I’m still easing myself  back into covering local shows.

I just returned from vacation  on the Outlaw Country Cruise 7 on Tuesday, Feb. 28 and stuck around Calgary an extra day to hear Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, March 1 at the Jack Singer Concert hall  who should be on the Outlaw Cruise and  Kathleen Edwards, who definitely was  one of the highlights of this year’s Cruise.

 A good chunk of Lethbridge’s music scene took in the show. 

  Jason Isbell is modern outlaw country royalty who gets a lot of play on the Outlaw Country 60 station on Sirius XM, and used to be part of the Drive By Truckers, so I know him from those places.

 I actually bought the ticket  to see Kathleen Edwards, as I’d never seen her before. She was also  one of the main reasons I signed up for Outlaw Country Cruise 7, but unfortunately missed half her opening set  because parking and traffic is atrocious in downtown Calgary, especially when there‘s a big concert at the Jack Singer. I was almost just about to go home in frustration, but was glad I stuck it out, out of breath nonetheless.

 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit is his rock and roll iteration, so that’s what a close to sold out crowd got— a cornucopia of  grungy alt rockers and his more more nuanced, layered, introspective popular Isbell “hits” and should be hits.

“ 24 Frames,” was an early highlight. He followed that up with the first live performance of his new single “ Death Wish,” which the Outlaw Country station has just started to play. 

I always love that. 

He started mellow with “What’ve I Done To Help, ” “Hope the High Road” and the urgent “ It Gets Easier.”

He talked about coming up from Muscle Shoals , Alabama to “ freeze our asses off in Calgary,” and reminisced about some inebriated good times in Calgary from back in his drinking days.

 I was waiting for  a couple of my favourites, the greasy rocker  “ Super 8,” and “ Overseas,” which has probably one of the best lines ever written about a dying small town “ This used to be a ghost town but even the ghosts got out and the sound of the highway died.” and heard them mid way through the show.

 Isbell really is a poet who also plays a mean guitar. His band mates, drummer Chad Gamble, bassist Jimbo Hart, keyboardist Derry de Borja, who I couldn’t really hear and, as a bonus, lead guitarist  drivin’ n’ cryin’s Sadler Vaden, were off the hook, embracing  the multi-facetness of isbell’s extensive catalogue.

They played a couple acoustic sets, featuring a beautiful version of “Dreamsicle.”Isbell traded leads with Vaden.

 Vaden sang lead on  drivin n’ cryin’s  “ Honeysuckle Blue,” which was awesome to see.

 They were called back, eventually for an encore  of  “ If We Were Vampires” and “ Decoration Day.”

I’m glad I caught Ottawa born St. Petersburg , Florida based musician Kathleen Edwards on the boat multiple times, as I missed half of her set opening for Isbell, but caught “ Glenfern” from her new album “ Total Freedom” and a couple of her earlier hits. “ Six O’ Clock News,” “ I Make the Dough You Get the Glory” and “ In State,” I didn’t get to hear “ Back to Me,” which I was really looking forward to. She played fiddle on a couple of her more ambient, introspective songs. As a bonus, as he wasn't“t on the boat,  Colin Cripps was playing lead guitar for her for this show. 

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

Popular north side venue Honkers Pub celebrated 26 years with a whole lot of live music, Saturday, March 4.

 I missed performances by Steve Keenan and Paul Kype, Luke James Bruce and the Mark Hall band, but was in time for Laurie and the Guys which includes Mark Hall.

 Honkers still had a full house by the time I arrived after my radio show.

 I got settled as the band was tearing through The Greg Kihn Band’s  “ The Breakup Song (They Don”t Write like That Anymore.”

 They played an array of popular classic rock hits including  the Rolling stones’ “Dead Flowers,” and some country hits like Eddie Rabbit’s “ Driving My Life Away,” and  even more special— Carlene Carter’ s “ Every Little Thing,” which was especially cool as not more than a week ago I was listening to Carlene Carter herself sing  that song on the Outlaw Country Cruise 7.

 They wound up their set with the Janis Joplin version of Kris Kristofferson’s “ me and Bobby McGee.

— By Richard Amery, L.A Beat Editor

This is the week for big Enmax Centre shows.

 Country stars Old Dominion bring their No Bad Vibes tour to the Enmax Centre, Thursday, March  9 with  special guests  Frank Ray, Shawn Austin and  Steven lee Olsen. Tickets are $116.95, 494.95 and $74.95. the Show begins at  7:30 p.m.

 “Agro pop ” Youtube and Tik Tok star Geordie Kieffer plays the Enmax Centre, on Saturday, March 11. Tickets are $40. The 18 plus show begins at 9 p.m. Tickets are $40 or $100 for the meet and greet.

 Eagles Tribute Take it To the Limit bring the sounds of the a’70s to the Yates Theatre, Saturday, March 11. Tickets are $67.50. The hits begins at 7:30 p.m.

 But the music begins early this week.

 The Cancer Bats are back in Lethbridge to play the Slice tonight, March 7 with Trench and guests, but the show is sold out.

If you want to play, there are plenty of open mics beginning tonight, at the Owl Acoustic Lounge with Mitchell Makoons.

The Slice has an open mic on Wednesday, March 8.

 Gabe Thaine hosts a new open mic at Theoretically Brewing.

If you missed Saints and Sinners at the Slice like I did on the weekend, they are hosting Honkers Pub’s open mic on Friday. Paul Kype and Texas Flood have a show at Honkers  Pub on Saturday at 8 p.m. Admission is $10.

 There is plenty of jazz music this week too.

Sheena Lawson and Randy Epp return to the Watertower Grill on Wednesday, March 8. from 6-8 p.m. After that, check out the jazz jam at Thew Owl Acoustic Lounge with HBO3.

 And Soulful Vibes Afrobeat returns to the Owl Acoustic lounge, Thursday, March 9.

 Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens has a special show as they welcome  Calgary based jazz and lounge icon Tim Tamashiro who plays 77 Inari (Fox) Speakeasy in the Bunka Centre. Tickets are $77. A password will be sent after buying a ticket through https://Inarispeakeasy.eventbrite.ca 

 The show runs from 6-9 p.m. 

If you want to laugh, Impromptu returns to  Didi’s Playhaus for Drop in improv, Thursday, March 9. at 7 p.m.. Admission is by Donation.

Mike Dambra returns to Good Times March 11 and 12 for two shows each night  at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tickets are $19.95.

 As usual, the weekend cooks.

 Makiisma plays a solo show with withiddenoise at Theoretically  Brewing, March 10. Admission is pay what you can. The music begins at 7 p.m. Theoretically Brewing has a busy weekend as they also host CKXU Loves You on Saturday, March 11 with a whole lot of pop music from Calgary synth-wave trio  Lost Decade,  Khillah Khills and local musician Pogboii, who blends hip hop, pop and a touch of punk and more. Tickets are $10. The music begins at 7 p.m.

Los Angeles based “agro pop” singer Geordie Kieffer is excited to begin his first long tour of Canada this month.

He has his new full length album dropping  in July and the new single “Drug” dropping on March 8.

“ We’ll be releasing videos from the new album before then,” said Kieffer, who kicked off his Canadian tour in Edmonton and is excited to play the Enmax Centre in Lethbridge on March 11.

“The Edmonton show was so much fun. The crowd was wild and great,” said Kieffer, nursing his voice.

Kieffer is touring with multi-instrumentalist Mitch Toler who plays guitar and keyboards.

“Because I like to jump around a lot. He plays guitar and keyboards and dances when I request it,” Kieffer continued.

Kieffer came to prominence a few years ago with his album Agro Pop” and videos for the  hot singles “Gut,”“ Swinger,” “Cracker Jack,” Golden Retriever” and viral hit “Red Line.”

“ Agro pop is what I named my music. there‘s no other way to describe it. It’s hard and sexy and fun music you can dance, drink, fight and fuck too, if you’ll pardon the language,” he said.

 He has gained renown as at Tik Tok and Youtube star, but there is more to him than  that.

 “Tik Tok definitely gave my music a bump. I’ve been making music since I was 10. Because my brother and dad played music,” he said.