I didn’t want to miss the first show of the week from Calgary’s Go For the Eyes at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, so I left the sold out Pack A.D. show at the Slice to catch them.
 

They were originally supposed to open for the Pack A.D, but had to content themselves with their own show. They’ve branched out since I last saw them, with new bassist Scott Perrin on board.

While Perrin overpowered everybody, an attentive audience of approximately 20 people was enjoying the show.

 They  have added a more late ’60s psychedelic edge to their sound.
 Keyboardist Elise Roller sang beautifully, giving them a Joan Jett meets Blondie sound. They played a tight and exciting set showing a range of their influences.

They played some different material including a disco influenced Beastie Boys cover as well as an interesting  version of the theme from “Space Jam.”

If you could describe The Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra’s new season in one word, the word would be variety as this season includes everything from movie music to Ukrainian dancing.
 This season, which kicked off Sept. 28 with the first Lethbridge Symphony Chamber Series includes everything from Handel’s Messiah to popular film sound tracks.

 They will be winding up the season in May by joining forces with the Troyanda Ukrainian Dancers for two days, May 12-13.

“ We definitely have a lot of variety this year,” enthused Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra musical director Glenn Klassen.
 They open their Masters Series concerts, Oct. 15 at the Southminster United Church with a superb selection of pieces including Felix Mendelssohn’s “Overture to Ruy Blas Op. 95, Robert Schumann’s piano concerto in A Minor Op 54 and Carl Neilsen’s Symphony No. 1 in G Minor Op. 7.

But Klassen is especially excited about the second Masters Series featuring 40 years of Hollywood Magic, Nov. 19. They will be playing a variety of movie music including obscure Russian films scored by Prokofiev; Errol Flynn’s “Sea Hawk”; ET; pop culture classics like John Williams scored movies Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark and modern day films like Avatar.
“ You’ll really be getting the cream of the crop,” Klassen said.

Canadian themed folk and blues music is the theme of this week.
 The Lethbridge Folk Club welcomes Edmonton bluegrass band the Bix Mix Boys, who sing a lot about Canada, particularly Alberta. They play the Lethbridge Folk Club Wolf’s Den, Oct. 13.

 The Geomatic Attic has a busy October beginning with Toronto roots-rock act  Cuff The Duke, who will perform with Jenn Grant, Oct. 10.
 There are a couple other high profile roots and country acts coming to town as well this week.

 Canadian roots/country icon Fred Eaglesmith returns for a two day run at the Geomatic Attic, Oct. 15 and Oct. 16. Roger Marin, who played with Eaglesmith for many years and Yukon based blues/ folk musician Gordie Tentrees return to the Slice, Sunday, Oct. 14.

The Geomatic Attic is also collaborating with the Lethbridge Jazz society, Oct. 18 when Petra van Nuis and Andy Brown perform, but first get warmed up for it with a jazz jam at the Slice featuring HBO3 (Paul Holden, Brad Brouwer and James Oldenburg), who welcome local jazz musicians to the stage, Oct. 10.

The Bix Mix  Boys are an interesting  type of bluegrass band— because they actually sing about  Canada, particularly Alberta land and history.
 They will be performing at the Lethbridge Folk Club Wolf’s Den, Oct. 13.

“There’s lots of guys like Wilf Carter and Ian Tyson and newer guys like Tim Hus and Matt Masters who sing about  Alberta, but not many bluegrass bands,” said Didsbury born banjo player  Darcy Whiteside who learned banjo at the feet of respected Albertan musician Jake Peters.

“ I was talking to musician from Virginia and he asked me why we’re singing about the Blue Ridge Mountains instead of the Rocky Mountains. ‘Those (the Blue Ridge Mountains) are hills,’ he said. And that got me thinking, I would rather be singing about Alberta, where I’ve travelled all over rather than places I have never been to or visited,” Whiteside said adding the Bix Mix Boys maintain their roots in traditional bluegrass but put their own Albertan stamp on the music.
 They do some research, though most of their songs are inspired by travelling.

“Jim Storey ( guitar/banjo/mandolin and fiddle player)  has a lot of interest in antiques, so he knows a lot of stories from that.”
 The roots of the Bix Mix Boys come from a band called Maple Creek. Recently they added fiddle player, mandolinist and vocalist Tony Michael who has played with the likes of Ian Tyson, The Bellamy Brothers and KD Lang.