Get an early start on Robbie Burns Day (Jan. 25) with a couple of excellent Celtic shows from local Celtic folk band Celtic Roots who play a few times this week.

 They play the Zoo in the University of Lethbridge Students Union building on Wednesday from 6-8 p.m..

 The next day they help reopen Theoretically Brewing, 7-9 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 19.

 Then they “celebrate everything Scottish” at the Multicultural Centre with the Lethbridge Highland Dance Association, bagpiper Alec Chisholm, Scottish Trivia, Robbie Burns poems and songs and Celtic Routes winding things up. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 teens 13-17 and  five dollars for children under 12.

If you want to play, the Owl Acoustic lounge’s open mic is Tuesday, Jan. 17. Chris Drew hosts the Slice’s Wednesday open mic and Mercedes Fawns hosts another open mic at the Slice’s  on Thursday, Jan. 19.

 Nord Bridge Seniors centre has a welcome back jam, Friday, Jan. 20 with  the Nord Bridge jammers.

Luke James Bruce hosts Honkers pub’s open mic on, Jan. 20.

If you want to laugh, So You Think you can Comic returns to  the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Wednesday, Jan. 18.

 And Impromptu brings back Drunk improv to Good Times, Thursday, Jan. 19.

CBC is opening up a Lethbridge bureau with journalist Ose Irete in Lethbridge.  As part of their two day celebrations, they are sponsoring a comedy night at Good Times with Brittany Lyseng, plus special guest Spencer Streichert and Lauren McGinnis and host Faris Hytiaa. Admission is $10. The laughs begin at 8 p.m.

The main event for the CBC bureau launch is a two day co-sponsorship with the Lethbridge Public Library, Friday, Jan. 20.

Kevin Peters and the Burnt Edges had a trimmed down lineup at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Saturday, Jan. 7.

Shawn Worden was holding down the bottom end on bass, the Decadent Phase’s Keilan Hakstol added rhythm on drums,  Megan Brown added fiddle and backing vocals and Peters sang lead vocals and played lead and rhythm guitar. He had a steel guitar set up as well, thoughh I missed hearing him play it.

 He was in a Waylon Jennings mood as usual. So there was plenty of ’60s and ’70s outlaw country style twang.

 He played his new single “Flawed Man” and a few other originals.

 The band played a lot of Waylon Jennings, but also added a  hot cover of Hank Williams III’s “ Country Heroes.”

The set ending “Lonesome On’ry and Mean” was one of the many Waylon Jennings highlights.

 he wound down the set with  Waylon Jennings’  “ Good Hearted Woman.” 

 Chris Drew opened the show. 

— by Richard Amery, L.A. beat Editor

 It’s been a while since I’ve seen local funk, R and B  icons Hippodrome. I missed their annual pre-Christmas  bast at the Slice, but was glad to have caught the last  part of  their Jan. 7 show at the Slice.

 They have three powerhouse vocalists in Shawna Romolliwa, Erica Hunt and Juran Greene who were taking turns  singing lead on a variety of ”’60s and ’70s disco and pop and R and B favourites.

 They had their rock solid  rhythm section  of bassist Paul Holden, drummer Brad Brouwer and percussionist Kyle Harmon, but had a new guitarist and had tweaked their horn section.

 A Hippodrome show is always a hot, sweaty, energetic  good time. So it was no surprise the show, for Pardip Athwal’s birthday, sold out quickly.

 Everybody was dancing and having a good time.

Erica Hunt was  helping belt out “ Hold I’m Coming” as I arrived.

 Their exceptional cover of Stevie Wonder’s “ Signed Sealed and Delivered (I’m Yours)” was one of many sweaty highlights.

 They wound down their second and last set of the night with a few crowd favourites including “Play That Funky Music.”

 Erica Hunt belted out Proud Mary.” Shawna Romolliwa  took on  “ I Will Survive,” and Juran Green  lead the blissed out crowd home with “Mustang Sally.”

— By Richard Amery, l.A. Beat Editor

This week is all about jazz and a little bit of the blues.

Keith Woodrow hosts the blues jam at the Slice, tonight, Jan. 10.

Greg Rekus returns to The Owl Acoustic Lounge stage to host their open stage tonight., Tuesday, Jan. 10.

 The first jazz jam of  the new year is at the Owl Acoustic lounge with hosts HBO3 and Ryan Heseltine kicking things off at 8:30 p.m. with special guest  Mike Carter.

But before that, Sheena Lawson and Randy Epp perform at the Watertower  from 6-8 p.m.

U of L based jazz combo Midnight Channel have a regular gig at the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden Bunka centre on Thursdays at 7 p.m.

 For blues, Paul Kype hosts the open mic at Honkers Pub, Friday, Dec. 13.

 And the Eric Braun band will be playing the blues for you at Casino Lethbridge, jan 13 and 14.

There are a lot of other fun events happening as well.