End of February Events
I’m going to kick things off with something I’m planning on attending; Gargamel at the Varscona. It’s a new play from Mostly Water Theatre’s Trent Wilkie (a friend of the website since at least October) about a man who’s lost his girlfriend in a horrific car crash, sustained a head injury, and is being pushed around by a ghostly Louis Riel. Then he fights God.
There’s just something about the ghost of Louis Riel that sealed this for me.
Sticking with theatre, Concrete Theatre presents Jeremy Fisher, a play for younger audiences, at the Stanley A. Milner Library, Friday and Saturday. Fringe Theatre Adventures and Edmonton Opera are wrapping up The Barber of Barrhead this weekend. Legally Blonde: The Musical also wraps up over at the Jubilee.
Sunday, you can help out the Brian Webb Dance Company at their art auction at the Sutton Place Hotel. Or party a little Saturday night, and help out Latitude 53, at 53 Ways to Leave Your Lover: Factory Party Edition.
You might have recently watched Adaptation and be into orchids. Good thing The Orchid Society of Alberta presents Orchid Fair this weekend.
In music… (more…)
Grey Cup Events
Good luck to Saskatchewan and Montreal. They're going to have a much tougher time winning a drink from the Grey Cup than I did, playing Madden.
Clearly the Grey Cup Festival brings with it plenty to do in Edmonton this weekend.
There’s Huddle Town at Churchill Square (with fun for the family, live music, waffles, and a zip line), and the Grey Cup parade on Saturday. Don’t forget to watch the game on Sunday.
We had such an amazing lineup of shows in Edmonton last night, that I want to get right to all the great music you can hear this weekend.
The aforementioned Grey Cup shenanigans boast a Canadian lineup that includes: Matthew Good, Big Sugar, Ian Thornley, Chris Wynters, Jaydee Bixby, Fozzy (wrestler Chris Jericho’s band), Emerson Drive, My Sister Ocean, Bif Naked, and Trooper. Bif and Trooper than play again Sunday at Commonwealth’s tailgate party.
Not connected to the Grey Cup, Wool on Wolves is playing the Pawn Shop with Ayla Brook…Rufus Wainwright is at the Jubilee…Wil and Leeroy Stagger are still at the Haven Social Club…Amos Garrett is at Rusty Reed’s House of Blues…the Frosted Tipz have a good chance of wrecking The ARTery with rock…A.O.K is releasing a new album and children’s book (I’m not kidding)…Alan Frew (of Glass Tiger) is in Sherwood Park…and Streetheart is at the Century Casino (that one is also an inside joke to Sally)… We can’t go, because it’s sold out, but Bedouin Soundclash and Michael Rault have a show at the Starlite Room.
As was pointed out in the comments, The Edmonton Show III is this weekend. And yes, there’s music at that too. Man, so much great music!
In somewhat related musical notes, Hard Core Logo continues at the Roxy Theatre, and Permanent Records opens up near Hub Cigar, just off Whyte Avenue.
In another music note, you’re using YEGLive as your online live, local music hub, right? You probably should be.
November is still Shop Local Month. So, shop local. Movies are good times.
It’s a crafty weekend with both the Royal Bison Craft Fair and Make It Edmonton! happening. The Royal Bison is at Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre, Make It! is over at the Alberta Aviation Museum.
And there’s A Night of Performance Poetry tonight, with, new Edmontonian, Jem Rolls. You might remember him from such productions as the Fringe Festival.
Make it happen this weekend, Edmonton.
Set your phasers to Festival
(As always, this isn’t a definitive list of what’s going on in Edmonton. Just stuff I know about or want to check out. ShareEdmonton and YEGLive are way more definitive.)
This is where your mettle for festival season begins to be tested, Edmonton.
We’ve had great festivals this summer, like the Jazz Fest, SOS Fest, Doors Open Edmonton and the Street Performers Festival. But now, now, is when you need to hydrate and find sleep when you can.
Now is when Edmonton becomes an endless string of carnival rides, mini donuts, race cars, deep-fried food, arts, music, theatre and parties.
This weekend we’ve got the Honda Indy Edmonton. That’s three days of race action at the City Centre Airport. There will be spin-off parties, including the tent on Jasper and the Race Week Music Festival at the Sutton Place hotel. (Side note: Drake is playing the Edmonton Event Centre, Saturday, with an after-party at the tent.)
Capital Ex kicks off its ten day run today. The only way you’ll be slowed down here is if you eat that giant hamburger they’re calling The Monster.
The Freewill Shakespeare Festival is into its final days of Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing.
Churchill Square is full of food. That’s because Taste of Edmonton is back to fill your stomach with a selection of tasty treats from city restaurants.
You can draw at Draw. The annual arts event that includes, umm, drawing, DJs, food, dancing, and who knows what other kinds of fun. It’s at more than one location this year. Find yourself some space to express yourself visually at Latitude 53, Harcourt House, and SNAP. Things finish off at FAVA.
And that’s just the festivals.
We’ve got live music all over the place, including some Old Ugly action at Axis Cafe, featuring Kumon Plaza, Jessica Jalbert, and Jaded Hipster Choir. Wolf Parade is at the Starlite Room. A guy you’ve probably heard of, Neil Young, is at the Jubilee tonight.
You can refuse to believe the rumors, but SkeptiCamp Alberta is happening Saturday, at the U of A.
For the family, Sesame Street Live is at Rexall for shows throughout the weekend.
The Edmonton Prospects are home to Medicine Hat at John Fry Park.
Don’t forget you can seek air-conditioned refuge in a movie theatre.
Remember to pace yourself. Right after Capital Ex and Taste of Edmonton we’ve got the Heritage Festival, Folk Fest, the Fringe (and the edmontonian and Unknown Studio birthday party). It’s going to be September before we know it. (And once it is September we’ve got Symphony Under the Sky.)
p.s. If you’re by a computer Saturday night, at 9pm, why not come right back here and catch our attempt at a TV talk show: “Saturday with Samsonow.” It’ll be something. It might even be good.
I hope you like to party
Edmonton, get your party pants on because you’re going to need them this weekend.
We’ve got the Pride Parade Saturday, which helps kicks off Pride Week, and that is followed by an all-day party. Saturday also just so happens to be the second Al Fresco Block Party on 104 Street, with a used book sale too. That’s two parties on the same day!
And, I see, the Pride fun start tonight with a dance-a-thon.
There’s lots of good stuff for Bike Month. The Bikeology team is joining the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters for a 24-hour bike repair-a-thon. Bring in your bike, donate your old bikes, but make sure you run it through me so I can get Strathcona Centre points in the big Edmonton Community Challenge. Let me know if you have a bike in need of a tune-up or a new home. That runs Saturday and Sunday.
On Sunday there’s the Critical Lass ride around the southside of Edmonton. It ends with cupcakes. As all good bike rides should.
There’s still Nextfest to be had. As noted, this is your chance to see Edmonton’s next generation of artistic talent. For the kids, Sprouts is over at the Stanley A. Milner library this weekend.
Music? You want music? You got a great weekend of music ahead.
The Born Ruffians are playing tonight, ZZ Top and Wide Mouth Mason play the Jubilee, The Misfits rock the Starlite, An Horse and Hot Panda will blow apart Brixx tonight, The City Streets return home to Edmonton for a show Saturday, there’s a big 30th anniversary gala over at the University of Alberta’s Timms Centre and The Joe is having a crazy, big rap-fest Saturday night, with lots of artists, at The ARTery.
Saturday sees track and field athletes competing for cash money (and world rankings) at the 2010 Edmonton International Track Classic, over at Foote Field. Which is at the South Campus LRT stop.
And the National Portrait Gallery begins its run at Latitude 53. It’s not the “real” national gallery, since the federal government didn’t end up putting that anywhere.
The Edmonton Capitals play. Baseball. At Telus Field. You should go sometime.
Oh, and there’s this little soccer tournament going on. I think it’s called the World Cup?
You could also see a movie. I think this is the 80s weekend, with The Karate Kid and A-Team reborn!
And thanks for ShareEdmonton for reminding me about the Creative Age Festival (as Angela talked about earlier this week) and the ESO’s Landmarks Masters series, with Marc-Andre Hamelin playing Shostakovich.
Now get out there and party!
What a weekend
This is going to be a good one, Edmonton.
Just worry about the weekend. Don't look at Tuesday.
The weather is hot and sunny, Conan O’Brien is here, NHL playoffs are on TV, and the Edmonton Rush are home tonight (7pm) and trying to secure some Rexall Place playoff action for the spring.
I’m always a sucker to mention Winnipeg bands coming through town. Nathan is one such band that is worthy of your ears.
Buddy Guy, the dude who calls Eric Clapton in that cell phone commercial, is playing the Jubilee.
I’m grooving to some We Are Wolves as I tell you they’re playing the Pawn Shop. What did we do before YouTube?
Ghostkeeper is at Brixx. The Old Wives are at New City.
And there’s more!
You won’t believe all the good stuff ShareEdmonton has for you.
It’s time for the Edmonton Women’s Show. Which I predict will, predictably, have some soap opera star in attendance. Yup.
Saturday offers the rare treat of seeing inside the Edmonton Law Courts, cells, courtrooms, and more. Without a summons to appear.
The Winspear Centre will be pop-y with A Chorus of Hits.
And Edmonton celebrates Earth Day this Sunday, April 18. It’s not in Hawrelak this year, it’s at the City Centre Airport. Fort Edmonton Park. (I have no idea why I thought this was at City Centre Airport. This is my bad, not ShareEdmonton’s.)
I’m already tired.
p.s. If you didn’t see it already, Nikki “I Believe” Yanofsky is returning to the Edmonton International Jazz Festival this June.
Some stuff going on in some places
I really thought my photo was going to make the poster.
And a good day to you, fair Edmonton.
All excited for the weekend, are we? Well, other than sleeping in, perhaps you’d like to try one of these out…
Again, I’m peering into the goody bag of ShareEdmonton this week. They’ve got one of the biggies of winter; The Silver Skate Festival goes this weekend in Hawrelak Park. And it’s not even freezing cold.
Speaking of skating, the revamped Bill Hunter arena opens this weekend and the city is offering some free (free!) skating.
Carey Hart is signing autographs at the West49 in WEM. That’s pretty cool.
Also cool is the Royal Winnipeg Ballet doing “Moulin Rouge,” at the Jube.
Seeing that The Hat has a brunch on Saturdays. Anyone been? Is it just breakfast burgers?
The Fray could show you how to save a life (*groan*) at the Winspear Centre on Sunday.
I’m out.
Edmonton Events – January 15-17
It’s the weekend and that means fun.
Unless you have to work. Then it’s just another two weekdays.
But for me (and probably you) it’s actually a weekend.
I’ll probably take a wander by Ice on Whyte and peek at the ice sculptures.
This one was a freebie. They keep the good stuff behind a $2 pay wall.
Eventually I will pay admission to get a better look at all of the fine ice art.
If motorcycles are more your thing (or the idea of motorcycles anyway) then you’re going to want to head over to Northlands.
“Thunderstick” is playing over at the Roxy and I hear it’s good.
If eating is more your winter activity then you are going to excited to learn that Fork Fest starts Sunday. Original Fare restaurants will be offering menus of $25 or $45 full of their awesome food.
Lyle Lovett is plaing the Jube this weekend.
Colin James is playing the Winspear Centre with Suzie McNeil. I need to pay more attention, this is one I should have budgeted for.
How could I go without mentioning the Guns N’ Roses concert Sunday? I couldn’t.
Chris Isaak and his Magical Mirror Shirt
Paul writes: “The brilliant figure at centre stage is Chris Isaak singing “Blue Hotel” during his encore. He was wearing a suit made of mirrors (awesome) and that’s why he basically looks like a washed out ball of light.”
Let's start calling Chris Isaak "Mirrorball." (Photo: Paul Poulsen)
Chris Isaak: Resplendent
My thought process when evaluating a concert consists of one question: Did the headliner bring it? After attending the Chris Isaak show at the Jubilee Auditorium last night, the answer to my question is a resounding “Oh, it was brought.” I was completely entertained on all levels. (more…)
