JUST ANNOUNCED
We’re excited to report that last week we announced that we’ll be presenting Belle Starr’s album release concert at The Drake Underground. You’ll recall that we recently saw this seriously talented trio as part of our Canadian Songbook at the Rivoli series. Check out this very special event on Tuesday, April 16. Tickets are available for purchase now.
PERFORMANCES
Heart (Thursday): Heart returns to Massey Hall for what we think will be another epic performance. This iteration is part of a Canadian tour supporting their new studio album Fanatic – to be released on October 2.
Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell with Richard Thompson Electric Trio (Friday): The legendary songstress appears at Massey Hall this Friday in collaboration with Rodney Crowell. In preparation for the concert, you can see the pair perform “Chase the Feeling” here! (via Brad Wheeler’s “5 songs you need to hear”).
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Saturday): Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds perform at Massey Hall this Saturday as part of their North American tour in support of their fifteenth studio album, Push the Sky Away. For a taster of what you’re in for, check out NOW Magazine’s photos from their performance at SXSW.
PERFORMANCES Tanika Charles (Wednesday): The next in our Canadian Songbook at the Rivoli series, Tanika Charles will take the stage tomorrow night in a show we think will knock your socks off. And we’re not the only ones saying that – The Grid called Charles “One to Watch” and an “R&B powerhouse.”
Śląsk, Polish National Song and Dance Ensemble (Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2pm): Visit Roy Thomson Hall this weekend for a marvellous performance of the traditional song and dance of Poland. This performance, part of the troupe’s 60th anniversary tour, encompasses over 80 members and over 1,000 vibrant costumes. Here’s your chance to join a tradition that has seen over seven thousand concerts performed to audiences totalling 25 million in 44 different countries! Watch them in action here.
Last week we announced that Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson will play Thick as a Brick 1 & 2 at Massey Hall on Friday, October 18, 2013. Tickets for this special engagement are available for sale now. You can read all about the life and career of Ian Anderson here.
The Bad Plus, originally scheduled to perform on Wednesday, March 6, has been rescheduled for Saturday, December 14, 2013 at 8pm due to scheduling difficulties. All tickets for the original March 6 date will be honoured on the new date at the Winter Garden Theatre.
PERFORMANCES National Geographic Live: Catherine Karnow (Tonight – Tuesday): The third in our series of National Geographic Live presentations was last night (Monday) and will be presented again tonight (Tuesday). Karnow, a photojournalist, shares with the audience her Journey to Vietnam. The event featuring striking images alongside unforgettable stories and a unique eye for photography in the field.
Jeremy Hotz, The Magical Misery Tour (Saturday): Hysterical comic Jeremy Hotz returns to Massey Hall with his signature self-aware style. The stop at Massey Hall is part of a cross-country tour hitting 21 cities following the success of his sold-out Canadian theatre tour, What a Miserable Tour This Is…
In anticipation of their headlining debut at Massey Hall this evening (March 2,) Whitehorse and Six Shooter Records released a new live album, ‘The Road To Massey Hall,’ a series of cover songs that you’ll see here in video form. In their words, ‘The Road To Massey Hall’ is “a celebration of the venue’s history and a tribute to those legends that have made the iconic stage their own.” In this video series Whitehorse honour the greats and premiere tracks off the live album.
Last in this series here on Soundboard is a song by the one and only, Neil Young – “Winterlong.”
In anticipation of their headlining debut at Massey Hall on March 2, Whitehorse and Six Shooter Records released a new live album, ‘The Road To Massey Hall,’ a series of cover songs that you’ll see here in video form. In their words, ‘The Road To Massey Hall’ is “a celebration of the venue’s history and a tribute to those legends that have made the iconic stage their own.” In this video series Whitehorse honour the greats and premiere each track off the live album.
Third in the series is the treasured tune by the great Bob Dylan, “It Ain’t Me, Babe.”
10-year-old Hannah Alper writes about things that matter to her. Specifically, she writes on her blog callmehannah.ca about the environment and about people who inspire her. When we saw a post she wrote a few months back about Severn Cullis-Suzuki, one of the people featured as part of this seasons Unique Lives & Experiences lecture series at Roy Thomson Hall, we thought it would be a good idea to check in with Hannah and have her share her story with us here on Soundboard.
In August 2012 my mother showed me a video she saw on Facebook that she thought I would like. I had started my blog only a month before that where I wanted to explore and share my passion for the environment. That short video inspired me to write a post that night called “Tonight I Found My Role Model.” The video was from the Dove campaign showing real role models for girls – this one featured Severn Cullis-Suzuki. CONTINUE READING >
JUST ANNOUNCED Two new show announcements were made last week about which we’re very excited. Jill Barber returns to Toronto to perform at the Winter Garden Theatre after selling out two performances at Glenn Gould Studio in 2011. The performance will take place on May 3 and the lovely chanteuse will perform songs from her previous recordings, Mischievous Moon and Chances, as well as from her new French language album Chansons, which recently debuted at #1 on the Canadian Jazz charts upon release, earlier this month.
Willie Nelson and Family will also be performing in Toronto, presented by TD Toronto Jazz Festival at Massey Hall on Thursday, June 20. This icon has 2,500 songs to his credit and has amassed a near 300-album discography as well as countless awards and a most-impressive sales track record. If you can’t wait until June to fill your Willie Nelson quota, fear not, in celebration of his entering his octogenarian years, Willie Nelson and Family will be releasing the collaboration Let’s Face The Music and Dance on April 16.
Tickets for both of these performances are on sale now.
PERFORMANCES
Diana Krall (Thursday & Friday): Diana Krall returns to Massey Hall this week hot on the heels of her JUNO Award nomination announced this morning (Tuesday) (see Accolades below). After a near-four-year absence from Massey Hall, we’re excited to have her back in support of her album Glad Rag Doll. You can read a feature interview with her from Saturday’s Toronto Star, here.
Gabriela Martinez (Friday): Gabriela Martinez makes her Toronto debut this week at the intimate Glenn Gould Studio. A fifth-generation pianist, Ms. Martinez has been called “…compelling, elegant, and incisive” by the New York Times. Her program will include the Canadian Premiere of Dirk Brossé’s Nocturnes as well as pieces from Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Liszt and others. Watch the embedded video above of Gabriela Martinez performing Rachmaninoff piano concerto No 3 with Gustavo Dudamel conducting.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo (Friday): Ladysmith Black Mambazo returns to Toronto in what promises to be a fun-filled evening of a cappella harmonies and upbeat tempos. The very special evening of music begins on Friday at 8pm at Roy Thomson Hall.
David Pomeroy, tenor (Sunday): The second in our 2012-2013 Canadian Voices vocal recitals series, David Pomeroy performs a matinee performance at Glenn Gould Studio this weekend. Alongside accompanist Sandra Horst, Mr. Pomeroy will perform selections from Handel, Beethoven, and Henri Duparc, as well as sea songs from his home province of Newfoundland. For more on CONTINUE READING >
In anticipation of their headlining debut at Massey Hall, Whitehorse and Six Shooter Records released a new live album, ‘The Road To Massey Hall,’ a series of cover songs that you’ll see here in video form. In their words, ‘The Road To Massey Hall’ is “a celebration of the venue’s history and a tribute to those legends that have made the iconic stage their own.” In this video series Whitehorse honour the greats and premiere each track off the live album.
Second in the series is “Strawberry Blonde” from the fantastic Ron Sexsmith album Other Songs from 1997. A true Toronto classic.
JUST ANNOUNCED
Just yesterday we announced that music legend Engelbert Humperdinck will return to Toronto for the first time in over 10 years. We’ll likely hear “Spanish Eyes” and “Please Release Me” among many of his numerous hits on April 12 at Massey Hall but we’re also looking forward to getting a sample of new material he’s been working on for his Duets album, which is said to feature Sir Elton John and Seal among others on the recordings. Tickets are available to FriendsFirst now and the public on sale begins this Friday at 10am.
PERFORMANCES Mo Kenney (Wednesday) Our Canadian Songbook at The Rivoli series continues this week with Mo Kenney. The term “one to watch” gets thrown around a lot but in this case, she really has something special happening. Her self titled album was recently released on Pheromone Records, and she has found a collaborator, mentor and producer in Joel Plaskett (watch the embedded video above).
Soundboard is the official community of musicians, music fans, and friends of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, Canada. It’s your behind-the-scenes source for related music news, recommendations, and rewards.
