Christmas is the time of year families, friends, co-workers and long lost relatives get together to spend time together, but the most important thing isn’t the Christmas carols, it’s the time spent together.

“ As of mid-November, we’re  starting to play the Christmas parties,” said Tim Carter, guitariest for local classic rock band the Chevelles adding corporate Christmas parties keep the band hopping throughout the holiday season.

“That’s the thing about having a set with such depth (they play over 200 songs from the ’50s to  today,) is that it allows us to play  weddings,  bars, curling tournaments and Christmas parties. It’s nice to be able to target the show to a specific audience,” he continued.

Families make New West part of their Christmas traditions

Even though they aren’t doing a Christmas show this year, per se, for many years  New West Theatre has  been a  big part of a lot of families’ Christmas celebrations.

“We’re not going to premiere a dark and disturbing drama during Christmas,” said New West Theatre artistic director Nicholas Hanson.

“People are looking for a fun way to spend the holidays, so we ensure the December production is light and fun— something you can take your  extended family to as well as their friends and co-workers,” he continued adding while there won’t be any Christmas carols involved with the show, there will be plenty of familiar pop, rock, and country hits in their December production of Glitz, as well as New West’s hilarious comedy. It  runs Dec. 17-31.

“ It’s certainly a festive time. A lot of families have their Christmas  traditions.  A lot of families, friends and co-workers’ Christmas traditions includes New West Theatre,” he said adding some years they will do an actual Christmas production  like “Scrooge,” or a “Christmas Carol.”

It’s mid-December, so the Christmas season is in full swing.
 There are several Christmas themed shows this week including a couple different presentations of a Christmas Carol on Dec. 10.
 The McGill Music and Arts School presents their dinner theatre presentation of a Christmas Carol at  260 McGill Blvd. West (the Maranatha Church). Doors open at 6 p.m.

Downtown, the Playgoers of Lethbridge also present a reading of a Christmas Carol at the Southminster United Church at 7 p.m.
 Proceeds from the $10 tickets go to the Interfaith Foodbank.
If you like modern country music, High Valley is coming to  the Victory Church, Dec. 10.

If you want Christmas music, The Lethbridge Gold Band is playing your favourites at the annual Mayor’s Christmas Concert, Dec. 11 at Southminster United Church.

If you missed the Phantom Creeps at the Front Row Pub this week, performing with local Burlesque duo the Brazen Hussies, catch the Creeps and Smokestack Jacks at the Slice, Dec. 10.

If you missed Karen Romanchuk opening  for Jill Barber this week, then check out her show at the Owl, Dec. 10.
And if you missed the Phantom Creeps at the Front Row Pub this week, catch them playing with Smokestack Jacks at the Slice, Dec. 10 as well.

Canadian country  senstions High Valley, have come by their country roots honestly.

“We’re Christan boys, we started singing in church and we all grew up on a farm. And we’re playing a church at Christmastime. It’s fun to get back and do that again. So we’re excited about it ,” said lead singer Brad Rempel, who along with his brothers Bryan  and Curtis, play their first headlining concert in Lethbridge, Dec. 10 at the Victory Church, which will include familiar Christmas songs, songs from the CD and maybe some new songs which may appear on their next CD.

But for now, they are about to drop the third single from their self titled debut CD — “A Father’s Love ( The Only Way He Knew How)”

  Their last single, “On The Combine,” co-written with Paul Brandt,  was released perfectly, just in time for harvest season this fall.

Bucky Covington had a hit with “ A Father’s Love ( The Only Way He Knew How)”  earlier this year, however, High Valley’s version will be on the air in January.

 I usually try to take Sunday nights off, but seeing as I was out five nights in a row this week, I thought why not make it six?

Especially because Moncton rockers the Motorleague were in town to play the Slice, Nov. 28 and I missed their opening set  with Grady on Tuesday.

 I was not disappointed. After a brief set by two members of Toques and Beards, who were playing their own brand of alt-country music, later to be joined by the Motorleague’s drummer, Ryan McDonald, The Motorleague was up.

 They played an intense, hour-long set of original balls to the wall rock and roll, sounding like Kiss (in sound and sans make-up) meeting  the Kings of Leon over a case of Red Bull and a couple shots of adrenaline.

 They played an ear-bleeding set of rock and bounced all over the stage, but still played a supremely tight set full of energy, some sweet harmonized guitar solos and boundless energy.

Lustre Creame closed the show, and I always marvel at how the local psychedelic stoner rock trio can play such complex music, while  being half cut.

 This show was no exception, with lots of big guitar riffs and some energetic melodies  and unstoppable drumming.