Apr 22 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Canadian rock band the Trews have something to show for the depression and anxiety that’s lingered over the past year: a rousing pandemic-themed rock song.As the live music industry remains locked down by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hamilton-based act has unleashed “I Wanna Play,” a boisterous rallying cry for a time when concerts […]
Apr 19 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Organizers of the country-fuelled Boots and Hearts music festival are pulling the plug on this year's summertime event. Republic Live announced Monday that ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in Ontario made it impossible to move forward with their plan to hold massive concerts less than four months from now. Boots and Hearts is one of […]
Apr 16 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Summer 2021 was supposed to mark the triumphant return of Canadian music festivals. Instead, it’s ushering in another season of disappointment.As COVID-19 cases rage across the country, many of Canada’s beloved summer music events are falling like dominoes as organizers abandon any hope of a return this year.Since the start of April, RBC […]
Apr 16 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Beloved East Coast singer-songwriter Rita MacNeil is getting her place in the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Organizers say they'll induct the late performer on May 6 during a tribute at the 2021 East Coast Music Awards Show, held on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island. The induction will include a musical tribute performed […]
Apr 14 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Organizers of the Juno Awards say they're postponing this year's 50th anniversary show in Toronto until June 6 as COVID-19 cases rage. It's the second time the country's biggest night in music has been pushed as the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences contends with ever-changing Ontario rules meant to slow the […]
Apr 8 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Singer-songwriter Paul Humphrey, whose Hollywood good looks and theatrical stage presence commanded attention as the frontman of 1980s new wave band Blue Peter, has died at 61.Bandmates of the Toronto performer said Humphrey died on Sunday after a long battle with multiple system atrophy, a rare degenerative disorder.Although Blue Peter was not a […]
Apr 6 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Ontario concert venue owners are demanding more transparency from the provincial government after the latest round of COVID-19 restrictions outlawed live streaming shows with little advance notice. For the second time this year, club owners say they've been left frustrated and confused as the province told them to sideline virtual shows while other […]
Mar 31 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Extraordinary times call for exemplary television and the April slate of new streaming options comes loaded with everything from sci-fi adventures to historic documentaries. Here's a roundup of streaming highlights for the month: "SHADOW AND BONE" Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) is just another soldier fighting in the war-torn land of Ravka, until […]
Mar 27 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Randy Bachman says he's taking his business elsewhere after leadership at CBC Radio told him they’re cancelling his “Vinyl Tap” music show. The 77-year-old Winnipeg native says his long-running Saturday night program has become a casualty of CBC's latest programming changes. Bachman will host a farewell special on Canada Day before shopping the […]
Mar 25 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Bubbly and flamboyant Eve Fischer is known among her friends for throwing unforgettable birthday celebrations, but the COVID-19 pandemic is really cramping her party spirit. Before the world ground to a halt, the Toronto resident had a reputation for holding birthday soirees at her favourite restaurants that were more than just cakes and […]
Mar 23 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Canadian folk singer Suzie Ungerleider says she's retiring her Oh Susanna moniker, adopted from Stephen Foster's 1848 American folk song "Oh! Susanna," after learning more about its racist roots. The two-time Juno Award nominee from Vancouver posted a message on her website Monday explaining the decision to drop the name after more than […]
Mar 19 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — If Daniel Lanois can offer listeners anything with his newest album, he says it would be a little bit of joy in these “troubled times.”A year into the global pandemic there’s much to feel anxious about, and the seven-time Grammy-winning producer’s gospel-fuelled “Heavy Sun” could be a breather of sorts with its lush […]
Mar 19 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Daniel Lanois says he hopes his new gospel-fused album "Heavy Sun" offers listeners "some kind of refuge" in these "troubled times" we're living in.The seven-time Grammy-winning producer and musician, who's worked with U2, Bob Dylan and Brian Eno, reflected on the violence, racism and pandemic anxiety that's gripped the world over the past […]
Mar 18 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Dance floors are empty but k.d. lang is giving her fans a reason to celebrate with a new remix album. The Canadian chanteuse is dusting off the old vinyl crates for “Makeover,” a selection of her 1990s dance mixes that once packed the clubs but haven’t seen the light of day on streaming […]
Mar 17 2021 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Sydney Blu can tell you there’s an artistry to getting crowds moving on club dance floors and she wants the Juno Awards to recognize the people who craft those pulsing beats. The veteran Toronto DJ and producer is putting the finishing touches on a proposal that urges Junos organizers to think beyond the […]