It’s starting to look like St. Patrick’s Day in Lethbridge. There are a couple of St. Patrick’s Day themed shows happening this week in addition to a couple big events.
For St. Patrick’s Day, the Lethbridge Firefighter’s Pipes and Drums have two shows —on March 17 at Average Joes as well as with Vancouver based Celtic-punks the Real McKenzies at Bo Diddly’s, March 15.
Paul McKenzie promises a real Ceilidh or “drop dead” party when he brings a revamped line up of Canadian Celtic punk pioneers, the Real McKenzies to Lethbridge, March 15 to play Bo Diddly‘s.
“ I want to extend a salutation to the people of Alberta. Wear your kilt and we’ll have a real Ceilidh,” McKenzie recommended from a ferry en route to a show in Victoria, where they are officially kicking off a tour of western Canadian tour, which will wind down in Lethbridge. They are playing with Montreal punk band the East End Radicals and the Lethbridge Firefighters Pipes and Drums.
Also on St. Patricks Day, Lethbridge's resident celt Tom Dooley will be performing with Vancouver based musicians/ poets, the Fugitives, March 17 at the Slice.
Also in the St. Patrick’s Day vein, Calgary Celtic rock/ pop collective Dr. Zoo is playing the Lethbridge College Barn, March 15 to help raise money to build a greenhouse in an elementary school in Peru. There is a dinner and silent auction at 6 p.m. Tickets are $55 for the whole night. Or you can just dance with Dr. Zoo at 9 p.m.. Admission to that is by donation. There will be a midnight lunch of Irish stew for five dollars.
For something a lot little different, Los Angeles based performance artists/ tattoo icons/ subculture sweethearts the Show Devils will be winding up the Epic Dermis Tattoo themed art show at Studio 54, March 13. Redrum Triumph and the Void will be performing as well. The show begins at 8 p.m. There is a $10 cover.
Also for something unusual, B.A Johnston returns to Lethbridge, March 12 to play the Owl Acoustic Lounge with the Ruby Plumes and Lethbridge punk/ garage rock band Fist City.
If your musical tastes are more exotic, don’t miss Latin Grammy Award winner Alex Cuba, who plays the Goematic Attic, March 14. Tickets are $42.50
Cuba is touring on his new CD Static in The System.
If you are looking forward to Misfits lead singer Michael Graves’s April 20 show at Studio 54, then get ready for it with the Leo Lives Memorial show and auction, March 16 at the Owl Acoustic Lounge.
In addition to a silent auction of a variety of cool stuff, Bob Scallywag of local punk band the Scallywags, End of Empire and No More Moments will all be performing acoustic versions of Misfits songs. The show begins at 7 p.m,.
There are a couple of great blues shows as well with Montreal soul/ blues musician Cecile Doo-Kingue playing the Slice, March 14. Calgary blues singer / guitarist Erin Ross is also back in Lethbridge this week to play the Mocha Cabana Friday and Saturday.
The Owl Acoustic Lounge also has a rap show with Test Their Logik and Aeosublte.
Test Their Logik is Toronto based anarchist hip hop artist and organizer Testament and Toronto based revolutionary artist/producer Illogik. There is no cover for the show.
The other big event this week is the third Annual Prairie Folk Tournament, which takes place at the Slice, March 15-16.
Kory Istace of Regina based roots group Kory Istace vs. the Time Pirates is excited about the tournament.
“Bring your stomping boots,” he enthused.
“I’ve been pestering Taylor (Ackerman, organizer) to get in on that for years, but it has never worked out,” he said.
They share the stage March 15 with the Ball Gag N’ Chain Gang and Regina acoustic pop/ alt country bluegrass band The Grain Report, which also features Time Pirate Thomas Roussin on mandolin as well as Time Pirates Ryan Shotton and Neil Kirby. Cat Abenstein and Nathan Ottenson round out the Time Pirates line-up.
