There is music every day of the week this week. The theme of the week is roots and country with a little bit of punk rock tossed into the mix.

The Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra is back at Southminster United Church, Monday, Nov. 22 with Series 2 Hungarian Rhapsody featuring pianist Bradley Parker. They will be performing Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2;Liszt - Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat and Bartók - Concerto for Orchestra. Tickets are $25-$75. The concert begins at Southminster United Church at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday is unusually busy. As usual, Good Times has their weekly comedy open mic. But there are also some outstanding roots shows happening.

Saskatchewan folk/country troubadour Zachary Lucky returns to the Slice, Tuesday, Nov. 23.

 Surrey folk duo Ocie Elliott’s show at The Geomatic Attic’s main venue is sold out, Nov. 23.

 The Geomatic Attic has a busy week as Saskatchewan country duo Kacy and Clayton play the downtown venue on Friday, Nov 26 in support of their new record “Carrying On.” The show is at 8 p.m., with doors opening  at 8 p.m. Tickets are $32.

 The Geomatic Attic also features Manitoba country roots musician Del Barber and his  band playing the main venue, Nov. 28. The show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $32.

 Also in the roots country milieu, the Mariel Buckley band returns to the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Saturday, Nov. 27. There is  a $10 cover charge.

 Wednesday is jazz night at the Watertower Grill and Thursday is the Slice’s  weekly open mic.

Whiskey Gap Country host Honkers Pubs’ Friday night open mic.

Honkers Pub went ’50s  on Nov. 13.

 I caught the end of Honkers Pub’s ’50s Sock hop which started early with Rebel Angels, who I missed, but was in time for the last set from local blues rock band Coda.

 There were still a lot of of enthusiastic folks in their favourite ’50s finery, mostly looking like extras from Grease.

The band including lead guitarist Sheldon Shukaliak, keyboardist Cory Rasmussen front and centre on the stage, drummer Ben Lamb hidden behind everyone else and Rebel Angels bassist Rod Cahoon took turns singing lead vocals and playing kazoo solos where a saxophone would usually be on a variety of ’50s favourites.

But first as the show was about the close, they conducted a limbo contest to the tune of “Walking After Midnight.”

 But they had a whole lot of music to play including some Jerry Lee Lewis and, of course, Elvis Presley to play first and the dancers had a lot of  ’50s moves to show off too.

 Guitarist Sheldon  Shukaliak donned a mask and wandered into the audience to solo on one of the booths. 

 Ben Lamb belted out “Come on, Let’s Go” and “You Ain’t Nothing But a Hound Dog,” from behind his kit.

 He also crooned out some ’50s pop.

 Shukaliak showed off his sensitive side on “Oh Donna.”

 “Oobie Doobie” was another highlight.

— By Richard Amery, L.A Beat Editor

Friday, Nov. 12 was  Zojo Black’s third CD release party in theory, but  even through their third CD hadn’t arrived always great to see the band which is pretty much a Lethbridge blues supergroup based around Paul Kype and Texas Flood band veterans.

 Zojo Black is  Greg Gomola’s funk tinged blues rock inspired, mostly original project.

He happily welcomed  Steve Keenan to play lead guitar and Paul Kype on bass with Brady Valgardson keeping the beat behind the skins. Kelsey Reichert  was in the middle of singing a couple songs with the band by the time I arrived.

 Most of the set was original music, mostly from their upcoming CD, though there were a few highlights from  his previous  record including their high powered cover of Deep Purple’s “Hush” and one of my favourite Zojo Black originals “ Modern Day Marilyn Monroe.”

 

It doesn’t get much better than listening to Keenan and Gomola trading guitar leads.

 If they had found another bassist and put Kype on guitar, we could have had a true triumvirate of Lethbridge guitar goodness. 

 

  They played a fantastic set as expected which had the full house of enthusiastic fans on their feet.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

Harpdog Brown may as well get a house here  as he plays here often enough.

Our music scene would be the richer for it. As it is, we’re blessed to have had Harpdog Brown and a top notch tier of talent playing Lethbridge for the third time in almost as as many months.

He played the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Friday, Nov. 12 with Charlie Jacobson supplying steady rhythm on drums while simultaneously playing tasteful guitar solos.

 During the set breaks, Harpdog Brown happily greeted  all of his old friends and fans by name  even remembering where he met most of them, even fans from years ago.

 The duo were as warmed up as the audience by the time they started their second set with a hot cover of “Big Boss Man,” during which  Harpdog Brown poured himself a drink and downed it without missing a note.

 The duo worked their way through a bundle of blues classics by the likes of Jimmy Reed, Willie Dixon, Elmore James and Howlin’ Wolf and a few Harpdog Brown originals.

The duo’s cover of John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom” was a highlight.

 Harpdog Browns original “Reefer Loving Woman,” was an original highlight, which featured a hit harp solo from Harpdog Brown and a tasteful guitar solo from Jacobson.

 The dancers were delighted to show off their best moves.

 And Harpdog was happy to provide the sound track as well as a few stories and a whole lot of blues.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor