February in Edmonton!

Feb 5-14: Molière's Tartuffe (about a self-serving priest) is presented by UAlberta Drama at the Timms Centre. $25 with discounts and half-price matinees.

Feb 11-15: My Testimonial depicts an actor coaching a key witness preparing to testify in a criminal trial. Pay-what-you-will ($40 suggested, and advanced purchase recommended).

Feb 13-14: Hilda's Yard from Rare Form Theatre at Shell Theatre in Fort Saskatchewan is a story of family chaos when adults move back in with their retired parents. $18-20.

Feb 13-15: Ballet Edmonton presents Threshold, two newly choreographed works inspired by pushing boundaries of the dance medium. At MacEwan's Triffo Theatre, $45 with discounts.

Feb 14: Past Fringe-fest favourite Josephine returns to town for one night at the Arden in St Albert. 7:30pm, $37.50.

Feb 14: Oh, Henny! A Queer Cabaret (which sounds like it will be a semi-regular event, this month with a special "in love" theme), at the Grindstone. $25.

Feb 14-Mar 8: Burning Mom is a one woman play about a woman on an RV trip to the Burning Man festival. In the Citadel's Rice Theatre (but in a theatre configuration, not cabaret style), $40-79 (limited tix left).

Feb 17-28: Countries Shaped Like Stars is a new production of a former Fringe hit, a music story-telling surrealist fantasy long-distance love story. Or something. At the Fringe's Backstage Theatre, $26.

Feb 19-Mar 8: I Meant What I Said, a new comedy from Teatro Live's Stewart Lemoine. No hints on the plot, but Lemoine fans don't need that. At the Varscona, $42 with discounts or pay-what-you-can Tuesdays.

Feb 20-21: Unkls Stiv's Looping Machine is some sort of psychedelic spoken word story refreshed from Fringes past. At the Roxy's Lorne Cardinal Theatre, $25.

Feb 20-21: Alberta Ballet presents Romeo & Juliet, as choreographed by Francesco Ventriglia to music by Sergei Prokofiev. At the Jubilee, $50-188.

Feb 20-21: Brian Webb Dance Company presents Toronto dancer/choreographer Peggy Baker, in both roles. At UAlberta Timms Centre's Second Space, 8pm, $43 with discounts.

Feb 28: UAlberta opera program presents Handel's Hercules at Convocation Hall. $20 with discounts.

Amelia's #YEGmusic Picks

(check my other pinned threads for suggestions of where to find more events if your tastes don't match my own, as well as regular weekly music nights)

Thurs, Feb 5:

Acoustic rock & alt-country from Ryan Holmes and Charlie Scream at River City Revival House for their monthly more-than-just-country Big Tent Revival night. 9pm, no cover, 18+.

Fri, Feb 6:

Tight grooving juke-joint blues from Cedric Burnside at The Starlite Room. 8pm, $52.

Country-folk from The Western Thistles at Roam Cafe. 7:30pm, $22.

The Queen’s RnB Cabaret at The Yardbird is a Black History Month celebration of hip-hop, jazz, & spoken word led by Charlee Queen XO. 8pm, $29.

Folk-rock with a penchant for scaled-down arena anthems by Benjamin Williams at Sherlock Holmes Campus. 8pm, no cover.
Also at Sherlock's Downtown on Feb 20&21.

Also Fri Feb 6:

R&B theme party with live karaoke (sing with the band) from The Setlist at Rocky Mountain Icehouse. 9pm., $17, 18+.

Feel-good acoustic rock from Adam Holm at Five & Dive. 9:30pm, no cover, 18+.

Sat, Feb 7:

Southern soul from The War & Treaty at the Arden Theatre (St Albert). 7:30pm, $65.

Millenial power-rock from Danko Jones at Festival Place (Sherwood Park). 7:30pm, $45-49.

Soul-pop from AV & The Inner City at the Roxy (Nancy Power Theatre). 8pm, $27.50 ($17.50 for students/musicians/broke-ass keeners).

Jazzy hip-hop as the Biboye Onanuga Blacktet plays tribute to J Dilla, at The Yardbird. 8pm, $29.

Also Saturday, Feb 7:

A reggae tribute to Bob Marley on his birthday featuring Saint & the Full 100 Band and Love Empire at the Rec Room South. 7pm, $33.

More reggae from Knotty Royal & the Reggae Rock Band at Trench Town Rock Lounge (151 St near Stony Plain Rd). 8pm, $5, 18+.

Sun, Feb 8:

Afternoon sweet soul-R&B from Sierra Jamerson at The Yardbird Suite. 2-4:30pm, $29.

Afternoon old-timey folk & jazz from The Misery Mountain Boys at City Hall's Swing'n'Skate (indoors or listen from the rink). 1-4pm, free.

Afternoon songwriter-folk from Rob Heath at Frank's Pub. 2pm, no cover.

Soul-roots from Donita Large & The Small Band at the Fringe's Westbury Theatre to release a new album. 6:30pm, $24.

Thu, Feb 12:

Classic Canadian roots-rock-reggae from (the current incarnation of) Big Sugar at Pawn Shop Live. 8pm, $50, 18+.

Monthly local Unplugged showcase (5 acts) at The Dive Bar. 7pm, $5, 18+.

Fri, Feb 13:

Electro pop from Lights at Midway Music Hall. 7pm, $60, 18+.

Energetic piano stylings from Barrington Simpson at Carrot Coffeehouse. 7pm, $10 (kids $5).

Funky New Orleans-style jazz-blues as Rooster Davis & Dave Babcock present The Music of Dr. John’s Bluesiana Triangle, at The Yardbird. 8pm, $31.

Latin rock from Maracujah at The Commercial. 9:30pm, few remaining tix at $32, 18+.

Sat, Feb 14:

Winter Blues Festival at St Basil's hall featuring Black & Blues Band (a local R&B band I haven't seen yet but seem to be earning respect), Rusty Reed Band (semi-retired local favourite harmonica player), Brandon Isaak Trio (tight jumping guitar blues from BC/Yukon), and Steve Marriner (from Ontario & best known around here as 1/3 of MonkeyJunk; playing more roots-rock these days, but still with some of the best blues chops on guitar or harmonica), with an opening set by young players from the Edmonton Rock & Roll Society's Centre for Arts and Music (last year's band was quite impressive). 4-11pm, $80.

Sweet songwriter folk from Toronto's Sarah Hiltz at the Cask & Barrel. 4pm, no cover, 18+.

Jazz-pop & ska from Audrey Ochoa at the Blue Chair. 7pm music, probably at least $20 cover, reservations strongly recommended on Valentine's Day.

More on Saturday Valentine's Day:

Youthful alt-pop from Caylie G, Sadie & the Book Club, and Bailey Sutton at The Aviary for the "Lovebug Club Valentines Show". 7:30pm, $20.

Tex-Mex country-rock from The Eldorados at Newcastle Kitchen+Bar. 9pm, probably $10, 18+.

Funky brass band double bill with a Mardi Gras Valentine's Day theme, from Brasstactics with The Superband at The Commercial (Blues on Whyte). 9:30pm, $20, 18+.

Sun, Feb 15:

Roots alt-rock from The Trews at Midway Music Hall. 7pm, $53, 18+.

Funky soul-jazz from California's Ron Jackson’s “Flubby Dubby” Hammond Organ Soul-Jazz Band, at The Yardbird. 8pm, $29.

Mon, Feb 16: Family Day holiday

Afternoon Afro-fusion from Mbira Renaissance Band at City Hall for an extra holiday edition of Swing'n'Skate. (Band indoors, or listen from the rink.) 1-4pm, free.

Wed, Feb 18:

Folk-rock troubadour tales from John Hewitt at Little Brick Café as part of the River Valley Sessions series. 7pm, $49 for a full fireside experience including snack & beverages, or $12 to listen from the main café.

Thu, Feb 19:

Trad folk from Vancouver stringband The Fugitives at The Aviary. 7:30pm, $20.

Fri, Feb 20:

Documentary film showing of Goddess of Slide: The Forgotten Story of Ellen McIlwaine at the Arden Theatre with an opening performance by Rachelle van Zanten, plus a Q&A after with the filmmaker. 7:30pm, $27.50.

Hip-hop-soul from Jackson Moo King at The Carrot. 7pm, $10 ($5 kids).

Sweet & soft hipster folk from Jed & the Valentine with Abigayle Oakley at St Basil's Hall for the New Moon Folk Club. 7:30pm, $30.

I don't usually include DJ / dance party listings, but the description of the Jonathan Toubin's New York Night Train Soul Clap & Dance-Off (at the Starlite Room) does seem impressive. 8pm, $21, 18+.

Fri & Sat, Feb 20-21:

Feel-good traditional soul-blues from the Donald Ray Johnson Blues Band at The Yardbird. 8pm, $39.

Sat, Feb 21:

Afternoon country-alt-rock from Shadow Coyotes at Cask & Barrel. 4pm, no cover, 18+.

Solo acoustic blues from guitar wizard Sue Foley at the Arden Theatre. 7:30pm, $40.
She is also playing Thu Feb 19 at the Shell theatre in Fort Saskatchewan.

Improvized folk-jazz (I think, emphasis is on the improvized) as part of O.N.C.E. (Operations in Non-Permanent Collective Extemporization) at Felice Noir. 7pm, $17.

Grown-up electro-pop from Ria Mae at The Starlite. 7pm, $29.

Folk-rock-soul from Reuben & the Dark with the Bullhorn Singers at the Winspear. 8pm, $44-55.

Latin party tunes from Manny V y Su Esquina Latina at Rocky Mountain Icehouse for their monthly fiesta. 9pm, $17, 18+.

Sun, Feb 22:

Afternoon up-tempo jazz from Daniel Gervais & Hot Club Edmonton at The Yardbird. 2pm, $29.

Eclectic roots rock from Hawksley Workman at The Starlite Room. 7pm, $55.

R&B/soul-jazz from Raphael at The Yardbird. 8pm, $15.

Mon, Feb 23:

Alt-country with retro styling and modern sensibility from Texan Charley Crockett at the Jubilee. 8pm, $65-159.

Thu, Feb 26:

Classic Can-rock from Kim Mitchell at Festival Place. 7:30pm, $52-58 (few tix left).

Folk-soul-blues from Matt Andersen (solo) with Muriel Buckley (opening) at the Jubilee. 8pm, $47-135.

Funk-jazz-groove from The Dyrty Byrds at The Commercial. 8pm, no cover, 18+.

Fri, Feb 27:

Soul-R&B from Cree Williams at Carrot Coffeehouse. 7pm, $10 (kids $5).

Breezy beach rock from Current Swell plus Jay Malinowski at The Arden. 7:30pm, $56.

Alt-country/bluesy-folk from Lynne Hanson at the MacLab Centre (Leduc). 7:30pm, $20.

Weird & wonderful folk-fusion bill from The Sour Patch Men, Night Howl, and Shiv Shanks at The Dive Bar. 9pm, $16, 18+.

Fri-Sat, Feb 27-28:

Sweet & mellow acoustic tunes from Kim Gates at Sherlock Holmes Downtown. 9pm, no cover, 18+.

Sat, Feb 28:

Afternoon hypnotic folk-roots from Jay Gilday at Cask & Barrel. 4pm, no cover, 18+.

Funky roots-rock from the Yonghy Bonghy Bo's at The Blue Chair. 7pm, probably $20.

Sun, Mar 1:

Soul-roots from Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar with Marcus Trummer at Double Dragon. 7pm (doors), $33, 18+.

(Now I just have to decide how to spend my personal limited energy & money, picking between all these great concerts! The winter blues fest is usually a birthday treat for myself, outside my normal $100/month get-a-life budget, but now I'm looking at all these listings wondering if I could spend the same ticket price on 3 different shows instead... And all that assumes I have energy to get there. Which I don't tonight. All dressed up & too tired to go to a show that doesn't start until 9pm.)

(PS, I'm still doing open jams & stages, for those of you following along. I'll be sure to let y'all know if I actually book a proper gig, but in the meantime let me know if you want to try to catch my little 3-song walk-on sets & I'll try to coordinate with you!)

Important last minute addition to the February music listings

On February 26, the last Thursday of the month Battle of the Bands at the Five & Dive pub in West Edmonton Mall will be a Solo Act version. A Solo Cup, if you will.

Music starts 8:30pm (and probably goes to 11:30?), no cover, 18+. The venue markets themselves on affordable snacks & drinks.
https://www.fiveanddive.ca/battle-of-the-bands

But that's not the important part.

The important part is that one of the competitors will be Amelia Byrd ().

So, uh, if you've been curious about hearing what I've been doing & can get out to the big mall on a Thursday night, come say hi & help increase my audience enthusiasm vote!

(If you are curious but not near Edmonton, you'll have to convince someone who is in Edmonton to come & take a video or something.)

#YEGmusic #AmeliasMusic