Last July 18, Ociciwan Contemporary Arts Collective curated one of the most spectacular and meaningful events of the year — a breathtaking fusion of music and performance at the Winspear called in memoriam… At the time, a book — a script of sorts — was published to accompany the Indigenous-artist re-imagining of American composer Robert Ashley's experimental concerts, and the plan was to also release a recording of the piece recorded on vinyl at the Banff Centre. Excitingly, the wait is over, and a release party for its box set is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Black Dog (10425 82 Ave.).
The ghostly piece, which performed live contained symbolic interactions with washbasins, haunting whispered harmonies, and movement by its players into the audience itself, paid tribute to regional women Mary Cecil, Victoria Callihoo (née Belcourt) and Eleanor (Helene) Thomas Garneau. The Banff-recorded work includes artists Postcommodity and Alex Waterman, as well as eight Alberta-based Indigenous musicians, namely Malaya Bishop, seth cardinal, Curtis Lefthand, Jaynine Lena McCrae, nêhiyawak (Kris Harper, Matthew Cardinal and Marek Tyler) and Jared Tailfeathers.
The show at the Dog will include performances by Postcommodity's Raven Chaocn, Alex Waterman and others. Based on the show at Winspear last summer, this is not to be missed, and there is no charge for admission for the 18+ event.
This time last year, Accidental Beach was teeming with happy people in the sun enjoying Edmonton like rarely before, and had city officials threatening all sorts of inventive buzzkill crackdowns for 2018. But lo and behold, that currently swampy, harder-to-access sandbar has really failed to show up in its former glory under these greasy skies of our annual new season: smoky.
Shake your fists at the gods as you will, but there are other places to assemble outside, thanks to the Edmonton Arts Council.
EAC's third and final Public Art Picnic of the season happens Sunday at Castle Downs Park (11520 153 Ave.), "live entertainment, activities and summer treats" provided for all, the feature artwork being Mountain Brother by Sergio Serrano and Alexander Stewart.
The lenticular mural, put up in 2015 in the Castle Downs Park Pavilion, is of a fantastical mountainscape — about the closest thing to a real mountain around here, unless you count the big, inaccessible dirtpile at Yellowhead and 170 St. Lenticular means the image shifts depending on where you stand, and includes the Matterhorn, Jungfrau and Mont Blanc — like our city, a shifting international landscape.
The fun goes from noon to 4 p.m., full climbing gear not necessary — though if you read the fine print, not forbidden, either! Though perhaps as always, keep the pickaxe at home.
In the realm of music, two CD releases to throw in your calendars — Jesse and the Dandelions next Saturday at CKUA (new album Give Up the Gold is out this Friday), and CKUA DJ Amy van Keeken's release concert for her new solo album In Dreams on Saturday at Aviary (9314 111 Ave.).
Her AM-radio jangly single Come With Me was released a few weeks back, and of it she says, "I wrote Come With Me as an ode to Edmonton's river valley. Nature is a really important part of my life, and heading to the river with my dogs is how I reset and reconnect.
Tickets to the show — backed up by the excellent Caity Fisher and Paul James Coutts & Cowls — are available at yeglive.ca, running $10. That's also how much it'll cost you to pop by the Jesse and the Dandelions show at the door next Saturday in the CKUA Performance Hall (9804 Jasper Ave.), and the mesmerizing Jom Comyn is opening up for that one. Between these two concerts you'll be able to catch some of Edmonton's loveliest indie bands in their element, so hopefully you can make it out.
I don't want to raise too much hell, and it's great to see something with a hint of the now bye-bye Sonic Boom carrying forward, really.
Here are its bands in order of appearance at Sonic Field Day, music kicking off at 2 p.m. Saturday at Victoria Park (12030 River Valley Road): Modern Space, Grandson, Black Pistol Fire, Dear Rouge, Cold War Kinds, The Glorious Sons, Jimmy Eat World, Arkells. General admission is $69.50; VIP admission $102.90 (cute — the radio station channel number). Buy them online at ticketmaster.ca.
But now, just for fun, note how many female performers are in Sonic Field Day's lineup. In all those multi-membered bands, is it more than one? Does that matter?
Please discuss, and let's stay civil.
One parting note: Tony and Grammy award-winning Beautiful — The Carole King Musical — is coming to the Jube Nov. 6-11.
The show opened on Broadway in 2014 and follows the early life and career of the magnificent Brooklyn icon known for songs like It's Too Late, I Feel the Earth Move, and You've Got a Friend.
Starting 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 17, tickets starting at $30.50 available through ticketmaster.ca. More info at beautifulonbroadway.com.