Local bluesman Eric Braun and his band were in a country mood at Casino Lethbridge, Friday, Jan.13.

I caught the end of their last set of the night on Friday.

 I arrived in the middle of  a cover of Brad Paisley’s “Alcohol” which featured one of many hot Eric Braun guitar solos.

 He added Chris Stapleton’s “ Tennessee Whiskey” and went classic  country for Waylon Jennings’“Working Man’s blues.”

 Just after midnight, they were called back for  an apt encore of “ After Midnight”  which let everybody show off their skills.

—by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

Saskatchewan singer/songwriter Ellen Froese returned to the Slice to enrapture a good sized crowd Friday, Jan. 13.

She was at the Owl Acoustic Lounge during the summer, but I missed her. Before that she was last here in 2019 so it was great to hear her again.

Froese  played a laid back, enjoyable, enrapturing  set, which felt just like she was playing in your living room.  She told stream of consciousness stories and musings while strumming her guitar. She had a lot of new music to share, but wound down  her set by playing a request for an older song “Girl on the Cover of the Eaton’s Spring and Summer 1975 Catalogue.”

She wound  down her set with “ I’m So Happy Alone, featuring a harp solo.

 She has a beautiful smooth, smoky, folkie voice along the lines of Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez and as always  looked just delighted to be here.

She ended with “Ease My Mind” but  happily posed with photos and selfies on the stage with her fans after her set before making way for Richard Inman and his band.

 Richard Inman always plays engaging shows. he sings as if  every heartfelt word he utters is the most meaningful word ever uttered. The audience can tell he feels every single word of  his songs. 

 Inman told stories and sang original music  backed by  some of Lethbridge’s best musicians including Megan Brown on fiddle, drummer Brad Brouwer, bassist Paul Holden, led guitarist Kevin  Peters and Trevor Christensen adding country twang on steel guitar.

They started strong with “What Was I Thinking” (Not the Dierks Bentley hit) and  went even more country with “Love and Rose.”

One of many highlights of the first set was  a song about “losing all my money playing cards.”

 He played a song that reached number 6 on the Indigenous country charts.

 And played several songs from his  2020 “ Come Back Through” album including “ Waiting on the River” and “ Cut Fence and Let God Sort Em out about the wildfires in Waterton.

They wound down  the set with a request for  “Coming Back Home To You.”

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

Lethbridge gets a chance to peek behind the scenes of CBC, as CBC launches its new Lethbridge bureau with a two day launch party at the Lethbridge Public Library, Jan. 20 and 21.

“We’re hoping people will come spend the day with us,” said Madelaine Lapointe,  senior  CBC Communications officer.

Multi-media journalist Ose Irete , who graduated from the U of L with an anthropology degree and has spent most of the past decade living in Lethbridge, will be reporting on Lethbridge news for TV, radio and online. He officially started last week.

 The launch will feature a plethora or Lethbridge talent performing, chosen by Ose Orete and the Lethbridge Public Library.

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

There will be a variety of family friendly activities including button making, a giant set of headphones and an opportunity to pitch stories to CBC, plus refreshments, treats and much more. 

On Friday, Jan. 20 there will be a live presentation of Alberta at Noon with Judy Aldous and a live presentation of the Homestretch from 3 - 6 p.m. with Chris dela Torre and Jenny Howe.

“ People will get to be part of the live audience for the shows,” Lapointe said Madelaine LaPointe,  senior CBC Communications officer.

“ After that we’ll go to Good Times for a comedy show, but it is sold out,” she continued.

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.