By David Farrell
AEG has again postponed Celine Dion’s North American Couragetour with a third try pencilled to start in Denver next March. Opening night of her world tour was in Quebec City on Sept. 18, 2019. According to Pollstar, she had grossed US$71.2M over 33 shows before the tour was rescheduled because of the virus. Her box-office career-total is north of $1B. Prior to, it’s expected she will fulfill a 21-show series in Las Vegas that runs Nov. 5 through Feb. 5. Her first Canadian show is now scheduled on March 14 at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre.
Separately, an unauthorized biopic of the singer’s life earned a five-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival last week. Here’s the trailer.
– Eve Paré has been named Vice-President of Public Affairs and Executive Director of ADISQ (Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo). She takes over from Solange Drouin, effective Sept. 7. Paré had been President and CEO of the Association des Hôtels du Grand Montreal for nine years.
– Collective Concerts has announced a slew of shows that include Joel Plaskett Emergency with Mo Kenney, moved from the Phoenix Concert Theatre to Massey Hall, Oct. 1; two shows with New Pornographers at the Danforth Music Hall, Dec. 6&7; Classified at the Phoenix Concert Theatre and Ottawa’s Bronson Centre, Nov. 24&26; Gary Numan at the Phoenix on Oct. 8; Purity Ring, same venue on Nov. 8; and a series of “hootenanny” shows at the Horseshoe that include Hawksley Workman and the Wolves, Terra Lightfoot, Birds of Bellwoods, Julian Taylor Band, and Shaun Majumder.
– The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) and Music Canada have launched the new www.OntarioMusicCities.ca site, a resource for the broader music community to stimulate economic recovery across Ontario, with funding (administered by the CLMA) to build out and enhance Music Cities work. The support was announced by Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries earlier this year.
– Music Canada, with the support of its members – Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada – has announced the released its 2020 Year in Review, offering a virtual view of the organization’s work this year.
– Canadian country-rocker Suzi Kory resumes her indie Love Revolution drive-in festivals on Aug. 14 in Cavan, ON, with a lineup other than herself that includes Jesse Slack, Jessica Sole, Johnson’s Creek Band, Kansas Stone, and New Moon Junction along with acoustic sets by Ryan Anderson, Megan Hutton (of Instant Rivalry), and Chase Stevens. Tickets per car are $60.
– Demand for Arkells’ Budweiser Stage shows are on fire. Originally booked for two nights at the 16K capacity lakeside amphitheatre Aug. 13 & 14, Live Nation has now announced a third show on Aug. 15. Ducats range between $35 and $95 before applicables.
– Happin, a Toronto-based software developer of an all-in-one platform for hybrid, virtual and in-person events, has secured US$1.2M in seed funding from MDC Media Group. The company combines ticketing, livestream, and fan engagement, including features like audio after-parties, VIP fan meetings, virtual gifting, in-stream merchandise sales, and on-demand playback on one platform.
Aya NakamuraMarion Gomez/Billboard France