New Year’s Eve roundup and Brett Kissel

Article content

Locking down you New Year’s Eve plans might be a good idea about now.

It’s getting well past the point where tickets need to be bought, or RSVPs answered if you haven’t. For instance, Brett Kissel and his wife Cecilia are planning to celebrate at the River Cree on Sunday night. Mind you, Kissel will be performing with his band at the concert space, which takes all of the agonizing out of the equation.

Article content

Article content

“We’ll get one of the relatives to look after the kids and we’ll make it a date night,” says Kissel. “It’s a really nice venue and it’s going to be a great spectacle as New Year’s Eve should be. The best part is that we’ll be 20 or 30 shows into our tour, so we’ll be right in our prime.”

The last show of the year for Kissel and band will also be the signal for a bit of a break for the Alberta-born country singer. They deserve it after an ambitious 2023 with four albums released under the name The Compass Project: South, East, West, and North, the last of which dropped at the beginning of December.

North is a live greatest-hits album, concluding a thematic run that saw Kissel pay homage to his country-and-western roots (West), singer-songwriter inclinations (East) and contemporary Nashville-country side (South).

Each song on North was recorded in different years and in a different city. The take of Airwaves, a number-one hit on the Billboard Canada Country charts in 2015, was taken from a performance at the Calgary Stampede in 2019, while Anthem was from St. Paul’s Centerfield Music Festival in 2022.

Article content

Article content

It took some time for Kissel and his crew to sift through board tapes and find the best versions, however.

“After seeing KISS back in October for their farewell tour I went back to find better takes because we needed to figure out if we can capture the most magnificent takes of the uptempo songs, the ones that may not be as tight as a band but have way more enthusiasm than the rest,” says Kissel. “KISS was such an extravagant experience — they’re the kings of live music — so I needed to go back to the drawing board and listen to a few of the biggest shows that I’ve ever done to see if I can find particular tapes of those uptempo songs. KISS was definitely an inspiration there.”

After playing New Year’s Eve Kissel will be taking January off and then hitting the road again. Not only will he be lugging along songs from the Compass Project to mix in with hits from the previous nine album’s in his discography, he’s also got a new tune with social media sensation Cooper Alan. The song, Two of Us, was unveiled back in September, and it’s currently a top-20 hit for Kissel.

Article content

“It couldn’t have gone on the West album because it’s not country enough, and the North album is all live songs,” Kissel says. “But there are no rules anymore, so rather than wait we just decided to release it because I’ve been burned before by sitting on a song too long. You miss the window of opportunity. So yeah, it’s on the charts and it’s going up with a bullet so I’m pretty happy we chose to just release it.”

Kissel plays River Cree (300 East Lapotac Blvd., Enoch) on Sunday at 9 p.m. Tickets start at $79.99 in advance from rivercreeresort.com. You know where Kissel will be on New Year’s Eve if you want to two-step into 2024, but if it sells out or you’re looking for other options, read on for more NYE possibilities.

All around town

Want to keep with the country vibe but looking for something a little more on the indie side? Denim Daddies are playing the Black Dog, 10425 Whyte Ave. Tickets are $22.63 including taxes, available in advance from eventbrite.ca. Doors are at 7 p.m. and tickets include a complimentary 200 ml bottle of sparkling wine.

Indigenous playwright Josh Languedoc’s Connections//Collisions is a new music, comedy and movement cabaret celebrating the joy of the season. “Winter. The time of storytelling. Reflection. Reminding ourselves of the connection we have to one another,” Languedoc explains in his artist statement, calling the production, “SOULstice.” Presented by Mile Zero Dance (9931 78 Ave.), tickets are $27.96 and include the NYE afterparty with DJ The Giovanni, which you can attend for a $10 minimum donation. 

Article content

Hip-hop heads can bring in the New Year at Union Hall, 6240 99 St., with rappers Merkules and Chris Webby. Tickets are going fast for this one, but as of this writing, there are a few general admission and VIPs left. Doors are at 8 p.m. with tickets available at unionhall.ca starting at $52.62.

Say bye-bye to 2023 in style with Karla Marx, Ladonna Stone, Onika Xtravaganza, Nudell, Kiki Quinn, and more at the first-ever Fruit Loop New Year’s at the Starlite Room, 10030 102 St. Doors are at 8 p.m., tickets are $19.99, available in advance from starliteroom.ca

You’ll need a decorative mask to attend The Grindstone’s annual New Year’s Eve Masquerade. But fret not if you’ve forgotten — the comedy club will have basic ones for purchase at the door. Hors D’oeuvres and a midnight glass of bubbles are part of the purchase price for this celebration, which makes use of two rooms of music, decor and an assortment of DJs, including Joses, Polyesterday, Freshlan, Will Hempfree, Rudy Roman and Caraboo. Doors are at 9 p.m. and tickets are $30.95 including taxes in advance from grindstonetheatre.ca.

Article content

If the name itself isn’t a giveaway, Pepperland will be playing Beatles songs at the Blue Chair, 9624 76 Ave. You’ve got the option of $90 for tapas through the evening, or $115 for a wine pairing. Festivities kick off at 6 p.m. but reservations and a $25 deposit are required, call 780-989-2861.

Settle in for a long evening of hockey and music at The Ice District, 10360 102 St., as the Edmonton Oilers play the Anaheim Ducks on the big screen at 6 p.m. after which country singers Josh Ross and Taylor-Rae take over the outdoor stage at 9 p.m. for a full-blown party. There’ll be fireworks and ice sculpting, plus food, drinks and prizes. No cover charge and no tickets, so arrive early; gates are at 5 p.m., puck drop at 6 p.m..

Dance the night away to the rhythms of salsa, funk, cumbia, reggae, cha cha and merengue as Rumba Caliente takes over the Yardbird for a special New Year’s Eve fundraiser for the club’s Littlebird program at the Yardbird Suite, 11 Tommy Banks Way. Doors are at 7:30 p.m., tickets are $95 and include hors d’oeuvres, party favours and bubbly, available at yardbirdsuite.com.

Article content

Not a lot of indie rock gigs are happening on Sunday night, but you can find members of The Wet Secrets, Bud Frazier, Shout Out Out Out Out, The Bobby Tenderloin Universe and Squids congregating at 9910, 9910 109 St. as part of YO ABBA ABBA, Edmonton’s only ABBA tribute act. Joining them in the New Year’s fray will be a Disco Cabaret featuring performances by Sucreesha Minorah, Ladonna Cree, GoGo Fetch, and Vespa with DJ DP. Doors are at 9 p.m., tickets are $20 and up, available in advance from 99ten.ca.

Finally, the city itself is hosting an evening of live music, skating, fireworks, food and street performers at Sir Winston Churchill Square and City Hall Plaza. Martin Kerr tops the list of musical offerings; the action starts at 6:30 p.m. and the cost is free.

Article content