Let’s kick this weekend’s ass
Fresh off Thursday night's Starlite Room 5th birthday, Ben Stevenson is playing The Artery tonight. Go. (Photo: Jason Bouwmeester)
I don’t know if it’s all the double-americanos I’ve had today, or the delicious bacon I ate for breakfast, or the Fringe, or what, but I think we really need to get amped up and take this weekend on.
I’m feeling good about this, Edmonton.
I think there’s enough going on, across the spectrum of event-styles, that everybody has something to do. Heck, everybody could have three or four things to do. (If you work this weekend, I feel sorry for you. But only a little bit.)
Let’s begin with an interesting one. It might be a little bit cooler than MADE had hoped for, but the group is showing the modern classic doumentary King of Kong downtown tonight (9pm). On the side of a wall. Bring your own chair.
If you’re looking to get out of the house Saturday (and who isn’t?) maybe you should head over 118 Avenue way and check out EastwoodFest. It’s part of the revitalization efforts over yonder.
Of course, there’s the big one: the Fringe. ‘Nuff said.
#yegIceCream 3 is a fundraiser for Royal LePage’s Shelter Foundation. Ice cream and helping people go together nicely.
Back to Friday night (sorry, I’m all over the place), you’ve got the Silversun Pickups playing the Edmonton Events Centre.
How about you give your Irish beer-loving self a reason to drink said Irish beer at Celtic Festival?
You can get your punk-on at Unrest Fest (because I love face-melting music now, I guess).
The Swiftys play the Pawn Shop (with Darrek Anderson, the Roger Marin Band and Gordie Tentrees). Spoiler alert: they’re good.
Oh, and while I don’t recommend you run in marathons without training, you can always head out and cheer on the runners. The running room has a map of the weekend race routes. There are races Saturday and Sunday. The maps will give you an idea of where to stand and cheer, and where to avoid traffic delays.
If you’re wondering where I get some of my sweet ideas, why not check out a certain radio station’s event calendar. I talked about it yesterday…
Now get out there and make me proud!
Concert Review: Bedouin Soundclash with Ben Stevenson and DJ Degree @ The Starlite Room’s 5th Anniversary Celebration
Ben Stevenson opened for Bedouin Soundclash at the Starlite Room's 5th Anniversary Party (Photo: Jason Bouwmeester)
(Photo: Jason Bouwmeester)
By Eri Gayler
The Starlite Room has been a staple of the Edmonton music scene for 5 years, and last night they had a chance to show their members a great time for their birthday bash. Arriving to two hours of reggae beats spun by local DJ Degree, the crowd was a perfect example of the mix that both the venue and the headlining band tend to attract: hipsters and rastas, frat boys and nerds, tattooed goth-punk types and couples that look like your parents. The club was packed, and most headed straight for the dance floor.
Former Edmontonian (now in Toronto) Ben Stevenson set a high visual bar for the night, dapper in his grey suit and tie as his band started out playing along with the last song in Degree’s set, jamming on it for a bit before getting into their own tunes. I’m not entirely sure what I expected from the former Our Mercury frontman, but this sure wasn’t it! Stevenson is completely chill and manically high-energy at exactly the same time, with a stage presence that encompasses his entire body, keeping all eyes on him. This cat is too cool for words, and bonus points for a solid, funky band that included Edmonton favourite Michael Rault. The thing that caught me again and again through the set was Stevenson’s voice, smooth and soulful with just the right rough edges, lyrics delivered with a power that seemed to suggest he was so full of music that it just had to come bursting out all night long. Trust me, you’ll be hearing more from Ben – and if you need it right now, check him out tonight at the ARTery with Rault as his opening act. The house will be rockin’, just like last night.
Bedouin Soundclash frontman Jay Malinowski (Photo: Jason Bouwmeester)
If Ben Stevenson’s band brought the house down, the Bedouin Soundclash boys-in-black blew the roof off. The volume was a little high for a small, brick-walled room, but they do say something about “too loud” and “too old,” and my 18-year-old self would probably just laugh at me. After that, though, I can’t possibly have a single complaint about this show, and might even call it one of the best performances I’ve seen.
Fresh from the previous night’s pick-up soccer game with both bands (Soundclash frontman Jay Malinowski told us proudly of his two goals, and praised the other guys for their skills), the band is excited be back in Edmonton to play for an audience that knows every lyric and every callback well enough that raucous cheers go up after the first chord of every song. From the second the music starts, there’s no way to not feel good, and I firmly believe that even the most steadfast non-dancer was tapping their toes so hard that they may as well just go all the way and shake it! (more…)
