If you loved the post-grunge alterna-rock of the '90s, then you needed to be at Essies, Nov. 22.

 Because Crash Karma brought back the ’90s for Essies’ “first live rock show,” for an appreciative crowd of about 100, most of who gathered in front of the stage to enjoy  the music  from Crash Karma’s debut CD, as well as some of the highlights from the members’ original popular ’90s rock groups like Our Lady Peace (guitarist Mike Turner), I Mother Earth (singer Edwin), The Tea Party (drummer Jeff Burrows) and bassist Amir Epstein (Zygote).

They opened up their upbeat, modern rock show with “Like a Wave,” from their CD and followed with one of my favourites from the CD “Next Life.”

In addition to the music from their new CD, as promised in their interview with L.A. Beat, they also added a few popular numbers from their former bands, including Our Lady Peace’s “Superman’s Dead,” and an exceptional version of the Tea Party’s “ Temptation” which took you right back to the ’90s, thanks to Edwin’s powerful voice and Turner’s ”90s style guitar.

Epstein had some impressive bass lines throughout as well and Burrows’ drumming was rock solid.

There wasn’t a lot of activity on stage, though it was no less an intense and solid set of, well, detuned post-grunge style music, which sounded exactly like  Our Lady Peace, The Tea Party and I Mother Earth, as expected as that’s their roots.

So what you expected was exactly what the audience recieved.

You might recognize Edmonton singer/ songwriter Colleen Brown as one of the members of  the Secretaries, however, she will be bringing her more pop edged, piano tinged solo show to  the Slice, Nov. 26 with Jeff Stuart and the Hearts.

 “It’s something Jeff cooked up because he just wanted to tour together,” said Brown, recovering at her Edmonton home from a bout with the flu.

“Both  of our bands had new albums out last winter. And both my band and his band were playing the Edmonton Folk Music Festival last summer. But we were playing at the same time, at opposite ends of the site, so our friends had to choose which one of us to see,” she said, adding the two groups will be playing a mini-tour hitting  the three major Alberta centres — Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge — all this week beginning in Edmonton, Nov. 24.

While the Secretaries have played Henotic as well as the South Country Fair, and while the Colleen Brown play a Secretaries song “Fight, Fight, Fight” in their set, the two bands are two different animals.

“The Secretaries are definitely more of a rock and roll party band, my solo stuff is definitely more folk and pop sound,” she continued adding she will be playing with  bassist Patrick Michalak and drummer Peter Hendrickson.

This week is going to be a great one to sing the blues, and I don’t just mean because  of the weather.

 There are several not to be missed blues gigs this week, beginning Wednesday, Nov. 24, with the return of Georgia bred, Toronto bluesman Doc MacLean who has been on the road since August, playing solo shows of stories and sizzling acoustic blues music.

And, a late announced show, New Brunswick blues rocker Ross Neilsen and the Suffering Bastards are back, Nov. 25 where they will be sure to tear the roof off of the Slice with their incendiary mix of blues based rock and roll.

Saturday is going to be a tough call for blues fans.

 If you like acoustic blues, do not miss Forget, Saskatchewan based Ken Hamm who will be playing the Lethbridge Folk Club Wolf’s Den, Nov. 27 with former Spirit of the West member Linda McRae.
 Tickets cost $20 for members, $2

5 for non members. The show begins at 8 p.m.

Another exceptional , more upbeat and R and B inspired blues show, Nov. 27 takes place at the Slice, where Edmonton’s Boogie Patrol will be performing with the Fred Penner Revival band.

The Boogie Patrol shocked and amazed a lot of people during their Lethbridge debut a few months ago when they opened for Delhi 2 Dublin, so it great to have them back to headline their own show. There is a $15 cover.

When your stock in trade is traveling around the country telling stories for a living, guitar in hand, you spend a lot of time on the road — which is where a lot of stories for songs are found.

“I’ve been on the road since August. It’s been going well. It’s always nice be on the road when there’s a little interest in me doing my songs, so I can play back to back shows,” said Toronto based acoustic delta bluesman Doc MacLean from a tour stop in White Rock, B.C., estimating he plays 80-100 shows a year.

he was in lethbridge almost exactly a year ago with Winnipeg’s Big Dave McLean.

The current tour will bring him back to Lethbridge, Nov. 24 for a gig at the Slice.
“It good to be playing on my own, because I get to talk more. I get to tell more stories,” he continued adding he has been playing a lot of smaller rooms.

“So I can get really close to the audiences. It’s easier to connect with a smaller crowd,” he said, adding a lot of them even know all the words to his songs.

“We’re doing well. I’m quite pleased. We’ve got lots of young musicians coming to the shows and they  know my stuff, which is kind of strange to see,” he said adding there have been a couple interesting shows, including one in Charlottetown, P.E.I for which numerous politicians from all over the world ended up at  his show.