digital Arts College, and a meeting of Edmonton’s digital heroes and cool cats. And me. The big news from Guru is the addition of illustrator Nat Jones, and the new course he’ll be teaching on illustrations, graphic novels and comic books.
On the music side of things tonight, you’ve got Canadian legend Bruce Cockburn, at the Winspear. He’s here as part of The Winspear Presents series which focuses on folk and world artists (the kind you’ll usually see at the summer Folk Fest.)
Actually tonight’s musical lineup just gets better from there (and we’re already talking about Bruce Cockburn)…The Whitsundays are at the Haven Social Club…The Secretaries are at New City…Tupelo Honey has a new album release at the Starlite…April Wine is at the Century Casino…and the B-52s are out at River Cree…
Saturday is a great day for music, with a big lineup for a good cause over at Original Joe’s Varsity. It’s Rhythm for Research and money raised from tickets and a silent auction will help in finding a cure for leukemia and lymphoma.
Also in Saturday music, Weird Canada has a sweet show at the Pawn Shop, presenting Peace, Brazilian Money, Sans AIDS, and Jessica Jalbert. Over at the Starlite it’s the Rural Alberta Advantage, with The Provincial Archive, and Hooded Fang. (If you didn’t snag tickets to this show you can catch The Provincial Archive’s Craig Schram earlier in the day at Rhythm for Research.) And, fresh off their hosting gig at the Edmonton Music Awards, rappers Kemo Treats are at bohemia.
Missing The Room will tear you apart.
If comedy is more your thing, you’ll want to head over to the Roxy Theatre Saturday night for Mostly Water Theatre’s latest guffaw extravaganza.
You can always catch a movie.
Speaking of movies…The movie event of the weekend is at Metro Cinema though. The Turkey Shoot is presenting the greatest film of our generation: The Room.
On Sunday, Metro Cinema begins screening movies in the Edmonton Jewish Film Festival.
The Edmonton Rush are home to the Colorado Mammoth Friday night.
Two new plays begin at the Citadel Theatre this Saturday. The Three Musketeers is in the MacLab theatre and Rick: The Rick Hansen Story is in the Shoctor.
And Sunday night kicks off a week of evening LRT delays. Enjoy! (Enjoy the weekend, not the LRT delays.)
Marching to the weekend
(Just think, I have three more weekends to make March puns with.)
Looks like a pretty solid weekend ahead. Downtown Dining Week kicks off today. So does Latitude 53′s new show, Cubic Units and New Prints by Mathiew Valade. Still Tonight…our friends at the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters celebrate 30 years with a bike art auction and pedal-powered concert. More good times could not be jammed into one evening.
In arts…Gargamel finishes its run at the Varscona Theatre. Garamel is a good play. there’s the Expanse Movement Arts Festival at the Roxy Theatre…The Art Gallery of Alberta is bringing in new spring shows; Nature and Spirit: Emily Carr’s Coastal Landscapes, Haida Art: Mapping and Ancient Language, Sherri Chaba’s The Silence of Chaos… (Speaking of the AGA, it’s hosting a Refinery party Saturday night.)
The Catalyst Theatre’s Hunchback is at the Citadel, from the people who brought you recently raved-about Frankenstein and Nevermore productions…the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra presents Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush, which will have the orchestra playing live along with the movie…Fringe Theatre Adventures presents “An evening with Uncle Val” by comedian Andy Jones…Alberta Baroque Ensemble is at Robertson Wesley United Church…Edmonton Columbian Choirs present Spring Bouquets, at McDougall United Church…
Winter Light concludes with the Star Party at Elk Island National Park Edmonton City Hall. That would be stars as in the sky kind, not the TMZ kind.
Gregg’s got the lowdown on the good movies. And the bad ones too.
In music…Jenie Thai is at the Blue Chair Cafe…Heart of the City Festival has a fundraising show...Buckcherry is in Edmonton tonight. Buckcherry. So is Sarah McLachlan…
I take this to mean the Nathan Carroll Band is going to perform Supertramp’s Breakfast in America at the Haven. Totally rad.
Saturday night at Brixx you’ve got the F.D. Jones Soap Company Ol’ Smashy…and Geoff Berner is at The ARTery tonight…
Also, the Edmonton Oil Kings are home to the Medicine Hat Tigers…and Pecha Kucha 9 goes tonight. PK9 is sold out, but you can watch it live from the comfort of your home via the Edmonton Journal.
Your favourite place = train ride
You love Edmonton. And you think there are some pretty sweet places to visit in this city. So tell the world (or, at least Canada) about your favourite places and get into a draw for some Via train action.
Great Places in Canada is a contest put on by the Canadian Institute of Planners (which sounds pretty legit), which aims to find all the most-loved cities, towns, landmarks, and public spaces (like parks) in this great country.
Edmonton’s already well-represented with the University of Alberta, 
Candy Cane Lane, our 1-year-old Art Gallery of Alberta, Ada Boulevard (often used in TV movies), Old Strathcona, the Muttart Conservatory, and Whyte Avenue. Anyone who nominates a place is entered into the draw.
Oh, and there will be judging of the favourite places, so get voting.
I’m also curious as to your favourite places, Edmonton or otherwise. So drop me a comment and tell me what’s cool.
Back to Winter, Back to Fun
Looks like a pretty good weekend ahead, Edmonton.
The weather’s pretty much returning to normal, but it should still be great for Freezing Man and Winter Light’s Illuminations. Freezing Man is a day of electronic and alternative music, while Illuminations is all about turning Churchill Square into what winter is all about, with entertainment, skating, and free hot chocolate. And a snowball fight.
The Edmonton Rush host Calgary for their home opener at Rexall Place. Go Rush!
The Edmonton Oil Kings are also home this weekend.
In music…Gorgon Horde is at Wunderbar… There’s a wine tasting auction featuring the ESO…CKUA presents Leeroy Stagger…the Sonic Band of the Month is Feast or Famine, and they’re at the Pawn Shop…Jordan Norman has a CD release at the Haven, with Christian Hansen (and no Autistics)…Ann Vriend is at the museum…yes, the actual museum.
Global Game Jam Edmonton is going to be all about putting together a video game (or working on a game) this weekend.
Tonight is Hip Hop on the Wall, a fundraiser for Hip Hop in the Park.
This weekend is the 1st birthday of the new Art Gallery of Alberta. Happy Birthday, you crazy, beautiful building.
And, on Sunday, watch for LRT delays north of Churchill (again).
Summer art
With the Art Gallery of Alberta announcing their fall lineup today, it’s a good time to check out their summer offerings, if you haven’t done so already.
Exhibits winding down their time at the AGA include M.C. Escher: The Mathmagician, The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons, and Jonathan Kaiser’s Celestial Bodies. These shows will be gone when most of the new ones are open to the public.
November will bring with it more changes, so if you want to see any of the current showcases, you better find some time in your dayplanner.
Also, don’t run down to the AGA after you read this. They aren’t open Mondays.
August 18 Headlines
Bah!
I bet some of these fine people would be more than happy if you wrote about their play.
You ever have one of those days where you’re all ready to do something and can’t help but be distracted? That’s where I am this morning.
I wanted to write about something news-related, and I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually, but my mind keeps coming back to the social media Fringe fiasco. (Which, I guess, is sort of news-related.
If you haven’t heard (you’re clearly not on Twitter or trawling Edmonton Internet for Fringe info), a local food blogger – and lovely person – also writes about theatre. She especially enjoys enjoyed Teatro La Quindicina.
Well, it sounds like at least one member, high-ranking at that, of the theatre group could care less about her enjoyment of their plays, her money, and her online reviews of their work.
Some may say this is what a reviewer has coming; vitriol from the reviewed.
I don’t quite agree.
Sharon Yeo is blogging out of passion and interest, she’s not being paid by a newsroom to review anything. She can take her money wherever she pleases. She can write about what she pleases.
People can certainly take issue with what she said, pointing out why she may be incorrect about a certain actor, the set, or something in the play, but to simply attack her (and then Mack, checking on authenticity of the comment) is no better than being a comment troll.
I’ve taken my share of angry newsroom phone calls, I’ve even had people upset with something I’ve written or said (here, and previously). To a small degree I’ll admit it can come with the territory of “media.” But it better be justified criticism, or you end up looking like a crank.
This, however, just sounds like a local business (regardless of arts grants, theatres need people in the seats) that doesn’t understand there’s not one or two “proper” places for reviews anymore.
The conversation that Sharon would have with people at the coffee shop or restaurant can now be taken to the Internet via blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and more.
Of course, what’s not understood by Jeff Haslam, the angry actor, is that he needs this conversation to put people in his theatre. Outside of the Fringe you’re pretty much stuck with theatre reviews and previews in the Journal, SEE and Vue. Newsrooms are stretched thin. They’re not talking about you on a regular basis. But people online can. They are.
Why not embrace the growing online conversation, like the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra or Art Gallery of Alberta does, by inviting some bloggers to talk about their events? Or, invitation aside, at least not attacking someone who would talk about what they’ve been up to, what they’ve seen.
That’s why I say this only is sort of newsy. This is more about the conversation shift that’s continually occurring.
from the Edmonton Journal:
Public debate should not be a mudslinging free-for-all (Where’s the fun in that?)
Airport lobby group keeps donors under wraps
Gov’t backs off on price of warranty (Remember earlier this week when it seemed like the government was kowtowing to some in the housing industry, well, now it’s just a little more obvious.)
Liberal report critical of oilsands development
Eco groups back First Nations call to protect boreal caribou
BioWare’s Mass Effect 2 available for Playstation3 in January
from the Edmonton Sun:
Motorcycle noise bylaw working, claim police
Bedbugs horror in Edmonton (I’m sorry, but the landlord can’t shirk responsibility on tenants bringing in used furniture. That’s a risk, and cost, of being in the business or providing homes.)
Massive train derailment near Fort Saskatchewan
Monster on way out (Anybody ever eat at The Motoraunt?)
from The Canadian Press:
‘Rethink Alberta’ group brings anti-oilsands billboards, ads to UK
President’s Choice Chocolate Chunk Cookies recalled, may contain metal pieces
from CBC Edmonton:
Viral meningitis cases rise in Edmonton
from CTV Edmonton:
New bill to make clear true cost of credit cards
Vigil aimed at raising awareness of abuse faced by people with disabilities
And I think everyone had the crashed CF-18 pilot who vows to fly again.
Hold onto your potatoes
We’re right into the heart of Edmonton summer now, jam-packed with festivals. This is our time to shine, our time to live it up.
This weekend’s choices are plentiful. (And I realized, after I started linking, that events from ShareEdmonton and YegLive.ca are integrated today. Just mixing it up.)
Tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday there’s the SOS Fest, all over Old Strathcona.
We think it’s going to be so much fun, so many bands and musicians in lots of venues, that we’ve set up a separate blog just for the SOS. We’ll post through the weekend (which is not something we ever do) over there and wrap it all up here, Monday. Let us know who we should check out, which venues we should experience, and show us where the most fun is happening. We’ll see you on the street.
Oh, and Sunday also sees Whyte Avenue shut down for its annual street sale, plus two stages of live music for the SOS Fest. (I told you it was the place to be this weekend.)
Still in the neighbourhood, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is playing at the Walterdale.
In sports, there’s the World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands, Sunday. Bars will be busy, I’m sure. The Capitals and Prospects are on the ball diamonds, and the Eskimos are home to the Montreal Alouettes.
The Edmonton International Street Performers Festival is back at Churchill Square.
Doors Open Edmonton and the Edmonton & Northern Alberta Historic Festival are going to take you into buildings you don’t normally get to explore, places sometimes unseen, and historic spots worth visiting. Including CKUA and Alley Kat brewery in Edmonton. Plus, there’s a walking tour of the Highlands neighbourhood.
That’s not to be confused with the Highland Gathering, at Fort Edmonton Park.
If you’re swinging by the Downtown Farmers’ Market you’re probably going to see the All Ford Classic Show.
Down in Hawrelak Park, the Freewill Shakespeare Festival continues with their runs of MacBeth and Much ado about nothing.
In music not related to the SOS Fest, OK GO is at the Starlite tonight. Raygun Cowboys play New City. And Streetheart, yes Streetheart, will be rocking the Century Casino.
The Art Gallery of Alberta is going late-night with another Refinery party. The Valley Zoo is also going for something with an after-hours feel, hosting ZooFest. The Bissell Centre is holding a Block Party of the Century too.
Transcend Coffee is putting their baristas to the test, Sunday, to see who deserves to compete in the Prairie Regional Baristas Championship. The latte foam will be flying.
If you’re heading toward Victoria Hill, just off 116 Street, Sunday, I hope you’re driving a soapbox racer.
And you can always see a movie.
Churchill Square, on a sunny Sunday
Previous to this latest taste of winter, I enjoyed some of our more spring-like weather and wandered around Sir Winston Churchill Square.
I feel like if I don’t force myself to spend some time in the most obvious of Edmonton spaces I’ll end up running between big box centres and forgetting that there’s some pretty neat stuff here.
First thing I did was take a visual spin around the square. (more…)
Some stuff to do
Taking a look around Edmonton this weekend, here are a few items that caught my eye…
There are monster trucks at Rexall Place this weekend!!!!!!!
Nearby, and slightly quieter, is the Edmonton Renovation Show, at Northlands’ Expo Centre.
It’s almost Chinese New Year’s, so kick things off with a bang over at the big celebration at West Edmonton Mall. Plus, you get an excuse to go to that giant emporium of shopping goodness.
German Mardi Gras is this weekend. I hadn’t heard of this but before but it sounds like a good time.
The Art Gallery of Alberta’s got a party Saturday. Tickets at the door only. This place is popular.
Susan Aglukark is playing the Myer Horowitz tonight. Neat.
Art Gallery – video
I couldn’t think of any good zinc jokes.
But I did take over Sally’s Mac to edit this video.
Go to the Art Gallery, it’s open! Go now!!
Or don’t. It’s your call. But you’ll miss all the sweet art and cool design.
Let’s end January with a bang
Still safer than a Toyota. It's also my way of mentioning the Edmonton Motorshow is this weekend.
Let’s see…what can we do this weekend to make this first month of 2010 worth it?
O.M.G. It’s already the end of January.
This really makes the weekend feel needed.
As you probably already know, I’m going to be a little fancier than normal and partake in some higher art. I’ll try not to embarrass you.
If you’ve got your ticket you can go to the grand opening of the Art Gallery of Alberta. I wish I’d heard about this more, so I could have known it was this weekend.
Maybe you want a little music this weekend. Our old friends The Omega Theory are playing the Starlite Room, with nice little Winnipeg band Inward Eye.
If you’re feeling jazzy, check out Karl Schwonik at the Yardbird. He’s a (just about) local drummer who’s been bouncing all around the world.
And the Respectfully Elvis Fan Club is putting on a 75th birthday party of sorts at the Kingsway Legion tonight at 8pm.
Your AGA is My AGA
Because there aren’t enough blogs out there with photos of the new Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA).
You've already seen this, if you've been downtown.
These people love art more than me.
It will be interesting to see if the AGA is ready for opening day.
One of the big shows that will be opening the AGA.
- You’ll be able to access the AGA from Churchill Station (LRT).
- You’ll come out in the basement level of the AGA.
The terrace has one piece of art and some good views of downtown.
More great views (and the art).
I am going to rent so much art.
And, no tour is complete without a peek in the washroom. Fancy.
Today the Art Gallery of Alberta, tomorrow the other news stuff
If you follow any number of Edmonton bloggers, webbies or photogs you’ve probably surmised that the Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) hosted a tour of social media folk. Being a part of this expanding online media force, I tagged along.
Having experience in the world of traditional media, I’d say this was just your average photo-op, where you get dragged around the building and told stuff about it.
AGA Executive Director Gilles Hebert and Communications Coordinator Sarah Hoyles listen intently to a question.
I hope to have a little more on the actual make-up of the building and its appearance once I come up with some good jokes involving zinc, glass, steel and Douglas Fir (all oft-used components in the design of the new AGA).
Right now I want to touch briefly upon the whole idea of social media-ers being invited to an event like this. There are some other opinions on this popping up. (I’ll note both of these folks are like me, and have previous or current experience in the traditional media world.)
First of all, it’s thanks mostly to the persistence of Edmonton’s Twitter King (Mack D. Male) that this even happened. The other portion of thanks goes to the AGA for being open to the idea.
The AGA isn’t the first organization to offer access to those from the blogosphere. The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, for example, invited bloggers to last summer’s Symphony Under the Sky. They’re also looking at doing more with bloggers in the regular season.
And it’s tough to keep bloggers and freelancers away from most public news conferences, so there have been plenty of stories from outside the usual suspect newsrooms on happenings here in Edmonton.
I think this is about the best idea organizations could try. (more…)
