I always look forward to seeing rural Manitoba singer songwriter Del Barber, so was excited to catch his whole show at the Geomatic Attic, Sunday, Nov. 28.

I expected it to be completely sold out, but it was not. Del Barber and band mates lead guitarist Austin Parachoniak, drummer Ivan Burns and bassist/steel guitarist Ryan Funk played a laid back set for an appreciative audience in the  Geomatic Attic’s main venue.

As expected he focussed on songs from his most recent CD “Stray Dogs.”

But hedelved into his back catalogue, punctuating the music with stories about the songs and the people who inspired them as well as a few jokes.

 He had a real Hayes Carll mixed with Blues Rodeo , a touch of Todd Snider mixed with a little Tom Cochrane vibe throughout, but had the band come up to the mic at centre stage to sing a few stripped sown songs bluegrass style, which showed off his band mates’ vocal harmonies.

“ 62 Richmond” an older song about a tall tale teller, was an early highlight. Barber mused “I can’t believe I’m 38 years old, have two kids and  have songs that are 10 years old that I”m still playing,” as bassist Ryan Funk switched to steel guitar.

 he talked abut his dad who recently passed away and noted he wrote a lot of songs with him including a highlight about  a homeless couple in Winnipeg, dedicating “Ronnie and Rose” to them

“Big Smoke ” was another highlight.

The band ended his first set with an excellent cover of Ian Tyson’s  Someday Soon.”

Their  second set was a little more upbeat and featured a lot more stories, including one about a ”tough  as a two dollar steak woman” who works at the gas stop in Virden, Manitoba.

“ I thought she deserved a song,” he quipped as he introduced “No Easy Way out.”

 he dedicated a pair of acoustic songs to his dad, including “ Just A Little Heat,” which was about his dad comparing himself to a car, not a failed romance as one writer described it.

Several  songs were inspired by hanging out in bars including “ Friends Like Us.” which was definitely a highlight of the show and one of the more Hayes Carll sounding songs.

 The line “Destined for Hell or a Wal mart parking lot” drew a few chuckles from the enraptured audience.

He ended with  with a slower song,  “Meantime” the single from the new CD.

But he was called back for an encore.

He noted  he doesn‘t usually get political in his songwriting, noting the next song was political, as he ended with “Dead Skunk In the middle of the highway.”

 the Geomatic Attic has several shows coming up in December. The next show is MonkeyJunk guitarist Tony D and Eric Braun and the new downtown location, Thursday, Dec. 2. 

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

 Tyler  Brownfield debuted his new band Hell Diablo at the Slice,Saturday, Nov. 27 Brownfield, who was in local psychobilly band the Phantom Creeps almost 10 years ago, has now joined forces with Lethbridge’s busiest man in music Taylor Ackerman to record the new Hell Diablo CD “ Blood Is the New Black.”

For the CD release party at the Slice, Nov. 27, the recruited bassist Shawn Worden and drummer John Brooks to play pretty much all of the new CD , which also includes a few Phantom Creeps songs.

They played all of them for their set, wedged between Public Execution and Queen of the Worms.

 Hell Diablo are a solid, sleazy , snarling desert rock and roll band somewhere in between Queens of the Stone Age without Josh Homme’s high notes and Nashville Pussy without the female talent and a touch of the Supersuckers.

Their set included a couple Phantom Creeps songs and ”the Bright Side” a Those Poor Bastards song that the Phantom Creeps covered.

The Creeps covers came early in the set including one of my favourites “ Cold Hearted Man.”

Brownfield snarled out the “fucking bullshit” chorus of that song early in the set.

He snarled  F bomb laden lyrics and ground out menacing riffs on his Gretsch, while Ackerman played most of the solos, though there were some sweet  dual leads. Ackerman’s wah wah laced solos enhanced the Queens of the Stone Age vibe and added a psychedelic rock feel to several songs.

 Worden missed nary a note, even when he broke his bass strap and Brooks hammered home the rhythm behind the skins.

They wound down their set with the title track of the new CD “ Blood is the New Black.” and ended with another highlight “Hellbound Heroes.”

— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

Celebrate the first week of December with  a lot of live music. The blues is the thing this week.

The week begins early with local synth pop musician Ty Vandendool, who has a  farewell party at the Slice on Tuesday, Nov. 30 before he  leaves Lethbridge for greener pastures.

The show begins at 7 p.m.. Admission is by donation.

As usual there is also a comedy open mic at Good Times on Tuesday. Good Times features  Brad Semotiuk and  Celeste Lampa on Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m.. Tickets are $16.64.

 Also for comedy, Drunk Improv: Extra Eggnog Edition is happening at  Didi’s Playhaus on Saturday, Dec. 4. The showbegins at 7 p.m. Admission is pay what you can. 

 Things are picking up at the university.  The U of L wind ensemble  performs at University Theatre, Wednesday, Dec. 1. Tickets are  $12 students and alumni, $15 seniors and $20 for adults. The U of L Jazz Ensemble performs at University Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 4. Their “ Back  In Swing” show features the music of  Duke Ellington, Thelonius Monk, Bob Mintzer, Benny Golson and more. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m.

 The Watertower’s regular weekly  jazz night is 6-8 p.m., on Dec. 1 as well.

 The Owl Acoustic Lounge‘s monthly jazz jam is  Thursday, Dec. 2. HBO3 and Ryan Heseltine play at 8 p.m. 

 MonkeyJunk’s Tony D plays the blues at the Geomatic Attic’s downtown venue, Thursday, Dec. 2. Eric Braun will be opening the show at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35.

 As usual the Slice weekly open mic is on Thursday.

Classical music fans will want to check out a free afternoon show at Casa with the Unconventional  Trio. on Friday, Dec. 3. Trumpeter Josh Davies, bass trombonist Nick Sullivan and pianist Deanna Oye will be performing works by Eric Ewazen and Arthur Frackenpohl, a famously hilarious operatic duet by Rossini, and a pair of songs by Michael Hennagin, originally for voice and based on some of the poetry of Emily Dickinson. The free concert begins at 12:15 p.m.

Local Tragically Hip tribute the Hip Trip were having fun with wireless units as they played all the Hip hits for an appreciative audience at the Slice, Friday, Nov. 19.

 I missed the first set, but caught frontman Gabe Thaine playing a quick solo set of acoustic numbers to open the second set.

 He did his best Gord Downie impression on “38 Years Old” before  guitarist Mark Hall, bassist Jack Horne and drummer Raz Bruce joined him on stage for the electric portion of the show.

 Hall and Horne spent most of the set in the audience experimenting with wireless units for their instruments, though you couldn’t see them, with most of the lights turned off.

“I wish I had a wireless,” Thaine quipped.

 hall handled both  Tragically Hip’s guitar parts.

 All the hits were there including “New Orleans is sinking and “Wheat Kings.”

 Thaine noted “We’re out of Tragically Hip songs, but we’ll be back for another set,” as the band ended the Hip portion of the show with “Twist My Arm” and a couple  mellower moments with “ Long Time Coming” and “ Courage.”

— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor