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Music News Digest: Blue Rodeo Celebrates Turning 40 With A Free Hometown Show in Toronto
In this week's industry digest: Music Managers Forum Canada opens applications for BESPOKE Mentorship Program, Music BC names its ARC Mentors and more.
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40 years together as a band is a milestone worth celebrating, and Toronto roots-rock heroes Blue Rodeo are certainly doing that. As part of their anniversary year festivities, a stripped down version of the group (co-founders Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy plus guitarists Colin Cripps and Jimmy Bowskill) played a free acoustic show in Toronto's Distillery District on Monday afternoon. The well-attended gig also served as promotion for a just-launched signature beer, Blue Rodeo Ontario Lager, produced by Mill Street Brewery.
Earlier this year, a full-length documentary on Blue Rodeo, Lost Together, was released to much acclaim, and it is currently available on CBC Gem. The band also got its own Canada Post stamp back in April, one depicting its current lineup of Keelor, Cuddy, Cripps, Bowskill, Bazil Donovan, Glenn Milchem and Mike Boguski. Blue Rodeo continue to play across the country this summer, fall and into 2026, closing out with two nights at Massey Hall, Jan. 23 and 24. Check their itinerary here.
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Since debuting in Queen Street West club The Rivoli on February 8, 1985, Blue Rodeo have become one of Canada's best-loved bands, notching multi-platinum albums, winning multiple Juno Awards and a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement and gaining entry into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Festivals News
The four-part Sandpines Campfire Concert Series takes place at Lions Park in Port Rowan, Ontario, featuring major Canadian acts. Hosted by JR Digs, the series began with an April Wine show, and continues with David Wilcox (Aug. 2), Trooper (Aug. 30) and an act TBA on Sept. More info here.
Industry News
Canadian country-rocker Devin Cooper has announced his sixth annual Ride To Remember charity event presented by Craig Senyk Initiatives, taking place on World Alzheimer's Day (September 21) at Calgary's National Music Centre. This year's edition features an evening of intimate acoustic performances from a formidable lineup of Alberta talent, which includes multi-platinum artist Lindsay Ell, 17x CCMA Award winner Carolyn Dawn Johnson, award winning singer-songwriter Mariya Stokes and Ride to Remember founder Cooper. Since its premier in 2019, Ride To Remember has raised over $100k in support of the Alzheimer Society of Calgary, and this year's goal is to raise an additional $60k. Tickets here, and donations can also be made here ahead of the event.
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– Music BC recently announced the Top 15 artists participating in its artist accelerator program, ARC 2025. Now, it has named the first wave of ARC Mentors, beginning with The Clinic, a three-day training intensive, kicking off the program August 1-3. Participants will attend business-focused workshops on revenue streams, branding, marketing plans, and much more. The industry professionals mentoring the cohort during this year's ARC Clinic will be: Brandon William Fletcher, Summan Kandola, Daniel Turcotte, Lyndra Griffith-Harnden, Margaux Hennebery, Lexani Talionis and Natasha Dion.
– MMF (Music Managers Forum) Canada has now opened applications for its BESPOKE Mentorship Program (BMP) for managers, self-managed artists, music entrepreneurs, and emerging music professionals. The program aims to help create opportunities for advancing the professional development efforts of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour who wish to cultivate their careers in the management and business sectors of the Canadian music landscape. Apply here by Aug. 11.
– MMF Canada will also be holding an export mission in Germany from Sept 15 to 20, an opportunity for managers and self-managed artists. More details here.
– CIMA will be organizing several business events before and during Reeperbahn 2025 in Berlin and Hamburg, Sept. 16-21. Info here.
– Manitoba Film & Music is hosting a grant incubator and info session that will be of interest for those planning to apply for Manitoba Film & Music’s Produce program (deadline September 18) or Indigenous: IMPACT program (deadline September 18). The deadline to apply for the Incubator session here is Aug. 5.
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Artists News
The Cavernous, a heavy psychedelic electronic duo from Kelowna, released a new album, Please Hold, on July 28, in decidedly unorthodox fashion. The concept album is only accessible in full by calling a toll-free number, 1-877-420-9159. Dial that number and you'll get a musical hold sequence, rather than a streaming link. A lead single, "Guile," is, however, now released on major streaming platforms with an official video. Created over the winter of 2022–23, Please Hold was born out of asynchronous collaboration between duo members Rob McLaren and Jesse Barrette.
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– Canadian country star Jess Moskaluke has announced the support artists for her Life For Me Tour, an extensive cross-Canada trek running from Sept. 17 to Nov. 8 The list of openers comprises Zach McPhee, Mitch Zorn, Josh Stumpf, Megan Kelly, Shaya Istace, Jojo Mason and Savannah Jade. Check the tour itinerary here.
– Here's a cool concept for a double bill: Take Blue Rodeo's current keyboardist (Mike Boguski) and pair him with that band's original keyboardist (Bob Wiseman) and have them showcase their adventurous playing in solo sets. That's the premise behind 2 Pianos, No Rodeo, their joint show set for Hugh's Room Live in Toronto on Sept. 7. The promo material states "It’s a piano séance in two acts. Two of Canada’s most unpredictable keyboard minds are taking turns dismantling and reimagining what a solo piano set can be. One piano. Two artists. Zero cowboy hats." Tickets here.
– Newfoundland country artist Justin Fancy is making waves with his current single, "Break My Heart Again.” It was recently chosen by Stingray Country as their “Trending Track” for July/August, and the song is currently charting on the Billboard Canada Country Airplay chart. Fancy recently impressed at the Churchill Park Music Festival in St. John’s and PEI's Cavendish Beach Music Festival in Prince Edward Island and will perform at the 2025 Canada Summer Games on August 13. A new album is expected in the fall.
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