January 16th

  My ticket stub from the January 16th, 2015 Brendan Kelly of The Lawrence Arms solo show at The Buck in Edmonton. Opening the show were Edmonton bands Worst Days Down, Old Wives and James Renton. A great bill and show.

January 14th

 

 January 14th, 2007 saw me at Rexall Place in Edmonton to see The Tragically Hip on their World Container Tour. Opening the show was The Sadies. A very good double bill.

January 13th

 It was on January 13th, 2019 that I saw American singer/songwriter, guitarist Dan Bern play The Almanac in Edmonton. Dan always puts on an entertaining show. It's been awhile since Dan Bern has come through town. Here's hoping he comes to Edmonton again soon.

Motorhead Whiskey

  

 Because I have nothing else to write about at the moment, I thought I would post this.

 I bought this over a year ago and never wrote about it. I'm talking about Motorhead Ace of Spades Signature Series Straight Bourbon Whiskey distilled by Proof Artisan Distillers out of Fargo, North Dakota.

 Holy shit, this whiskey hits hard and if you drink more then a few shots straight up it will kick your ass. And in the name of Lemmy Kilmister, yes you drink it straight up. Good stuff, but drink in moderation because you will wake up with a hangover. You've been warned! RIP Lemmy!

January 8th

 

 On January 8th, 1992 I saw Lenny Kravitz open for The Cult at the Agricom in Edmonton. I've never been a fan of The Cult, yet have seen them more times then I care to mention. Usually opening for someone I want to see, although a few times headlining. I always stick around to see if I can like them and always am disappointed. But Lenny was awesome. he was on the road promoting his second album Mama Said.

Favourite Albums of 2024

 

 So here is my list of my favourite albums that I bought this year. Ya, I would have liked to have picked up more records but the price of vinyl these days is really expensive. They are pricing me right out of the game. I need to be pretty sure I want a record nowadays, as in previous years I could take a chance on bands and artists, not so much anymore. So here is my list of my favourite albums in order that I bought them.

* Corb Lund - El Viejo

 An all acoustic album by Corb Lund recorded at his home in Lethbridge, Alberta. Great songwriter, some fun lyrics and some great sing along songs.

* The Black Crowes - Happiness Bastards

 Terrible album cover, but the music is awesome. Nice to see brothers Chris and Rich Robinson recording and touring together again. A return to form for the band, good old rock n' roll.

* Pearl Jam - Dark Matter

 A solid album from one of the few grunge bands that still matter.

* Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Fu##in' Up

 A live album recorded at the Rivoli in Toronto. Neil and his band Crazy Horse perform the album Ragged Glory in all it's Ragged Glory, sloppy but rocking. Love this album.

* Bob Dylan & The Band - The 1974 Live Recordings

 Three albums worth of live recordings from Dylan & The Band on their 1974 tour. Love this album too.

* Jack White - No Name

 A gritty rocking album from jack White, probably my favourite solo album of his. Another back to form album.

* Japandroids - Fate & Alcohol

The fourth and final album from this Vancouver duo. Rocking the fuck out from start to finish. 

* Boy Golden - For Eden

 A folk,country, rocking album with some great storytelling. Saw Boy Golden at the Edmonton Folk Fest and am now a huge fan.

* Mark Knopfler - One Deep River

 A very chill warm sounding album that gets better with each listen. I've always enjoyed his solo albums more so then his Dire Straits stuff. This album has got quite a few spins already.

* Ween - Chocolate And Cheese (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

 What can I say, I fucking love this band and album. A reissue for their 30th anniversary of Chocolate And Cheese. The third album has some previously unreleased songs, which of course I had to hear and have. I can see why they didn't make the album, but still fun to listen to. Now if only Ween would get back together and record some new material. Please Ween, please!!!!

Favourite Concert of 2024

 

 My top ten favourite shows of 2024 in no particular order, except for the first one. That was definitely my favourite of the year.

 Again, like last year, I didn't get out to as many shows as I would have liked to, but it was better than 2023. Money being an issue held me back, but the shows I did see were damn good and a lot of fun. Not many club shows this year, hopefully more in 2025.

 Without further ado, my list of faves for 2024. all shows in Edmonton unless specified.

* Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band at Rogers Place November 19th.

 A spiritual experience to be sure. A three hour plus show of awesomeness.

* Robert Plant with Alison Kraus at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival August 11th

So awesome to see Plant and Krauss perform outdoors on a beautiful summer night. Hearing Plant belt out some re imagined classic Led Zeppelin on the hill was amazing.

* Metallica at Commonwealth Stadium August 25th

The second night of two sold out shows with 55,000 Metallica fans. Both nights were a lot of fun, but this one extra special as I ended up winning Snake Pit Passes for this show. Being in the middle of the stage watching Metallica up and close was a very cool experience.

* The Rolling Stones at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver  July 5th

It had been 30 years since I had last seen The Stones in concert, and who knows if I will get another chance. But then I said that 30 years ago too. So good to see Mick, Keith and Ronnie put on a spectacular show.

* Metallica at Commonwealth Stadium August 23rd

The first night of the Metallica weekend takeover was awesome too. With two great bands opening Mammoth WVH and Pantera.

* Trans-Canada Highwaymen at Pure in the Yellowhead Casino March 8th

A super group made up from Canadian musicians Moe Berg (The Pursuit Of Happiness), Steven Page (ex Barenaked Ladies member), Chris Murphy (Sloan) and Craig Northey( Odds). Each member doing some songs from their respective bands and some cover songs of old 60-70's classic FM radio songs. A really fun show.

* Boy Golden at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival August 11th

A musician from Winnipeg that I just recently discovered and am really digging him and his band. Getting to see him play one of the side stages at the folk festival was amazing. He had the audience on the hill up and moving through out his whole set. 

* Dave Hause at The Buck October 12th

Always great to see Philadelphia singer-songwriter play live. At the time I wasn't really connecting with his last album, but seeing him perform the songs live and hear the crowd singing along has changed my mind. another great show by Dave.

* Violent Femmes at the Winspear Centre May 8th

It had been 24 years since I last saw the Violent Femmes, so I was excited about seeing them again. This show was the band performing their first two albums in their entirety and then some classics after. A great show.

* Booker T Jones at the Edmonton Blues Festival August 16th

So cool to see the legendary Book T of Booker T & The MG's fame. This show was A Stax Revue and a  Journey Thru Soul, Blues and R&B. An hour plus of classic songs.

Ok, maybe they are in order of faves. Regardless, a great year of live music. Hoping in 2025 I can afford to get out to more shows and hopefully more club shows that aren't quite as expensive. All and all a fun year. Good times!!!