Archive for News Canada
Neil Young doesn’t show, but spirited Olympic tribute a hit with fans
Nick Patch
The Canadian Press
VANCOUVER, B.C. — Neil Young didn’t show up for his Olympic tribute on Thursday night, but the more than two dozen artists who took the stage captured his spirit closely enough with a show that was heartfelt, stirring and delightfully rambling.
Lou Reed, Elvis Costello and Ron Sexsmith were among the performers who took the stage at a packed Queen Elizabeth Theatre to play songs drawn from Young’s expansive catalogue in Hal Willner’s Neil Young Project, a part of the Cultural Olympiad.
Much of the three-and-a-half hour setlist focused on more obscure Young tunes while renditions ranged from studiously faithful to almost unrecognizable in the show, which was scheduled for a second performance on Friday.
Reed, clad in all black with a demeanour that could only be described as all business, hammered his guitar through a performance of “Helpless” before accompanying vocalist Jenni Muldaur on a rendition of “Harvest.”
Costello brought a finger to his lips to hush the cheering crowd before crooning a version of “Love in Mind” (culled from Young’s 1973 live record, “Time Fades Away”) then, later, whipped the same crowd into a frenzy with strutting renditions of “Cowgirl in the Sand” and “Cinnamon Girl.” When the latter inspired a standing ovation, Costello – one of the evening’s most energetic showmen – doffed his spotted fedora.
Where Reed and Costello sang Young’s songs in their own inimitable styles, a few of the evening’s other performers opted to hew more closely to the originals.
Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning, Sam Goldberg and Bill Priddle each channelled Young’s high-pitched voice as they performed. And a section of the show just prior to the intermission seemed to sag as a series of artists attempted faithful versions of Young’s early-career ballads.
But the evening’s highlights were borne from riskier renditions of Young’s tunes.
Eric Mingus – the son of jazz legend Charles Mingus – brought the house down with a spare, insistently urgent take on “For the Turnstiles” (from 1974′s “On the Beach.”) Accompanied by bass, drums, handclaps and, eventually, saxophone, Mingus bellowed and shook while he sang. The next time he was set to arrive onstage to chant the lyrics to “On the Way Home,” the crowd cheered appreciatively at the mention of his name.
Meanwhile, avant-garde blues guitarist James Blood Ulmer’s searing version of “Scenery” was almost unrecognizable. The 68-year-old tossed up the devil horns as he ambled offstage to an ovation from the crowd.
The entire evening, in fact, had a likably ramshackle feel to it.
Willner – an American producer and the music supervisor on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” since 1981 – didn’t tell the artists which songs he wanted them to perform until the days leading up to the show. As a result, many had to read music and lyrics as they played.
Oddly, there wasn’t much by way of banter between the performers and the audience. When singer-songwriter Julie Doiron acknowledged Young specifically toward the end of the show – the first time anyone had done so – she almost acted as though she were speaking out of turn.
“I know we all grew up listening to Neil Young,” the Sackville, N.B., native announced.
“It’s been a thrill and an honour to be here.”
If the collective onstage seemed to be enjoying themselves, so was the enthusiastic throng in the crowd.
Each time Reed took the stage, the audience united in chants of “Loooooooou” (Reed acknowledged them once, holding his guitar up in salute). And just prior to Emily Haines’ gorgeous version of “A Man Needs a Maid,” an overeager spectator shouted “Whoa, mama!” as the slim blonde singer walked onstage.
The wilfully obscure setlist didn’t seem to dampen their spirits in the slightest – and some diehard Young fans in the crowd even said they appreciated it.
“I’d rather see that than all the hits,” said Mark Hamilton, a fan who had just arrived after flying out from his home in Guelph, Ont.
“I’d be really happy if they played something off of ‘Trans,”‘ contributed Paul Dickson of Vancouver before the show, referring to Young’s vocoder-heavy 1982 experimental album.
Performers made few efforts to engage the audience, too.
During a performance of “Walk On,” Jason Collett marvelled at how well-behaved the crowd had been (“It’s very Canadian of you,” he said) before asking them to follow along through some audience “participation,” which involved fingers snapping and hands clapping against thighs.
But ultimately, hours of listening to Young’s songs – even with the man of the evening absent from the festivities – was enough for most fans.
“I love it,” said Tim Harris of Vancouver. “I’m singing along to all of it. I listen to a lot of Neil.”
Source: The Canadian Press
Wilco rocks out for a wet crowd
Graeme McRanor
Special To The Sun
Wilco
With Default and Califone When: Saturday Night
Where: LiveCity Yaletown (David Lam Park)
If you’re keen on attending any of the LiveCity evening concerts during the Winter Games, the rule, however redundant, is simple: Get there early.
A colossal lineup to get into the Yaletown venue snaked around the block Saturday night as thousands of folks dutifully shuffled one by one through 10 airport-style metal detectors before being searched by security guards toting hand-held metal wands.
Reportedly, though, the line moved reasonably quickly considering its imposing length, but the already wet Lead singer Tim Rutili, clad in a parka, scarf and toque with earflaps, occasionally channels the onstage demeanour of former Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. Jennifer Heil’s silver medal in women’s moguls, polite cheers and chants for Wilco indicated the crowd had waited long enough.
Rain fell faster as Wilco took the stage, fronted by a shaggy-haired, scraggly-bearded Jeff Tweedy.
Fittingly, the band opened its lengthy set (more than 90 minutes) with Wilco (the song), from their latest, self-titled album.
The boys then bridged into I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, from their highly acclaimed album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, a song that culminated in a sustained instrumental melee that, to be frank, didn’t sound very good.
In fact, during the first quarter of its set, the band sounded mediocre.
But things seemed to improve during a couple of the band’s slower-paced, more melodic songs and continued to pick up right through to the end of what turned out to be a fairly solid set and a nice cross-section of the group’s material.
Don’t get me wrong: These guys are all great musicians. I just occasionally (especially earlier) found myself thinking that things were getting a bit clangy.
I tried moving around to various points in the venue and, sure enough, there were some weird spots for sound, particularly near the front of stage right near the Coke pavilion, where there was a noticeable echo. This probably explains the sound’s occasional jaunts into mash land. That said, Tweedy and his mates looked like they were genuinely enjoying themselves onstage, and the crowd, in spite of the rain, certainly seemed to appreciate the band’s efforts.
Now, if only the weather would try to cooperate.
Source: www.vancouversun.com
Burning love affair with Elvis 75 years after his birth
Misty Harris
Canwest News Service
If the greatest love affair celebrities have is with their fans, Elvis Presley was our Don Juan.
Though entertainers inspired adulation long before, and indeed long after The King’s arrival, it was the feral attraction to Presley — who on Jan. 8 would have turned 75 — that forever changed the way we consume entertainment.
“He wasn’t just a famous musician. He ultimately became a commodity: a brand, a symbol and a vehicle, not only for selling products but also for selling fantasies,” says sociologist Patricia Leavy, an associate professor at Stonehill College in Massachusetts. “Elvis was really the beginning of consumer culture as we experience it now.”
A sequin-swaddled star, Presley set the course for an entire industry. Even now, 32 years after his death, the entertainer’s influence is evident in everything from the border-crossing music of Eminem to the gyroscopic invitation of Britney Spears’ hips.
Forbes consistently ranks the singer among the top-earning dead celebrities, with his 2009 income swelling to $55 million U.S.. That fortune is only expected to grow with this year’s 75th birthday exhibits and a new “Viva Elvis!” Cirque du Soleil show opening in Las Vegas.
“He’s probably the most important, influential figure in all of popular music,” says biographer Alanna Nash, author of the new book Baby Let’s Play House: Elvis Presley and the Women Who Loved Him.
“Nobody was prepared for the level of fame to which he ascended. He literally couldn’t go out without being mobbed . . . I think the only time he was ever truly happy was when he was on stage and felt that unconditional love.”
The initial romance between the artist and his fans, however, devolved into a fatal attraction for a self-destructive star in decline — a seemingly different man altogether, who history would mockingly remember as “Fat Elvis.”
“Elvis rolled out the blueprint for a lot of the behaviour that modern-day rockers take for granted: excessive women and substance abuse,” says Nash. “But he would hate to think that was his legacy.”
The morbid fascination with Presley’s decay set a tone for tabloid stories about celebrities that endures to this day. Fortunately for the singer, planting the seeds of schadenfreude meant he didn’t experience the full ugliness of its outgrowth.
The sexual dalliances laid bare in Baby Let’s Play House, for example, are enough to make Tiger Woods’ indiscretions look like fodder for Seventeen magazine. Lest we forget that, among countless other improprieties, Presley began courting future wife Priscilla when he was 24 and she was 14.
But, save for conservative fearmongering over his swivelling midsection, Presley’s tawdrier exploits went largely unreported.
“I suspect there’s an awful lot of stuff Elvis did that we don’t know about,” says Robert Thompson, one of North America’s foremost experts on popular culture. “And even if the press were aware of the more unsavoury stories, they were often reluctant to cover them; look at how they gave Kennedy a pass.”
Though the passion still flourishes 75 years after the musical titan’s birth, it’s an informed love that recognizes Presley as a complete person — both flaws and fortes — and as a foundational piece in a much bigger picture.
“Elvis Presley was the beginning of a new era in celebrity culture and obsession, which manifested itself in what now seem like charming, innocent ways,” says Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University. “Michael Jackson represents the end of that chapter, with it becoming totally toxic and ultimately deadly.”
Source: canada.com
Twain recalls impoverished past to help charity
Canadian country pop singer Shania Twain has started a charity called Shania Kids Can that she hopes will open opportunities for talented boys and girls from underprivileged backgrounds.
Speaking on CBC Radio’s The Current on Thursday, Twain said she relates to underprivileged children because she grew up poor herself.
Twain will host The Current on Friday, when she will speak more about her plans for Shania Kids Can. She will also interview Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, who created 1GOAL, a charity that aims to reach the 72 million children worldwide who do not have access to education.
Twain said in an interview that she began singing as a teenager for $25 or $50 an engagement, money that immediately went to the family finances.
“We went in and out of different phases, and I’m sure that’s what’s happening to many families,” she said. “My dad had a job from time to time, and we could shop for groceries every week, but sometimes we’d go for a month without shopping,” she said.
Twain, who was born in Windsor, Ont., and grew up in Timmins, said her family was not troubled or abusive, just poor. She recalled washing clothes by hand because they couldn’t afford the laundromat and having the heat turned off because her parents had to choose which bill they would pay — the heat or the electricity.
“It’s an endless chain of trying to get by and living in a world of haves when you were a have-not,” said Twain, now 44.
“You were humiliated by the fact you went to school and your clothes weren’t clean or you didn’t have a lunch.”
Twain loves her hometown and has great memories of growing up there, she said. She was in Timmins on New Year’s Day to carry the Olympic torch as part of the national relay leading up to the Winter Games in Vancouver next month.
Twain said she wants to make a difference in the lives of today’s children.
She said growing up poor “taught me to be resilient, to be patient, that life has its ups and downs,” Twain said. “I don’t regret it — it made me strong — but I don’t want anyone else to have go through it.”
Twain, who achieved international success 15 years ago with The Woman In Me, said her achievements owe something to her background, but a lot to chance.
“I’ve reached a point I never imagined, and luck played a big role in that, and it’s a shame if we leave luck to do it,” she said.
Her Shania Kids Can charity aims to give underprivileged children the chance to play music or take lessons their families could not otherwise afford. She intends to be closely involved, visiting schools and finding out how to make a difference in children’s lives.
Source: cbc.ca
Red Hot Chili Peppers Find Their New Axeman
Jason MacNeil
CHARTattack
Although a photo on the Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ website still features ex-guitarist John Frusciante, it appears the band have found a new axeman.
Australian music site Undercover reports that Josh Klinghoffer is the new member and will make his debut with the band when they perform Jan. 29 at MusiCares. Klinghoffer reportedly confirmed the news on Saturday (Jan. 2).
Klinghoffer, 30, worked on some of Frusciante’s solo albums over the years and released a joint album with him entitled A Sphere In The Heart Of Silence. He also appeared on Frusciante’s most recent solo album, last year’s The Empyrean.
Klinghoffer also played drums in Ataxia, a side project featuring Fruciante and Fugazi bassist Joe Lally. Klinghoffer has also performed with PJ Harvey, Gnarls Barkley and Beck, among others.
Klinghoffer had been jamming with the band following Frusciante’s departure. Frusciante announced he’d left the band on Dec. 16, saying he hadn’t been a member of the Chili Peppers for a year. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are working on new material for a studio album.
Frusciante was with the band for their 1989 album Mother’s Milk and 1991′s Blood Sugar Sex Magik, but originally quit the band in 1992. He returned to the group and has appeared on every album since 1999′s Californication.
Source: chartattack.com
Theory Of A Deadman, Billy Talent To Play Vancouver 2010 Olympics
New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Roadrunner Records) – Two of our esteemed Canadian rockers Theory of a Deadman and Billy Talent will be performing at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Medal Ceremonies this winter! Showcasing some unabashed Canadian pride, the upcoming Victory Ceremonies will display winning athletes accepting their medals with nationallly-grown, internationally-known acts performing right after.
Representing the Northwest Territories, Theory of a Deadman will rock the stadium on February 19th following the women’s snowboarding half-pipe medals, while Billy Talent will represent Saskatchewan in their explosive set on February 23rd, following the women’s speed-skating medals.
Quite an honor!
Source: top40-charts.com
Mick Jagger schedules showdown meeting about Ronnie Wood’s future in The Stones
Robert Rheubottom
Examiner
It may not be a happy new year for Ronnie Wood as he prepares for a “showdown meeting” with fellow Rolling Stone Mick Jagger.
According to Britain’s Daily Express, Sir Mick is to meet with his troubled bandmate in January to discuss whether the ex-Faces star will be well enough to rejoin the group for a proposed tour.
The Stones guitarist, who was treated for alcoholism in 2008, walked out on his 23 year marriage to wife Jo Wood last summer after his affair with 20-year old cocktail waitress Ekatrina Ivanvoa, was splattered all over the British tabloids.
Their divorce was finalized last month.
The musician split from the young Russian following an arrest earlier this month for allegedly choking and dragging Ivanova by the scruff of her neck during a 30-minute drunken fight outside a restaurant near Surrey.
Jagger is reportedly extremely concerned about his long time buddy.
A source tells the magazine, “Mick and Ronnie will talk things through in the New Year.” “They are old friends and Mick will obviously do everything he can to help him. But when it comes to the Stones, Mick has a real eye for detail and always ensures things run like clockwork. He’ll need to be convinced that Ronnie is still up to the job. Hopefully everything will work out, as it would break Ronnie’s heart if the Stones had to perform without him.”
A representative for Jagger says, “Mick has been very supportive of Ronnie over the holidays.”
Did you know? According to Ekatrina Ivanova, The Rolling Stones are planning to mount a world tour in 2010.
Source: examiner.com
Joyeux Noël | Merry Christmas
Meilleurs voeux pour un Noël plein de joies et une nouvelle année remplie de bonheur.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
-Music Star News-
Lennon’s solo Walk of Fame star joins Harrison’s
When fans recently noted John Lennon’s Walk of Fame star had gone missing from Hollywood, nefarious motives were suggested, but a more sensible explanation for the displacement of the Beatles landmark has surfaced.
“The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce along with Capitol Records have moved the star of John Lennon next to the star of his friend George Harrison as a holiday gift to the community and fans of the Beatles,” Ana Martinez, vice-president of media relations for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, told information website Examiner.com.
“And the star of Ringo Starr will also be at that same site [on] Feb. 8, the 50th anniversary of the Walk of Fame.”
The band’s group star will remain at its current location, she told Examiner.com’s Beatles columnist, adding that Paul McCartney has yet to set a date for his solo star-dedication ceremony.
Martinez also confirmed the Lennon star-move via her Twitter account, wofstargirl: “Yes, as a gift to fans, we moved John Lennon’s star next to George Harrison’s and Ringo’s will be there soon 2. Just waiting for Paul now!”
Lennon fans who recently visited the site in Hollywood noticed his star was missing and the location covered by a black plastic trash bag.
They promptly reported the disturbance to Beatles websites and popular local blogs such as LAist last weekend, with the news spreading across music and fan sites this week amid no comment from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
Source: cbc.ca
Whole lotta shakin’ at Elvis events
Jim Fox
Toronto Sun
Even though the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll left the building for good in 1977, he will be making a giant comeback — with a little help from his friends — to mark what would have been his 75th birthday on Jan. 8.
The memory of Elvis has survived since his death at age 42 through his “friends” — the so-called tribute artists, many of whom are extremely accurate in capturing his looks, sounds and feel of his concerts. In addition to events to mark the 75th at Graceland, his Memphis mansion, there will be local opportunities to rock, roll and remember.
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One of the best places close to home to see Elvis acts is Stage West Mississauga.
The dinner theatre has Stephen Kabakos, one of the best tribute artists, honouring the “king” with a Christmas performance Dec. 21 at 8 p.m.
Distinguished with being crowned a world champion in Memphis, the tribute artist extraordinaire from Milton displays amazing precision and high energy. He is one of the few artists who successfully recreate the King’s early Sun Studio recordings, his U.S. army years, his movies, 1968 comeback and explosive concert years.
“When I perform, I do my best to recreate and pay tribute to Elvis, the man,” Kabakos said.
His The Way it Was concert with the TVB (The Very Best) Ensemble for the Wonderful World Of Christmas show will be a joyous evening of Elvis’s greatest carols and songs of inspiration.
On Jan. 11, Kabakos is back with a 75th-anniversary tribute and again on March 1 for another Elvis show.
The third-annual Cavalcade of Champions takes place Jan. 4 featuring not one, two or three Elvis’s, but 10 tribute artists. Performers include David Muggeridge, Anthony Von and Jay Zanier, all Collingwood Elvis Festival champs.
Stage West’s current show is One Hit Wonders, two hours of golden oldies by artists with just one hit song. Tickets include a lavish buffet. For details, contact stagewest.com or 1-800-263-0684.
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An Elvis Birthday Bash is set for Brantford on Jan. 8 and 9.
The driving force behind the diamond jubilee bash is Joan Minnery, known as the “Elvis Lady” whose group is called Memphis Motion.
An award-winning female Elvis tribute artist, Minnery said the event at the Army, Navy and Air Force Club (645 Colborne St.) runs from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. both evenings with a Saturday matinee to be announced.
Marcus Wells, Wayne Curtis, Rick Duin, Bruce Stewart, Davis Campbell, Joey Cundari, Sam Calleri and Rudy and the Angels perform on Jan. 8.
Before the show, there will be a family Elvis skating party at Harmony Sq. in downtown Brantford. It will include “skating stars” performing to Elvis music along with winter games.
On Jan. 9, tribute artists Peter Schofield, Matt Richards, Dawn Peddie, Zach Peddie, Steve Hunt, Jack London, Julie Richards and Memphis Motion will perform. Call 519-752-1694.
OTHER ELVIS EVENTS
- The Killer And The King takes place at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre (20 Queen St.) on Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. and Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. Artists include Joe Passion as Jerry Lee Lewis and Michael John as Elvis. Saturday’s show is the “best of rockabilly.” Sunday’s matinee is gospel music. Contact capitoltheatre.com or 1-800-434-5092.
- The 5th Windsor Elvis Fest is set for June 25-27. It includes tribute artist competitions, gospel show and a classic car show.See windsorelvisfest.com.
- Tickets are on sale for the 16th-annual Collingwood Elvis Festival, billed as the “largest of its kind in the world” from July 22-25. The theme will be “Welcome Home Elvis,” with Las Vegas-style shows, competitions, street party and parade. Contact collingwoodelvisfestival.com or 1-866-444-1162.
Source: torontosun.com
