2010 was certainly a packed year for music lovers in Alberta. It was a year
that saw music icons like Aerosmith, Guns N Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, Diana Ross,
Slash, Bon Jovi and Alice Cooper & Rob Zombie pay a visit. Canadian content
was aplenty with shows from Tegan & Sara, Great Big Sea, Our Lady Peace, The
Barenaked Ladies, Michael Bublé, Neil Young, Alexisonfire and many others. 2010
saw the resurrection of Lilith to mixed reviews and results. Many Calgarians
made the trip North for what was the concert event of the year, Lady Gaga in
Edmonton. Unfortunately I didn't go, which is why she is noticeably not included
in my list.
Naturally this is far from a comprehensive list of
concerts in Alberta last year. Time constraints made it
impossible to attend shows, while others just weren't of personal interest. So while Carrie
Underwood, The Backstreet Boys, Justin Bieber, The Black Eyed Peas, Arcade Fire
or Iron Maiden may have been your favorite, simply put, I didn't see them, so
they didn't make the cut.
I did however see over 30 shows this year, some reviewed, some not. It was a
challenge to narrow it down to 11 of my favorites. Here, in chronological
order, are my picks for the best concerts in 2010.
Guns N Roses – Saddledome – January 16th - Review
Guns N Roses rang the year in with a roar –
a three hour plus epic that featured classics along with new material from Chinese
Democracy which was far better live than recorded. Axl Rose is a lot of
things, many of them negative. But knowing how to keep a crowd in the palm of
his hand is definitely one of them.
Jay Malinowski – The Gateway – March 20th, 2010 - Review
It is sad when an artist releases a solo
effort and tours behind it to draw a fraction of the audience that their band
gets, especially when the material is as fantastic as Malinowski's first solo
effort Bright Lights & Bruises. In comparison to a show 7 months
later with Bedouin Soundclash, the audience at the Gateway was rather sparse.
Instead of taking away from the show however the intimacy enhanced it.
Malinowski put it all out there and the result was one of my favorite concert
experiences of the year.
Korn – Big 4 Building – March 31st
2010 – Interview
Korn is the first decidedly "un-gay" band
on this list. As singer Jon Davis explained in his interview with the magazine,
because of the themes and lyrics of their songs, the band has a lot of gay
fans. It was an intense, cathartic evening. Davis was also my favorite artist
interview of the year.
Barenaked Ladies – Jubilee Auditorium – April 8th,
2010 – Interview | Review
The first of two visits to Calgary answered the question of how the band's live
show would be without Steven Page. Fans young and old alike responded with a
resounding "awesome." The foursome charmed the sold out crowd with their wit
and blend of classic and new songs. BNL has overcome a lot in their career, but
proved they still have a long career ahead of them.
Our Lady Peace – Jack Singer Concert
Hall – May 10, 2010 – Interview | Review
More artists are experimenting with playing an album in its entirety, live.
In the case of Our Lady Peace, they did so with two albums on two nights. Clumsy was the better of the two, showcasing the band's most popular album
(unlike Bon Jovi, who seems to think that Lost Highway is the greatest
album they ever made). While the first "album" set and the subsequent set of
hits were different in presentation and tone, it made for a memorable night for
OLP fans.
Sweet Thing – Broken City – June 2, 2010
– Interview
Reporter on entertainment has its ups and downs. Sometimes there are concerts or
interviews that are almost painful, and other times you get a wonderful surprise. I
had no idea who Toronto band Sweet Thing was when I was asked to interview
them. I was impressed with the humble, friendly guys I chatted with. Later that
night I became a fan. Without gimmicks or fancy lighting, Sweet Thing put on a
star performance, one of what will surely be many to come. Remember the name
and buy their album because these guys are going to become huge stars.
Rihanna w/ Kesha – Saddledome – July 6th, 2010 – Review
Rihanna proved she had arrived with The Last Girl On Earth Tour.
Reminiscent of the types of shows Janet Jackson or Cher would put on, it was a
multimedia spectacular that cemented Rihanna's place as a live performer. Add
in Ke$ha who surprisingly (more than) held her own, and you fans had a lot to be
happy about. With the release of Loud, one can only hope that Rihanna
will return to Calgary in 2011.
Bon Jovi
– Saddledome - July 14, 2010
Bon Jovi was in the midst of a stadium tour that played in Edmonton, but took a
side trip to Calgary for the Stampede. The downside? Being "cowtown" apparently
meant to Jon and company that we wanted to hear lots of songs from 2007's Lost
Highway. The problem was, we saw that tour twice in 2007, but this was a
tour supporting their new album The Circle. Considering the 14 year gap
before the band played Calgary in 2007, it would have been nice to have a more
diverse set. That said, Bon Jovi is still awesome live – it was the top
grossing concert tour of the year for a reason (namely $1000 VIP packages that
didn't even include a meet and greet, and $160 regular seats.) You are probably
asking why they made the list. Despite my frustration with the Bon Jovi
machine, I had a great time.
Michael Bublé – Saddledome – August 17th, 2010 -
Review
The concert industry struggled in 2010
yet Buble managed to sell out two nights at the Saddledome. What is it about
Canadians that make them so damn funny? The combination of humor, incredible
pipes, and being a damn good looking guy, had the mostly female crowd swooning
from the opening moments to the end. From presentation to setlist, this is a no
brainer to be included on the list.
Aerosmith - Saddledome – September 10th,
2010 – Review
The dramatic build up to the show almost eclipsed the show itself. With a
furious Joe Perry ragging on Steven Tyler in the media, this had huge trainwreck
potential. Yet once the Boston band hit the stage it was like none of the drama
existed and Aerosmith showed why they have been on top for four decades. Considering that it was Perry's birthday, it was a memorable night. If this was
Aerosmith's last hurrah, they went out with a bang.
Great Big Sea – Jubilee Auditorium – October 27th, 2010 -
Interview | Review
Another of my favorite interviews of the year, because Alan Doyle was just a pure
delight to talk to. Having never seen Great Big Sea live, I was curious to
witness what the hype was about. The band more than lived up to it, with almost
three hours of classic and current songs. There are a lot of Canadians on this
list for a reason - we have a lot of talented folks here, and Great Big Sea is
near the top of the list as a live act.
Alexisonfire – Macewan Hall – December 3, 2010 – Review
I have a soft spot for Alexisonfire, so they make the list. They are another band that
doesn't fit a stereotype yet, has songs about gay marriage (Accept Crime).
I enjoy Alexisonfire, but I am really excited to see the softer side of Dallas
Green as well. New City and Colour will be released and toured later this year.
So what does 2011 have in store? Already announced are Melissa Ethridge, Sarah
McLachlan, Alan Jackson, a combined New Kids On the Block & Backstreet Boys
tour, Keith Urban, and the rescheduled U2 360 show at Commonwealth Stadium.
Whatever your musical tastes, 2011 should be a heck of a year.
