Lethbridge Portrait & Wedding Photography & Design by Tanya Plonka

I haven’t had a lot of time for seeing bands lately, but when I heard about a concert happening at this venue I just had to go. I’ve also fallen into a rut of only going out to see bands I already know, but I hadn’t heard much of either Cold Specks or the Great Lake Swimmers before, and thought an early evening spring concert in an old church was the best environment for some musical experimentation!

The show was put on by Geomatic Attic and hosted in the Southminster United Church, which had such beautiful acoustics. Both bands gave powerful but mellow performances, though I felt Cold Specks stole the show. Though soft-spoken while making small talk, her voice filled the church when she sang. She performed her last song without guitar and without a microphone and it resonated throughout the entire space. Goosebumps! (more…)

It’s been a few years since Matthew Good played in Lethbridge, so it was a treat to finally have him back. I’m a little biased in my opinion of the show because he’s been my favorite musician for half my life, but I’m sure there were a few other people who agreed with me seeing as how it was sold out ;)

I was able to catch one of his shows at Jack Singer Hall in Calgary the week before and was excited to be able to photograph his bar gig here in Lethbridge after seeing that. Luckily the gorgeous light show they had set up translated pretty well to the smaller stage. The performance was amazing (one of his best I’ve seen), and we all cheered when he chastised a few guys who started a fight. Definitely one of my top shows of the year! (more…)

Amazing! Amazing! It’s hard to write much else about this show. After a much too long hiatus, Big Sugar got back together and this is very dear to my heart since they were the second 18+ show I ever went to (my friend and I had to skip some classes in high school the next morning to do this). Gordie Johnson is also now a member of Wide Mouth Mason so they came along as well, and that’s exciting since they are one of my top bands. Shaun is one of my favorite singers – ever – and I never cease to be amazed at his guitar playing gush gush gush, etc. though that’s some tough competition when you are sharing the stage with Gordie.

This show went on for several epic hours and I’m so glad I got to be up front, showered by Gordie’s spit as he sang! :) (more…)

This was a show I had been looking forward to for a LONG time. I can’t remember when I was first shown Awolnation’s music (maybe a year ago already?), but his first full length CD is by far my favorite release this year. I have been obsessed with that album, and with him not being a big name yet, a Canadian tour wasn’t looking promising. I checked the Facebook page constantly for concert updates, and I finally I saw that he was coming to Alberta. However, it was in Edmonton… so what did I do? Buy tickets the moment they came out, and drive the 6+ hours to see him, of course!

The show ended up selling out a month before because he’s really blown up lately, so I’m very thankful I plan everything far in advance. He performed with his band at the Starlite Room, and holy crap, they were fantastic – he needs to keep them on as his regular band because they are so tight together. Not knowing the venue, I didn’t want to take any expensive gear so I went equipped with only my old Rebel XT and my 50mm lens. It was a challenge, especially since most of his lighting was that gross purple-red that destroys skin tones and any facial contrast, and we were packed in so tightly, but I managed to dodge all the arms flying up around me to get some shots. The only issue is that sometimes we were too close and I couldn’t fit him in the frame… but I’m not complaining, being in the front is the best :) (more…)

Last month Maria in the Shower returned to Lethbridge for yet another amazing show. These guys are definitely one of my favorite bands to see live. Even though the bar wasn’t very full, by the second set they managed to get everyone to the front dancing. The band plays with so much passion and they do such a unique thing, I just can’t recommend them enough :) (more…)

This past Friday, the recently reopened Tongue N Groove was host to an amazing band, Dr. Zoo. The members come from all parts of the world – everywhere from Lethbridge to the Sudan! Their music was an eclectic mix of African, Reggae, and Celtic, and it works suprisingly well together. The dance floor was full all night, and their were cries of sorrow when they were done playing. (more…)