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Showing posts from 2011

Happy New Year, Edmonton!

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10, 9, 8, 7, 6.... I T'S only hours before we say goodbye (& good riddance) to 2011, and gladly welcome in 2012. I know many of you have already begun the festivities & celebrations, and others are in fact days in. Others, not so much. Whatever the case, ' I Heart Edmonton ' wants to say thank you for all your support in '11, Edmonton. I know we were only half-assin' it this year, but we're gonna try and full-ass it this time 'round. That's right, I just say FULL-ASS !! Also, we hope 2012 is good to all of you, better or even better than 2011 was. Please continue to check in when you can, don't drink & drive, play safe, use protection, don't eat yellow snow, no means no, and all that other hoopla. Take care, Edmonton, and see you in the new year. Happy 2012!!!! Emil Tiedemann , "I Heart Edmonton" December 31, 2011

Edmonton Looks Back on 2011

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The time when we come up with exciting (& exhausted) resolutions only to have them peter out is near, so 'I Heart' wanted to reflect on a year that was, apparently, pretty good for some local folks... BY EMIL TIEDEMANN I t's almost 2012, people! Time flies way too fast, let me tell you. I remember when Alanis Morissette and Hootie & the Blowfish were the shit, and when Jennifer Lopez decided that she could sing, too. I remember the craze over the Y2K bug, Pokeman, and of course 9/11. I remember when Barack Obama became President of the United States and when Michael Jackson died. Ok, that wasn't so long ago, but wow...why does it all seem to go by so damn quickly?! My amazing father, Robert Emil Tiedemann (1944-2011).  I love & miss you, and am so proud to be your son! And now, here we are...about to say goodbye to yet another year. One that was no good to me, to say the least...so good riddance! But that doesn't mean that 2011 wasn't

Merry Christmas, Edmonton!

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H I there, Edmonton! It's December 25th, so ' I Heart Edmonton ' wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. Empty that slightly-spoiled milk you left for Santa, tear open those gifts that you spent hours wrapping, and enjoy your turkey-slash-ham-slash-IHOP dinner. But most of all, I hope the best for you and your family & friends this Christmas. Take care and happy holidays!

Christmas in Edmonton, 2011

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In between dodging fellow shoppers at the mall and decorating your fake Christmas trees, indulge in some of these suggestions on how to relax during the holiday season in festive fashion... Candy Cane Lane runs until January 2, 2012 L ast Friday ( Dec. 9 ) Candy Cane Lane officially went into effect, which means the 8-block strip of holiday hues will welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors over the next few weeks. Walk, drive, or book a horse-guided sleigh ride ($12-14/ kids free) down 148th Street, between 92nd and 100th Avenues, and bring a donation for the Edmonton Food Bank if possible. The Lane runs until midnight on January 2, 2012 . T he 42nd annual 'Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree' is just days away from taking center stage at the Jubilee (11455-87 Ave.) for a 5-date presentation ( Dec. 16-18 ), featuring special guest Ruben Studdard ( American Idol ). The beloved tradition will feature more than 150 singers and a live orchestra performing within a 35-foo

E-Spot/ Bistro India

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Up against dozens of like-minded eateries scattered throughout Edmonton, Bistro India manages to distinguish itself by focusing on a region overlooked by all the rest BY EMIL TIEDEMANN " T HERE are 46 other Indian restaurants in Edmonton, and all of them specialize in Punjabi dishes." I'm paraphrasing here, but that's pretty much what the guy told us after we settled our bill at Bistro India , apparently the only Indian eatery in town with authentic South Indian delicacies on the menu. Bistro India is Edmonton's only restaurant that specializes in eats from the South Indian region. The funny thing is we only came for drinks. Okay, so it's not that funny, but it's true. My buddy and I had stumbled past this incognito den after a night of wings 'n' rum on Jasper Ave. We insisted on stopping in at some point, as part of our haphazard mission to wet our whistles at each and every "pub" in town. Talk about aspirations! Back to the

EDvent/ Edmonton Comedy Festival, 2011

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Etown gets its laugh-on with the first annual Edmonton Comedy Festival, and it's been a long time coming according to the event's sold-out crowds... BY EMIL TIEDEMANN A T times the tool in front of us was somehow more entertaining than the stand-up chatter itself, but mostly when the emcee served as the night's intermission. Not that this Saturday night performance of the 1st annual Edmonton Comedy Festival was not worth our 25 bucks and two hours, but this guy was a discreet diversion of the guilty pleasure kind. Yes, I know...another festival! But this is one Edmonton's been waiting for for a long, long time. The first annual Edmonton Comedy Festival! Draft beer may have amped his nuisance, but it couldn't be the sole fall guy for his abrasive over-laughing and (actual) knee-slapping, taunting the patience of his own company. People! But enough about that guy, because my buddy and I were there for something entirely different. Coast to coast comics te

Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival, 2011

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The groundbreaking E-town Fringe Fest turns 30, and invites all y'all to come celebrate with the world's most outskirted stage junkies... BY EMIL TIEDEMANN The 30th annual Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival will take over Old Strathcona from August 11th to the 21st! I REMEMBER when I turned 30. It wasn't anything I had exactly been looking forward to, or would even consider celebrating. Kind've a shitty mess, really. But I'm over it now...ish. So, I know exactly how the 2011 Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival feels, as it approaches the big 3-0. But the mood'll be somewhat--or drastically--less sombre than that of my self-depricating pity party...and this I'm actually looking forward to! From Thursday, August 11th until Sunday the 21st , the 30th annual Edmonton Fringe will take over Old Strathcona , hosting more than 1,200 local, national, and international performances during the 11-day world-renowned celebration. When you think about it,

A Few Minutes With...Christian Hansen

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Ever wondered who local singer Christian Hansen's man crush was, or perhaps what his guiltiest of guilty pleasures is? Me neither, but you're about to find out... BY EMIL TIEDEMANN Christian Hansen, who in 2009 won an award for  Support Worker of the Year from the Autism Society of Edmonton.  Hansen was selected for his work with and awareness for autism and other diseases " I 'M glad to see they responded to the obvious shortage by opening a donair shop where Megatunes used to be." That was the first Twitter update I read when I clicked the "Follow" button on Christian Hansen & the Autistics ' page. In those 20 words I got a pretty good sense of what kind of guy Hansen, smirk and all, is. Well, the 20 questions he answered for 'I ♥ E' below kinda helped, too. Hansen, frontman and one third of the local "dazzle of disco mixed with the immediacy of punk rock" musicianship, seems to have his nose to the ground when i

Music Clip of the Month/ 5-11

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Sister Gray's "Close the Night" (2010) BY EMIL TIEDEMANN I SWEAR we're not just ripping off Sonic's Band of the Month ... really ! Yes, this clip just happens to be filmed at Sonic 102.9 's studio, and by Sonic 102.9's own staff, and featuring Sonic 102.9's February 2011 BOTM (Band of the Month) Sister Gray , but that's all simply a coincidence! For the most part. Sisters Jenesse and Brittany Graling are Sister Gray , said to have a sound that blends Muse , Metric , and Joan Jett Okay, I confess: some of our Music Clips of the Month were easily inspired by former Sonic BandsOTM (i.e. The Weekend Kids , Christian Hansen & The Autistics ), but what else can I say except that Sonic features some good local shit?! Case in point, Sister Gray. "It's been six years, but it's taken us this long to have a female-fronted Band of the Month," said Rick Lee , the Sonic on-air personality who also happened to direct and ed

Suit Yourself Clothing Swap & Silent Auction

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Local charity makes sure low-income women are dressed for success BY EMIL TIEDEMANN Edmonton lawyer Karmen Masson began women's charity 'Suit Yourself' in 2002, helping some 1,700 local and low-income women dress for success since " A LONG with a handful of friends and family who volunteered weekly, we helped about 100 women that first year," remembers Karmen Masson , Executive Director of Edmonton-based charitable organization " Suit Yourself ." She was referring to 2002, when she set up a makeshift refuge for low-income women seeking employment or transitioning into the workforce, and in need of free quality clothing.  "My parents used to own a 90-year-old walk-up apartment building in the downtown area," explains Masson, "and there was a vacant space in the basement." That's where Masson, a full-time lawyer and mother, began collecting and distributing professional, fashionable, and free clothes for a cause unique to