By Kerry Doole
Taylor Swift will bring Eras Tour to Toronto with an astonishing six shows next November
How to buy tickets for Taylor Swift’s six Toronto concerts — plus all the details on the pop megastar’s six shows at the Rogers Centre in November 2024. – Richie Assaly, Toronto Star
Joni Mitchell’s new live album At Newport runs circles around the late Gordon Lightfoot’s latest
Joni Mitchell’s much-anticipated new live album was released to rapturous reviews a week ago. There’s a phrase you don’t often hear: “Much-anticipated new live album.” But At Newport documents the 79-year-old singer-songwriter’s surprise appearance at last summer’s Newport Folk Festival, which marked her first public performance since she suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015. She was left unable able to walk or talk, let alone sing or play the guitar. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
At Royal Albert Hall: Gordon Lightfoot
Billed as his final album, this 2016 live set by the late songwriter is a thoughtful and intimate survey of his vast catalog. – Pitchfork
Although he's stepped down from April Wine, Myles Goodwyn isn't slowing down
Goodwyn is helping the band behind the scenes, but also has solo projects on the go. – Richard Woodbury, CBC News
Justice Fund’s Yonis Hassan & Noah “40” Shebib on making Toronto safer for youth
A Toronto-based non-profit with connections to Drake’s record label is partnering with several major city organizations -- including the local school board and public transit operator -- to address youth safety issues. – Christian Collington, CP
Bryan Adams, Blondie to play philanthropic Stanley Park concert
The Beedie-produced event has so far raised $1 million for Greater Vancouver Food Bank. – Glen Korstrom, VancouverIsAwesome
Epic Osheaga party continues all the way to the métro ride home
If the weekend made one thing clear, it’s that Osheaga is here to stay. – T'Cha Dunlevy, Montreal Gazette
Celine Dion album ‘D’eux’ celebrated by top Canadian and European musicians
Celine Dion‘s 1995 album “D’eux,” the bestselling French-language album of all time, written and produced by Jean-Jacques Goldman, is being paid homage to by top Canadian and French musicians. That list includes Isabelle Boulay, Corneille, Roch Voisine, Véronic DiCaire, Mario Pelchat, and Bruno Pelletier. They will recreate the songs from the album and other titles taken from the collaboration with Goldman. – Variety
On her debut EP, Bambii brilliantly bridges the gap between Caribbean and electronic music
With “Inifinity Club,” the Toronto DJ and producer has created a high-octane alloy that sounds both global and uniquely Toronto. –Richie Assaly Toronto Star
Are bands skipping town, or do we need to calm down?
Taylor Swift isn’t the only fan-favourite seemingly avoiding Vancouver.ake Radiohead offshoot The Smile, which graced Seattle with a pair of intimate club dates last Dec. before hightailing it to San Francisco instead of BC. Treks from Mammoth WVH or Angel Du$t have noticeably Vancouver-sized holes in their upcoming tour schedules. – Gregory Adams, Georgia Straight
S.G. Sinnicks and the enduring power of the Fridge Magnet
The latest magnet added to my collection is a cartoon depiction of Hamilton singer-songwriter S.G. Sinnicks. It came with my advance copy of his new six-song EP, which is entitled, conveniently enough, “Fridge Magnet.” – Graham Rockingham, Hamilton Spectator
The upcoming Canadian jazz calendar includes festivals aplenty and double bass icon Ron Carter
This weekend’s Newport Jazz Festival is the highlight event of the genre’s summer season, with headliners including Herbie Hancock, Kamasi Washington, Thundercat and Canada’s Diana Krall, but there is still plenty of live jazz here in Canada this month and next. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
Halifax’s Maggie Andrew is bringing alt-pop to new heights
The 24-year-old singer-songwriter has earned praise from the likes of Santigold and might well be Nova Scotia’s next breakout act. – Martin Bauman, The Coast
Story of megastar Eric Clapton's father has Kingston connection
In 1985, Edward Fryer, a 65-year-old deadbeat dad and multi-time loser at matrimony, died of leukemia at the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre in Toronto. He left behind a few debts, an old prison record, at least three ex-wives and several children, including a son who would inherit the father’s musical ear. – Patrick Kennedy, Intelligencer
Handel’s ‘Gloria’ like a ray from heaven
Long story short, the “Gloria” was authenticated as genuine Handel by Marx and scholars in England and the US who posited that it was likely composed in Rome in 1707. – Leonard Turnevicius
Folk-country singer Boy Golden finds freedom in an alter ego
It was not so long ago that Liam Duncan was struggling to write songs. As he explains it, “I couldn’t get past my own ego.” Ergo, an alter ego. The Winnipeg-based Duncan now presents himself professionally as Boy Golden, an indie-label twang-music persona who performs his own folk-country material. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
Wildfire near Princeton, B.C., forces evacuation of music festival
A wildfire discovered west of Princeton, B.C., Sunday evening forced the evacuation of a nearby music festival, according to local officials. The Under the Stars festival, a four-night event, began on Thursday.– CTV News
Remembering the golden era of music magazines
Using money I earned stocking shelves in the local grocery store, I’d grab the latest editions of Rolling Stone (which came out every two weeks), and monthlies like CREEM, Trouser Press, and Circus for international news, and Music Express to learn about what was happening in Canada. – Alan Cross, Corus Radio
International
Deezer hints that music streaming price hikes could recur
France-headquartered Deezer has given the music industry its first solid hint that recent price hikes at music streaming services are set to become a recurring phenomenon. On Deezer’s latest earnings call its CEO told analysts that the streaming service’s own price hike in early 2022 didn’t have a negative impact on its subscription numbers. – Daniel Tencer, MBW
How much money do musicians make on TikTok? (and how do they make it?)
Former Lizzo dancers were weight-shamed and pressured while at strip club, lawsuit says
Three former dancers have filed a suit against Lizzo, accusing the singer of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.– NBC News
‘I am not the villain’: Lizzo breaks silence after lawsuit from former dancers
Responses to the allegations from three former dancers on the singer’s tour range from fan distress to a seeming Beyoncé snub. – Sarah Laing The Kit
Janelle Monae talks about freedom, how new album defines her and getting ready to tour again
If you believe Janelle Monae’s hyper-sexual expression is a front, think again. These days, Monae is unapologetically living her truth in a bold manner while trying to avoid negativity. – Jonathan Landrum, AP
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour truck company owner speaks out about ‘life-changing’ bonuses
Swift gave $100,000 bonuses to each truck driver of her Eras tour earlier this week. – Rania Aniftos, Billboard
Apple Music vs Amazon Music: Which music service is better?
The two streaming platforms are easy to use and boast a wide library of tracks but provide several different features and advantages. From varying subscription packages and prices, to their unique, and pretty similar features, we’ve looked into the two services. – Radio Times
Hip-Hop’s surprising, never-ending evolutions
A sound. A culture. A people. Even now, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, what can’t hip-hop do or be? – Jason Parham, Wired
How many Beatles songs does Paul McCartney do live?
For those who haven’t been to a Paul McCartney show before and wondering how many Beatles songs he does, based on his most recent setlist from Glastonbury in 2022, the answer is 23. – Paul Cashmere, Noise11
Chrissie Hynde: ‘I’m more relaxed now. Ageing is like being a pothead again’
The Pretenders frontwoman and punk pioneer takes questions from Observer readers and famous fans on her relentless creativity spanning half a century, rethinking her hippy youth, and her cruelty-free farm. – Tim Adams, The Guardian
Divorce, deaths, rehab: Josh Homme has struggled. But he wants to give QOSA fans respite
Going to a Queens show, like the one in Toronto Aug. 4, is like visiting “video-game arcades and ice-cream parlours where people won’t talk about politics.” – Ben Rayner, Toronto Star
Taylor Swift offered ‘Heartstopper’ her music, the show’s music supervisor reveals
The music supervisor for Netflix’s Heartstopper has revealed Taylor Swift offered her music for use in the show. Swift’s song ‘seven’, taken from her 2020 album ‘folklore’, is used in a pivotal scene featuring lesbian couple Tara (Corinna Brown) and Darcy. – NME
Where is Britney Spears?
After her conservatorship ended, some of her fandom latched on to a new theory: What if she had never been freed at all? – Rebecca Jennings, Vulture
Cécile McLorin Salvant “operating completely on her own level” with fairytale jazz fantasy ‘Ogresse’
The Grammy Award-winning vocalist enthrals with a hugely imaginative jazz suite backed by a top-notch ensemble led by Darcy James Argue. – Hugh Morris, Jazzwise
Cecilia Bartoli veers into opera management while still singing at 57
Cecilia Bartoli has a favorite role she wished she could sing. – Ronald Blum, AP
