The Owl Acoustic lounge went back to the ”90s with a sold out show by Bif Naked and her hot band.

 The Toronto via Vancouver and Winnipeg based musician Beth Tolbert, best known as Bif Naked  is an inspiration— a breast cancer survivor, philanthropist, author and performer.

 She bared her soul  about her battle with cancer and break ups and bounced around the stage in stilettos and a mini skirt like a woman half her age. She sounded like she was losing her voice, but still hit  some piercing high notes.

 She chatted engagingly  with  audience and quipped “Mama’s working” as she posed for selfies with audience members in front of the stage.

Audience members wanted to share their favourite Bif Naked  memories, which she obliged  by giving them the microphone before  saying “Mama’s Working,” as she promised to return to Lethbridge ridge soon.

 She introduced her band and joked she gets told she talks a lot, observing her voice isn’t as high as it used to be.

She hit all the hits like  “Moment of Weakness,” “ Tango Shoes” and wound down her set with crowd favourites  ‘Spaceman” and “ I Love Myself Today,” which she saved for the end. 

 She hit most of the highlights of her career. I arrived in the middle of “ Daddy’s Getting Married.”

“Chotee” about her first  marriage to a drummer was a crowd favourite which was one of several songs that had an  X Ray Spex feel.

She channelled Patti Smith for a couple other songs and  fellow ’90s icons like No Doubt and Garbage in others.

The band also played some newer songs including a song they had only played four times before that had more of a straight ahead power-pop feel.

She noted she has a new album coming out soon. 

 “Jim” was a particularly haunting highlight as she noted “ it’s a song about betrayal, so replace it with your own name.’

 She talked a little about winning her battle with breast cancer,  and observed her experience encouraged her to volunteer with other cancer patients.

She advised the audience to check themselves for cancer.

 There was a little crowd surfing during Spaceman, with which they wound down their set .

They were called back for an encore of  “Twitch” from her breakthrough 1998 album “I Bificus.”

Unfortunately I missed an opening set from Miesha and  the Spanks, but She gave several shout outs to the Calgary duo and encouraged the audience to buy Miesha and the Spanks’ merch.

— By Richard Amery, L.A.Beat editor

A couple of big festivals will be the highlights of Saturday. Enjoy some laid back music in Galt Gardens with Chillin in the Park, Saturday, Aug, 13  featuring performances by the Bridge Band Quintet, Little Lethbridge Opera Company, Musical Theatre Collective and more happening from noon to 5 p.m.

 Right after that, get your country on with  CKXU. The University of Lethbridge based community radio station brings  the For the Record Festival to the Grove outside the Student’s Union building,  Saturday, Aug 3 at 6 p.m. 

The show features Edmonton”s  D’orjay the Singing Shaman, Crossfield born, Calgary based musician Robert Adam and fellow Calgarians Amy Nelson and Mariya Stokes. Lehtbridge country performers the Cody Hall Band and Shaela Miller round out the line up. The Cody Hall band also host Honkers Pub’s open mic on Friday, aug. 12.

 Admission is free. The music begins at 6 p.m.

 There are a lot of other shows happening during the week. Luke James Bruce hosts the open mic at Mojos pub, tonight, Aug. 8.

Gabe Thaine hosts a blues jam at the Slice, Aug. 9, while down the street, the Owl Acoustic Lounge’s open mic happens as usual. Scott Davidson hosts the Slice’s open mic on Wednesday, Aug. 10

 Michael Bernard Fitzgerald is bringing Farm Tour 2 to Southern Alberta on  Aug. 10 as well. Tickets are available through michaelbernardfitzgerald.com or by phone (403) 850-0805.

Dave McCann plays  Rotary square outside Casa on Thursday for Upside Downtown.

Lethbridge welcomes home Jesse Northey, who plays a show at the Owl Acoustic lounge, Aug. 12 with Toronto  musician Chloë Doucet and Starpainter. The tornot based Northey is supporting his new keyboard powered album Onion Knight.

 Admission is by donation.

Jesse Northey makes a long awaited return to Lethbridge in support of his new album “Onion Knight” with a show at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Aug. 12, with Chloë Doucet and Starpainter.

“ It’s been at least three or four years since I’ve played Lethbridge,” said Northey, who cut his musical teeth playing Lethbridge venues.

 He has been living in Toronto for the past three years where he works in artist management and runs his own record company Victory Pool.

 He moved to Toronto just before the pandemic .

“It still feels pretty new to me because I was there for a year and then everything shut down,” Northey said.

 In between other responsibilities, he found time to explore his love of  ’70s soft rock and keyboards for his first full length solo album.

 He released three albums with Jesse and the Dandelions in Lethbridge and Edmonton.

 The new album, which will be officially released Aug. 10 allows him to stretch his musical leanings on keyboards.

“ I was starting to get bored with guitar and moved away from it for a bit, it’s not that far removed from what I do,” he said,  adding he used  some Hammond and B3 organ sounds 

“ I love the feel of the ’70s. I’ve been listening to a lot of Harry Nilsson, though there is some Elliott Smith in it,” he said.

It’s not your grandfather’s country— well it sort of is, but with a modern twist.

CKXU is celebrating some of Alberta’s independent country musicians with the For the Record Festival, Aug. 13 in the grove new to the University of Lethbridge Student’s Union building.

Shaela Miller, the Cody Hall Band, Mariya Stokes, Amy Nelson, Robert Adam and D’Orjay the Singing Shaman will be on stage at 6 p.m., Aug. 13.

 The free all ages festival is an expansion of the three smaller festivals Dai Hewison, host of CKXU’s For the Record Friday morning  radio show, organized last summer.

“It’s a way to get people to come out for a live music experience,” Hewison said.

Hewison is organizing the festival while CKXU staff are helping out with the logistics of the event.

“I remember going to Love and Records and wanted to do something like it. CKXU has never done a festival focusing on country music. But it’s not your usual country music. These performers are still independent artists who have large following and are still working their way up,” Hewison continued.