There are several interesting events happening in Southern Alberta this week.
Tonight, April 9, there are two big shows happening.
Bluesman Jim Byrnes returns to the Geomatic Attic beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $32.50. If you want to rock, don’t miss the big rock show with the Zolas and the Dudes at Bo Diddly’s. The show begins at 9 p.m.. Tickets cost $20 in advance.
There is an excellent metal show this week, a whole lot of excellent roots music and even a Michael Jackson tribute hitting the stage.
On April 12, University of Lethbridge clubs will be partying at the Zoo in the SU, April 20 with the Club Carnival and Ocean party. The event is a joint effort between the U of l Surf Club, Art Society and ULSU, who have organized an afternoon of excitement from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. which will give the community a chance to check out all that is offered on campus. They are also organizing a food and clothing drive so bring donations of food and gently used clothing for the ULSU Food Bank.
There will be live music from Penny Fortune and The Smalltown DJS.
On April 12, the Moja Kwa Moja concert takes place at the Trinity United Reform Church ( 1100 40th Ave North). Organist Mary Lee Voort will be performing with the Aeris Brass Quintet as well as the Immanuel Christian High School choir and Global Drums to raise money for Compassion Canada Child Survival project to support children in Mombassa, Kenya. There is no charge though a freewill offering will be taken to support 50 moms and their babies from the time their mothers are pregnant until they are born. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m.
For laid back country roots music, Lethbridge’s own Dave McCann returns to the Slice, April 12.
For something that rocks a little harder, there is an all ages metal show at the Moose Hall, April 11 featuring Without Mercy Lethbridge’s own The Avulsion, Bite Down, DIRT and Coaldale based Trancide. The show begins at 7 p.m.
For something that rocks, but not quite as loudly, local rock band Dead Eye Strobe return to The Owl Acoustic Lounge, April 12.
But best of all, one of my favourite blues rock bands, the Perpetrators return to Lethbridge to play the Slice, April 11.
This is also an excellent week for open mics as usual, as there is a Thursday open mic at the Cave at Lethbridge College, in addition to the usual Thursday open mic at the Trianon.
This is also the week for the Lethbridge Folk Club open mic at the Wolf’s Den on Friday, in addition to regular open mics at Jimmy’s Pub and Steve Keenan’s blues jam at Honkers.
HBO3 (Paul Holden, James Oldenburg and Brad Brouwer) host a jazz jam at the Slice April 10 this week as well. Oldenburg will also be playing with Bandemonium at Casino Lethbridge April 12 and April 13.
Other excellent local gigs including Bridgette Yarwood playing at Ric’s Grill, on Wednesday, April 10, Karen Romanchuk and Dale Ketcheson are at the Mocha Cabana, April 12 and 13 respectively and the Sheldon Arvay band is at Ric’s Grill on April 12.
Early next week, Michael Jackson fans will be in Heaven as HIStory comes to the Yates- Sterndale Bennett Theatre April 16.
Kenny Wizz has spent most of his life playing the music of Michael Jackson, however his show HIStory will be the biggest show yet.
Michael Jackson HIStory plays the Yates Theatre, April 16 at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $54.
Over in Fort Macleod, Lethbridge Indie rock band Jesse and the Dandelions, beginning at 7 p.m. will be playing an Untapped Alberta concert with Wool on Wolves and Chloe Albert, April 12
Also this week at the Empress, French Canadian folk icons La Vent Du Nord perform April 13 and April 14.