L.A. Beat

It’s the long weekend, but thanks to all of the great music, art and drama happening this week, you can start celebrating Labour Day early.
A couple big festivals mark the weekend. The “In the Shadow of the Bridge festival”  dominates Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Numerous local acts beginning with  the LCI Jazz band  at 10:45  will be playing next to Fort Whoop Up.
 Other popular acts include  the Hungarian Trio, Leon Barr, Joshua Fritz and Bridgett Yarwood, plus David Renter, the Ammena  Dance company, Leah Sadler and O’ Reely. Dave McCann and the Firehearts are also on the bill as well as the Lethbridge Fire Spinners, Hippodrome and Soup of Flies who wind things up at 10:15. After that, The Slice is hosting an after party with several local acts including Treeline, the Shaela Miller Threesome, Planet Telex, the Skilletlikkers and the New Weather Machine.
But things start early this week with the Dave Renter quartet hosting the Slice’s open mic tonight (Sept. 1). The next day, Sept. 2 the Slice welcomes East Coast Music Award winning folk/ country singer Christina Martin and East Coast Music Award nominee  Steven Bowers.
And Beija Flor returns to Lethbridge to play Henotic,  Sept. 4, which is also the day local classic rockers the Chevelles open up a new pub called Squeaky’s, located where O’Riley’s used to be at 411 3rd Ave South.
Popular pop/rock singer Ben Brown begins a regular Thursday night gig at Ric’s gig this week as well.