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Cathedral Performances A New Acoustic Twist For Billy Raffoul

Keith Sharp
Cathedral Performances A New Acoustic Twist For Billy Raffoul
When Leamington Ontario native Billy Raffoul toured Europe two years ago, he found himself booked to play in Hamburg Germany’s St Michael’s Cathedral as part of that city’s Reeperbahn Festival, the only time that venue is allowed to be used as a concert venue. That date was so successful and the acoustics in the venue so spectacular that Raffoul’s European... Read More

10 for the Show – Trooper’s Induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame

Music Express
10 for the Show – Trooper’s Induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame
By Brian Stanko - The red-carpet procession of the Trooper train spread across the branded backdrop where the members attempted to please the gaggle of photographers–aiming for poses that balanced the inherent sense of rock ‘n’ roll attitude with the fact that the accumulated years had taken much of the edge off that attitude, leaving some very broad and sincere... Read More

Injustice Corrected – Trooper is Inducted into Canada’s Music Hall of Fame

Keith Sharp
Injustice Corrected – Trooper is Inducted into Canada’s Music Hall of Fame
By Keith Sharp Outrageous negligence will finally be corrected Thursday, May 18th, when Vancouver’s Trooper is inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at Calgary’s Studio Bell Centre. They, along with Country Artist Terri Clark, Francophone star Diane Dufresne and noted jazz pianist Oliver Jones will join Nickelback, who have already been inducted into the hall during this year’s... Read More

The Big Top returns to the banks of Quidi Vidi from June 14th-24th! St John’s NL and the Iceberg Alley Performance Tent – Music Festival 2023

Keith Sharp
The Big Top returns to the banks of Quidi Vidi from June 14th-24th! St John’s NL and the Iceberg Alley Performance Tent – Music Festival 2023
By Keith Sharp The region of Newfoundland/Labrador is known for its scenic beauty and its friendly people (see Come From Away)…but music events are not so much. But then Steeles Hotel chain President John Steele had this revelation when seeing a huge entertainment tent resurrected in London, England and felt the same concept would work back in his native St... Read More

Amanda Marshall Survives Prolonged Legal Battle, Releases New Single, and a New Tour.

Keith Sharp
Amanda Marshall Survives Prolonged Legal Battle, Releases New Single, and a New Tour.
By Keith Sharp For those music fans who wondered whatever happened to Amanda Marshall, do not worry; Amanda is back with a bang, and a national tour Amanda Marshall – 25 & Counting: The Heavy Lifting Tour and presented by Live Nation. With a début single, “I Hope She Cheats,” already hitting the social media airwaves, Marshall is obviously thrilled... Read More

Triple Concert Chaos Under Control For 2023

Keith Sharp
Triple Concert Chaos Under Control For 2023
By Keith Sharp Understanding the chaos caused by the cancellation of one festival concert caused by the pandemic, you can imagine the effect of planning three festivals and having all three put on hold for the past two years. But that’s exactly what happened to the organizers of Dauphin’s Countryfest, Rockin The Fields Of Minnedosa and Thunder Bay’s Country In... Read More

Bluewater Bridge No Barrier to The Bluewater BorderFest

Keith Sharp
Bluewater Bridge No Barrier to The Bluewater BorderFest
By Keith Sharp The Bluewater Bridge spanning between Sarnia, Ontario and Port Huron, Michigan, as well as the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Windsor with Detroit, represents the lifeblood of commerce to this South Western Ontario outpost. So when the COVID pandemic practically closed off access between the two cities, any major social events planned for Sarnia in 2020 and 2021... Read More

The Many Faces Of Michelle Truman

Keith Sharp
The Many Faces Of Michelle Truman
By Keith Sharp Michelle Truman is a musical schizophrenic. Some nights she exhibits an aura of Stevie Nicks, other nights, she stars as one-quarter of her own ABBA tribute team or captures the spirit of Shania Twain, Joan Jett or Lita Ford. And more recently, she has assumed lead vocal in the band Toronto as a replacement for Holly (Annie) Woods,... Read More

Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy Create A Musical Canvas With New Studio Album

Eric Alper
Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy Create A Musical Canvas With New Studio Album
Photos Credit Rebekah Littlejohn A blank canvas is full of possibilities—much like the partnership of Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, whose new album Canvas comes out on March 17, 2023.  They are two of the world’s top Celtic fiddlers: she is a renowned, award-winning solo artist from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia; he is from the legendary Leahy family of Ontario,... Read More

McBowl Concert Series Has North American Appeal

Keith Sharp
McBowl Concert Series Has North American Appeal
Photo by Andrew Clowater By Keith Sharp The 6th Annual McBowl Concert, in support of Ronald McDonald House promoter Ed Sousa can usually tell how well his annual concert festival is doing by how many tickets are sold nationally and throughout the United States. “Last year, we sold tickets to 20 U.S. states and every province in Canada. So far... Read More

Coney Hatch’s UK Tour 40 Years In The Making

Keith Sharp
Coney Hatch’s UK Tour 40 Years In The Making
By Keith Sharp The invitation came right out of the blue. When Coney Hatch bassist Andy Curran touched base with Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris during his band’s Toronto and Hamilton dates (as part of Maiden’s global Legacy Of The Beast tour), Harris mentioned he would be taking his British Lions’ side project on a brief but intense 11 dates... Read More

Blakk Turns Traumatic Childhood Experience Into Moving Emotional Vignettes

Keith Sharp
Blakk Turns Traumatic Childhood Experience Into Moving Emotional Vignettes
By Keith Sharp Considering Forest Blakk’s traumatic childhood upbringing, it would have come as no surprise if his musical influences had been Thrash Metal or Gangsta Rap. Yet his third EP, ‘Every Little Detail’ contains eight emotional introspective compositions which rank highly on wedding musical theme lists, an image which belies his gruff, tattooed physique. Blakk grew up in Montreal,... Read More

Workaholic Hugh Dillon Balances New Album And Tour With High Profile TV Roles

Music Express
Workaholic Hugh Dillon Balances New Album And Tour With High Profile TV Roles
Sound Of Music 2019 – Photo by Corey Kelly By Keith Sharp The big question is where the Headstones’ Hugh Dillon finds the time to record a new album,`Flight Risk,’ and plan a 17-date Canadian tour (with two dates in Buffalo) while at the same time completing the second season of The Mayor Of Kingstown TV series with season five... Read More

Steve Norman Keeping Spandau Ballet’s Legacy Alive

Keith Sharp
Steve Norman Keeping Spandau Ballet’s Legacy Alive
By Keith Sharp When you are the co-founder of a supergroup, it’s hard to let the project go, especially when there have been serious reformation attempts throughout the years. So, Spandau Ballet tenor saxophonist Steve Norman continues the band’s legacy, performing band classics like “True,” “Gold,” and “Through The Barricades” which were staple hits during the band’s peak popularity in... Read More

Love Of Spaghetti Westerns Spawn Novel Single

Keith Sharp
Love Of Spaghetti Westerns Spawn Novel Single
By Keith Sharp On Saturday November 26th at Toronto’s El Mocambo Tavern and on Sunday November 27th at Mississauga’s Classic Bowl venue, Boys Don’t Cry will open for Spandau Ballet saxophonist Steve Norman. Most musicologists may not recognize the name Boys Don’t Cry or its principal member, Nick Richards but possibly the band’s debut 1986 single; “I Wanna Be A... Read More

Barney Bentall’s Cariboo Express Puts A New Twist On Fundraising

Keith Sharp
Barney Bentall’s Cariboo Express Puts A New Twist On Fundraising
By Keith Sharp It was one of those eureka moments. Barney Bentall and his son Dustin were watching a YouTube episode of The Grand Ole Opry when they heard the MC say, “and the next song by Mel Tillis is sponsored by Gillette.” Songs sponsored by corporations, what a novel concept! “It was 2006, we were planning on doing a... Read More

33rd SOCAN Awards: Canada’s Music Creators and Publishers’ Road to Gold

Music Express
33rd SOCAN Awards: Canada’s Music Creators and Publishers’ Road to Gold
SOCAN Cultural Impact Award winner Tom Cochrane celebrated with a star-studded tribute performance. Lighthouse members were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Drake, OZ, Boi-1da, Allison Russell, Murda Beatz, Keith Power, La Zarra, and High Valley were also honoured. – More than 500 of Canada’s most accomplished songwriters, composers, music publishers and industry leaders gathered tonight for... Read More

Monster Truck’s Warriors Spearhead Arena Rock Revival

Keith Sharp
Monster Truck’s Warriors Spearhead Arena Rock Revival
Photo by James Heaslip Interview By Keith Sharp Suggest to Monster Truck bassist/guitarist Jon Harvey that classic arena rock music is virtually extinct, and he’ll invite you to listen to his band’s latest release titled `Warriors.’ At a time when Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Patient Number 9’ sits atop Billboard’s North American album charts and even Nickleback has released an incendiary new... Read More