Reason #60 of '101 Reasons Why I Heart Edmonton'

The Concerts

By Emil Tiedemann

I was just 12 years old when I went to my very first concert. My buddy Peter and I were both “Straight Up” in love with Paula Abdul, and knew we had to see her as soon as we found out that she was coming to Edmonton to perform at what was then known as the Coliseum (with opening act Color Me Badd). 

We stood on the floor of the arena, barely able to see over the heads of the people in front of us, and sang along to every song in her repertoire. I know now how lame this sounds, but we were kids and love makes you do silly things!

Paula Abdul, who happened to be my first-ever concert!

Although it was years before I would ever go to another concert, they would eventually become part of what I did. It didn’t necessarily have to be at the arena or stadium either, because Edmonton seems to always be a tour stop for all the biggest names in the music industry, from AC/DC to Jay-Z, and anybody and everybody in between. 

In fact, you may not realize it, but there are shows happening in Edmonton every single night, in cafes, parks, pubs, bars, book stores, restaurants, theatres, churches, and even on street corners. Many, perhaps most of the local festivals are highlighted or even anchored by live performances as well, including the always impressive line-ups at K-Days each summer. 

And of course, there are those permanent venues in Edmonton that are exclusively designated for the concert-goer, like the raucous Starlite Room, the worldly Winspear Centre, or the legendary Jubilee Auditorium, where live music is at its best. Edmonton has become a well-known haven for performers and live music enthusiasts alike, connecting on an indiscernible level through the strums, and the beats, and the carnal howls of the sweet serenade. #yegshows

Who's Played Edmonon!

ABBA   PAULA ABDUL    AC/DC    BRYAN ADAMS   AEROSMITH   CHRISTINA AGUILERA   AIR SUPPLY   ALABAMA   JASON ALDEAN   ALICE COOPER   JOHN ANDERSON   PAUL ANKA   ANTHRAX   APRIL WINE   ARCADE FIRE   ARCTIC MONKEYS   JANN ARDEN   BURT BACHARACH   BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE   BACKSTREET BOYS   JOAN BAEZ   LAVERN BAKER   BARENAKED LADIES   THE BEACH BOYS   BEE GEES   TONY BENNETT   BEYONCÉ   JUSTIN BIEBER   CLINT BLACK   BLACK EYED PEAS   THE BLACK KEYS   BLACK SABBATH   BLINK-182   BLUE OYSTER CULT   BLUE RODEO   BON JOVI   BOSTON   DAVID BOWIE   BOY GEORGE   GARTH BROOKS   BROOKS & DUNN   JAMES BROWN   BRUNO MARS   LUKE BRYAN   MICHAEL BUBLE   JIMMY BUFFET   THE BYRDS   CAGE THE ELEPHANT   CAKE   JJ CALE   MARIAH CAREY   MARY-CHAPIN CARPENTER   JOHNNY CASH   ROSANNE CASH   NICK CAVE   TRACY CHAPMAN   RAY CHARLES   CHEAP TRICK   CHER   KENNY CHESNEY   CHICAGO   ERIC CHURCH   CITY AND COLOUR   ERIC CLAPTON   KELLY CLARKSON   THE CLASH   EDDIE COCHRAN   TOM COCHRANE   JOE COCKER   LEONARD COHEN   COLDPLAY   COLOR ME BADD   ELVIS COSTELLO   CREED   SHERYL CROW   THE CULT   CHRIS DE BURGH   DEEP PURPLE   DEF LEPPARD   NEIL DIAMOND   CELINE DION   DIPLO   DIRE STRAITS   DIXIE CHICKS   FATS DOMINO   DOOBIE BROTHERS   DRAKE   THE DRIFTERS   DURAN DURAN   BOB DYLAN   THE EAGLES    STEVE EARLE   EARTH, WIND & FIRE   DUKE ELLINGTON   EVERLAST   EVERLY BROTHERS   FEIST   50 CENT   FINGER ELEVEN   MICHAEL BERNARD FITZGERALD   5 SECONDS OF SUMMER     FLEETWOOD MAC   FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE   JOHN FOGERTY   FOGHAT   FOO FIGHTERS   FOREIGNER   FOSTER THE PEOPLE   PETER FRAMPTON   ARETHA FRANKLIN   MICHAEL FRANTI   FUN   NELLY FURTADO   RORY GALLAGHER   PETER GABRIEL   GENESIS   GODSMACK   SELENA GOMEZ   ELLIE GOULDING   AMY GRANT   GREAT BIG SEA   GREAT WHITE   CEE LO GREEN   GREEN DAY   THE GUESS WHO   GUNS N’ ROSES   ARLO GUTHRIE   GWAR   GYPSY KINGS   MERLE HAGGARD   EMMYLOU HARRIS   HEADPINS   HEADSTONES   HEART   HELIX   JOHN HIATT   DAN HILL   FAITH HILL   HOLE   BUDDY HOLLY   WHITNEY HOUSTON   HOZIER   ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK   BILLY IDOL   JULIO IGLESIAS   IMAGINE DRAGONS   INCUBUS   INXS   IRON MAIDEN   CHRIS ISAAK   ALAN  JACKSON    JANET JACKSON    COLIN JAMES   JANE’S ADDICTION   JAY-Z   JETHRO TULL   JOAN JETT   BILLY JOEL   ELTON JOHN   NICK JONAS   JONAS BROTHERS   GEORGE JONES   NORAH JONES   TOM JONES   JOURNEY   JUDAS PRIEST   KANSAS   TOBY KEITH   KENNY G   KESHA   KID ROCK   KIESZA   ALBERT KING   B.B. 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