What a year! This one, I mean!
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Looking back with a smile at the local concerts, most years are pretty decent — but 2024 was an absolute tornado of awe and delight.
Just on paper some who passed through like Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant at folk fest, a two-shot of Metallica at Commonwealth the weekend before P!nk’s acrobatic act there — not to mention last month’s Bruce Springsteen concert — would’ve assured us “sure can’t complain” year, even if we didn’t get Taylor Swift or Sabrina Carpenter.
But throw in the Our Lady Peace/Shania Twain outdoor two-fer during the Oilers’ Stanley Cup Final run, a banner year at Midway, plus over 80 extra gigs whirling around the CCMAs, and other years melt like butter.
The far-superlative second night of Metallica was my happiest moment, but here are a load of shows I’ll won’t easily forget — feel free to write in and loudly declare who you’d have on yours.
Ennio Morricone: A Fist Full of Film Scores Jan. 20 at Winspear — What better way to kick of year than a bunch of rousing film scores brought to life by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra? Definite highlight, conductor Lucas Waldin whistling in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
iVardensphere at Starlite Jan. 27 — Winterruption always busts up ugly January when we need it most, and the mash of local tribal-industrial iVardensphere with the big drums of Booming Tree Taiki was an early sign it to be a special year in music.
Pussy Riot at Starlite March 6 — Speaking of fusion, Pussy Riot’s guided tour of their own history of activism as a sort of museum in musical form — including being jailed in Putin’s increasingly antidemocratic regime — made it an early contender for top spot, with help from Riot Days and the crazy-good Midnight Peg.
Violent Femmes at Winspear May 8 — Playing both Hallowed Ground and their debut album back to back was a magnificent act of nostalgia in Edmonton’s finest venue, and it was just lovely the front became an irresistible impromptu dance floor.
Shania Twain at Fan Park June 15 — Front row for Our Lady Peace and Shania Twain with George Laraque and Gene Principe wandering around, Twain’s tight and sweet set magically brought the team back from the brink, until it didn’t — but what a run!
Big Evil Rat June 20 at Sled Island June 20 — Best thing I saw at Sled Island was delightfully these Edmonton stylistic shapeshifters in an absolutely packed Palomino basement, and they killed it again Nov. 30. The swirly sonic mysticism of Buenos Aires’ Juana Molina was also a major highlight. Sled rules!
The Buckleys July 27 at Calgary Folk Music Fest — Getting a last-minute call to fill in, siblings T. Buckley and Edmonton’s Mariel Buckley did a lovely little set including their cover of Bobcaygeon in an incredible day of music including Japanese-Canadian psych rock band TEKE::TEKE and a long and wonderful closing set full of shout-outs — including to Led Zeppelin — by The Roots. Mariel later had an amazing night at Richie Hall Dec. 13, opening for then joining forces with Lucette for her sold-out comeback concert.
Robert Plant/Allison Krauss August 11 at Edmonton Folk Music Festival — Stealing best show of the year from the Russian ladies, Gallows Pole, The Battle of Evermore and When the Levee Breaks had headbangers at the top of the hill arm in arm crying. It must be mentioned Black Pumas and La Misa Negra made this the best run of night closers I’ve ever seen, just amazing. The Ruen Brothers at The Common Wednesday after the fest was brilliant, as well, especially when they went and played on the street for those who couldn’t get in. Mwah!
Kip Lily Aug. 17/Field + Stream Sept. 14 at Mossy Trails — Very different shows but both in that beautiful, under-the-stars setting up by Colinton, AB. Kip Lily’s hypnotic vocals felt as immortal as the Northern Lights sky while a month later the long-awaited return of Field + Stream celebrated the addition of a beautiful tipi to the warm-hearted art farm.
Justin Sutton & North of 49 Sep. 10 at Soho — An impressive and immediately lovable mix of indie, trad and pop country, this band blew me away, especially powerhouse fiddler Darla Daniels. The delightful Jody Shenkarek and Hot Kindlin’ opened this CCMA spinoff show, and the party went on all night.
Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show Oct. 18 at Orange Hub — Does musical theatre count? Lilith Fair killed it as a towering Dr. Frank-N-Furter amid a swirling, brilliant cast in this impressive restaging of the toast-throwing classic. While we’re breaking boundaries here, Grindstone also brought us Bruce McCulloch in early July, changing his socks mid-show and joining in the international salute to Kathleen McGee, whose set was of course terrific. She also made Great Outdoors Comedy Fest’s huge crowd laugh a week later, Shane Gillis making thousands cry-laugh at his seagull joke and stuff way more inappropriate.
Overdrive ii Oblivion Nov. 1 at Dive Bar — I was the only loser wearing a (Nosferatu) Halloween costume in the crowd this amazing night of metal and punk and general mayhem with barbarian-garbed Rocky Mann’s scream-punk Lushclot a big highlight before the mighty headlining trio OiiO, happily dressed as skeletons.
the examination Nov. 20 at RAM — A curated choral piece for the opening night of Connections: Bringing Neuroscience and Art Together, soprano Jane Gibson sang actual mental health doctor questions while baritone Tynan Thorogood responded with sung poetry based on poetry by Yeats, all while a string quartet played in the background. Composer Mari Alice Conrad should be proud.
What a year! This one, I mean!