I think I’d choose sale. Just saying.

Maybe the prize is a bar.

This is Edmonton's One Way State rocking Lyve on Whyte back in October.

The first indication I had that something was up at Lyve on Whyte was when The Joe (Joe Gurba) was talking about moving his album release. It was going to be at Lyve on Whyte in January. Now it’s at the Haven Social Club.

Then, last night I saw the sign outside of Lyve say it was “closed for business.” Yup, Lyve on Whyte is no more.

Today we hear the owners pulled the plug because they just weren’t packing in the people needed to keep things afloat. Has Jasper Avenue siphoned off too much of the drinking and partying business? (If you’re keeping score, that’s two of the larger bars in Old Strathcona to close in a week.)

I hope this doesn’t kill the live music vibe Whyte Avenue has quietly been building on since SOS Fest. Edmonton needs live music venues!

July 2010 - November 2010

Update: I totally forgot that Savoy closed at the start of the month too.

There’s some good music happening in Edmonton this weekend.

CJSR’s FunDrive benefit show is tonight at The ARTery.

Todd Snider is at the Myer Horowitz. (Thanks to hi54lofi for the heads-up on this one.) Kat Danser is playing the Arden…you know you like swamp blues. Michelle Wright is bouncing around the capital region. Homefest is also this Sunday.

Lyve on Whyte gets Old Ugly Saturday night with Doug Hoyer and Mitchmatic. Oh, and Emily is going to the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

Also happening this weekend…Farmfair International (kind of a precursor to the Canadians Finals Rodeo, or CFR), the Oilers host the Red Wings, politicos are trying to Reboot Alberta (3.0) at the Delta South, there’s an open house at MacEwan University, it’s a Handmade Mafia weekend, and the Edmonton Public Library (EPL) is holding a kick-ass book sale.

Thanks to Leanne for reminding us about the Edmonton Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival.

Don’t forget there are always new movies and November is Shop Local month.

Peace!

Of course it’s the Fringe!

The 29th annual Edmonton International Fringe Festival is all the arts pages will be talking about for the next week. There’s also lots of stuff happening around Old Strathcona that doesn’t take place in a theatre or on a stage. This is the big one, Edmonton.

Morgan had a good point, don’t just try to see the 5-star shows. Ask people what’s good, what’s interesting, what they think you might like. You can always poke around Twitter, and try #yegfringe, for just such questions and inquiries.

Hawrelak Park is busy again this weekend, with the Celtic Festival. BluesFest is next weekend (in Hawrelak Park)…so get warmed up at Rusty Reed’s with Dave Babcock and the Night Keepers

EastwoodFest is Saturday, in the Eastwood neighbourhood. (118 Avenue, 85-87 Streets.)

Churchill Square, which the City has been trying to fill with more events and happenings, in between festivals, has the Latin Festival this weekend. Cha-cha-cha.

There’s Tomoto Fare too. That’s about tomatoes.

West of the city, it’s the Stony Plain Cowboy Gathering Society get-together. You can expect cowboy art, culture, poetry, and music.

Lots of new movies are out this weekend, like Eat, Pray, Love and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Gregg’s got your lowdown.

In music…N.N. plays an EP release show at the Starlite Room tonight, with Van Gohost and I.E.D.  Sunday night at the Starlite Room it’s Fran Healy from Travis.

Falklands are at Wunderbar Friday night.

The Black Dog has some Hair of the Dog Saturday afternoon.

Over at Lyve on Whyte, Friday is Soul Train (with Crowded City Skyline and Hot Hand Phenomenon), Saturday it’s Rocky Mountain Rebel Music (with Brash Tax and The Party Martyrs).

Eddie Shorts has The Frolics Friday and Gaye Delorme Saturday.

Cirque du Soleil is in Edmonton, with Alegria.

In sports…The Prairie Football Conference (PFC) kicks off this weekend.

Edmonton’s got two teams in that league. The Edmonton Wildcats are coming off a season in which they were western champs, and fell in the Canadian junior football championship. The Edmonton Huskies stunk it up last year, winning no games, and are looking for redemption in 2010. Those games are Saturday and Sunday, at Clarke Park.

From ShareEdmonton: FC Edmonton is hosting the Spokane Spiders (that means we could see Edmonton on all the Spokane affiliates! I hope Ana Cabrera talks about Edmonton.)

Whew!

Over the next four days (counting Friday night) there’s a lot to do in Edmonton.

Capital Ex continues at Northlands. A Taste of Edmonton is still at Churchill Square. (Both run until Sunday.)

And, of course, Heritage Day means Hawrelak Park becomes the Heritage Festival. It’s the 35th go-round for Heritage Fest, with more than 60 countries and ethnicities represented. There will be culture and food, all three days of the weekend, in the park. Plan your adventures with the map.

The winless Eskimos play tonight. Meh.

Friday night is a really good music night. Juliette Lewis is playing the Starlite Room, Metric (and Hot Hot Heat) are at Capital Ex, Fred Eaglesmith is in Stony Plain at the Blueberry Bluegrass and Country Music Festival, and there’s that little thing called the Big Valley Jamboree over in Camrose.

On Sunday, The Old Wives are playing at Lyve on Whyte and Audio/Rocketry is at the PawnShop.

And Capital Ex has more music at the Telus Stage Saturday and Sunday. Plus, The Be Arthurs can be found at Centre Stage.

There are dinosaurs!!

ShareEdmonton had an event that really caught my eye. (What can I say, I have a soft spot for chess.) This weekend is the Edmonton Chess Festival. Checkmate.

I also keep forgetting to mention Saturday as a great farmers’ market day. You’ve got the year-round Old Strathcona version, or summer’s City Market Downtown.

It’s the end of the month, so you can check Gregg’s July movie preview and his new look at the August releases, if you’re hitting the movie theatre.

Don’t tire yourself out this weekend, since Folk Fest starts Wednesday night, and the Fringe is on the horizon.

And, because I’m going to mention it all of the time, the edmontonian and Unknown Studio will be celebrating their first birthday(s) Monday, August 23.