2017 Concerts

[Marcel Petrin]

Roger Waters was unquestionably the main driving force behind Dark Side of the Moon, Animals, and the Wall. Especially the latter two (the rest of the band became extremely resentful of Waters because their input often wasn't welcomed during those recording sessions). Those are the quintessential Floyd albums. I'm a big Floyd fan, and I don't really have any problem with that statement. Personally I'm not much of a fan of the Barrett-era Floyd work. The albums that followed Waters' departure are okay, but they just kind of turned in to soft rock.

That being said, by all accounts he was an awful person to deal with.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

^ Yeah I heard he could be a bit of a megalomaniac, hence why I wonder if the "genius" billing came from himself!

[illin]

Second show for Ed Sheeran being added with tickets going on sale next Friday.

[Hilman]

^ I was wondering if they would, I looked earlier today and no tickets were available.

[Hilman]

SECOND SHOW ADDED


ED SHEERAN


TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017 – TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, MARCH 17 @ 10:00 AM


WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2017 – TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, MARCH 24 @ 10:00 AM


ROGERS PLACE – EDMONTON, AB


ED SHEERAN ANNOUNCES NORTH AMERICAN ARENA TOUR


Multiple GRAMMY® Award-winning global superstar Ed Sheeran has announced details for his North American arena tour. Dates begins June 29 with a performance at Rogers Place in Edmonton on July 25. For complete details, please visit www.edsheeran.com/live.htm.

http://www.rogersplace.com/ed-sheeran-july-25-2017/

[Replacement]

When you realize this sucks;

Garth Brooks plays nine shows here. Every fan even remotely connected or ever bought an album gets to go.

Coldplay are adding a 2nd show. This must make up for the entire remaining Coldplay fans in Alberta. Maybe the 2nd show can be exclusive jump the shark hits. I dunno.

Ed Sheeran adding a 2nd show. lol



Meanwhile Metallica sells out Commonwealth stadium in hours and theres not a ticket in sight to that show except resales of like 250bucks a ticket.. Man, everybody is a scalper now it seems. Nosebleeds, worst, highest seats in the stadium going for hundreds of bucks. Some seats going for as much as 1500. No message, even hint of a 2nd show.

The funny thing is I can get special tickets, the meet the band type of promotions for cheaper than some normal seats are asking for. The moment that resales got nuts. its like a bunch of ticket holders high on coke running the stock market.

Thing that sucks the most? This only happens here. People are concert crazy here. None of Metallicas other shows in Canada are sold out. I can get endless tickets to any of the shows in any section for the other gigs if I lived somewhere else in Canada. Only the Edmonton show sold out. Edmonton is the worst location of a city in which to see the odd concert. Seems to be a ton of cities out there that haven't even experienced "Ticketmaster sucks" dynamic of having shows sellout immediately and with maxed out jammed online orders the whole time.

meh, I'll just play the concert DVD.

[Replacement]

Roger Waters was unquestionably the main driving force behind Dark Side of the Moon, Animals, and the Wall. Especially the latter two (the rest of the band became extremely resentful of Waters because their input often wasn't welcomed during those recording sessions). Those are the quintessential Floyd albums. I'm a big Floyd fan, and I don't really have any problem with that statement. Personally I'm not much of a fan of the Barrett-era Floyd work. The albums that followed Waters' departure are okay, but they just kind of turned in to soft rock.

That being said, by all accounts he was an awful person to deal with.

Why does it matter? When I go to a show the last thing on my mind, musically speaking, is, wow, I'd like to have a beer with that band.

Waters is a genius and along with the drug addled Barrett wrote the template for Pink Floyd and theres some great stuff on those early albums. David Gilmour, while being a great guitarist, is an adjunct part of Pink Floyd and more easily replaced as some of Roger Waters solo concerts show where covers stuff like the Wall better than Pink Floyd can. This is not meant as any knock on David Gilmour, just that most of the distinctive part of Pink Floyd has to do with the visionary Roger Waters. We've seen what Pink Floyd looks like sans Rogers, and while theres some good stuff there, its a lot more mellow, a lot more safe, and not cutting edge like Waters stuff typically is. You nailed it in the sense that minus Waters Pink Floyd ends up being almost a different musical entity. There is the one song, Learning to Fly, that Waters rightly mocked as David Gilmours attempt to write a song that sounds like Pink Floyd and probably thinking about doing that the whole time. That it was imitation. Great song imo, but he's right.

Now this leads me to the next bit. When people care more about what the person is like (It shouldn't even be relevant) they start going to shows to see guys like Garth Brooks and Ed Sheeran because their good ol nice guys. It seems that's the way the world is headed is that genius is despised and replaced with populism. Roger Waters wouldn't get a gig as an upcoming musician these days because he's acerbic and not a nice guy..

[magnum74]

When you realize this sucks;

Garth Brooks plays nine shows here. Every fan even remotely connected or ever bought an album gets to go.

Coldplay are adding a 2nd show. This must make up for the entire remaining Coldplay fans in Alberta. Maybe the 2nd show can be exclusive jump the shark hits. I dunno.

Ed Sheeran adding a 2nd show. lol



Meanwhile Metallica sells out Commonwealth stadium in hours and theres not a ticket in sight to that show except resales of like 250bucks a ticket.. Man, everybody is a scalper now it seems. Nosebleeds, worst, highest seats in the stadium going for hundreds of bucks. Some seats going for as much as 1500. No message, even hint of a 2nd show.

The funny thing is I can get special tickets, the meet the band type of promotions for cheaper than some normal seats are asking for. The moment that resales got nuts. its like a bunch of ticket holders high on coke running the stock market.

Thing that sucks the most? This only happens here. People are concert crazy here. None of Metallicas other shows in Canada are sold out. I can get endless tickets to any of the shows in any section for the other gigs if I lived somewhere else in Canada. Only the Edmonton show sold out. Edmonton is the worst location of a city in which to see the odd concert. Seems to be a ton of cities out there that haven't even experienced "Ticketmaster sucks" dynamic of having shows sellout immediately and with maxed out jammed online orders the whole time.

meh, I'll just play the concert DVD.

We got a block of tickets for Metallica. It is curious that they don't add a second show. Edmonton is their last North American date before they take a break before heading to Europe. The Eskimos play in Winnipeg on the 17th so it looks like the stadium is available for the weekend. Usually a second show gets added quickly but I noticed Coldplay just added their second one long after they sold the first one. I guess it could still happen. Metallica has always been good Western Canada and Canada in general.

[Replacement]

I noticed too that Edmonton is the last stop on the currently announced segment of the tour. So its possible. It would sell out too. Its pretty amazing what resales are going for. Not even Pink Floyd, or the Stones commanded these types of resale prices when here. We were able to puck up tickets to both for less than a hundred bucks. I realize inflation and all that but 250 starting price is steep. Especially as its 5 times sticker price on those seats. People can buy 8 tickets I guess, sell 2, and not spend anything..

[magnum74]

It's possible that they have commitments or maybe ita because they're 50 and need the couple weeks more than they need to do a second show lol

The ticket market is something but you should be able to find reasonable price a couple days before the if you're willing to. I understand the turn off, though.

[Marcel Petrin]

Why does it matter? When I go to a show the last thing on my mind, musically speaking, is, wow, I'd like to have a beer with that band.

I never said it did. But it was worth pointing out, as the the fights between band members over royalties etc is central to the band's history and arguments over who is most deserving of credit for their work. On the one hand, maybe if Waters wasn't so awful to deal with, they'd have stuck together longer and put out even more great music. Or maybe if he wasn't such a head case, we'd never have gotten something like The Wall. Personally, I tend to think that extremes of talent, whether in the arts or sciences or whatever, tends to also lead to extremities in personality. Oftentimes for the worst. But I don't have any factual basis for that opinion.

This is not meant as any knock on David Gilmour, just that most of the distinctive part of Pink Floyd has to do with the visionary Roger Waters.

More or less agreed, but I think that Gilmour's guitar work despite not being incredibly difficult to play (or so I've been told, I can't play a lick), is very much a signature part of Floyd as well.

Roger Waters wouldn't get a gig as an upcoming musician these days because he's acerbic and not a nice guy..

The good news is that Waters seems to have mellowed a lot in old age, and I think has realized some of his own faults and errors along the way. It would be awesome if they got back together for a tour. It would probably break every damn record if they did. But in other ways, I think it's for the best that they don't. I've always respected bands like Floyd and Zeppelin who refuse to cash that cheque, while watching others like AC/DC continue to limp along.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

They said Floyd will not be reuniting, mainly because their keyboardist died a few years ago.

[Replacement]

Why does it matter? When I go to a show the last thing on my mind, musically speaking, is, wow, I'd like to have a beer with that band.

I never said it did. But it was worth pointing out, as the the fights between band members over royalties etc is central to the band's history and arguments over who is most deserving of credit for their work. On the one hand, maybe if Waters wasn't so awful to deal with, they'd have stuck together longer and put out even more great music. Or maybe if he wasn't such a head case, we'd never have gotten something like The Wall. Personally, I tend to think that extremes of talent, whether in the arts or sciences or whatever, tends to also lead to extremities in personality. Oftentimes for the worst. But I don't have any factual basis for that opinion.

This is not meant as any knock on David Gilmour, just that most of the distinctive part of Pink Floyd has to do with the visionary Roger Waters.

More or less agreed, but I think that Gilmour's guitar work despite not being incredibly difficult to play (or so I've been told, I can't play a lick), is very much a signature part of Floyd as well.

Roger Waters wouldn't get a gig as an upcoming musician these days because he's acerbic and not a nice guy..

The good news is that Waters seems to have mellowed a lot in old age, and I think has realized some of his own faults and errors along the way. It would be awesome if they got back together for a tour. It would probably break every damn record if they did. But in other ways, I think it's for the best that they don't. I've always respected bands like Floyd and Zeppelin who refuse to cash that cheque, while watching others like AC/DC continue to limp along.

Nice post, seems like we agree mostly on this one. Yeah, being difficult is hard to deal with for people but its the being unbending part of it that often leads to some of the best art, and typical in music. A lot of fantastic bands flamed out quickly because although the music was timeless, the being able to coexist with one another is not. Keeping in mind touring bands that are hot spend more time with each other than wives and family. Myself, I take the 5-10yrs of great art, or however long the band lasts and hold onto it. If you ever want I can suggest some good Early Floyd stuff. It can be a bit challenging but if you like "Wish you were here" at all you can get into it. WYWH was the bands last really free take kind or aural experience. Other than that as good as DSOTM and the Wall were they were more commercial products and intent. Not bad in itself, great albums, just that the band had departed from their form.

Pink Floyd at Commonwealth was awesome but the part of somebody trying to fill Roger Waters shoes was really hard to take in a lot of the songs. Nice guy and all, can't remember the stand in's name but just not at all Rogers range, persona, demeanor. Oddly enough even though I'm a pretty big Roger Waters fan I've never taken in one of his solo shows. I have so many on DVD and a good sound system. I've enjoyed his live act that way. The Wall in Berlin concert would have been incredible to go to. Considering as well it was the setting and inspiration for the Album. Roger is also very political so mellow usually just doesn't occur to him. His take on life is learned as in "this is how you have to deal with the dirty buggers'' Age might do some mellowing, but that soul is all about challenging established order. Wish there more like him tbh.

You know, couldn't agree with you more on bands that respectfully shut it down when the band splits or someone dies. AC/DC, I'm old school, band was better with Bon Scott and so much a part of the character of what that band was. Somewhere along the way since AC/DC, more than any other, became a band that learned how to play cross market rock. Places that would never dream of playing rock, or radio stations, will play AC/DC. I don't grudge them for it and still a decent act to see.

[JayBee]

Garth Brooks plays nine shows here. ...

Coldplay are adding a 2nd show. ...

Ed Sheeran adding a 2nd show. ...



Meanwhile Metallica sells out Commonwealth stadium in hours ...

This only happens here. People are concert crazy here. None of Metallicas other shows in Canada are sold out.

You forgot Bruno Mars and Drake.

[Jimbo]

...

This is not meant as any knock on David Gilmour, just that most of the distinctive part of Pink Floyd has to do with the visionary Roger Waters.

More or less agreed, but I think that Gilmour's guitar work despite not being incredibly difficult to play (or so I've been told, I can't play a lick), is very much a signature part of Floyd as well.
...

I've been playing guitar for well over 40 years. I'm not a Pink Floyd fan, but on the few songs I know I like Gilmour's playing a lot. You never know how good he really is because he never feels the need to show you. Often very simple, really nice phrasing, timing, and tone, and melodic lines you remember after hearing them once.

A sign of a really good musician (in my books) is that they are distinctive, and they play for the song, not the glory. Hence the "signature" sound.

I'm sure live can be a bit more of a wankfest, but what I really appreciate is his restraint on songs that would be very easy to just go to town on, because they are modal and Dorian, which fits right with the minor pentatonic scale (and "box system") every single (electric) guitar player learns to death (and too often never breaks out of).

He's using the same handful of notes every other guitarist works with, even beginners, yet his simple solos are memorable. Brilliant.

[JayBee]

So I looked up this so-called "Ed Sheeran" person:



According to Forbes (!!!):

"For the second week in a row, Ed Sheeran has 9 of the top 10 singles on British Charts -- First artist ever to do so."

"All 16 of the songs from his new album, divide, are in the top 20."



I had a brief listen, and he's not bad in my books. "Shape of You" is a great song.

[H.L.]

So I looked up this so-called "Ed Sheeran" person:



According to Forbes (!!!):

"For the second week in a row, Ed Sheeran has 9 of the top 10 singles on British Charts -- First artist ever to do so."

"All 16 of the songs from his new album, divide, are in the top 20."



I had a brief listen, and he's not bad in my books. "Shape of You" is a great song.

I think he's great!

[Replacement]

Art is subjective, to me his warbling is like nails on chalkboards. At other times I can't believe this bubblegum is for real. If the National Lampoon decided to put out a singer and dupe the public it would be like Ed Sheeran. Musically what is he good at. I listened to some songs yesterday and half the time I'm laughing out loud at how maudlin the songs are. But without the kind of melody that might make that work.

Castle on the Hill I find one of the few listenable tracks but even as such its a spoken narrative song in which the lyrics do not in any way even match the musical accompaniment. its like singing on top of the instrumental of another song and switching it over to another track. The cadence of the lyrics has no connection to the music. But not in a Talking Heads creative way but in a "I just learned music 5 yrs ago" cacophony. Somebody should sample Ed Sheeran songs with the audio trick randomly mixed into every other track. There would be virtually no difference. Or just throw his singing samples in at random into tracks. Mix it up good.

But Sheeran popularity exists to this degree because a lot of other pop musicians are autotune and producer and writer dependant. Also teenage girls, and what pop music has sunk too. if you grew up on boy band type stuff you think this is quality music. He has that kind of autotune sound. Not a unique sound anywhere, but say baby or girl 500 times an album.

Shape of you sounds like it was fleshed out on a Xylophone. Kind of appropriate that's his biggest hit.

"I can fly in your aeroplin listening to the words you sing"

my lord

Related artists;

One direction

One Republic


One collection of forgettable dreck.


Oh well, if I had to be trapped in an elevator with one of his songs I'd pick What do I know. That tune at least is Ok to me until the line "love is more than in your jeans"..

[Hilman]

Bob Dylan coming to Edmonton July 19

Legendary folk-rock icon Bob Dylan is rumbling and mumbling his way back to Edmonton this summer.

Dylan will play Rogers Place on July 19. Tickets go on sale on March 24 at 10 a.m. through Live Nation.

Tickets for the all ages show range from $49.50, $69.50 and $89.50.

http://edmontonjournal.com/entertain...monton-july-19

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Interesting that Dylan is playing SAIT and some small towns like Medicine Hat and Dawson Creek, but is playing at big arenas here and in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.


http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ne...-album-w472803
June 27 - Kingston, ON @ Rogers K-Rock Centre
June 29 - Ottawa, ON @ Richcraft Live at the Canadian Tire Centre
June 30 - Montréal, QC @ Centre Bell
July 2 - Barrie, ON @ Molson Centre
July 4 - Oshawa, ON @ Tribute Communities Centre
July 5 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
July 6 - London, ON @ Budweiser Gardens
July 12 - Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
July 14 - Saskatoon, SK @ SaskTel Centre
July 15 - Moose Jaw, SK @ Mosaic Place
July 17 - Calgary, AB @ Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
July 18 - Medicine Hat, AB @ Canalta Centre
July 19 - Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place
July 21 - Dawson Creek, BC @ Encanta Events Centre
July 22 - Prince George, BC @ CN Centre
July 24 - Kelowna, BC @ Prospera Place
July 25 - Vancouver, BC @ Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
July 27 - Victoria, BC @ Save on Foods Memorial Centre

[Hilman]

Duran Duran adds concert dates in Edmonton, Calgary for their 2017 World Tour

TREVOR ROBB


Duran Duran announced Monday they will be coming to Edmonton for their 2017 World Tour for this summer, in support of their current album Paper Gods.


The group will play Rogers Place on July 10. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on March 24 at livenation.com. Ticket prices range from $35.00, $59.00, $99.00, $125.00.


Concert dates:
03/17 Palm Springs, CA Agua Caliente
03/18 Palm Springs, CA Agua Caliente
03/21 Dallas, TX Music Hall at Fair Park
03/22 Houston, TX Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
03/26 Sao Paolo, Brazil Lollapalooza Brazil
03/29 Belo Horizonte, Brazil Belo Horizonte Hall
04/01 Buenos Aires, Argentina Lollapalooza Argentina
04/02 Santiago, Chile Lollapalooza Chile
04/05 Fort Lauderdale, FL Seminole Hard Rock Casino
04/08 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park
07/07 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
07/08 San Francisco, CA San Francisco Masonic
07/10 Edmonton, AB Roger Place
07/11 Calgary, AB Venue TBA
07/16 Honolulu, HI Neal S. Blaisdell Center

http://edmontonjournal.com/entertain...017-world-tour

[Sonic Death Monkey]

07/11 Calgary, AB Venue TBA = 2nd night at Rogers Place!

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Holy crap, what a deluge of concert announcements:
CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT! Rock band @Tool will be at #RogersPlace on July 13! Tickets to the show go on sale March 24: https://t.co/RVWOQJFsci

[Hilman]

Great to see, a nice wide range of acts at Rogers too.

[Marcel Petrin]

Finally, some concerts worth seeing.

[lobbdogg]

Finally, some concerts worth seeing.

Agreed! I've seen Tool twice now, but I'd like to go see them again.

[Replacement]

I'm a lot older, but still open to hearing different things. I like NIN for instance. I hear Tool are similar. Anything in their catalog that anybody would recommend and maybe I'd buy seats for the show. Agreed that finally we are seeing some acts announced from different genres.

I find it hard to get a bead on a band from a look at Spotify, usually people that like an act know the must tracks better than that service.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Finally, some concerts worth seeing.

All subjective, of course.
Never cared for Dylan.
Duran Duran were teenybopper idols for the Tiger Beat demographic back in my day.
Tool, I've only heard a couple of songs. My limited understanding of them is they are sort of a alternative rock version of prog-rock bands like Rush, Yes and Floyd. I was never a prog-rock to begin with. But still, I should probably delve a bit more into their catalog.

[Hilman]

Ed Sheeran‏@edsheeran


Happy to announce my opening act on my North American tour is @jamesblunt x

https://twitter.com/edsheeran/status/843828324283637760

[Marcel Petrin]

I like NIN for instance. I hear Tool are similar. Anything in their catalog that anybody would recommend and maybe I'd buy seats for the show. Agreed that finally we are seeing some acts announced from different genres.

I wouldn't say they sound similar, but if you like one there's a good chance you'll enjoy the other. NIN is much more synth/electronica, and tends to keep the songs short and to the point. Tool is much more rock/metal, and rarely do their songs come in under 5 minutes. If you had to listen to only one album, then Aenima would probably be the one. Hard to believe it's over 20 years old now.

Tool, I've only heard a couple of songs. My limited understanding of them is they are sort of a alternative rock version of prog-rock bands like Rush, Yes and Floyd. I was never a prog-rock to begin with. But still, I should probably delve a bit more into their catalog.

You're not far off there. Much heavier than those bands, but they do enjoy their 10 minute epics. Their sound has also steadily changed and progressed over the years. Given that they only have 4 studio albums, it's not like they have a huge amount of material to sort through like Rush does. And all 4 albums are pretty much perfect from start to finish. The guitarist Adam Jones also had a background in sculpting, movie special effects etc. and used those skills to envision and direct most of their videos over the years. The stop motion ones like Prison Sex and Sober haven't aged overly well, but for their time they were pretty unique. I would imagine he's also heavily involved in creating the visuals for their concerts as well, which are pretty spectacular. Heck, even their album packaging has tended to be really cool. 10,000 Days came with stereoscopic glasses built in, and a bunch of psychedelic pictures to look at. And they do things like splitting songs up to different tracks on the album, that can then be recombined together to create a new song: https://tool.wordpress.com/2006/06/2...st-to-go-here/

They also have a really strange sense of humor. Maybe it's just the singer Maynard, I'm not sure. But some of their albums have bizarre hidden tracks at the end, like the one at the end of Undertow where Maynard is voicing a priest of some sort talking about how he can hear the cries of the carrots when they're being eaten: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOvwc8_QXiY

[Replacement]

Thanks Marcel, heh, just listened to the Carrot holocaust song. interesting and a unique industrial beat to it. Actually enjoyed the track, not a typical hidden throwaway moment. Beat of carrots being shot and sliced on an assembly line with "This is necessary, life feeds on life"

I like to hear and experience eclectic things like that. Some other tracks sound pretty imaginative. Its great these days to have music catalogs at our finger tips. Thanks for the recommendations.


Wow, "you lied" is a kick *** song. So is Lateralus. Reflections is meditative, I see theres a cover of "No Quarter" one of my alltime favorites. Seems like I was intended to enjoy this. Every song is delivering.

Sad thing with age is you can go decades not even being aware of stuff like this. I feel like I'm music binging. Or cramming. Should be a great show.

[Marcel Petrin]

Yeah, in addition to the 4 "studio" albums, there's Salival which has a few live tracks, covers, and demos and Opiate, which was an EP before their first full album. Like I said, they don't have a ton of material. If you got a kick out of Disgustipated (the carrot thing), then you might want to check out Puscifer. That's the singer's semi-solo work, and it has a fair amount of stuff like that in it. Much more uneven than Tool's work, though. Check out "Simultaneous", it has a similar vibe to Disgustipated. And there's also A Perfect Circle, which is another Maynard side project that I think is now defunct. They put out two really good albums, and a third one of covers etc that was meh.

[MrOilers]

Tool, I've only heard a couple of songs. My limited understanding of them is they are sort of a alternative rock version of prog-rock bands like Rush, Yes and Floyd. I was never a prog-rock to begin with. But still, I should probably delve a bit more into their catalog.

I have to warn people wanting to see Tool.

Tool has some solid material for the most part, but sadly they put on a total sleep clinic when they perform. They put a screen saver on their giant screen behind stage, and the four guys stand in one place the entire show (with the singer performing the entire set with his back to the audience). They seem like they don't want to be there. Just an all-around poor live presence.

If you really like Tool and haven't seen them perform, you should check them out. However, if you are just curious, I would skip it. I wager that Coldplay will probably put on a more rocking show. And Coldplay do not rock!

[Marcel Petrin]

I couldn't disagree more with the above poster. I've seen them twice at Rexall, and both times they were spectacular. No, the band don't run around like idiots for the most part, probably because the guitar and bass playing is too difficult to do that kind of thing (the drummer POUNDS, not sure what else could be expected of him). The first time, yes, the stage setup had Maynard back and to the left of the stage, and he was painted blue from head to toe wearing some sort of loin cloth. He didn't have his back to the audience the whole time, however it was hard to tell sometimes given his makeup. He moved/danced around almost like he was doing a Gollum impression, or something. The second time they played Edmonton, Maynard was front and center wearing jeans, sunglasses and a cowboy hat and was very active. Both times the visuals of the concert were extremely impressive. Not quite NIN level, but in the ballpark.

[Gemini]

So Dylan is coming to Rexall. Heard from someone who went to one of his concerts back in the day. Apparently he has absolutely no stage presence. He does not interact with the audience and comes over as a complete jerk. I've seen him in concert on TV and he seems to have as much personality as a soap stone.

[lobbdogg]

The best thing I like about Tool, is their progressive sound. and most of their songs don't really follow much of a repetitive cycle (verse, chorus, verse, rpt chorus, verse, rpt chorus, etc). So their songs usually have a lot of playability before you get sick of them. And I agree with Marcel, Aenima is a solid album, and Lateralus is very good too. IMO Tool doesn't need to have all the crazy lights, and pyrotechnics to put on a good show, their music speaks for itself. Plus not to mention they are a 3 instrument band, so there isn't much opportunity for them to be running around.

[Replacement]

The best thing I like about Tool, is their progressive sound. and most of their songs don't really follow much of a repetitive cycle (verse, chorus, verse, rpt chorus, verse, rpt chorus, etc). So their songs usually have a lot of playability before you get sick of them. And I agree with Marcel, Aenima is a solid album, and Lateralus is very good too. IMO Tool doesn't need to have all the crazy lights, and pyrotechnics to put on a good show, their music speaks for itself. Plus not to mention they are a 3 instrument band, so there isn't much opportunity for them to be running around.

Good point, Rush didn't run around much either, as a 3 piece really has to concentrate on their chops and the hard stuff they're playing. I never quite understand anyway why choreography is all that important. Pink Floyd would go out there and just stand around their mics. Doesn't influence the music. Too much of music these days is dance induced and intended. jmo

[Replacement]

Yeah, in addition to the 4 "studio" albums, there's Salival which has a few live tracks, covers, and demos and Opiate, which was an EP before their first full album. Like I said, they don't have a ton of material. If you got a kick out of Disgustipated (the carrot thing), then you might want to check out Puscifer. That's the singer's semi-solo work, and it has a fair amount of stuff like that in it. Much more uneven than Tool's work, though. Check out "Simultaneous", it has a similar vibe to Disgustipated. And there's also A Perfect Circle, which is another Maynard side project that I think is now defunct. They put out two really good albums, and a third one of covers etc that was meh.

Thanks again, I'm going to get to that stuff. Right now I'm going ancient and listening to basically everything Link Wray put out. Not at all connected but I tend to go on those binges exploring artists work. Wow, how is it that Link Wray wasn't bigger than Elvis. The guy was miles ahead of his time.

As for Tool the drummers work sounds a lot like Jimmy Chamberlain of Smashing Pumpkins who I also like and would be most demonstrated in their "If all goes wrong" DVD played at the Fillmore. An underrated concert but Corgan, , Chamberlain and the replacement bass player Ginger Sling Reyes just blasting off from the stage. Great largely freeform renditions of mostly back catalog but pulls it off. As Corgan stated those just here wanting to see Bullet maybe went to the wrong show...

Starla and Gossamer are particularly must see from this Pumpkins show. Wish they came back again. Seen them a couple times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbaHsAjip1w

[Hilman]

So Dylan is coming to Rexall. Heard from someone who went to one of his concerts back in the day. Apparently he has absolutely no stage presence. He does not interact with the audience and comes over as a complete jerk. I've seen him in concert on TV and he seems to have as much personality as a soap stone.

I think you mean Rogers

[magnum74]

So Dylan is coming to Rexall. Heard from someone who went to one of his concerts back in the day. Apparently he has absolutely no stage presence. He does not interact with the audience and comes over as a complete jerk. I've seen him in concert on TV and he seems to have as much personality as a soap stone.

I have been watching some of his live shows from 2016 on YouTube and it's not good. It's like watching KISS now. They're doing it because they can. I'm not knocking any of the talent that got them all there but at some point it's nothing more than a cash grab. Given the choice I'd rather watch a DLR Van Halen show because nobody trainwrecks better than the classic VH lineup. They can go 0-60, 60-0, 0-60 better than anybody.

[magnum74]

The best thing I like about Tool, is their progressive sound. and most of their songs don't really follow much of a repetitive cycle (verse, chorus, verse, rpt chorus, verse, rpt chorus, etc). So their songs usually have a lot of playability before you get sick of them. And I agree with Marcel, Aenima is a solid album, and Lateralus is very good too. IMO Tool doesn't need to have all the crazy lights, and pyrotechnics to put on a good show, their music speaks for itself. Plus not to mention they are a 3 instrument band, so there isn't much opportunity for them to be running around.

Good point, Rush didn't run around much either, as a 3 piece really has to concentrate on their chops and the hard stuff they're playing. I never quite understand anyway why choreography is all that important. Pink Floyd would go out there and just stand around their mics. Doesn't influence the music. Too much of music these days is dance induced and intended. jmo

I have a brother-in-law from Dallas that's been a huge Rush fan since he was a kid. It's funny listening to somebody with a southern drawl explain why Rush is one of the greatest talents on earth. He has all of their original records tucked away in their respective jackets. Rush is a very acquired taste and many don't get it. They've gone a live recording binge the last decade + and have some amazing material.

[Gemini]

So Dylan is coming to Rexall. Heard from someone who went to one of his concerts back in the day. Apparently he has absolutely no stage presence. He does not interact with the audience and comes over as a complete jerk. I've seen him in concert on TV and he seems to have as much personality as a soap stone.

I think you mean Rogers

Whoops. Either way I'm thinking its not going to be spectacular.

[Gemini]

So Dylan is coming to Rexall. Heard from someone who went to one of his concerts back in the day. Apparently he has absolutely no stage presence. He does not interact with the audience and comes over as a complete jerk. I've seen him in concert on TV and he seems to have as much personality as a soap stone.

I have been watching some of his live shows from 2016 on YouTube and it's not good. It's like watching KISS now. They're doing it because they can. I'm not knocking any of the talent that got them all there but at some point it's nothing more than a cash grab. Given the choice I'd rather watch a DLR Van Halen show because nobody trainwrecks better than the classic VH lineup. They can go 0-60, 60-0, 0-60 better than anybody.

I don't mind some of Dylan's music but when he's being interviewed he acts like he has been hit over the head with an electrical cattle prod. He gives me the impression that his fans don't count, he just goes through the motions takes his money then leaves.

[JayBee]

^ conservative trolls don't like Dylan. Call the newspaper.

From an unbiased perspective, Dylan has a deep reach into mind memory and meaning. It's never been about his voice, but what he gives voice. He's not so much in the concert venue as the culture.

[Chmilz]

Roger Waters was unquestionably the main driving force behind Dark Side of the Moon, Animals, and the Wall. Especially the latter two (the rest of the band became extremely resentful of Waters because their input often wasn't welcomed during those recording sessions). Those are the quintessential Floyd albums. I'm a big Floyd fan, and I don't really have any problem with that statement. Personally I'm not much of a fan of the Barrett-era Floyd work. The albums that followed Waters' departure are okay, but they just kind of turned in to soft rock.

That being said, by all accounts he was an awful person to deal with.

Ditto Trent Reznor in many respects. Gifted writer, composer, and visionary, but generally regarded as a jackarse and difficult to work with.

[MrOilers]

The first time, yes, the stage setup had Maynard back and to the left of the stage, and he was painted blue from head to toe wearing some sort of loin cloth.

That sounds like the show I saw. I have seen hundreds of concerts, and it is only memorable because it was so dull. I thought their sound was flat and the music lacked any kind of energy. Even the crowd was really subdued for the whole thing, like they sensed the band was just phoning it in. Totally turned me off of Tool.

I know others may not share my experience, but it's one of the greater letdowns I've had at an arena show. Like I said, if you are a fan and really want to go - do it. If you are on the fence, I think it's a risky one.

[JayBee]

I think Tool just depends on the personality of the listener, moreso even than the taste in music. If you can relate to introversion, I think you could relate to Tool.

[Chmilz]

For me, Tool is like Radiohead. I know they're good, I know why they're good, but it's not my flavour. I do like A Perfect Circle though.

[Replacement]

The best thing I like about Tool, is their progressive sound. and most of their songs don't really follow much of a repetitive cycle (verse, chorus, verse, rpt chorus, verse, rpt chorus, etc). So their songs usually have a lot of playability before you get sick of them. And I agree with Marcel, Aenima is a solid album, and Lateralus is very good too. IMO Tool doesn't need to have all the crazy lights, and pyrotechnics to put on a good show, their music speaks for itself. Plus not to mention they are a 3 instrument band, so there isn't much opportunity for them to be running around.

Good point, Rush didn't run around much either, as a 3 piece really has to concentrate on their chops and the hard stuff they're playing. I never quite understand anyway why choreography is all that important. Pink Floyd would go out there and just stand around their mics. Doesn't influence the music. Too much of music these days is dance induced and intended. jmo

I have a brother-in-law from Dallas that's been a huge Rush fan since he was a kid. It's funny listening to somebody with a southern drawl explain why Rush is one of the greatest talents on earth. He has all of their original records tucked away in their respective jackets. Rush is a very acquired taste and many don't get it. They've gone a live recording binge the last decade + and have some amazing material.

Rush had a huge following throughout the States but especially southern states. The interesting thing is the Dallas Stars are more likely to play RUSH songs than the Oilers are. Its really strange. Watch a game from Dallas, Arizona, Cali, and you hear several RUSH songs. Watch games from Canada and its extremely rare. Its like we don't trust our own or think they are worthwhile. Yet for decades around the world RUSH had a segment of fans who thought they were the best band in the world. Typically with RUSH concert crowds being adoring in their admiration.

[borntohula]

The first time, yes, the stage setup had Maynard back and to the left of the stage, and he was painted blue from head to toe wearing some sort of loin cloth.

That sounds like the show I saw. I have seen hundreds of concerts, and it is only memorable because it was so dull. I thought their sound was flat and the music lacked any kind of energy. Even the crowd was really subdued for the whole thing, like they sensed the band was just phoning it in. Totally turned me off of Tool.

I know others may not share my experience, but it's one of the greater letdowns I've had at an arena show. Like I said, if you are a fan and really want to go - do it. If you are on the fence, I think it's a risky one.

That was the Lateralus tour. I have seen Tool three times and that was my least favorite show. My friends were actually angry by the end which was pretty funny. On the other hand, the 10000 Days stop in 2006 is one of the best concerts I have ever attended. (First row on the floor didn't hurt)

[Replacement]

I think Tool just depends on the personality of the listener, moreso even than the taste in music. If you can relate to introversion, I think you could relate to Tool.

Interesting way of looking at it. For me the part that I didn't detect before was erroneously thinking Tool was just another industrial metal or that kind of genre band. I didn't hear the right songs or delve too much and they kind of fell into a category of acts I wouldn't listen to. Industrial on its own, just gnashing instruments, I find kind of boring after awhile. But Tool appears to have a different range and imagination to it. That separates them from contemporaries. I seem to require original as a listener. Harder for me to adhere to bands that I think are formulaic.

Just another comment, would be nice to see Gary Numan who has an interesting show and in recent years has delved into the NIN Tool type industrial sound while still capturing the new wave ethos. Almost perfect to me. If Numan didn't have so many neuroses and challenges that required him to disappear from the world for decades he could have been one of the most renowned artists. Really I think he wrote the book in expanding what other bands could use, and play. He arguably did to synthesizers what Hendrix did to the Guitar. Although Brian Eno would rightfully argue that point.

[Replacement]

The first time, yes, the stage setup had Maynard back and to the left of the stage, and he was painted blue from head to toe wearing some sort of loin cloth.

That sounds like the show I saw. I have seen hundreds of concerts, and it is only memorable because it was so dull. I thought their sound was flat and the music lacked any kind of energy. Even the crowd was really subdued for the whole thing, like they sensed the band was just phoning it in. Totally turned me off of Tool.

I know others may not share my experience, but it's one of the greater letdowns I've had at an arena show. Like I said, if you are a fan and really want to go - do it. If you are on the fence, I think it's a risky one.

That was the Lateralus tour. I have seen Tool three times and that was my least favorite show. My friends were actually angry by the end which was pretty funny. On the other hand, the 10000 Days stop in 2006 is one of the best concerts I have ever attended. (First row on the floor didn't hurt)

This is really out there but I've seen Neil Young around 6 times. Throughout the 80's you were unlikely to see Neil in a rock incarnation. Typically he'd be playing with the Stray Gators (country oriented) or Shocking Pinks (bebop, 50's revival stuff) it was frustrating at times as the guy has a legendary catalog and yet you weren't hearing hardly any of his rock played in any kind of a rock and roll style. It was always like Neil Young lite. Finally he started to blow it out of the ballpark in the 90's and get back to the grunge he and Crazy Horse pretty much invented. Still, I managed to enjoy every show, just that I knew that I HAD to see Neil w Crazy Horse at least once before I could die with a smile on my face.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

The first time, yes, the stage setup had Maynard back and to the left of the stage, and he was painted blue from head to toe wearing some sort of loin cloth.

That sounds like the show I saw. I have seen hundreds of concerts, and it is only memorable because it was so dull. I thought their sound was flat and the music lacked any kind of energy. Even the crowd was really subdued for the whole thing, like they sensed the band was just phoning it in. Totally turned me off of Tool.

I know others may not share my experience, but it's one of the greater letdowns I've had at an arena show. Like I said, if you are a fan and really want to go - do it. If you are on the fence, I think it's a risky one.

Prog rock bands were and aren't exactly renowned for their wild stage acts. In many cases they're too busy cranking out some 40 minute song (or suite). Because many of them were influenced by classical or jazz, many fans went to their concerts with a same kind of music appreciation mentality instead of getting wasted and party as they would at an AC/DC show. You may get the likes of Maynard or Peter Gabriel in early Genesis in weird face paint, or Keith Emerson wrecking his keyboards but that's about it. Or, like Pink Floyd, much of the focus would be more about on the lights and special effects.

[MrOilers]

The first time, yes, the stage setup had Maynard back and to the left of the stage, and he was painted blue from head to toe wearing some sort of loin cloth.

That sounds like the show I saw. I have seen hundreds of concerts, and it is only memorable because it was so dull. I thought their sound was flat and the music lacked any kind of energy. Even the crowd was really subdued for the whole thing, like they sensed the band was just phoning it in. Totally turned me off of Tool.

I know others may not share my experience, but it's one of the greater letdowns I've had at an arena show. Like I said, if you are a fan and really want to go - do it. If you are on the fence, I think it's a risky one.

Prog rock bands were and aren't exactly renowned for their wild stage acts.

Believe me, I know. I've seen lots of prog bands. I love complex rock and metal like Rush and Opeth. Even Tool's studio recordings have a lot of interesting stuff (especially the drumming). But that particular Tool concert was like a traveling sleep clinic.

Maybe this tour will be really good? I dunno.

[MrOilers]

The first time, yes, the stage setup had Maynard back and to the left of the stage, and he was painted blue from head to toe wearing some sort of loin cloth.

That sounds like the show I saw. I have seen hundreds of concerts, and it is only memorable because it was so dull. I thought their sound was flat and the music lacked any kind of energy. Even the crowd was really subdued for the whole thing, like they sensed the band was just phoning it in. Totally turned me off of Tool.

I know others may not share my experience, but it's one of the greater letdowns I've had at an arena show. Like I said, if you are a fan and really want to go - do it. If you are on the fence, I think it's a risky one.

That was the Lateralus tour. I have seen Tool three times and that was my least favorite show. My friends were actually angry by the end which was pretty funny.

Thank you for chiming in - I sound far less crazy now!

[Hilman]

Rogers Place‏@RogersPlace

CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT! @MatchboxTwenty & @CountingCrows are bringing the #ABriefHistoryTour to #RogersPlace July 14: http://www.rogersplace.com/matchbox-...-july-14-2017/ …

https://twitter.com/RogersPlace/stat...41457971593216

[Chmilz]

Rogers Place‏@RogersPlace

CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT! @MatchboxTwenty & @CountingCrows are bringing the #ABriefHistoryTour to #RogersPlace July 14: http://www.rogersplace.com/matchbox-...-july-14-2017/ …

https://twitter.com/RogersPlace/stat...41457971593216

I'm confused, the I Love the 90's Tour is this Friday and I'm already going!

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Matchbox 20 and Counting Crows are 2 bands who I thought would be on the casino circuit alongside Prism and Styx.

[maclac]

Matchbox 20 and Counting Crows are 2 bands who I thought would be on the casino circuit alongside Prism and Styx.

Yeah, opening for Prism and Styx....meh - probably a few suckers out there willing to pay $20 a tix - I know the trophy still listens to the Crows....blech....maybe it'll be this sucker who goes...

[Hilman]

Megastar Garth Brooks' shows a megaboost to the Edmonton economy

According to the OEG, the performer generated $42 million for the city in February.

AP FILE.

Garth Brook has friends in all the Edmonton places.


Garth Brook’s nine Edmonton shows in February were big money for the city.

According to numbers released by the city Thursday, the country megastar’s string of sold-out performances pumped $42 million into the local economy.

The number is based on an assessment provide by the Oilers Entertainment Group.

Not only that, but Edmonton was the only major economic region in Canada to show an increase in hotel occupancy for the month of February, as thousands of fans flocked to see the ‘Friends in Low Places’ singer perform live.

The city released the number as part of a larger update on the financial impact of Rogers Place.

Since the public opening of the new facility, it has hosted 70 Oilers and Oil King hockey games, 28 live event nights, and 81 corporate and community events.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmonto...n-economy.html

[KC]

I find $42 million to be a very Trumpish number.

Many Edmontonians would have spent some portion of their Brooks concert spending on some other local purchases if the concert hadn't taken place. Pumping money into the local economy isn't a shell game, it's true new spending, and how could we calculate a $42 million increase in spending for the local economy?

160,000 tickets, $22.8 million. What portion would otherwise have been spent on imports or foreign expenditures rather than local spending?

Hotels and meals for visitors? Try to add that up to tens of millions! $300/night x 20% of tickets x 2 nights, plus tickets, gas, etc ... gets over half way. Could 32,000 people have arrived in Edmonton to see the concert?

[Spudly]

The OEG provided the number. The OEG stands to gain from being "wide" with the estimated benefits.

Even just assuming it was 2/3 of $42M, is $28M a good number?

[Hilman]

I find $42 million to be a very Trumpish number.

Many Edmontonians would have spent some portion of their Brooks concert spending on some other local purchases if the concert hadn't taken place. Pumping money into the local economy isn't a shell game, it's true new spending, and how could we calculate a $42 million increase in spending for the local economy?

160,000 tickets, $22.8 million. What portion would otherwise have been spent on imports or foreign expenditures rather than local spending?

Hotels and meals for visitors? Try to add that up to tens of millions! $300/night x 20% of tickets x 2 nights, plus tickets, gas, etc ... gets over half way. Could 32,000 people have arrived in Edmonton to see the concert?

I wouldn't be surprised, I knew a lot of people who came from out of town to see Garth. I perused tweets from the concert and most of the ones I read had people residing in southern Alberta, Saskatchewan or BC. The people next to us at the concert were from Claresholm and said it was near impossible to find a room and paid over $200 a night for accommodations. Now add in transportation, tickets, meals, drinks, shopping, etc and it doesn't take long to spend $1,000+ per couple.

The Oiler games are usually attended by around 25-30% of out of towners IIRC.

[Replacement]

I'm not always citing such things but the Hyatt front desk stated that occupancies soared from lows of 25% to around 80-90 for the Garth Brooks shows. But they also stated these were invariably one night stays and they weren't 300/night, they were around 125bucks. Curiously they aslo see uptick for certain Oilers games. Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary coming to town.

That's just an anecdotal one. But its a significant one because it represents one of the few DT properties that would have huge flux of occupancy in which to stand to majorly benefit from influx. Conversely urban hotels are supposed to operate around 75% capacity to be successful and don't have as much ADDED revenue on the busier nights.

Would be nice if there was some cross referencing and us rubes actually got the real numbers from OEG or the city. A lot of these estimates tend to operate on average spending/person assumptions, how long the people stay etc. I don't drop a hell of a lot of coin in any city when I'm staying only one night. I think its what a lot of these stays are, one night. OEG might be assuming it to be multiple night stays and going from there. I doubt the hotel reservations around the city match up with that.

[KC]

Maybe. However $42 million is a big number. I think the onus should be on them to provide the numbers they used in order to calculate this.

That, or the media shouldn't report unsubstantiated information as if it were factual.

Note, my 32,000 was picked out of the air and at that wouldn't come close to accounting for the full amount using my numbers - all picked out of thin air.


I don't mean to diminish Brooks and his fantastic performances and honourable approach to ticket sales but I do have an ongoing issue with unsubstantiated economic impact numbers that sway public opinion and are reported by an uncritical media looking to report a good news story.

[TheGreatestX]

Miranda Lambert - Northlands Coliseum - October 3

http://edmontonjournal.com/entertain...ands-this-fall

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Kings of Leon, Oct 13 at Rogers Place

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Interstellar Rodeo lineup - I only know Broken Social Scene, Serena Ryder and Suzanne Vega
http://interstellarrodeo.com/edmonton/lineup/

[Sonic Death Monkey]

K Days performer lineup - whole lotta meh
http://k-days.com/music-entertain/south-stage/

[H.L.]

whole lotta meh

You got that right!

[Replacement]

Interstellar Rodeo lineup - I only know Broken Social Scene, Serena Ryder and Suzanne Vega
http://interstellarrodeo.com/edmonton/lineup/

This is just a putrid lineup. I think its a combination of things. Canadian Dollar, getting harder for acts to cross border, economic downfall and less disposable cash, promoters fearing weak box office and not digging deep on signings. CFMF and EFMF also have to me some weak lineups. unless one wants to see tired acts like Blue Rodeo and Bare naked ladies (I didn't like them the first time).

I'm willing to bet that Winnipeg once again has the far better bill.

its unfortunate as there are so many interesting and eclectic touring acts.

We're going to need some bigger outdoor venue configurations to get better festival lineups in here. Better artists just do the US and Euro circuits and get tons of money doing major festivals.

The bigger Canadian cities, and also Ottawa, are focusing on bigger festivals with bigger names. Would like to see a move in that direction.

[Replacement]

whole lotta meh

You got that right!

An artist called "Betty who" is actually on the bill. haha, apt name.

oh well. I'll check out April Wine or Sam Roberts. Maybe Scenic road to Alaska which is a good signing being that the Edmonton commercial has their song and they have appeal in this market. Some days though seem to be total niche. Those are the only bands I even know that are on the bill.

[Chmilz]

Went to Thomas Rhett with the lady and some of her family last night. Guy puts on a good show. I'm not a country fan, but I enjoy a great performance and he delivered. Some of the fam was from Calgary so I took them to Sherlocks for some pre-show patio beers, then a short walking tour through all the developments. They were genuinely pumped for Edmonton. I love it.

[Chmilz]

whole lotta meh

You got that right!

An artist called "Betty who" is actually on the bill. haha, apt name.

oh well. I'll check out April Wine or Sam Roberts. Maybe Scenic road to Alaska which is a good signing being that the Edmonton commercial has their song and they have appeal in this market. Some days though seem to be total niche. Those are the only bands I even know that are on the bill.

That's arguably the weakest lineup I've seen in 20 years. July Talk is popular at the moment so that'll go well, but the rest is just the same old filler mixed with nobody's.

[Hilman]

Live Nation W Canada‏@livenationwest


JUST ANNOUNCED:@Imaginedragons’ #EVOLVETOUR w/ @GROUPLOVE & @kflay: #YVR Oct 8 #YEG Oct 10 & #YYC Oct 11! Tix & info http://bit.ly/2pYAIXq

https://twitter.com/livenationwest/s...77926824108033

[etownboarder]

Ohhh. That would be a good show. Interesting system being used to get in line to buy tickets.

[Replacement]

So an update. Winnipeg Interstellar Rodeo lineup was finalized today and Beck is playing there. Yes, Beck. The Edmonton show gets a bunch of nobodies and a light lineup and Winnipeg gets Beck, one of the most accomplished performers in the world.

EVERY year the Winnipeg version of this is far better. I think I might go to the Winnipeg show. Theres no way I'm going to the one here. Huge Beck fan.

[Alex.L]

So an update. Winnipeg Interstellar Rodeo lineup was finalized today and Beck is playing there. Yes, Beck. The Edmonton show gets a bunch of nobodies and a light lineup and Winnipeg gets Beck, one of the most accomplished performers in the world.

EVERY year the Winnipeg version of this is far better. I think I might go to the Winnipeg show. Theres no way I'm going to the one here. Huge Beck fan.

I completely disagree with your 'bunch of nobodies' comment. I think they put together a great lineup for Edmonton this year. Also, Beck being on the Winnipeg date opens him up to be on the Folkfest stage a week before. OR Folkfest already secured him so Interstellar couldn't have him on the bill here. There are plenty of possible explanations and the lineup in place for Edmonton is still excellent.

[Replacement]

Theres no comparison. The Winnipeg Lineup includes Beck, Rheostatics, Shakey Graves, Father John Misty, Marty Stuart, Sarah Slean, Dany Michel as well as the headliners playing at the Edmonton version. What act does Edmonton have, worth seeing, that Winnipeg doesn't?

Take a look at the Winnipeg lineup. Theres no way anybody could say these are equivalent.

You'd have to pay me to sit through a Susanne Vega set. Holy blast from the past. Never even heard of her since 1987, didn't like her music then. I find her spoken word cadence boring and her music depressing. After 3 songs it all sounds the same.

[H.L.]

The Winnipeg Lineup includes Beck, Rheostatics, Shakey Graves, Father John Misty, Marty Stuart, Sarah Slean, Dany Michel

Who???? LOL

[Alex.L]

Theres no comparison. The Winnipeg Lineup includes Beck, Rheostatics, Shakey Graves, Father John Misty, Marty Stuart, Sarah Slean, Dany Michel as well as the headliners playing at the Edmonton version. What act does Edmonton have, worth seeing, that Winnipeg doesn't?

Take a look at the Winnipeg lineup. Theres no way anybody could say these are equivalent.

You'd have to pay me to sit through a Susanne Vega set. Holy blast from the past. Never even heard of her since 1987, didn't like her music then. I find her spoken word cadence boring and her music depressing. After 3 songs it all sounds the same.

And I haven't heard anything from the Rheostatics since the mid-nineties. I'm not arguing that Winnipeg and Edmonton Interstellar Rodeos are equal. They aren't. Beck and Father John Misty are both huge acts to get for a pretty small festival. It's all about tour routing and timing, not about making Edmonton and Winnipeg equal. Some years one will be better than the other. This is life. Don't like it? Go to Winnipeg that weekend.

[MrOilers]

Winnipeg booked a couple of big acts for their festival? Good for them.

Just like when Edmonton got Van Morrison to play at Folk Fest, sometimes big acts are available to be booked, sometimes not.

[Top_Dawg]

The Winnipeg Lineup includes Beck, Rheostatics, Shakey Graves, Father John Misty, Marty Stuart, Sarah Slean, Dany Michel

Who???? LOL

Good one.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Maybe there wouldn't be all is arguing about which city has the better lineup if they gave one or the other a different name and identity. Having Interstellar Rodeos in different cities still bugs the hell out of me, mainly because I don't like the idea of franchising a music festival like it's a burger chain.

[Replacement]

Theres no comparison. The Winnipeg Lineup includes Beck, Rheostatics, Shakey Graves, Father John Misty, Marty Stuart, Sarah Slean, Dany Michel as well as the headliners playing at the Edmonton version. What act does Edmonton have, worth seeing, that Winnipeg doesn't?

Take a look at the Winnipeg lineup. Theres no way anybody could say these are equivalent.

You'd have to pay me to sit through a Susanne Vega set. Holy blast from the past. Never even heard of her since 1987, didn't like her music then. I find her spoken word cadence boring and her music depressing. After 3 songs it all sounds the same.

And I haven't heard anything from the Rheostatics since the mid-nineties. I'm not arguing that Winnipeg and Edmonton Interstellar Rodeos are equal. They aren't. Beck and Father John Misty are both huge acts to get for a pretty small festival. It's all about tour routing and timing, not about making Edmonton and Winnipeg equal. Some years one will be better than the other. This is life. Don't like it? Go to Winnipeg that weekend.

Last year and the year before were the same story. Winnipeg always getting a better selection. Six Shooter is focusing more on the Winnipeg show, and I think they started here in Edmonton so that kind of sucks. I think part of the problem is that Hawreluk is just too small a venue and they can't really get bigger demand artists in there.

[Alex.L]

Exactly. That, plus Edmonton's Interstellar Rodeo was basically created to capitalize on artists that Calgary Folkfest is bringing in, while Winnipeg Folkfest appears to be siphoning artists from Osheaga/Wayhome depending on the year.

[Marcel Petrin]

Huge Beck fan.

I'm not personally (he's very talented, but his material has been very up and down over the years), but I did catch him live at Sasquatch 2006 and it was one of the most entertaining and unique musical performances I've seen. It was at a large outdoor festival venue, and we were sitting quite far away. So I was mostly watching Beck and his band perform on the video screens. Probably halfway through the show, I realized that the "band" on the video screens wasn't actually the live performers. Upon closer inspection, in the middle of the stage, there was a small marionette stage with "band members" playing instruments, lip-syncing, and everything. They were filming the puppets and projecting them on the screen, not the band. That blew my mind.

There was also a really cool interlude where most of the band sat down at a table and did this really amazing performance of playing cards while also playing spoons, harmonica and other instruments/percussion.

[Alex.L]

Huge Beck fan.

I'm not personally (he's very talented, but his material has been very up and down over the years), but I did catch him live at Sasquatch 2006 and it was one of the most entertaining and unique musical performances I've seen. It was at a large outdoor festival venue, and we were sitting quite far away. So I was mostly watching Beck and his band perform on the video screens. Probably halfway through the show, I realized that the "band" on the video screens wasn't actually the live performers. Upon closer inspection, in the middle of the stage, there was a small marionette stage with "band members" playing instruments, lip-syncing, and everything. They were filming the puppets and projecting them on the screen, not the band. That blew my mind.

There was also a really cool interlude where most of the band sat down at a table and did this really amazing performance of playing cards while also playing spoons, harmonica and other instruments/percussion.

Sasquatch Festival and The Gorge in general is made of magic

[Marcel Petrin]

Yeah, and 2006 was an incredible lineup that they've never come close to since (http://www.songkick.com/festivals/12...-festival-2006). Lucked out that I attended it. This was also before smartphones, but somehow the news that the Oilers had beaten the Ducks made it's way through the crowd on the Saturday night pretty much the second it happened. There was tons of people wearing Oilers gear, high fiving, etc. Good times.

[Chmilz]

Yeah, and 2006 was an incredible lineup that they've never come close to since (http://www.songkick.com/festivals/12...-festival-2006). Lucked out that I attended it. This was also before smartphones, but somehow the news that the Oilers had beaten the Ducks made it's way through the crowd on the Saturday night pretty much the second it happened. There was tons of people wearing Oilers gear, high fiving, etc. Good times.

Seeing line ups like that makes me cringe at the mediocre chaff we get at the vast majority of our festivals.

[Alex.L]

Yeah, and 2006 was an incredible lineup that they've never come close to since (http://www.songkick.com/festivals/12...-festival-2006). Lucked out that I attended it. This was also before smartphones, but somehow the news that the Oilers had beaten the Ducks made it's way through the crowd on the Saturday night pretty much the second it happened. There was tons of people wearing Oilers gear, high fiving, etc. Good times.

Yeah that's a crazy lineup. I went in 2010 and that lineup was pretty much perfection for my tastes. 2014 was pretty good too.

[Spudly]

Yeah, and 2006 was an incredible lineup that they've never come close to since (http://www.songkick.com/festivals/12...-festival-2006). Lucked out that I attended it. This was also before smartphones, but somehow the news that the Oilers had beaten the Ducks made it's way through the crowd on the Saturday night pretty much the second it happened. There was tons of people wearing Oilers gear, high fiving, etc. Good times.

Seeing line ups like that makes me cringe at the mediocre chaff we get at the vast majority of our festivals.

Looks like what passes for a Sonic "alternative" lineup. Other than the Flaming Lips, pretty zzzzz.

[Alex.L]

Yeah, and 2006 was an incredible lineup that they've never come close to since (http://www.songkick.com/festivals/12...-festival-2006). Lucked out that I attended it. This was also before smartphones, but somehow the news that the Oilers had beaten the Ducks made it's way through the crowd on the Saturday night pretty much the second it happened. There was tons of people wearing Oilers gear, high fiving, etc. Good times.

Seeing line ups like that makes me cringe at the mediocre chaff we get at the vast majority of our festivals.

Looks like what passes for a Sonic "alternative" lineup. Other than the Flaming Lips, pretty zzzzz.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/00...g?v=1397446696 is the lineup poster. That lineup is better than any 3 day fest in Canada other than Osheaga.

[Chmilz]

Sonic Boom 2014 had a tremendous lineup. The only better lineup I can recall we've ever had was Summersault back in the 90's, and that was only because it was part of the Toronto Edgefest festival that went mobile for a few years.

[Alex.L]

Sonic Boom 2014 had a tremendous lineup. The only better lineup I can recall we've ever had was Summersault back in the 90's, and that was only because it was part of the Toronto Edgefest festival that went mobile for a few years.

Edgefest was different from Summersault. Edgefest toured for a few years but fell apart in 2000 and Summersault took over. It was curated by Our Lady Peace (which is why it was such a killer lineup), but it was only 1 day so not really comparable. Although if you took the names from that 1 day in 2000 and spread them out over 3 days in 2017 it would make for an unbelievable festival.

[The Man From YEG]

Folk Fest will announce their entire line-up on May 31st. Tickets will be on sale this year at the newly-named Re/Max Field on Sunday, June 4th.

If one wants to know part of the reason why it is so expensive it has become to book acts especially with the CDN $ here's an article worth reading:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...hind-coachella

[Replacement]

Anyone else wonder why Edmonton Folk Fest always announces their lineup so late? Every other festival gets locked in before this. For instance many of the other Folk fests, the two corollary Interstellar Rodeos have already finalized and announced their lineup. What this does is effectively leave Edmontonians in a lurch of not knowing whether they need to book externally to go to another fest or if the act(s) they are interested in are coming here or not. CFMF announced their schedule a month prior to the EFMF.

I get that the EFMF doesn't want to lose potential customers to outside festivals but I think the late announcements are a disservice to Edmontonians that simply want to know and plan accordingly.

[The Man From YEG]

The Edmonton Folk Music Festival Society is a non-profit society under the Alberta Societies Act and its Members and Board are drawn exclusively from the ranks of its Volunteers. Its use of Volunteers has kept ticket prices relatively low for the number of artists, stages and facilities it provides for the Festival. Its mission statement is not to make money and provide only a handful of shows.

If you want a say in how it is run, why not volunteer (it gets you in for free with a meal every day albeit with having to start on one of the less pleasant crews, e.g. traffic or perimeter security) for the requisite 3 years and then run for the Board?

You might be surprised how much time and effort goes into the logistics of staging the Festival in addition to everything that is done year-round by Terry Wickham.

[Replacement]

^I'm not really a folk music fan at all. I just like some of the acts that such festivals bring. I know a lot of the long time volunteers that are devout folk fans. I'm not. But Obviously I'd want to know if Beck is playing EFMF. That isn't too difficult a question. He wouldn't be totally outside of their spectrum either musically.

When I go to CFMF or Winnipegs its because of artists outside of the typical Folk music realm. This year I'm sure not going to Calgary this year. Not a fan of the headliners.

Osheaga or Sasquatch or Euro type festivals like Glastonbury are more my thing. Too bad we have nothing like that here.

[Alex.L]

^I'm not really a folk music fan at all. I just like some of the acts that such festivals bring. I know a lot of the long time volunteers that are devout folk fans. I'm not. But Obviously I'd want to know if Beck is playing EFMF. That isn't too difficult a question. He wouldn't be totally outside of their spectrum either musically.

When I go to CFMF or Winnipegs its because of artists outside of the typical Folk music realm. This year I'm sure not going to Calgary this year. Not a fan of the headliners.

Osheaga or Sasquatch or Euro type festivals like Glastonbury are more my thing. Too bad we have nothing like that here.

Pemberton