Local alternative rock band Rainbow Patrol had a good sized crowd nicely warmed up  for Cope’s EP release party, Oct. 27 at the Owl Acoustic Lounge.

 Bassist  Jacqueline Kennelly was frenetic while frontman Richard Charlton   howled angst fuelled lyrics  in a tight, high octane  and relentless set of original desert rock and alternative rock.' Drummer Travis Arnoldussen got an early start on Halloween by dressing up aptly as a rainbow.

 Cope, now a trio with bassist Christian Nelson joining the fold with frontman/ guitarist Tyson Wiebe and drummer Mickey Hayward  dressed in matching Cope baseball jerseys with their last names emblazoned on the back for a slightly more laid back set than the Rainbow Patrol’ set, which mostly focused on the  new EP ‘ Old Heavies,” but also delving back into their back catalogue for songs like ‘Cholera,’ and. ‘ Tubby Dog.’

 They opened with  the ’90s post grunge grind of “The Great Canadian Barn Dance,” as Wiebe joked about adding Creed’s Scott Stapp to the guest list and joked about the band members being old.

 They drew a lot from ’90s alternative rock and grunge, particularly the Smashing Pumpkins because of Wiebe’s adenoidal voice which at times  veered into Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age registers.

 Their music had a lot of big, grinding, detuned riffs, some dissonance and a touch of ambience in places.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

Now all the ghouls, ghosts and devils have gone home, their bellies full of Halloween treats, it is time to plan for Christmas.

Lethbridge Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre will be aglow with Christmas spirit “Around the World,” Nov. 23- Dec. 31.

Tickets go on sale today, Nov. 1 for this once in a lifetime virtual trip around the world though lights.

 “ This is  the type of event we’ve been wanting to host since we first started building this building,” said Lethbridge and District Exhibition CEO Mike Warkentin, adding it is an opportunity for families to have an immersive experience including over 1 million lights guiding you through a virtual trip around the world  including stops at the  Eiffel Tower,  London Bridge, the Taj Mahal  and more. There will also be live music, treats and a visit from Santa Claus.

Glow Gardens originated in Langley, B.C., and has expanded its annual Glow shows to Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Halifax, and Hartford, Conn., and is now recognized as Canada’s largest indoor Christmas light show.

“It’s different in every city,” said  Paul Kingsmith,  Lethbridge and Exhibition Sr. manager of marketing and Communications.

“ This is the first of many events like this we plan to hold,” Warkentin said.

“ It’s cozy, warm and inviting.”

Rock in  November with a whole lot of rock and roll

Halloween night features a couple scary open mics.

 The Owl Acoustic Lounge has a spooky open mic tonight, Tuesday. Down the street, prophet Gabriel takes a night off from working in the LMT pit band for the Full Monty the Musical to  host a spooky blues jam at the Slice.

 If you want to laugh, Hatrix Theatre hosts a special presentation of Toxic Avenger the Musical at McNally Community Centre. The show begins at 8 p.m.

Lethbridge Musical Theatre’s production of the Full Monty the musical continues  Nov. 1-4 at the Yates theatre including a matinee on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. 

Good Times has a full week of laughs to open November.

 Megan Windle hosts Pro Amateur night at  Good Times on Wednesday, Nov., 1

 Dirty Bingo is on Thursday and Good Times hosts a special show on Sunday, Nov. 5 with  Andrew Packer and  Marc -Anthony Sinagogo . Tickets are $25. The show begins at 7 p.m.

James Oldenburg and Paul Holden have a busy week as they return to the WaterTower on Wednesday to play some jazz music. They are also performing at Streatside Eatery on  Saturday, Nov. 4 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Canadian Irish punk pioneers the Mahones return to the Slice on  Thursday, Nov. 22 on their last club tour.

 The Hockey Moms and Murkey Waters are also on the bill, which begins at 8 p.m.

 Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

Ty Vandendool played a technical issue plagued set of original ’80s style keyboard powered pop music at the Slice, Friday, Oct. 20.

 He had a new keyboardist  learning the ropes, so  technical issues  didn’t help.

 He also had a solid bass player keeping the groove going.

 Vandendool sang  his songs in his usual appealing plaintive tenor and danced in between keyboard solos.

 He had plenty of family in the audience and a fan in the front row who wanted to hear “Small Town City,” one of his older songs with which he  closed his set.

 I missed Fawns’ opening set.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor