advertisement
FYI

In The Wee Hours Of CMW With Cam Carpenter

The night started early at The Dakota Tavern and a performance by Benjamin Dakota Rogers and ended at the Horseshoe where Wolves At Midnight were playing at the stroke of... midnight.

In The Wee Hours Of CMW With Cam Carpenter

By Cam Carpenter

The night started early at The Dakota Tavern.

After a nice chat with local musician Del Cowsill at the bar, we saw Benjamin Dakota Rogers take the stage accompanied by a bowed upright bass. It was an intense and intimate set that had the audience totally engaged in the performance. 

He was followed by Slim Paul from France who started a cappella and then strapped on his electric and kicked into his swampy southern rock accompanied by drums and bass. Manager Emilie Delchambre was on hand and quick with the media kits.

Across the street, at The Painted Lady, I caught up with Tony Tarleton from Acronym Records. We were both there to see Compassion Machine, a the two-piece rock band from Victoria that is currently working with former Headstones drummer Dale Harrison.

Next up was The Rivoli for youngsters Moscow Apartment who are now working with Jeff Rogers as well as new agent Stefanie Purificati from APA. The set was over-the-top charming, which Yvonne Matsell said was like "being on the set of the movie Juno". Seen in the audience were Ralph James, Slammin Media's Bruce Bradley, the legendary Richard Flohil and The Launch's Fraser Hill.

The last stop of the evening was The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern where Montreal's Wolves At Midnight were tearing it up at, yes, midnight. 


advertisement

No festival day is complete without street sightings, and earlier in the day I ran into Edmonton's Letters From Pluto who are performing Thursday at The Supermarket and caught up with Kyle Sullivan from Jerry Leger & The Situation who was showing German band Blackberries.

advertisement
Val Blavatnik
Courtesy WMG

Val Blavatnik

Business News

Val Blavatnik to Oversee Warner Music Canada in New Role at Warner Music Group

Blavatnik will oversee Warner Music Canada as managing director of Warner Music North America, U.K. and Corporate Development at WMG. As part of a slew of executive announcements, Simon Robson will be leaving the company, while Alejandro Duque takes the top international role.

Val Blavatnik, the 28-year-old son of Warner Music Group majority owner and vice chairman Len Blavatnik, has been named managing director of Warner Music North America, U.K. and Corporate Development at the Warner Music Group, the company announced Friday (Sept. 25). In his new role the younger Blavatnik, who has held several roles at the company in recent years, and has been a board member since 2023, expects to “unify and drive business and operational strategy across these markets while guiding the company’s investment strategy to support growth,” according to a press release.

The Blavatnik announcement is part of a flurry of new executive announcements that CEO Robert Kyncl made this morning. In addition, Atlantic Music Group chairman/CEO Elliot Grainge will take on ADA in the U.S. as its new chairman, while Alejandro Duque, who has held the dual roles of president of Warner Latin and president of ADA since last July, has been named president of Warner Music International, adding Asia-Pacific and Europe, the Middle East and Africa under his oversight. (Duque will continue to oversee ADA outside the U.S.) Zach Friedman, currently COO at Atlantic Music Group, will add the title of vice chair of ADA U.S. to his resume.

keep readingShow less
advertisement