Entertainment

Hard rock returned to the Gateway on Dec. 2 as Edmonton band Royal Tusk debuted their beefed-up new album “Tusk II,” supporting veteran Michigan rockers Pop Evil. “Playing these songs has been so much fun. When you wait for a year and you’re really proud of this stuff, it’s really …

Alberta musician Ellen Doty will give Calgarians a show to remember tonight at the National Music Centre as part of the Alberta Spotlight Series showcase.  The showcase puts on display the best talent Alberta has to offer. Started in 2018, the program is meant to showcase Alberta talent from various …

Now that the snow has begun falling and the temperature has begun plunging, it is time to dust off those Christmas albums, update your Spotify or Apple music, and listen to your favourite guilty pleasure Christmas song – except this year, you may have to add another album to your …

On November 13 at the new Central Library, the Marda Loop Justice Film Festival celebrated the opening night of its 13th year with a screening of the documentary “Bird of Prey” followed by a discussion with local naturalist Brian Keating. “When you look at a film like this, it shows …

It’s the month of November, and for a number of writers around the world, it’s time to write an entire book. National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo, is a month where authors and writers around the globe attempt to write a manuscript of 50,000 words over the span …

Rockstar Games released Red Dead Redemption 2 on Oct. 26th, and the game couldn’t be more perfect.  The gameplay, the sounds, like the people screeching in pain after they get their legs shot off with a double barrel, the wildlife that is always ripe for slaughter, and the interaction with …

We Are The City on crafting new music We Are The City rocked the Gateway earlier this month, on Nov. 10.  The band, hailing from Kelowna, B.C., consists of singer singer-keyboardist Cayne McKenzie, guitarist David Menzel, and drummer Andrew Huculiak. The band performed songs from their latest album, At Night; …

Adversity is like a furnace. It can burn, consume, and reduce solid constituents to charcoal, ashes, smoke, and heat. What goes into the fire of sorrow and difficulty always exits as something different and potentially useful. Ashes can be scattered to fertilize new growth. Charcoal can become an art medium. …

Cartel Madras, comprised of Priya and Bhagya Ramesh – known by stage names Contra and Eboshi, respectively – have taken Calgary by storm. Formed in January of this year, the band has embarked on shows in, and out of Alberta, and have performed and opened for acts such as Lou …

By Nick MacDonald Weal Writer Consider this situation: you and a half dozen of your friends are facing down an enormous red dragon. He’s big, he’s angry, he’s picking his teeth with the bones of a teammate he just fried, and he’s probably got a kidnapped princess buried in his …

The Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF) will be hosting their annual 12-hour horror movie marathon on Oct. 27 at the Globe Cinema. The first film has already been announced, and it’s a gruesome one, titled Hell Fest. The film has all the makings of a devilish slasher film – teenagers, …

It may be an early winter outside, but Edmonton-based band The Velveteins, thawed out the Gateway Oct. 6 with a taste of psychedelic surf rock. The band has ridden their debut album, Slow Wave, to opening spots at festivals this summer with big-name headliners like Brian Wilson, Social Distortion, and …

As Screamfest gears up for its 13th and final year, no amount of effort is being spared to make sure it goes out with a bang. Mike Sheppard, owner of Screamfest, is teaming up with Zombie House to bring in a seventh attraction to the grounds. In this attraction, however, …

Alberta has a lot of musicians, some great ones. Wide Cut Weekend aims to showcase that Alberta sound.  Now entering its fourth year, Wide Cut is a music festival focused primarily on roots, folk, blues and country. The unique aspect of Wide Cut, what makes it so different from other …

Honour Beat, a play featuring Calgary’s first all-Indigenous cast and crew, has wound down after a busy month of performances running from Sept. 4 to Sept. 29. “It’s the first time in the history of this country where there’s been an ability to speak this truth,” said Michelle Thrush, director …

After a recent trip to Walmart, the seasonal décor inside the store says we’re nearing Halloween. Although the desire to blow off first-semester steam is strong, the lingering sting of tuition payments called for a more subdued spooky season this year. With the proliferation of weekend activities like board game …

Beakerhead is back, and Calgary’s five-day extravaganza of science, art and technology has a whole new lineup ready for the crowds.  Since its debut in 2013, Beakerhead has been entertaining Calgarians with a vast array of science, art and culture. While it is a year-round program, the most spectacular events …

Having won nine Tony awards, including Best Score, Best Book, Best Direction and Best Musical, it is no wonder that the hit musical Book of Mormon performs to a full house.  Book of Mormon premiered in New York in the spring of 2011, and has been gaining popularity ever since. …

Calgary’s science and art festival to continue to inspire SAIT students. A nine-metre long dung beetle will grace SAIT campus on Sep. 19, but fear not, it is inflatable, made out of recycled vinyl, and quite magnificent. The Dung Beetle is a sculpture made by artist Max Streicher, who lives …

Aasiva’s debut album straddles the genres of singer-songwriter, and pop. The album is meant to showcase Indigenous culture and more importantly northern Indigenous culture. The songs flow fairly well from one to the other, but run up against a creative roadblock midway through the album, where Nakashuk seems to have …