The Swig of Alberta’s first stop in Lethbridge, March 30 featured a lot of different kinds of Alberta music, from Eminem 
style rap to Pixies/ Nirvana style grunge to straight out ’60s era Cowsills meets the Beatles style guitar pop.
I arrived just in time to see one of the organizers the Joe, aka Joe Gurba, strutting on stage rapping like Eminem with more of a geeky B.A. Johnston style sense of humour.
He had most of the crowd cracking up by the end of his set especially during a song about Edmonton’s Klondike Days, which had the audience choking and chortling along “Oh no!” at the Joe’s exhortations.
Calgary’s Stalwart Sons promised their set would be louder and angrier, but existentially so. They had more of an emo rock sound with big drums and some catchy bass while the guitarist/ vocalist hammered away on his battered guitar, howling, about what sounded like the prairies and Alberta issues like wolf purges.
Medicine Hat’s Daydream Johnny did their city proud with a set of energetic, melodic, Nirvana/ the Pixies meets ’60s style garage rock. They‘ve really picked up their game since the last time I saw them with some rough melodies and catchy guitar.
A reunited Record Holder was an unexpected and pleasant highlight, not to mention a complete contrast from the previous two acts with both Granzow brothers, Jon and Michael taking turns on bass and guitar and trading lead vocals. Nicole Hembroff played some frenetic violin and adding some beautiful background vocals as they played as much of their latest CD as they could in their 20 minute set.
While I missed Extra Happy Ghost, though I enjoyed their live broadcast on CKXU during the afternoon, I got back to be knocked down by Jess
ica Jalbert. She was backed by a solid bad for her set of female powered pop/ folk music a la Sheryl Crow and Edie Brickell among others. She didn’t move much on stage, but I couldn’t take my eyes or ears off of the ginger haired Edmonton beauty and I was genuinely saddened when she was done her 20 minutes. She sang beautiful melodies and her band had pop hooks to spare.
Last but not least, Edmonton‘s Michael Rault took the enthusiastic audience right back to the ’60s and early ’70s to close off the night.
He sang fantastic melodies , tapping into the spirit of the Beatles and the Cowsills. There was plenty of catchy, clean guitar and lots of positive energy flowed through a set of tasty pop candy coated hooks.
