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Author: Keith Sharp

Billy Newton-Davis Re-introduces Himself

Keith Sharp
Billy Newton-Davis Re-introduces Himself
Billy Newton-Davis – by Xander By Keith Sharp Before there was Drake, before there was The Weeknd, Toronto enjoyed a thriving R&B/soul music scene. If you hung out at venues like Club Blue Note, The Bamboo Club, Grossman’s Tavern or the Montreal Bistro in the mid-1980’s you would recognize names like George Olliver, Liberty Silver, Jackie Richardson, Molly Johnson, Micah... Read More

Toque Band Wears Many Hats

Keith Sharp
Toque Band Wears Many Hats
By Keith Sharp Toque: A close-fitting knitted or crocheted cap having no brim or a brim that is folded up to create an extra layer of fabric for warmth. A rock band consisting of four Canadian musicians destined to celebrate the best in Canadian music. Two of those Toque band members; lead vocalist/guitarist Todd Kerns and bassist/multi-instrumentalist Brent Fitz are... Read More

2020: That Was The Year That Was! And Music Lives Lost.

Keith Sharp
2020: That Was The Year That Was! And Music Lives Lost.
By Keith Sharp There’s no two ways about it, 2020 was a crap year. Who could have predicted that this COVID-19 pandemic could do so much damage on a global scale? The entire live music scene shuddered to a halt, major festivals cancelled, key live venues forced to restrict their attendances and then closed altogether, musicians and music industry personnel... Read More

Pajama Party Provides New Year’s Eve Alternative

Keith Sharp
Pajama Party Provides New Year’s Eve Alternative
By Keith Sharp Okay, so you are wondering what you are going to do on New Year’s Eve 2020! No clubs to go to, all the regular outdoor gatherings restricted and you can’t handle Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen’s CNN television countdown. So, courtesy of ace fund-raiser Ed Sousa you can tune into his `New Year’s Eve’ Pajama Party, to... Read More

Christmas Special Caps Spoons Innovative Schedule

Keith Sharp
Christmas Special Caps Spoons Innovative Schedule
By Keith Sharp While other bands and artists have spent this year-long pandemic sitting on their hands, Burlington Ontario’s The Spoons have executed a number of performances playing to restricted audiences, mainly for charity events. Their latest creation is simply called The Spoons Holiday Special and is a pre-taped performance of the band playing Christmas favourites from home with a... Read More

Loverboy Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of their Debut Album

Keith Sharp
Loverboy Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of their Debut Album
Mike Reno of Loverboy – Photo by Ted Van Boort By Keith Sharp Former co-manager, the late Lou Blair called it the half-million-dollar review! A glowing review of Loverboy’s U.S debut single, “Turn Me Loose” in the U.S. tip sheet `Friday Morning Quarterback’ announcing that the lone surviving new single from the 1980 Christmas period is “Turn Me Loose” by... Read More

Hook Set To Participate In Unison Live Stream Broadcast

Keith Sharp
Hook Set To Participate In Unison Live Stream Broadcast
By Keith Sharp As a highly regarded singer/songwriter, multi-musician recording artist, Shawn Hook is fully aware of the ravages that the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted on Canada’s music industry. As a board member of the Unison Benevolent Fund, he is in a position to do something positive to raise much-needed funds to aid this ailing industry. This Thursday he will... Read More

A Is For Arrows Shoots Straight From The Heart

Keith Sharp
A Is For Arrows Shoots Straight From The Heart
By Keith Sharp Alessia Balasbas is aware that one of the first questions asked of her as she debuts her six-track EP titled ‘Roses” is to explain her performance name ‘A Is For Arrows‘. “It came from a quote awhile back that an arrow can only be shot by pulling the bow backwards,” noted Balasbas from her Toronto residence in... Read More

Lee Aaron Serves Up Eclectic Christmas Album Grab Bag Of Tracks

Keith Sharp
Lee Aaron Serves Up Eclectic Christmas Album Grab Bag Of Tracks
By Keith Sharp Hot news flash! Lee Aaron covers Slade! This writer’s bucket list is now complete. The above statement may be more than a little facetious but to have Lee Aaron cover Slade’s proverbial annual Christmas chestnut, ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ on her band’s latest 10 track `Almost Christmas’ album serves as a special treat for this writer who is... Read More

Country Star JJ Shiplett Re-Imagines Previous Album with Crossed Fingers Re-Make

Keith Sharp
Country Star JJ Shiplett Re-Imagines Previous Album with Crossed Fingers Re-Make
JJ Shiplet – Single Release – Fingers Crossed By Keith Sharp Calgary Country Music star JJ Shiplett had 2020 all planned out to release a brand new album `Fingers Crossed’, initial radio exposure, future concert dates and festivals planned. All the components were in place to launch a successful release – and then COVID-19 struck and all his plans went... Read More

Live Stream Events, Plan B For Belleville’s Empire Theatre

Keith Sharp
Live Stream Events, Plan B For Belleville’s Empire Theatre
By Keith Sharp Mark Rashotte knows what musicians are going through. As a former guitarist with Capitol recording band, Photograph, as well as current guitarist and manager for Jake Clemons (of E Street Band fame) has empathy for the many artists whose live performance opportunities came to a shuddering halt during this 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. As the owner of Belleville, Ontario’s... Read More

Glass Tiger Releases Holiday Album With A Pop Twist – All Original Material Features All-Star Cast

Keith Sharp
Glass Tiger Releases Holiday Album With A Pop Twist – All Original Material Features All-Star Cast
By Keith Sharp Not being a religious person, Glass Tiger lead vocalist, Alan Frew was less than enthusiastic about recording a Christmas album, even though his record label, Warner Music Canada had been relentlessly pushing the band for such a seasonal offering. The idea of reworking a batch of the usual Christmas standards held no appeal for the self-proclaimed atheist... Read More

Social Media Awareness Fuels Johnny Orlando’s Success

Keith Sharp
Social Media Awareness Fuels Johnny Orlando’s Success
By Keith Sharp When you think of Johnny Orlando, you also think of Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, Alessia Cara and Scott Hillman, all former Canadian teenage pop stars who have broken through to mainstream acceptance. But in the case of Mississauga Ontario born Orlando, you have an individual who has developed his social media presence to a whole new level.... Read More

Midnight Oil Lose Bassist/Vocalist Bones Hillman To Cancer

Keith Sharp
Midnight Oil Lose Bassist/Vocalist Bones Hillman To Cancer
Bones Hillman, the long-time bass guitarist and backing vocalist for Midnight Oil died Saturday (November 7) after battling cancer. The band announced the news on their Facebook page; Hillman was 62. Hillman, born Wayne Stevens, joined the Australian rock band in 1987 replacing Peter Gifford. The group were originally formed in 1972 in Sydney as Farm and changed their name to... Read More

MONOWHALES Combat Pandemic with El Mocambo Live stream gigs

Keith Sharp
MONOWHALES Combat Pandemic with El Mocambo Live stream gigs
By Keith Sharp One of Canada’s hottest new musical outfits, Toronto’s MONOWHALES will attempt to defeat the current COVID-19 lockdown by performing two live stream concerts on November 26 & 27 at the legendary El Mocambo in support of a new single “All Or Nothing”. On the phone from the band’s rehearsal space, band lead vocalist Sally Shaar takes time out... Read More

Gowan Plans Live Stream Belleville Gig – Thursday, October 29th, 2020

Keith Sharp
Gowan Plans Live Stream Belleville Gig – Thursday, October 29th, 2020
By Keith Sharp Lawrence Gowan is ecstatic about the prospect of leaving his Toronto residence to motor down the 401 to perform a live stream concert – Thursday, October 29th, 2020 8 pm from Mark Rashotte’s Belleville Empire Theatre. “I’ve got a big show to perform and it’s not even at my house!” Gowan cracked from his lakeside abode. “I’ve done... Read More

Live Streaming Is The Key To El Mocambo’s Future

Keith Sharp
Live Streaming Is The Key To El Mocambo’s Future
When Michael Wekerle made a last-minute decision to secure the legendary El Mocambo in November 2014 for a reported $3.8 million dollars he allegedly cracked that he might need to invest an additional couple of million bucks to fix the place up to his specifications…Thirty-Five Million Dollars Later! This is the reported amount, the 54-year old merchant trader, who made a... Read More