One thing to be thankful for for the Thanksgiving Long weekend in Lethbridge’s vibrant  music and arts scene.

 There is something for everyone this week beginning with a pair of regular open mics.

 The Owl Acoustic Lounge’s open mic is tonight, Tuesday,  Oct. 3, while tomorrow, Oct. 4, the Slice kicks off an eclectic week with their open mic.

Blues fans won’t want to miss Chicago based, Australian  born bluesman Michael Charles’ return to the Slice, Thursday,  Oct. 5.

 It is all about punk music for the rest of the week at the Slice.

 Calgary’s Quit It! return to Lethbridge  to play the Slice with  Chernoff and the Hockey Moms. There is a $15 cover for the show.

 21st Avenue rock the Slice stage with TubeDog on Saturday.

 Saskatoon punk rock band GreenWing  play the Owl Acoustic Lounge on Friday, Oct. 6  with The Rainbow Patrol and  Alec Arms. Admission is pay what you can.

New Autumn and Yarboro’s Zach Passey play the Owl Acoustic Lounge stage, Saturday, Oct. 7

For something a little mellower, Cody Hall Plays  Two Guys and A Pizza Place, Thursday Oct. 5.

Saskatoon alternative rock band GreenWing are taking wing one more time to play Lethbridge before they take  the winter off to record the follow up to their 2022  debut album “ Late Bloomer.”

 The band, including frontman/ guitarist Matt Stinn, bassist Travis Williams and, guitarist  Anthony Allegretto and drummer Kolt Kimbley who replaced Zakk  Streilloff who moved to  Toronto in December, draw inspiration from a variety of bands including the Foo Fighters, Pixies and especially Pup. They were last in Lethbridge in March and are excited to return to the Owl Acoustic Lounge  on Friday, Oct. 6.

“We like to say we write punk music for people who have  to pay mortgages,” said  Stinn, recovering from a  early morning drive back to Saskatoon from Regina where they were playing a packed diner.

“ I find listening to a lot of bands I grew up. It sounds like lyrics were meant for 16 year olds. I want to write songs I wouldn’t be ashamed to sing in my 30s,” he said.

The band formed during the pandemic and has been going non-stop since things opened up.

 “Since everything opened up, we’ve been going non-stop. We wanted to say yes to everything,” he said, noting as long as the opportunities work for the band.

 They have since opened for a variety of acts  including  Daniel Romano, the Dirty Nil,  Reignwolf, Mom Jeans and even Three Day Grace in December.

“that was amazing. We got a call about an hour before the show because someone who knew someone who knew us  told them to call us a call and tell us to get our shit down here. One of the opening bands got sick. And we were the first  to respond,” he related.

Though they are more or less  taking some time to work on the new album, they have a couple  high profile  gigs including  One Bad Son, whose bassist Ryan Kuly, helped them make their  new video for their song “Dead Friends.”

 The Allied Arts Council opened Arts Days outside casa with the Arts Days Cabaret, on a drizzly Friday night, Sept. 22.

 A decent   crows huddled beneath the new sails outside casa and chatted amiably amongst themselves in between showers. 

 Local rock band Peace For Bombs  channelled a touch of the ’80s with keyboard powered rock and roll and alternative rock.

 They were just winding up their set of upbeat catchy original music with plenty of vocal harmonies and keyboard hooks.

 If Peace For Bombs referenced the ’80s, The Decadent Phase were all about bringing back the laid back vibe of the early ’70s.

 The rain started to fall as people looked for dry seats under casa’s new courtyard sails.

The Decadent Phase always play a laid back , groovy show with plenty of  freewheeling hippie spirit, jamming and mellow vocals  along the lines of James Taylor from frontman James Swinney. James Swinney (vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica), Tyler Eresman (lead guitar), Keilan Hakstol (percussion), and Keely Evanoff (bass, harmonies) played their usual solid set of laid back late ’60s and early ’70s folk rock.

New keyboardist Josh sang a couple songs  as I took cover in casa from the rain.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat editor

The Duke celebrated “the Equinox” on the weekend with a whole lot of live music.

 I only caught Luke James Bruce’s second set on Friday, Sept. 22  but couldn’t stay for Yarboro.

  I also didn’t make it to Mahoney on Saturday night.

 Bruce played an array of contemporary alt country of the like of Zach Bryan and modern mainstream county.

 But he also threw in some Tragically Hip.

An “older song” “Whiskey Glass” was a highlight.

Bruce hosts Honkers Pub’s open mic on Friday, Sept. 29.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor