The FYI News Bulletin: July 15, 2021

By David Farrell

The CCMA has named Amy Jeningaas the country music org’s president and board member. She was formerly UMC’s VP, Digital Strategy.

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“This role allows me to connect my passion for technology and innovation to the country music community as we work to expand and create new opportunities for Canadian country talent locally and globally,” Jeninga says. She will be leading the team into Country Music Week 2021 in London, ON Nov. 26-29. 

- Dallas Green and Live Nation have announced a 12 city, 21-show solo concert hall tour for the City and Colour mainman that opens Nov. 12 at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre and wraps with five shows at Toronto’s Massey Hall, Dec. 9-14. Two shows at Montreal’s Telus Centre in December are SRO, as are all but one of the Massey Hall dates. Yesterday, second shows were added in Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton and Calgary, which pretty much sums up the pent-up demand from fans for live and for Green's return to the stage.A dollar from every ticket sold is to be donated to Indspire, an indigenous educational charity that the singer-songwriter has long supported and raised $80K for. The Canadian dates are preceded by 26 US concerts that commencie in Sept. at Dallas House of Blues.

– Kim Mitchell’s induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame was announced last year to take place during the 2020 Canadian Music Week, but was postponed due to… well, you know what. To coincide with the release of his latest single, Best I Never Had, CSHF will make good on its promise and fete the lanky one at the El Mo, to air on July 21. Vanessa Thomas and bud Ed Robertson plan to give Pye Dubois’ song partner a string of patio lanterns purchased from Amazon. Following the ceremony, Mitchell's songwriting accomplishments are to deck a wall at NMC’s CHSF installation in Calgary. - Photo credit: Al Pettman.

– James Taylor starts a 12-city tour of Canada with Bonnie Raitt at St. John’s Mile One Centre on Sept. 12 and wraps at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena on Oct. 2

– Toronto’s lakeside Budweiser Stage amphitheatre will reopen on Aug. 13-14 with two nights of shows by Arkells. Fans are required to wear masks at all times other than when eating/drinking. Ducats range between $35 to $95 plus applicable surcharges. Longtime reader Olie Kornelsen suggests Mother Mother, Crown Lands, and Glorious Sonsshould be prioritized as marquee additions before the season ends in Oct.

– Boots and Hearts is set to re-launch with Brett Kissel, Jess Moskaluke, Cory Marks and Tebey headlining the Burls Creek, ON campgrounds on Aug. 6-7.

– Michel Rivard, Elisapie, We Are Wolves, Steve Hill, the Weather Station, Coeur de Pirate, the Barr Brothers and about 40 other acts are billed at the 12^th annual Festif de Baie St.-Paul, July 21-25. The picturesque town is a mecca for artisans and tourists and where Cirque du Soleil started out.

– Play MPE has partnered with Polaris Music Prize, offering a full-service global music promo distro package to the grand winner and additional distro packages to the nine runners-up. The short list is to be announced on CBC Music at 3 pm EST today, and the winner declared on Sept. 27.

– The 2021 Unison Charity Golf Classics, in support of The Unison Fund, hosts 3 tournaments later this year: Montreal-Sept. 20, Toronto-28, and Vancouver–Oct. 7. Over the past 7 years, the annual has raised $1M for the charitable org. Links for registration and more. Let’s swing into action and have some fun.

– Canadian rights firm Anthem Entertainment has acquired Chris Farren’s Music Row boutique music pubbery, Combustion Music. The catalogue includes 38 US Country No. 1s written by a folio of songwriters that includes Ashley Gorley, Matt Jenkins, AJ Pruis, Jameson Rodgers, Zach Crowell, Jerry Flowers, and Matthew West. Recent hits include those performed by Anne Wilson, Chris Stapleton, and Toby Keith.

– MBW reports recommendations arising from a UK parliamentary committee include non-interactive plays of music on platforms like Spotify treated under UK law as 'rentals', with 50% of the generated recorded music royalties paid direct to performers via a collection society. If moved on, this would put a big dent in the label revenues and likely lead to similar action being taken in other G20 countries.

– Secure audio-file transfer service BYTA has partnered with McGill U to conduct a survey of musicians on the efficiencies and inefficiencies occurring when sharing digital audio files in the creation process. Details here, and here to complete the survey.

– WIPO has published a study on the economic effects of streaming on performers. The weighty 60-page doc offers various solutions, including requiring streaming platforms to pay remuneration directly to performers rather than through their intermediaries.

– In case you missed it, Nick Krewen has a story in The Star that captures the nuances of returning live music to indoor venues in the province. The final quote to the article from The Horseshoe’s Jeff Cohen is a corker.

– Former RCA Records rep turned recording artistRay Ramsay has never subscribed to popular convention. The Vancouver resident is now hyping his e-book, entitled Promo Monkey: Monkey See, Monkey TWO. In his own weird way, Vol. 2 is being published before Vol. 1. More @ grizzlyramsay1@gmail.com, purchase copies here, and read a few of his stories here.

– Michael Cohl is revving up the musical cast for a new Bat out of Hell tour that invades 22 UK theatres for multiple shows running this Sept. through Nov. of 2022. US shows are expected to resume at some point as well, and Vegas is one likely landing place.

– Toronto-based singer-songwriter James Bruce Moore won praise for his debut 2012 album Lisbeth (named after his late wife), produced by renowned bassist George Koller with musical support from Steve Briggs, Denis Keldie, Mark Mariash, and Kirsten Rea. Included on it was Residential Schools, a song reflecting on the wrenching policy of assimilation that is only now revealing its true ugly head. Current Records & Mgt’s Gerry Young is pitching: 416-932-8281