Music Biz Headlines, Sept. 7, 2023

By Kerry Doole

Celine Dion is ‘doing everything to recover,’ her sister reveals

In an interview with HELLO! Canada, the Canadian superstar’s sister said Dion is dealing with muscle spasms that are “impossible to control.” – Manuela Vega, Hello Canada 

Nickelback, Sho Madjozi, Finn Wolfhard among musicians set for TIFF street party

- Canadian rockers Nickelback, South African rapper Sho Madjozi and Finn Wolfhard’s band The Aubreys are among the artists set to perform at the Toronto International Film Festival’s annual street party. – Global

CCMA Awards land pop singer Tyler Shaw and Sacha, Brett Kissel, High Valley for show

Another wave of country stars and a splash of pop is being added to the performer lineup at the upcoming Canadian Country Music Association Awards. – David Friend, CP 

PNE Amphitheatre to be demolished after nearly 60 years of shows

If you’re attending a Summer Night Concert at the PNE, be sure to take a moment to savour the atmosphere at the PNE Amphitheatre. The iconic outdoor venue is set to be demolished at the close of 2023 PNE Fair, according to a release, to make way for “a new world-class venue.” – Chandler Walter, Georgia Straight

These 14 highly anticipated albums will be your fall soundtrack.

Major projects from Olivia Rodrigo and Drake, plus highly-anticipated albums from indie favourites like Mitski and Sufjan Stevens, are all set for release this fall. – Richie Assaly Toronto Star

Moments Fest to feature 40 bands and launch new Indigenous record label

 For the past 10 years, Black Rabbit has been helping other bands with guidance and infrastructure that he rarely got when No More Moments first formed. He has organized Moments Fest, an all-ages festival at Siksika for nearly a decade. This year's edition doubled as the official launch of Moments Fest Records, an Indigenous-owned and operated label. – Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald

New Brunswick farm's corn maze memorializes Canadian music legends

It's a tradition for one Florenceville-Bristol, N.B., farm to do something big every fall. Each year they create a corn maze that honours their Canadian roots, although choosing the right subject can sometimes be a harder job than anticipated. This year, the Hunter Brothers chose two Canadian musical legends who left their mark, Gordon Lightfoot and Stan Rogers. – CTV News Atlantic

Screams, screams and more screams greet Arctic Monkeys’ three-star Toronto show

Frontman Alex Turner seemed almost dismissive of the throng’s attention, playfully waving it off as he got down to business. – Nick Krewen, Toronto Star

Rufus Wainwright: ‘I call Yorkshire Gold the crystal meth of teas’

The singer-songwriter on writing his first musical, being inspired by fatherhood, and revisiting his work in two Proms in a single night. –The Guardian

Travis Scott bound for Vancouver this fall as part of his UTOPIA-Circus Maximus Tour

With UTOPIA having just solidified his status as one of the biggest recording artists on the planet, Travis Scott is headed to Vancouver, headlining Rogers Arena on November 10 as part of a multimedia spectacle. His tour wraps on December 29 at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena. – Mike Usinger, Georgia Straight

Nashville move should provide new inspiration for singer-songwriter Taylor Janzen

Leaving Winnipeg for bigger musical centres has become a rite of passage for local acts seeking the next step in their careers. Add indie-rock singer-songwriter Taylor Janzen to a list that goes back almost 60 years ago, to when a young Neil Young drove away in a repurposed hearse and bumped into Stephen Stills. – Alan Small, Winnipeg Free Press

‘Forever Young’ Rod Stewart charms a sold-out Niagara Falls crowd

Stewart deployed his patented bum wiggle and soft-shoed his way as the mood struck him.–  Nick Krewen, Toronto Star

International

Popular artists to get a royalty boost on Deezer via agreement with UMG 

Deezer and UMG have announced the launch of what they call the “first comprehensive artist-centric streaming model”, designed, according to the companies “to better reward the artists, and the music that fans value the most”. According to the Financial Times the model is expected by UMG and Deezer to “lift payouts to professional artists by 10 per cent”. – Murray Stassen,  MBW

How Taylor Swift filmed her ‘Eras Tour’ movie in the midst of the Hollywood strike

The concert movie that hits theatres next month was shot over three nights in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium. – Gil Kaufman, Billboard

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert film coming to movie theatres in October

Swift announced last week that the concert film Taylor Swift – The Eras Tour will open in North American theatres on Oct. 13. The theatre chain AMC, anticipating high demand from Swift fans, said the film will play at least four times a day Thursday, Fridays, Saturday and Sundays at all of its US locations.– Reuters

Why is Sting reworking his greatest hits? Nostalgia is ‘not terribly creative’

Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, a milkman’s son from Wallsend, England, is doing very well, thank you for asking. Better known as Sting, the rock star was in New York earlier this week enjoying his morning coffee before a Zoom call with this reporter. – Brad Wheeler, The Globe and Mail

‘I’m still a student of music’ — Sting reflects on his long career ahead of his Toronto show

The solo artist and former Police frontman on his history with Toronto, his “unlikely pairing” with Shaggy and his ongoing love of touring. – Nick Krewen, Toronto Star

For ‘Last of Us’ composer Gustavo Santaolalla, silence is key to drawing the audience in

When composer Gustavo Santaolalla sits with a new script, the words on the page often trigger visual elements, allowing him to hear the musical journey as the story travels from scene to scene. – Leslie Ambriz, AP 

Why you can't get 'Planet of the Bass,' the playful '90s Eurodance parody, out of your head

The year is 2023, but it might as well be 1997. – Maria Sherman, AP 

‘I blamed everyone else but I was the problem’: The Breeders on fallouts, reunions and 30 years of Last Splash

Despite decades of drugs and estrangements, the playful pop grungers are back with new clarity and purpose. They discuss how a mutual appreciation of their 1993 opus made them put aside their differences. – Sharon O'Connell, The Guardian

Beyoncé shines bright among Hollywood stars during Renaissance concert tour stop in Los Angeles

Lights, cameras, Beyoncé! – Jonathan Landrum Jr., AP