June 13 and 14 in Edmonton, as well as on June 20 in Regina, country superstar, Brett Kissel, has found a way to get back to performing live by staging the "Live at the Drive-In" concert series at the River Cree Resort and Casino at Enoch Nation where fans will pile into their cars to watch Brett and his band perform live in a drive-in theatre setting the concerts will be broadcast through car radios so fans will be able to watch in safety. The sold-out shows are also raising money and donations for local food banks and ahead of the concerts Russell spoke with Brett Kissel.

Over the course of some businesses and other public places re-opening after the Covid-19 shutdown of Spring 2020, things like art galleries and museums have welcomed back visitors, but some have wondered what to have on offer for people to see. In Grande Prairie, the art gallery decided to collect the things that have helped people in the Peace Country cope with the pandemic for an exhibit called "The Curve." Writing, music, visual art are just some of the items submitted so far and they want to see more. Jeff Erbach is Executive Director of the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie and he joined Russell from his home in the Peace.

Through 15 years together, musician Sean McCann along with his wife and co-author, Andrea Aragon, have seen ups and downs most marriages would face. However, for Sean, his hard-drinking lifestyle started to spiral out of control and it threatened his career, life and marriage. Now sober for almost a decade, the former singer with Great Big Sea shares what he went through in a new book called "One Good Reason: A Memoir of Addiction and Recovery, Music and Love." Andrea writes about her side of the marriage and what the whole family sacrificed to remain intact. The book ends up tackling issues around addiction and sobriety, fame and religion, and reshaping life as they know it. Russell spoke with Sean and Andrea, as well as listening to two of Sean's songs, "Rise and Fall," and his newest single, "Set Me Free." [Note: This is an extended version of the radio broadcast.]

While many of us will go to see a show based on a familiar story, or a familiar face, it's important that new faces get a chance to shine and that's what festivals like the Ignite Festival in Calgary has been doing as it marks its 15th year in 2020 with shows are online, instead of at a theatre. Fourteen original productions are on offer from the host organization, Sage Theatre, including a shows called "Anonymous." Written and directed by Chantal Dixon, a graduate of the Univ of Calgary, the show is a 3-part web series of short films following a group in a sobriety program. Because of the pandemic, they meet through video, but will that be enough to keep them sober? One of the actors in the series is Marlo Hepburn, a student of acting at Ambrose University. "Anonymous" is the first project she has been involved with since she discovered her love of theatre back in high school and Marlo spoke with Russell.

Hello Marlo.

Finding diverse voices in media can sometimes be tricky and if you're part of a minority, finding yourself can be even harder. Edmonton's Robyn Taylor decided to start a search to find writers and creators from the Black Community in her home town and elsewhere and the result is "YEG The Come Up Reading Wednesdays." The program is provided by the Africa Centre which specializes in delivering programs for the African, Caribbean and the Black community in Edmonton to seniors, women, and youth. Books suggested by Reading Wednesdays are available through the Edmonton Public Library and links are provided to other sources. The weekly emails are coordinated by Robyn Taylor and Russell spoke with her about why she's made this passion a project for her. The public is invited to sign up for the Weekly Email [email protected]

The images are still seared into the minds of those who saw it. George Floyd, a black man from Minneapolis, appears to die as the result of police action. Officers involved have been charged in connection to Floyd's death, but the charges came after a spontaneous outpouring of protests, first in Minnesota then spreading to other parts of the U.S. and eventually to Canada and elsewhere. Other incidents like the death in Toronto of Regis Korchinski-Paquet and in Edmundston of Chantal Moore - both at the hands of police - prompted more public action. Even more unhelpful were public statements by NFL quarterback, Drew Brees, who re-stated this week that he couldn't agree with those who kneel before a game during the American anthem. And then Calgary and Edmonton both saw thousands turn out in spite of social distancing guidelines to show their support and frustration with racial violence. To further discuss this, Russell spoke with poet and performer, Wakefield Brewster, as well as Deborah Mabude, public policy researcher and journalist.

As travel restrictions slowly begin to lift, Albertans are exploring what their summer plans could look like since we’ve been in lockdown since mid-March due to the pandemic. No question, some people are ready to break loose and poised to head out on adventures that take us beyond our back gardens and out into — well, if not the world just yet — then at least our home province. Just how will we manage our travel plans as we head into late spring and summer? Russell spoke with Daybreak's regular travel columnist, Kim Gray of ToqueAndCanoe.com - a multi-platform digital publishing house that celebrates Canadian travel culture.

Performers who normally thrive on being in front of live audiences have had a tough go since the Covid lockdown has kept people at home and venues closed. Very soon into the pandemic, online concerts and shows started to show up on social media. An Edmonton fringe festival organizer, Jon Paterson, looked at what was going on and decided the 2020 Fringe Live Series could head down that road as well. This coming Thursday, one of the performers in this year's lineup is inviting the public to view his show, "Climbing My Family Tree." Les Kurkendaal-Barrett is an American comedian, actor and writer, and it was his marriage to a Canadian that led him down a surprising path. To preview this show, Russell reached Les Kurkedaal-Barrett at his home in Los Angeles. You can see the show at FringeLiveStream.com.

Gardening has become the new everything these days and anyone with a bit of dirt in their garden appear to be filling it with flowers and veggies. And for those without a yard, planters are popping up. But should you have such a variety? What is the best way to fill a planter? And should we add chickens to the mix? To answer those questions and more, Russell spoke with gardening aficionado, Carson Arthur, author of "Garden Designs for Outdoor Living" and "Vegetables, Chickens and Bees."

One of the staples of community that hasn't re-opened yet is the local library. To find out these institutions are are adapting, Russell reached out to the CEO of the Lethbridge library, Terra Plato