While a lot of people leave the city for the weekend, a number stay in town. Quite a few of them ended up packing the Owl Acoustic Lounge for Andrew and Julie Scott, Sept. 3.

 I arrived mid set in time to catch the slide powered blues number “Liquor Pig,” my favourite song from his new CD “My Time in The Empire.”

He switched to ukulele to play a number of songs including a love song to his wife and more impressively, took a gulp of water and gargled out the words to “Don’t Worry Be Happy,” in a close to perfect Bobby McFerrin falsetto voice.

 He switched back to guitar for, among other things, a medley of “Ghost Riders in The Sky,”  Guns  n’ Roses ’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and The Foo Fighters’ “Times Like These.”

It was a laid back night at the Slice, Sept. 1 with Clair Reilly Roe and Winnipeg’s Cat Jahnke.

Ottawa born, New York transplant Clair Reilly Roe started the set with an affable  set of perky pop/ folk music and showed off her pretty voice to the small but enraptured audience.

 She joked about forgetting the bridge to a new song she had just performed and then played it  again, asking the audience if she minded.

She admired Arianna Richardson’s tinsel bed hanging from the Slice ceiling as she strummed a beautiful white Gretsch and added a little bit of jazz to her music.

 Cat Jahnke returned with a set in much the same vein, though a little more upbeat. She started strumming a battered acoustic guitar, played a Rufus Wainright cover, which she sang in French then played “Apple” the title of a new web series, which she scored.

Clair Reilly -Roe conducted the crowd to sing along with the chorus. Her parents then called on Skype so she brought her iPad on stage so they could listen in as she joined Jahnke on stage to sing background vocals and hold up a kazoo for Jahnke to solo on.

Jahnke then switched to piano for the rest of her set including a number of peppy highlights including a song called “Crocodiles,” and a solid cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” before ending with a brand new, upbeat, jazzy number called “Little Whistle.”
 She was called back for a second set.

Yukon based singer-songwriter Gordie Tentrees returned to Lethbridge, Aug. 31 to play the Slice with a full band.

 Usually Tentrees holds his own and then some with just an acoustic guitar and his lead guitarist as a more laid back trio.

This time he was there to rock. And while he doesn’t have the best voice in the world, he draws a lot from the well of Fred Eaglesmith,  as his set was punctuated by a capable cover of Eaglesmith’s “ I Like Trains.”

He told twisted stories about “killing a bunch of people” and having to move up north as a result  and played upbeat blues and country music. He had a great crowd enraptured by them and his music and his strong band killed it.

 He joked about having “ no friends,” but  I’m sure he made a few after the first set, most of whom were dancing by the end of it.
 Most of his songs were prefaced by stories about things like Dawson City’s colourful history and elderly couples and a toast that “either start fights or inspires weddings.”

 While he is no Fred Eaglesmith he can sure play some impressive blues on the guitar.

It’s back to school, so there will be huge parties at Lethbridge College and the University of Lethbridge this week as they introduce new students to university fun and live music.

 The Lethbridge College Students’ Association opens the year with a free barbecue and beer gardens from 4-9:30 p.m. featuring live music from Medicine Hat based cover duo Mahoney and Calgary rockers Copper. It will be followed by an outdoor screening of the movie Bridesmaids.

 On Wednesday, Sept. 7, there will be a carnival complete with cotton candy and rides plus hypnotist  Scott Ward.

 Thursday, Sept. 8 features Rave in the Cave featuring DJ Soprano.
 And the big event for frosh week at the college features the Steadies, a reggae-rock band featuring Earl Pereira from Mobadass and Wide Mouth Mason. It takes place in the Barn, Sept. 9.

 The University of Lethbridge features Fresh Fest 2011 beginning Thursday, Sept. 8 with the Fresh and Breezy Luau as well as Fresh Fest, followed by the Lemon Party in the Zoo on Friday, Sept. 9.

But the big event is the Fresh U Jamboree from 4 p.m.- midnight, Sept. 12 which features  a variety of acts including the Vancouver punk/ blues duo the Pack AD, Smalltown DJs, Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker plus local acts the Necessities and Jesse and the Dandelions. Unfortunately those events are only open to students or guests of students.
 But there is a lot going on in the rest of the city.

 Tonight, the New Weather Machine hosts the open stage at the Slice.

The Lethbridge Folk Club is back with their first open mic of their new season at the Wolf’s Den on Friday. Anybody is welcome to get up on stage and perform to one of the most supportive audiences in the city. Sign up is at 8 p.m. with the music beginning at approximately 9 p.m. The two dollar admission fee covers the cost of keeping the lights on. Open mics take place at the Wolf’s Den on the second and fourth Fridays of the month. There are also bluegrass jams  on the first and third Fridays. Their first show of the season is Bill Bourne on Sept. 17 with opening act Leon Barr.