Eagles of Death Metal
California hard rockers Eagles of Death Metal were back on the road just a few weeks after the awful terrorist attacks in Paris that killed almost 90 people at La Bataclan Theatre, where the band was playing that night. The victims included the band’s merchandise manager. The Nos Amis Tour returned to Paris in February for a make-up concert, bringing donations to the victims made up from royalties from their song I Love You All the Time. The five-piece, fronted by Jesse Hughes, are back in North America for the home stretch of the tour, hitting the Shaw Conference Centre on Thursday night with opening act Biblical.
When: Thursday, April 28 at 7 p.m.
Where: Shaw Conference Centre, 9797 Jasper Ave.
Admission: $47.50, available at the door or from the Union Events web page
Info: unionevents.com
Halo Headware, available at the Craft Sale at the Butterdome from Friday, April 29 to Sunday, May 1.
Spring crafts
The 10th anniversary of the Butterdome Spring Craft Sale brings together some of the brightest talents in the handmade community for three days of pure shopping fun. Look for body-care products, home decor, sculptures, fashion, food, glassware and much more. Among the long list of exhibitors showing off their wares are Beary Berry Honey, Funky Handcrafted Jewellry, Happy Hippo Bath Company and Heirloom Creations.
When: Friday, April 29 to Sunday, May 1. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: University of Alberta Butterdome, 114 Street and 87 Avenue.
Admission: $5, adults; $4, seniors and youth; at the door or in advance from the Butterdome website. Children 12 and under are admitted for free.
Info: butterdome.ca
Musicians Anthony Gonzalez (L) and Loic Maurin of M83 perform at the 2016 Coachella festival.
M83
French synthpop outfit M83 are back in town with their seventh offering, Junk, along with a new propensity for cross-species dressing. That was M83 leader Anthony Gonzalez in full Teen Wolf regalia on Jimmy Kimmel Live last week, throwing down latest singles Go and Do It, Try It with guest vocalist Mai Lin. Hopefully his wild tendencies come out for a few tunes on Friday night, just to keep the audience at the Winspear guessing.
When: Friday, April 29 at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Winspear Centre
Admission: $58.50, available from the Winspear box office, 780-428-1414, or website
Info: winspearcentre.com
Resilience Festival
Those of us thinking of transitioning to a more sustainable lifestyle might want to check out this weekend’s Resilience Festival at the Boyle Street Plaza. Community resilience is the aim of the three-day event, which features workshops on such topics as spinning, weaving and carving to simply salvaging what’s in your fridge, as well as conversation cafes and and a community connections fair. Workshops range from free to ticketed; check the website for a full list of events, as well as admission fees.
When: Friday, April 29 to Sunday, May 1.
Where: Boyle Street Plaza, 9538 103A Ave.
Admission: Free to $62.70; tickets available from the website
Info: edmontonresiliencefestival.com
Wish at the PCL Studio from Friday, April 29 to Saturday, May 7.
Wish
Good Women Dance Collective and Northern Light Theatre bring their respective talents together for Wish, a stage production based on the novel by Peter Goldsworthy. Born to deaf parents, John James (J.J.) becomes facile in the use of sign language. After meeting a pair of animal liberationists at the school where he teaches sign, he finds himself working with a gorilla named Eliza, who not only picks up the language quickly but starts to bond with her teacher. Trevor Schmidt directs, with Ainsley Hillyard and Christopher Schulz among the cast.
When: Friday, April 29 to Saturday, May 7. Performances at 7:30 p.m., with extra 11:30 p.m. on Friday, May 6. No shows on Mondays.
Where: PCL Studio, ATB Financial Arts Barns, 10330 84 Ave.
Admission: $18 to $28; tickets at the door or in advance from the Northern Light Theatre website
Info: northernlighttheatre.com
Grease Sing-a-long at the South Pointe Community Centre on Saturday, April 30.
Grease
Through the centuries, people have debated what exactly “the word” is. For some it’s “bird,” while others insist on “thunderbird.” To many who grew up in the ’70s, the answer is easy — it’s “grease,” as proven by the cast of the movie of the same title. Help Opera Nuova in their fundraising efforts by attending the Grease Sing-a-Long on Saturday night, to watch and sing along with performers as they lead you through songs like Summer Loving, You’re the One That I Want, and the title track. All proceeds go to the NUOVA Emerging Artist Scholarship Fund.
When: Saturday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: South Pointe Community Centre, 11520 Ellerslie Road
Admission: $20, regular; $15, students; in advance from Tix on the Square, 780-420-1757
Info: tixonthesquare.ca
Ariose Women’s Choir at McDougall United Church on Saturday, April 30.
Ariose
Congratulations are in order for the Ariose Women’s Choir. The group, who are celebrating two decades as one of the city’s top vocal units, will no doubt raise the roof with the loudest version of Happy Birthday at McDougall United Church on Saturday night. To help out, the choir is bringing back a number of alumni singers and other musical guests, as well as inviting founder Marilyn Kerley back to conduct. As icing on the birthday cake, they’ll also be gifting themselves and the attendees with the release of their sixth album, Light, Love & Lullabies.
When: Saturday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: McDougall United Church, 10086 MacDonald Drive
Admission: $20, at the door or in advance from Eventbrite
Info: ariose.org
Singer/actor Prince in the film Purple Rain
Purple Rain
He left us far too early but we still have the artifacts of Prince’s career to warm ourselves around. What better way to pay homage to one of the greatest musical artists of our time than to head over to Metro Cinema and catch the weekend screening of Purple Rain, the florid, funky soap opera that so perfectly ties together Morris Day and The Time, Apollonia 6, Prince and the Revolution with the First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis? The soundtrack alone is worth the price of admission: Let’s Go Crazy, When Doves Cry, Darling Nikki, and of course the majestic title track.
When: Saturday, April 30 at 11:30 p.m.
Where: Metro Cinema, 8712 109 St.
Admission: $12, adult; $9, student and senior citizen.
Info: metrocinema.org
Soloist Andrea Young, performing with the Edmonton Youth Orchestra at the Winspear Centre on Sunday, May 1.
Edmonton Youth Orchestra
The Intermediate and Senior branches of the Edmonton Youth Orchestra will be on hand to help out with performances by the winners of this year’s Northern Alberta Concerto Competition on Sunday afternoon, as well as a few pieces of their own. Debussy’s Petit Suite, Handel’s St. Cecilia Overture and Respighi’s Church Windows are on the musical agenda, as well as Mozart’s Piano Concerto in A major, with soloist Andrea Young.
When: Sunday, May 1 at 2 p.m.
Where: Winspear Centre
Admission: $15, adults; $10, seniors and students. Tickets at the door or in advance from Tix on the Square, 780-420-1757
Info: tixonthesquare.ca
Operation Petticoat at the Royal Alberta Museum on Monday, May 2.
Operation Petticoat
A young Blake Edwards got his first major studio job directing this massively successful Second World War comedy about the misadventures of a U.S. submarine in the Pacific theatre. Cary Grant is the lieutenant commander of the barely operable USS Sea Tiger, while Tony Curtis is an ingenious lieutenant with a talent for scrounging, a necessity as supplies begin dwindling. Operation Petticoat was one of the most financially successful films of its time, and a big hit with the critics.
When: Monday, May 2 at 8 p.m.
Where: Royal Alberta Museum, 12845 102 Ave.
Admission: $6, regular; $5, senior and student.
Info: royalalbertamuseum.ca
