Music News Digest: Live Nation Makes History in Ottawa, Producer Bob Ezrin Earns a Top Honour

Awards News

Toronto music producer Bob Ezrin was recently named as a recipient of the lifetime artistic achievement award by The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation, a significant honour in the performing arts in Canada. Others named include and actors Graham Greene and Patrick Huard, Sandra Laronde, the founding artistic director of the Indigenous performance company Red Sky Performance, and classical composer Denis Gougeon, whose array of works include music for solo instruments, chamber groups, orchestra, ballet and opera. Also announced was the National Arts Centre Award for extraordinary work in the past performance year, going to two-time Polaris Prize-wining musician and ethnomusicologist Jeremy Dutcher. The awards celebration is set for June 14 at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

One of Canada's most internationally successful record producers, Ezrin's discography over a very lengthy career includes work on albums by such superstars as Pink Floyd, U2, Deep Purple, Peter Gabriel, Rod Stewart, Andrea Bocelli, Taylor Swift, Alice Cooper, Nine Inch Nails, Kiss, Lou Reed and many more. Canadian artists he has produced include The Kings, The Tenors, Murray McLauchlan, Lee Aaron and Fefe Dobson.

Ezrin was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2013 he was named an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Conservatory of Music and in 2022 he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada, "For his ongoing contributions to music and entertainment production, and for his sustained advocacy of musical education, journalism and environmental justice."

— The Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) has awarded Quebec country star Matt Lang the prestigious Road Gold certification, a recognition reserved for Canada’s hardest-working touring artists. This honour celebrates Lang’s achievement of selling over 50,000 tickets during his More Tour over the past year.

Lang is currently embarking on his new All Night Longer Tour. Other career milestones for Lang include over 50 million streams, three top 10 radio singles, and a Gold-certified single for his hit “Getcha.” Partners in Lang's career ascent include Anthem Entertainment, River House Artists and WME.

— The Toronto Film Critics Association’s 2024 Rogers Best Canadian Documentary Award recently went to the musical biopic Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story, a critically-acclaimed portrait of the ground-breaking transgender soul singer popular on the Toronto scene in the 1960s. The Winnipeg-set feature Universal Language won the Best Canadian Film Award. The richest annual film prize in Canada gave $50,000 to each winner.

Festivals News

Nashville North, described as "the Calgary Stampede’s country-music party tent," has announced a strong lineup of local and international talent for its 2025 edition, which runs from July 4 to 13. Headliners include Albertan stars Tenille Townes and MacKenzie Porter (she won the 2011 Nashville North Star competition), as well as Jade Eagleson, Drake Milligan, Chayce Beckham, Midland, Koe Wetzel, Cole Swindell, Charles Wesley Godwin, Chase Rice and The Reklaws. View the full Nashville North lineup here.

— As reported in Billboard, the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) recently pulled the plug on its planned Canada House showcase at this year's SXSW in Austin, Texas, citing political 'instability.' Other Canadian music trade orgs and festivals remain SXSW participants, with POP Montreal and M For Montreal jointly showcasing 10 acts across two stages at Swan Dive on March 12. The lineup includes critic faves Population 11 and The OBGMS, plus Ribbon Skirt, Knitting, Annie-Claude Deschênes and more.

— Despite its withdrawal from SXSW, CIMA's Canada House showcase will return to the Reeperbahn 2025 festival and conference in Hamburg, Germany, Sept. 15-20. Applications are now open for bands/artists wanting to be part of the showcase. Partner hosts can also apply. Fill out CIMA’s Canada House application form here. Complete Reeperbahn’s artist application form here. Deadline is May 16.

— The Americana Music Association, the Nashville-based organization that puts on AMERICANAFEST, is launching a new Toronto concert series in Toronto at the Horseshoe Tavern. The series will run throughout March and feature folk, country, blues and rock bands. Nine shows are scheduled so far, featuring these artists: Mariel Buckley, Ron Pop, Jeffrey Martin, Bob Sumner, India Ramey, Ariel Posen, Charlie Parr, Cousin Harley, Bella White and Shannon McNally. Find the full calendar and a link to buy tickets at the Horseshoe's website.

Industry News

Live Nation Canada is making History in Ottawa. The live music monolith recently announced its plans for a major new club venue in the city, to be named History. Located downtown at 47-57 Rideau Street, History Ottawa will be a sister venue to History in Toronto, a large club that is now a key player on that city's concert scene.

At a launch press conference, Erik Hoffman, the Toronto-based president of Live Nation Canada, explained that Drake, a partner in the Toronto venue, has also invested in the Ottawa venture. A multi-million dollar project, it will take a similar approach to History Toronto, hosting a general-admission audience on the ground floor, and seating on the upper level. The capacity in Ottawa of 2,000 is around 400 concertgoers less than the Toronto club.

— Manitoba's music scene is getting a boost with the launch of Odd Doll Records, a women-owned label that states it "is dedicated to redefining the 'Canadian mainstream' with music enriched by multilingual and multicultural artistry." An expansion of Misfit Music Management, Odd Doll has announced Franco-Manitoban artist Kelly Bado as its first signed act, and is sharing a new single from Bado, “La danse."

— A colourful and popular personality on the Toronto jazz scene, impresario, broadcaster and bandleader Jaymz Bee has been facing a challenging time of late. To lend support, local singers, poets and musicians are performing at a benefit concert, A Night of Music & Love for Jaymz Bee, set for March 5 at Toronto's Lula Lounge. The lineup includes Branko, Brendee Green, Denielle Bassels, Genevieve Marentette, Mike Schram, Pam Hyatt, Queen Mary The Artist, Robert Priest, Roger aka Roger, Sam Broverman, Simone Denny, Tony Quarrington, Whitney Ross-Barris, Stella Walker and an all-star backing band. Tickets & dinner Reservations here.

— The popular BC-based 97 South Song Sessions has announced an impressive lineup for its inaugural benefit concert, Hits With Heart. Coming to the O’Rourke Family Estate in Lake Country, BC, on April 12, it will feature Kim Mitchell, Marc Jordan, Lee Thomas Miller and Wendell Mobley in an intimate stories and songs format, presented in the round and acoustically. Proceeds will go to supporting the music education charity MusiCounts. More info and tickets here.

— In honour of International Women’s Day, Music Nova Scotia (with FACTOR support) is presenting “Stage Ready: Local Style, Global Impact,” an event to foster collaboration and artistic expression between local fashion designers and musicians. for International Women’s Day. It takes place on Wednesday, March 5 (from 11am - 3pm) at The Sanctuary Arts Centre (100 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth. This event is free for Music Nova Scotia members to attend. Space is limited and it is recommended to RSVP in advance here

— The City of Mississauga is calling all diverse concert presenters to apply for funding to bring live music events to the city in 2025. The Live Music Grant program is part of the city’s Music Strategy and it provides funding to offset eligible expenses associated with hosting live music events and is open to for-profit applicants, including artists, venue operators, promoters, bars, restaurants and other potential music event hosts. All grant applications must be submitted online through the City’s grants portal. The deadline for the Live Music Grant is Friday, March 28 at 4:30 p.m.

Artists News

Legendary Canadian producer and musician Daniel Lanois has announced tour dates in Ontario this summer. Joined by Jermaine Holmes (drums/vocals) and Jim Wilson (bass/vocals), his powerhouse trio plays Meaford Hall, Meaford (Aug. 7 and 8), The Aeolian, London (Aug. 10 and 11), The Regent Theatre, Picton (Aug. 14 and 15) and Georgian Theatre, Barrie (Aug. 16). Tickets on sale now at daniellanois.com. A trio concert at The Mule Spinner in Hamilton (Lanois' hometown) last year showcased the group in adventurous and compelling form.

— While keeping busy as the most passionate defender of Canadian sovereignty in Parliament, MP Charlie Angus still finds time to play shows with The Grievous Angels, the acclaimed folk-rock combo he has led for almost 40years. Tour dates in Ontario over the next few months include Ottawa's Rainbow Bistro, Belleville's Up Front Cafe (March 15), Ottawa's Rainbow Bistro, (March 23), Clifford Brewery in Hamilton (March 29, a matinee show, with tickets here) and Toronto's Horseshoe Taven on June 1 (also a matinee. Tickets here). Angus recently published a new book, Dangerous Memory: Coming of Age in the Decade of Greed, a memoir of heady early days in Toronto as a punk rocker (L'Etranger) and activist.

— Stephen Hamm (aka Theremin Man) has long paid dues in such noted Vancouver rock bands as Slow, Copyright and The Evaporators. He has also devoted himself to mastery of that exotic instrument, the theremin, and earlier this month he released a solo album, Live From Planet Earth (out on Light Organ Records). Its sound is described as a combination of space rock and psychedelic electronica.