There's a tribute to the late, great Ian Tyson at the Ironwood tonight, Eric Volmers interviews the director of the thriller Sharp Corner and Elizabeth Chorney-Booth highlights restaurants serving afternoon tea for mom. Read on! |
Ian Tyson at Studio Bell in Calgary on Sept. 5, 2019. Postmedia file photo |
What to see — The Gift: The Words and Music of Ian Tyson
Tributes to the songwriting genius of the late, great Ian Tyson are hardly new, but since we lost him just over two years ago they seem more poignant. The Gift is made up of a collective of admiring musicians who has been paying homage to Tyson for 18 years. It's led by Stewart MacDougall, a former Tyson collaborator who wrote, performed and recorded with the legend. Drummer Thom Moon, guitarist Gordie Matthews, fiddle player Myran Szott and bassist Julian Kerr, who all played in Tyson's band, are also involved. The Ironwood has become Alberta's (Canada's?) prime location for amazing tribute nights. In the past, I've seen stellar lineups play the songs of Springsteen, The Band, John Prine and Lucinda Williams. The annual tribute to Bob Dylan takes place May 24.
Where and when: Ironwood Stage and Grill, Thursday at 8 p.m. |
What to listen to — What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, by Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson
Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson reunite and return to their North Carolina roots with this fun and scrappy collection of traditional string songs that recall their past collaborations as part of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. The two trade fierce banjo and fiddle riffs on nearly 20 songs. Almost all are fast-and-furious snapshots that showcase their fleet-fingered prowess. Since the Drops broke up, Giddens has become a powerhouse vocalist, songwriter and solo performer. She was also a musical consultant on Ryan Coogler's recent, wonderfully unhinged, vampire-musical, Sinners.
But don't go looking for the soaring vocal chops she displayed in 2015 during that soul-stirring main stage show at the Calgary Folk Music Festival, or the genre-bending innovation she has showcased on albums such as 2015's Tomorrow Is My Turn and 2017's Freedom Highway. This album is tightly focused on old-time string music, the vocals are endearingly rustic and the presentation is loose and lo-fi.
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What to drink — Eighty-Eight Brewing Co.'s Pop Rocks
If you thought I couldn't sink deeper into my love of sour beers, think again. Yes, I am now prepared to recommend a beer that comes in a bright pink can, is named after gimmicky, pressurized candy and is sold under the giddy slogan "It's like a party in your mouth!" But this tasty summer treat from the Calgary craft brewer offers a surprisingly complex mix of berries and pink guava — it's nowhere as candy-like as the title would suggest.
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Karla Marx has released her second comedy album, Fruity. Photo by Megan's Marvelous Photography |
Director Jason Buxton on the set of Sharp Corner. Photo Corey J Isenor |
Louis B. Hobson has his eye on Calgary's theatre scene: |
Isabella Pedersen, Graham Percy and Mike Tan in The Da Vinci Code. Photo by Fifth Wall Media |
The Da Vinci Code goes from page to stage
Vertigo Theatre presents the Canadian premiere of the stage version of Dan Brown's blockbuster novel The Da Vinci Code. A murder in the Louvre Museum sends symbologist Robert Langdon on the hunt for the fabled Holy Grail that puts his life at risk. The play begins previews this weekend with an official opening on May 15.
Where and when: Vertigo Theatre, Saturday until June 8
Read the preview here. | Mark Huolt, Jenna Anderson and Ray Dhaliwal in Prescription Murder. Photo by Brody Fitzpatrick |
Workshop calls on Columbo to solve its latest murder
A psychiatrist and his mistress think they have committed the perfect murder but then Lieutenant Columbo turns up, and they may have met their match. Prescription Murder is the play that introduced audiences to Columbo, the character Peter Falk would play for 10 years on TV. Not a whodunit, but howcatchem, Prescription Murder runs in the Pumphouse's Joyce Doolittle Theatre. Where and when: Pumphouse Theatre, Friday until May 17 |
Sarah Glubish, Val Lieske and Ed Ogum in Me, Right Now. Photo by Tara Whittaker |
Fire Exit Theatre is having an identity crisis
First Exit Theatre presents Val Lieske's new play Me, Right Now, which looks at how we perceive ourselves when familiar things change. In this play, Val suddenly discovers there really is no such thing as permanence in her life and the boundaries she once had don't exist.
Where and when: Engineered Air Theatre, until Sunday |
Elizabeth Chorney-Booth has the scoop on what’s tasty in Calgary. |
Afternoon tea at Hutch Cafe in Eau Claire. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia |
Tea time for mom!
Mother’s Day weekend is a natural excuse to go out for a leisurely afternoon tea. The likelihood of snapping up a reservation at a top tea spot between now and Sunday is relatively low, but plenty of restaurants offer afternoon tea — a midday meal of scones, savoury sandwiches, and sweet pastries — year-round. Read up on some of the best, ranging from the cosy Hutch Cafe in Eau Claire to the historic pomp of the Deane House in Inglewood.
Read more here. |
Eight in Calgary is ranked No. 6 on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants list. |
Adventures and journeys in Alberta and beyond: |
A storm moves over fields near Dogpound. Photo by Mike Drew/Postmedia |
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