JUST ANNOUNCED
In case you missed it, at the end of last week we announced that the folks at Unique Lives & Experiences and The Toronto Star are bringing Penn & Teller to Massey Hall. Conversations with Penn & Teller. Celebrating “35 years of Magic and BS,” the pair promise an evening filled with their signature performance style plus an audience Q & A. Penn & Teller have been busy fellas – their Showtime television show has received 11 Emmy nominations and the 2004 WGA award for Outstanding Comedy/Variety Series, they’ve released an iPhone app (with which you can trick your friends into thinking you’re texting with Penn & Teller themselves), and they were recently featured in the Katy Perry music video “Waking Up in Vegas.”
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Broken Bells,Mad Men,Penn & Teller,Royal Mint,SAW 3D,Stars
PERFORMANCES
Peter Frampton (Thursday): Frampton’s career properly took off in 1976 with his epic album Frampton Comes Alive! which features the songs we now know, love, and call classic – “Show Me the Way,” “Baby, I Love Your Way,” and “Do You Feel Like We Do” – and was the best selling album of all time (to that point). True Story: Peter Frampton began his musical journey with a Banjolele – a “banjo-shaped ukulele.” I wish I could say I made up this word but it’s totally legit – it’s pretty much the best word mash-up since liger. Also very cool: you can make your very own banjolele. While I would be surprised if Frampton cracks out ye olde banjolele on Thursday, I am certain that he will bring the awesome sounds that have made him the legend he is (legendary enough, in fact, to have appeared on both The Simpsons and Family Guy).
WEB WATCH
While it may seem like early days yet for the flurry of TIFF-related blog posts here on Soundboard, the delightful tidbits have started to drop from the TIFF office including this one: Score: A Hockey Musical will be the Opening Night Gala here at Roy Thomson Hall on September 9. You may recall us mentioning the film back in February when it was still in production. Cameos from musical artists include Hawksley Workman, John McDermott, and Nelly Furtado.
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Arcade Fire,Banjolele,Belle & Sebastian,Ben Folds,jimmy Cliff,Nick Hornby,NPR,Peter Frampton,Score: A Hockey Musical,The Sadies,TIFF
PERFORMANCES
Jimmy Cliff (Monday): is a very significant figure in the world of music: he is a Grammy award-winner, and is only the second Reggae artist (after Bob Marley) to have been inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He’s also a very significant player in the world of film: he starred in The Harder They Come as well as 1985’s Club Paradise. He also re-recorded Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Cleary Now” which was featured on the Cool Runnings soundtrack. All of this is to say, this is one important music legend and if you don’t have a ticket, you should.
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Bruce Cockburn,jimmy Cliff,Lady Gaga,Polaris Music Prize,Tegan & Sara
JUST ANNOUNCED
Yesterday we announced a performance at Glenn Gould Studio by Chilly Gonzales to take place on September 14. This is the very same day that his latest album Ivory Tower, drops as does the feature-length film of the same name (featuring Tiga and Peaches). It all makes you wish the “most wonderful time of year” Staples commercials were on and September was around the corner right? If you don’t know who Chilly Gonzales is, allow this performance to be your education. Prerequisite information required: Gonzales made waves in Paris last spring after earning the world record for the longest solo concert (no less than 27 hours, three minutes, and 44 seconds long). Also – check out Chess Cat vs The World over on the Chilly Gonzales website: possibly the most democratic board game you’ll ever play on a Canadian musician’s website.
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Back To The Future,Chilly Gonzales,Crowded House,Just For Laughs,Levon Helm,ZZ Top
PERFORMANCES
Levon Helm & John Hiatt (Tuesday): For many, music is an integral part of one’s Canadian-ness, as will be demonstrated this Thursday across the country at a variety of Canada Day concerts. We’re (naturally) very proud of our Neil Youngs, Joni Mitchells, Bruce Cockburns, Rushes, Broken Social Scenes and Arcade Fires but we also hold a special place in our hearts for our friends granted the status of “honorary Canadian” through their musical prowess.
Like modern songstress Neko Case, Levon Helm is one of Canada’s proudest imports. Levon Helm begins his Canadian music career as part of the legendary Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks (which would later be renamed Levon and the Hawks after Hawkins left the group). That, alone, would be enough to gain Helm a place in the hearts of musically inclined Canucks but there’s more! Levon and the Hawks would go on to be the backing band for Bob Dylan in order to facilitate the complicated (and controversial) process of ‘going electric’ (you may recall this from our Massey By the Decade post for 1964-1973.) Levon did leave the Hawks temporarily but returned shortly thereafter before the newly rechristened group, The Band, hit it big with albums like Music from Big Pink and then later, of course, as stars of (the album, film, and generally awesome event) The Last Waltz.
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George Lopez,Glee,John Hiatt,Levon Helm,Peter Frampton
JUST ANNOUNCED
We’re pretty excited that the new album from Stars, The Five Ghosts, hit the streets yesterday but we’re even more excited that yesterday also brought with it the announcement that Stars will be hitting Massey Hall on October 23. Stars currently has a pretty sweet contest where they are asking you to remix their song “We Don’t Want Your Body” (the single off the new album) with “complete artistic freedom” and then post it on the world wide web (on Stars’ site, of course) for all to hear, enjoy, and vote on their favourite. All the details are here.
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Amy Goodman,Bruce Cockburn,Canadian Songbook,CBC Concerts On Demand,Cesária Évora,Dr. Vandana Shiva,Elvis Costello,Juno Awards,Maude Barlow,Naomi Klein,Ovation,Polaris Music Prize,Pug Awards,Shout Out For Global Justice,Stars,Virtuoso Performances Series
Bruce Cockburn with Music Director Colin Linden (on guitar), rehearsing for Canadian Songbook
PERFORMANCES
The Canadian Songbook: 40 Years of Bruce Cockburn (Wednesday): Can we just talk about how awesome the line-up is for this event? Not only will Bruce Cockburn himself perform, we’ll also hear from Amelia Curran, Barenaked Ladies, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Buck 65, Hawksley Workman, Jason Fowler, Michael Occhipinti, Sylvia Tyson, and The Wailin’ Jennys. Oh, and as if that wasn’t enough, Jian Ghomeshi hosts. Check out this article from the Toronto Star to get the inside scoop on how Cockburn feels about the fete.
TSO Goes Late Night (Saturday): This week, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra performs Beethoven Symphony No. 9 and to mix it up, they are featuring one very special late night performance of the symphony on Saturday starting at 11pm. PLUS: stick around after the concert for a fantastic party in the Lobby!
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Anthony Bourdain,Bruce Cockburn,Canada Walk Of Fame,Canadian Songbook,Charlie Cutts,Communicator Awards,David Sedaris,Glenn Gould Studio,Lyle Lovett,Royal Wood,The Xx,TSO,TSO Goes Late Night
JUST ANNOUNCED
This has been a very exciting week for show announcements as Belle and Sebastian , Lyle Lovett and Peter Frampton announced visits to our own Massey Hall.
It’s been a while since we saw the fine folks that make up Belle and Sebastian – they last played Toronto in 2006 at the Sound Academy and before that it was 2003 at Massey Hall and now, come October 12 they return to what Chrome Waves calls “the only room where they belong.” Until they arrive in said room this October, we’ll be spending A Summer Wasting or waiting, rather, for the album that is predicted to be dropping in the not too distant future.
It is always a delight to welcome back Lyle Lovett to Toronto and this occasion is no different. On August 10, Mr. Lovett takes the stage at Massey Hall with his Large Band. Take in some classic Lyle Lovett with a few of his videos here.
Remember Homerpallooza? Well according to BBC, it’s one of the most memorable episodes of the Simpsons and I tend to agree. That’s no doubt in large part to the stellar line-up on the festival bill including Peter Frampton, who performs at Massey Hall this summer on July 22.
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Belle And Sebastian,Chopin,Infernal Comedy,Luminato,Lyle Lovett,Peter Frampton,Peter Mansbridge,Polaris Music Prize,Robots,Royal Wood,The National,The Simpsons,Yannick Nezet Seguin,Yundi Li
Barenaked Ladies - photo credit: David Bergman
JUST ANNOUNCED
The arrival of June means Luminato is just around the corner for Toronto which is very exciting. We’re particularly keyed up about The Canadian Songbook: 40 Years of Bruce Cockburn which appears as part of Luminato at Massey Hall on June 16. Several new artists have just joined the bill for this very special event including Barenaked Ladies, Sylvia Tyson, and Jason Fowler. This is in addition to the already announced talents of Colin Linden, Hawksley Workman, Michael Occhipinti, Buck 65, Amelia Curran, Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, Host Jian Ghomeshi, as well as the legendary Bruce Cockburn himself. Rarely is there such an opportunity as this to see so many fantastic artists on the same stage.
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Angela Gheorghiu,Arcade Fire,Charlie Haden,International Vocal Recitals Series,Laura W. Bush,Mohammad Reza Shajarian,Opry House,Shahnaz Ensemble,The Inbreds
PERFORMANCES
George Thorogood at Massey Hall in 2008 - photo credit: Jack O'Diamonds
George Thorogood & The Destroyers (Friday): George Thorogood and his band have been performing for over thirty years and just last summer released yet another album, The Dirty Dozen. Have you always wanted to be “Bad to the Bone” like Mr. Thorogood? Now’s your chance! Over at Guitar World you can take in a guitar lesson from the legend himself on how to play “Bad to the Bone,” and more. And of course, if you’re not looking to become a member of The Destroyers and just want to take in some solid blues-rock tunes, join us at Massey Hall this Friday.
Eddie Izzard (Sunday & Monday): Eddie Izzard returns to Massey Hall for two more performances of unadulterated hilarity. For a fast-paced taste of what you’re in for, visit his website for a few video clips of his signature stand-up.
Diana Ross (Monday): As you well know Diana Ross is an institution and we are simply ecstatic that she’ll be gracing the stage of Roy Thomson Hall this Monday for a performance complete with a live string and horn section. Around here, the anticipation is brewing as we imagine what it will be like to see classic hits like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “I’m Coming Out” performed live by the legendary Ross. In preparation for the big event, we recommend you check out this recent exclusive interview on Entertainment Tonight on the eve of this, her More Today Than Yesterday tour.
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Brian Blade,Daniel Lanois,Diana Ross,eddie Izzard,George Thorogood & The Destroyers,Google TV,Jazz @ Massey Hall
