Nightlife in St. Albert

Classically trained opera singer and internationally recognized cabaret artist Patricia O'Callaghan continues her five-stop winter tour, spellbinding an Arden Theatre audience with her soaring vocals and sultry melodies. Backed by a pair of 2011 releases, including Matador: The Songs of Leonard Cohen, the seasoned songbird swoops into St. Albert with a pre-Valentine's Day set meant to tug heartstrings and envelop ears like a tuque with separation anxiety. Alongside O'Callaghan, Miranda Mulholland contributes graceful fiddle play, and guitarist John Gzowski and bassist Joe Philips moonwalk their fingers across euphonious frets. A venue of about 500 chairs, Arden Theater's intimate seating orbits around a large, proscenium stage designed to let notes blossom into fully grown butterflies with treble clef wings.

Bacchus Cafe & Wine Bar's rotating menu complements the freshness of ingredients used, many of which are sourced from local suppliers. Visitors rest in a vibrant, art-filled space, lounging like child princes on couches and stools while enjoying delectably prepared tapas. Evening diners nosh on light items, such as an herb-crusted, Italian-style sardine ($6), oven-baked between crusty bruschetta and melty mozzarella, or a truffle oil-kissed mushroom and spinach crostini ($13). Meat-seeking taste buds pen four-verse love-raps for the calamari, prawn, and chorizo, served with sautéed onion, garlic, and peppers ($15), or the spice-marinated bison meatballs, bursting with mozzarella and baked in tomato sauce ($17).

The non-profit Theatre Network promotes challenging and, at times, controversial Canadian artists, earning myriad awards throughout its three-and-a-half decade history. Daniel MacIvor's Communion explores the lives of three women: a mother, her estranged daughter, and a therapist, each grappling with the weighty issues of mortality and spiritualism. Performances are held at the historic Roxy Theatre, originally established as a movie house in 1938 and later retrofitted to accommodate the medium of the future: theatre.

The Spiral Dive Trilogy follows the exploits of WWII Canadian fighter pilot Jack Harding through his vexing journey of spitfire instruction and deadly aerial dogfights, all the while pursuing a proscribed romance. A three-part play written and directed by Kenneth Brown, Spiral Dive: Episode One flies on stage at the Workshop West Theatre, a company with more than 30 years of history in Canadian theatre. This is a general admission ticket, so seating is first come, first served.

Nominated for two 2010 Juno Awards for Best New Artist and Songwriter of the Year, indie songstress Carly Rae Jepsen originally claimed fame in 2007 as a finalist on Canadian Idol. Performing gold-certified singles "Bucket" and "Tug of War" off her debut album and tracks off her latest studio release, Curiosity, Jepsen charms audiences with her pop sensibility, bubbly personality, and confessional lyrics about unpaid library fees. Solo guitarist Matt Webb from Vancouver-based pop-punk band Marianas Trench kicks off the evening with catchy ditties from his debut EP. Webb rouses crowds with his simple, ’80s-inspired rock songs, surprising Marianas Trench fans with a different sound and crowd slip 'n' sliding techniques.

Seven Yelpers give On The Rocks an average of 3.5 stars, more than 1,300 Facebookers and 52% of Urbanspooners recommend it.