Ring in  2023 with some great country and roots music at the Owl Acoustic Lounge.

Calgary’s Carter Felker returns to the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Friday, Jan. 6. The day after that, Kevin Peters and his band the Burnt Edges return to the Owl Acoustic Lounge stage on Saturday. Chris Drew opens the show.

 The Owl Acoustic Lounge opens January with the first open mic of the year tonight, Tuesday, Jan. 3.

The Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden is featuring  live music on Thursday with U of L born jazz combo Midnight Channel, who perform every Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Bunka Centre.

Train Wreck return to Honkers Pub’s stage to host their open mic,  Saturday, Jan. 7. Circle Ridge Country host the open mic on Friday, Jan. 6.

 Progressive rock/ emo band Alec Arms return to the Slice Stage, Jan. 6 with Rope Bunny.  Hippodrome returns to the Slice  on Jan. 7 for Pardip Athwal’s birthday to get your booty shaking. And early next week, Keith Woodrow hosts a blues jam at the Slice, Jan. 10.

So put on your dancing shoes and help Pardip Athwal celebrate her birthday in style.  Tickets are $15. The music begins at 9 p.m. 

Rudy Strangling Wolf returns to Casino Lethbridge this weekend, Jan. 6 and 7. 

There is no dust on Sault Ste Marie born, Edmonton based musician John Hewitt, who returns to Lethbridge to play the Lethbridge Folk Club, Sunday, Jan. 15 at the Lethbridge College Cave.

Hewitt brought his  gentle folk stylings channelling the spirits of Tom Petty, John Prine and Bob Dylan to theThe Slice twice and the Owl Acoustic Lounge last year.

“ I do love Lethbridge. Me and my wife might even move down there to be closer to the border,” said Hewitt, who just released his  third album, “Life Blood and Tears  in December,” his third since 2020. He released it digitally, Dec. 1 and officially on Dec. 10.

“ Though I also have released a couple EPs and singles,”  continued Hewitt, who left Sault Ste Marie in 2018 and settled in Edmonton.

 He took advantage of a week off from touring and getting a new guitar to make the new album.

“ My friend Gord Holland, who fixes guitars and holds house concerts gave me this guitar and the songs  fell out of it. That doesn’t happen often. So when it does, you’ve got to let it happen,” he said.

“ I didn’t even have all of the songs. I had three of them. So I wrote at night and recorded them the next day,” he said.

“ So if it wasn’t for having that week or that guitar, I wouldn’t have these songs,” he said, adding they were inspired by a period of reflection.

A new year is dawning. So it’s time for the annual new year’s eve toast. May the best thing that happened to you last year, be the worst thing that happens to you in the next. May you all all be healthy and happy and be excellent to each other, may you be able to pay your bills and may you find your new favourite band  this year.

 Rock in 2023 with some live music this week.

The Owl Acoustic Lounge has their open mic tonight, Tuesday, Dec. 27.

 Teri Petz’s last poetry open mic of 2022 is  on Wednesday at the Owl Acoustic Lounge.

 Nikko Yuko Japanese Gardens features U of L Jazz band Midnight Channel every Thursday during their annual festival of light.  They are in the new Bunka Centre at 7 p.m. They will be switching to Sunday performances in February.

 Get a head start on new year’s Celebrations on Friday, Dec. 30.

The Decadent Phase  return to the Owl acoustic lounge, Dec. 30 with new songs plus Lady Grime and Ol’ Ben performing. Admission is by donation.

Steel Cut return to casino Lethbridge, Dec. 30. The Bamboo Guppies ring in the new Year at Casino Lethbridge. there is a buffet dinner beginning at 6 p.m., party favours and champagne at midnight, Tickets are $79.99.

 Isaac Neufeld brings his Iron Maiden tribute to the Slice, Dec. 30 at 9 p.m.

Franki G Returns to Honkers Pub to host this week’s open mic on Friday, Dec. 30.  

New year’s Eve  is on a Saturday  night this year which is a party night anyway.

 There are lots of options.The Chevelles play LA Chefs annual Christmas Eve party at the Coast hotel with special guests the JDS. Cocktails are at 6 p.m., dunner is at 7 p.m. Tickets are $99 though Eventbrite

 Local country band Coyote Junction  holds court at the Italian Cultural Centre. Tickets are $50 per person for the evening which includes a traditional Italian feast.

bang your head ’80s style for New years Eve with local def Leppard tribute Stage Fright, who return to the Place at 8 p.m. Tickets are $16.93.

 or get your poodle skirts and zoot suits  and dance the nights away ’50s style with the Rebel Angels at the Slice. Admission is $15.

Rudz Crew play rock and country at  Bully’s Entertainment Centre under the Grandstand for a free show beginning at 9 p.m.

 And Uncovered return to their local haunt Pop}s Pub South to rock in New Year’s Eve ’90s style beginning at 8 p.m. 

New Year Eve is anything but a drag at the Owl Acoustic Lounge with LEMF’s Get Juicy 2 featuring drag performances by  Nearah Nuff, Francheska Dynamites, Didi E’Dada, Sophie Wright and Dick Goblin and Canada Drag Race  Season 2 finalist  Kendall Gender performing beginning at  9 p.m.  Tickets are  from $57.95  general, a m limited meet and greet  for $70.60. VIP tables are sold out.

 For something a little more low key, Sheena Lawson and Standard Time  will be performing some jazz music at the Watertower Grill at 9 p.m. Admission is free

It has been another unusual year as the music and arts scene  get back on their feet after  several years of live entertainment exile.

 Fortunately, the community came together to  bring New West Theatre back from the brink after stepping away from the tried and true.

The week leading up to Christmas is chilly, but will heat up as the weather does.

Things begin tonight at the owl Acoustic lounge, for their weekly open mic.

 If you’re still looking for last minute gifts and want to support local artists and artisans, the Owl Acoustic Lounge brings back their annual I Heart Local pop up Christmas market from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday,  Dec. 21.

 Another beloved Christmas tradition, Shakespeare meets Dickens returns to Casa, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. As usual there will be an array of songs, carols, a few excerpts from Shakespeare and  a reader’s theatre  reading of Charles Dickens’ “ A Christmas Carol.”

 The Christmas spirit begins at 7p.m. Admission is $25.

 After that check out the Slice’s ugly sweater Christmas jam with host Jolene Draper beginning at 9 p.m.