It has been since the days of the old Owl that Saskatchewan  based indie rock band Bears in Hazenmore visited Lethbridge so they had a lot to show a decent sized crowd  at the Owl Acoustic lounge, Saturday, Jan. 27.

The enraptured  audience took in epic  soundscapes of  keyboards, delay laden guitar and a few apt  French horn and saxophone solos from the band who had a lot of new music to play.

They  were trying out some new tunes on a receptive audience.

 The frontman, who showed off some fine falsetto, noted  they started writing one of them a few years ago at the Farm, outside of Lethbridge where a lot of local roots musicians recorded and played a few years ago and finally finished it.

 Most of that lay in the pop side of indie rock.

 They played tender pop ballads and more up tempo numbers.

 The bassist was multi-tasking on keyboards and saxophone. The main keyboardist added the French horn.

 They wound up there  set with a plaintive saxopone solo.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

There is plenty of folk and rock music happening.

 The Owl Acoustic Lounge’s open mic opens the week on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

Sheena Lawson and Randy Paskuski return to the Watertower Grill to play some jazz music, on Wednesday,  Feb. 7 from 6-8p.m.

The Owl Acoustic lounge has a special folk and roots show on Thursday with Richard Inman and  Horsefly, B.C. born folk musician  Marin Patineaude. Admission is by Donation Down the road, The Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod features  Canadian folk singer  David Francey and Terra Spencer, Feb. 8Tickets are  $37.50.

The Lethbridge Folk Club’s  open mic is at  McKillop United Church at 6 p.m. 

 The weekend rocks.

 Dave McCann and the firehearts return to Casino Lethbridge  this weekend. Don't miss them. Admission is free.

Honkers Pub has a busy weekend. Luke James Bruce  has a show on Friday, Feb. 9  for the official launch of 6 Shutters Lager at 6 p.m. Undefined play later in the night.

 Paul Kype hosts the open mic at honkers Pub on Saturday, Feb. 10.

Danica Sommer brings her Alanis Morissette tribute to the Owl Acoustic Lounge on Feb. 9. 21st Avenue will open the night. Tickets are $15.

 But before that, the Owl Acoustic lounge hosts a Rap battle Red Light at 6 p.m.

The Slice has an eclectic show on Friday with Pretty On The Inside kicking things off at 10 p.m. followed by Calgary’s Andy Vaughn and the bad Ideas at 11:15 and Calgary blues rock band White Willie Brown at 12:30 a.m. Admission is $15.

Though Brad Rempel  from  Canadian born country chart toppers High Valley has called Nashville home for 15 years, he still has  deep roots in Southern Alberta.

 High Valley play the Enmax Centre, Feb. 14.

“I love it here. My kids are born and raised here,” said Rempel, who formed the band in 1997  with brothers  Curtis and Bryan, in the Mexican Mennonite town of la Crete, Alberta who moved back to Canada.

 Rempel's long time band members Jordan and Andrew  Hemmerling and Raymond Klassen will be joining him on tour.

 He brings the popular band back to Lethbridge to play the Enmax Centre, Feb. 14 in support of their new EP Small Town Somethin, which will be released on Feb. 2.

“ It’s the name of the single, the EP and tour,” said Rempel, he said adding audiences have already responded positively to the first singles, particularly “ Give a Boy A Baseball.’

“We’re raising our kids to look at screens . But it is important to go outside and play basketball and baseball and football and get outside,” he said.

 The new EP has a strong religious theme, which Rempel said is usual for the band.

“We formed this band when we were kids. Religion was naturally part of growing up. And faith has always been fundamental to our music,” he said, adding he is excited to have new music out.

“ I write music every day, so any time we can release music is great,” he said.

 They also released their 2022 album “ Way Back,” after learning Alison Krauss was a fan of “Do This Life” and wanted to sing it with them.

Februrary begins with a little bit of everything.

 The biggest event of the week is The Sound of Music.

 TheLethbridge Symphony Orchestra and  Little Lethbridge Opera Society  collaborate to bring the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical to the Southminster United Church, Feb. 1-3. Tickets range from $10 for children to $80 for the best seats in the house for this special show, which begins at 7:30 p.m. each night.

The other big show of the week is Rockers and Rebels For A Cause— a fundraiser for the Lethbridge Food bank at the Place on Friday, Feb. 2.

 Some of Lethbridge’s finest musicians will be playing for a great cause beginning at 6 p.m.

 Jolene Draper and  Steve Martin open the night at 6 p.m. Rebel Angels 50s follow at 8 p.m..

 Border Bound bring you to midnight beginning at 8 p.m. 

 And Undefined close out the night  at midnight.

 Admission is $10.

The weekend starts mellow at casa as Wander West play Celtic and country and folk music  from 12:15- 1 p.m. for The Lethbridge Conservatory of Music‘s  Lunch and listen program. Admission is free.

 There are heartfelt singer songwriters at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Friday night  with Lethbridge’s Wells Good and Elisha Lazenby plus Former Lethbridgian Max Hopkins, who now calls Calgary home.

 Admission is by donation.