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Kelly Clarkson Unveils New Singles “mine” / “me” And New Album Out June 23

Eric Alper
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Kelly Clarkson Unveils New Singles “mine” / “me” And New Album Out June 23

GRAMMY-winning global superstar Kelly Clarkson has unveiled double singles “mine” / “me” – the first taste of her highly anticipated tenth studio album chemistry, arriving June 23rd.

The pair of songs perfectly compliment and contrast, showcasing the lyrical complexity featured on the project three years in the making. Soaring vocals and a mounting instrumental find Clarkson lyrically honest-as-ever on “mine,” chanting “go ahead and break my heart, that’s fine” before craving karmic retribution. Meanwhile the focus shifts inward on “me,” a triumphant anthem of self-empowerment co-written with GRAMMY-nominated rising star GAYLE. Culminating with the lyric “don’t need to need somebody when I’ve got me,” the song’s message proves equally intimate and universal.

chemistry was first announced last month alongside an exclusive Las Vegas engagement, chemistry…an intimate night with Kelly Clarkson, opening Friday, July 28, 2023 at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Designed exclusively for the Bakkt Theater stage, Clarkson and her longtime band will immerse fans in an intimate music experience that spans her two-decade long catalog of award-winning hits.

One of the most popular artists of this era, Kelly Clarkson has sold more than 25 million albums and 40 million singles worldwide. The Texas-born singer-songwriter first came to fame in 2002 as the winner of the inaugural season of American Idol and quickly became one of pop’s top singles artists, in addition to the first artist to top each of Billboard’s pop, adult contemporary, country and dance charts. chemistry marks her tenth studio album and third full-length release with Atlantic Records, following 2017’s Meaning of Life and 2021’s When Christmas Comes Around…. Meanwhile on the small screen, her multi-Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, is currently filming its 4th season (while already picked up through 2025), and her tenure as multi-season champion coach on The Voice resumes for the show’s current 23rd season.

chemistry track list:
1. skip this part
2. mine
3. high road
4. me
5. down to you
6. chemistry
7. favorite kind of high
8. magic
9. lighthouse
10. rock hudson
11. my mistake
12. red flag collector
13. i hate love (feat. Steve Martin)
14. that’s right (feat. Sheila E.)

My Next Read: “Let’s Do It: The Birth of Pop” By Bob Stanley

Eric Alper
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My Next Read: “Let’s Do It: The Birth of Pop” By Bob Stanley

The must-read music book of the year–and the first such history bringing together all musical genres to tell the definitive narrative of the birth of Pop from 1900 to the mid-1950s.

Pop music didn’t begin with the Beatles in 1963, or with Elvis in 1956, or even with the first seven-inch singles in 1949. There was a pre-history that went back to the first recorded music, right back to the turn of the century. Who were these earliest record stars–and were they in any meaningful way “pop stars”? Who was George Gershwin writing songs for? Why did swing, the hit sound for a decade or more, become almost invisible after World War II? The prequel to Bob Stanley’s celebrated Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!, this new volume is the first book to tell the definitive story of the birth of pop, from the invention of the 78 rpm record at the end of the nineteenth century to the beginnings of rock and the modern pop age. Covering superstars such as Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra, alongside the unheralded songwriters and arrangers behind some of our most enduring songs, Stanley paints an aural portrait of pop music’s formative years in stunning clarity, uncovering the silver threads and golden needles that bind the form together. Bringing the eclectic, evolving world of early pop to life–from ragtime, blues and jazz to Broadway, country, crooning, and beyond–Let’s Do It is essential reading for all music lovers.

My Next Read: “Great God A’Mighty! The Dixie Hummingbirds: Celebrating the Rise of Soul Gospel Music” by Jerry Zolten

Eric Alper
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My Next Read: “Great God A’Mighty! The Dixie Hummingbirds: Celebrating the Rise of Soul Gospel Music” by Jerry Zolten
From the Jim Crow world of 1920s Greenville, South Carolina, to Greenwich Village’s Cafe Society in the ’40s, to their 1974 Grammy-winning collaboration on “Loves Me Like a Rock,” the Dixie Hummingbirds have been one of gospel’s most durable and inspiring groups. Now, Jerry Zolten tells the Hummingbirds’ fascinating story and with it the story of a changing music industry and a changing nation. When James Davis and his high-school friends starting singing together in a rural South Carolina church they could not have foreseen the road that was about to unfold before them. They began a ten-year jaunt of “wildcatting,” traveling from town to town, working local radio stations, schools, and churches, struggling to make a name for themselves. By 1939 the a cappella singers were recording their four-part harmony spirituals on the prestigious Decca label. By 1942 they had moved north to Philadelphia and then New York where, backed by Lester Young’s band, they regularly brought the house down at the city’s first integrated nightclub, Cafe Society. From there the group rode a wave of popularity that would propel them to nation-wide tours, major record contracts, collaborations with Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon, and a career still vibrant today as they approach their seventy-fifth anniversary. Drawing generously on interviews with Hank Ballard, Otis Williams, and other artists who worked with the Hummingbirds, as well as with members James Davis, Ira Tucker, Howard Carroll, and many others, The Dixie Hummingbirds brings vividly to life the growth of a gospel group and of gospel music itself.
The Dixie Hummingbirds, along with the Swan Silvertones and the Soul Stirrers, were the foremost popularizers of the a cappella style of gospel music that brought the spiritual music of traditional African-American communities to a wide-and primarily white-audience in the 1950s. In this excellent history, Zolten, an assistant professor of American Studies at Penn. State, Altoona, carefully and lovingly details the almost 75-year history of the Hummingbirds, from their start in the Depression to their induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2000. He deftly explores how the group’s history itself embodies numerous American ironies: that an “unintended result” of segregation “was the flowering of a distinctly African American homegrown culture” that included gospel music; that the Depression and the mass migration of African Americans from the South “created a nationwide market for black entertainers of all kinds” that allowed the Hummingbirds their initial financial success. Zolten interestingly points out that the group, known for its hard-driving vocal sound, won its only Grammy award for their own version of “Loves Me Like a Rock” by Paul Simon, whose original version had featured the Hummingbirds and brought them to a new rock-oriented audience. Adding to the book’s success are Zolten’s numerous interviews with founding members James Davis and Ira Tucker, as well as their many collaborators, which add personal depth to the book’s amazing wealth of detail and dates. This is a fine exploration of an important style and era in the history of American popular music and culture.

Photo Gallery: Feist at Toronto’s History

Eric Alper
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Photo Gallery: Feist at Toronto’s History

All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her through Instagram or Twitter

Feist
Feist
Feist
Feist
Feist
Feist
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Feist

 

My Next Read: “Black Vinyl White Powder: The Real Story of the British Music Industry” by Simon Napier-Bell

Eric Alper
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My Next Read: “Black Vinyl White Powder: The Real Story of the British Music Industry” by Simon Napier-Bell
 Black Vinyl White Powder is the definitive story of five decades of British Pop. Whether penning hits for Dusty Springfield, discovering Marc Bolan or managing a series of stellar acts ranging from the Yardbirds to Wham! – Simon Napier-Bell draws on his wealth of contacts and personal experience to give an enthralling account of a business that became like no other. From the debauchery of rock megastars like the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin to the ecstasy culture that shaped dance music in the 1980s, Napier-Bell charts the growth of a world in which bad behaviour is not only tolerated but encouraged; where drugs are as important as talent; and where artists are pushed to their mental and physical limits in the name of profit and ego. Filled with the voices of artists, producers, managers and record company execs, Black Vinyl White Powder is a raucous, entertaining and revealing history of British pop.

LEGO Has The Office Toy Building Kit With A Chili-Spilling 1164 Pieces

Eric Alper
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LEGO Has The Office Toy Building Kit With A Chili-Spilling 1164 Pieces
Recreate an American workplace with this collectible LEGO Ideas display model (21336) inspired by hit mockumentary The Office. Build familiar areas of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton office with LEGO bricks, including boss Michael Scott’s office (which slides out for display on its own), the conference room and much more.

The set includes 15 LEGO minifigures: Michael Scott, Dwight Schrute, Jim Halpert, Pam Beesly, Ryan Howard, Angela Martin, Oscar Martinez,Kevin Malone, Stanley Hudson, Kelly Kapoor, Phyllis Lapin Vance, Meredith Palmer, Creed Bratton, Toby Flenderson and Darryl Philbin, plus a LEGO figure of Angela’s cat Garbage. There are also lots of accessory elements referencing hilarious moments, including a stapler in gelatin, Golden Ticket, Dundie trophy and ‘World’s Best Boss’ mug.

• LEGO Ideas Display model of ‘An American Workplace’ (21336) – Relive hilarious episodes from US mockumentary The Office with this LEGO brick section of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton office
• 15 minifigures of The Office’s main characters – Michael, Dwight, Jim, Pam, Ryan, Angela, Oscar, Kevin, Stanley, Kelly, Phyllis, Meredith, Creed, Toby and Darryl, plus a LEGO figure of Garbage the cat
• Authentic layout – Build the reception area, Michael’s office (which slides out for display on its own), Jim and Dwight’s desk island, Phyllis and Stanley’s desk island and the conference room
• Accessory elements inspired by classic scenes – Includes Jim’s teapot, letter and engagement ring for Pam, Michael’s screenplay, Dwight’s hidden weapons, Kevin’s pot of chili, and a stapler in gelatin
• 12 of the minifigures have 2 facial expressions – Turn the heads around to display different emotions. And find many items around the office that reference unforgettably funny moments from the show

Top 10 Canadian music videos shortlisted for the 2023 Prism Prize

Eric Alper
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Top 10 Canadian music videos shortlisted for the 2023 Prism Prize

The top 10 Canadian music videos selected as finalists for the Grand Prize at the 2023 Prism Prize, an annual awards event that recognizes outstanding artistry in music video production, were announced today. Voted by a jury composed of more than 135 creatives leading and innovating the Canadian music, film and media arts scenes, the artist and director behind the Grand Prize-winning video will be awarded $20,000, the largest cash prize in the world for music videos. The winning music video will be crowned at a live screening and awards presentation on Thursday, July 6, 2023 in Toronto.

The 2023 Prism Prize Top 10 (in alphabetical order):
Tanya Tagaq – Colonizer (Directors: Leah Fay Goldstein & Peter Dreimanis)
Snotty Nose Rez Kids – Damn Right (Director: Sterling Larose)
Amanda Sum – Different Than Before (Director: Mayumi Yoshida)
Dan Mangan – Fire Escape (Director: Lester Lyons-Hookham)
MorMor – Here It Goes Again (Director: Adrian Villagomez)
Jessie Reyez – Mutual Friend (Director: Peter Huang)
Jean-Michel Blais – Passepied (Director: Adrian Villagomez)
BAMBII – Ride With Me (Directors: Kit Weyman & BAMBII)
Tanya Tagaq – Teeth Agape (Director: David Seitz)
PUP – Totally Fine (Director: Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux)

All of the Top 10 finalists are also eligible for the fan-voted Audience Award, supported by Stingray, which comes with a $5,000 prize for the winner. Members of the public can now view all of the Top 10 videos and cast their vote for their favourite through Thursday, June 15, 2023 at PrismPrize.com. The winner will be announced on Thursday, July 6, 2023 at the awards presentation.

“Since the inception of the Prism Prize, Canadian music videos have continuously pushed the boundaries of artistic expression and have become an important vehicle to showcase the immense talent and diversity in our country’s music scene,” said Louis Calabro, Vice-President, Programming & Awards, at the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and the Founder of Prism Prize. “Through their creativity and innovation, the Top 10 videos are not only entertaining but serve as inspiration for other emerging artists to challenge themselves and explore the endless possibilities of music video production.”

More than 300 eligible Canadian music videos are reviewed each year by the Prism Prize jury, where evaluation on originality, style, creativity, innovation and effective execution helps determine the votes for the Top 10. Only one can be named the Grand Prize winner and take home the $20,000, however, the Top 10 nominated filmmakers (directors and producers) will all receive complimentary memberships to the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, courtesy of Telefilm Canada.

Along with the Grand Prize and Audience awards, the Prism Prize annually recognizes a class of Special Award recipients who are honoured for their achievements and contributions to the music industry, both in Canada and abroad. Recipients for the following awards will be announced in the lead-up to the 2023 Prism Prize awards presentation taking place on July 6:

  • The Hi-Fidelity Award (supported by FACTOR, the Government of Canada and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters) established to recognize recording artists who utilize music video in innovative ways;
  • The Lipsett Award, established to celebrate a unique approach to music video art;
  • The Special Achievement Award (supported by The Slaight Family Foundation) established to recognize an exceptional contribution to music video art on the world stage;
  • The Willie Dunn Award (supported by Telefilm Canada) presented to a Canadian trailblazer who has demonstrated excellence within the music, music video and/or film production communities, in the lead-up to the presentation.

View the Top 10 Canadian music videos of the year eligible for the 2023 Prism Prize at PrismPrize.com.

The Prism Prize is an annual event that recognizes outstanding artistry in music video production through a slate of awards including the Grand Prize, which carries the largest cash prize in the world for music videos. Established in 2012, this annual honour gathers a jury of more than 130 Canadian arts professionals who vote to crown one video as best of the year. Previous winners of the Grand Prize have included Mustafa for his self-directed music video Ali (2022), Theo Kapodistrias for Haviah Mighty’s Thirteen (2021), Peter Huang for Jessie Reyez’s Far Away (2020), and Emily Kai Bock for Arcade Fire’s Afterlife (2014).

The Prism Prize is a division of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, an organization that shares the common goal of promoting and supporting homegrown Canadian creative projects while inspiring and developing the next generation of talent.

Prism Prize proudly acknowledges its Lead Partners, Telefilm Canada, FACTOR and the Government of Canada, and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters, and The Slaight Family Foundation, as well as its Supporting Partners, William F. White International Inc. and Stingray.

First Up With RBCxMusic Program Adds 20 Emerging Canadian Music Artists To Its Roster

Eric Alper
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First Up With RBCxMusic Program Adds 20 Emerging Canadian Music Artists To Its Roster
Today, RBC announced a new roster of talent to join First Up with RBCxMusic – a program developed to showcase and elevate emerging musicians and recording artists from across Canada. The new Featured Artists will benefit from unique performance opportunities, mentorship, funding, as well as media and promotional marketing support from RBCxMusic. The program is one example of RBC’s ongoing commitment to the arts, which through the RBC Foundation and RBC Emerging Artists, has invested more than $119 million in support of over 35,000 artists since 2007.

RBC believes that supporting the arts helps foster vibrant communities with strong economies. Since its inception in May 2020, First Up with RBCxMusic has supported more than 200 artists across an array of genres and backgrounds that reflect Canada’s eclectic cultural mosaic.

Live Nation Canada, the country’s leading live entertainment producer and promoter, will continue to provide valuable performance and exposure opportunities for Featured Artists. This year, artists will receive the opportunity to be opening acts at Live Nation-produced shows at theatre-level venues across the country like RBC Echo Beach (Toronto, ON), Danforth Music Hall (Toronto, ON) and Commodore Ballroom (Vancouver, BC).

“As an emerging artist, being part of First Up with RBCxMusic is a huge step towards bringing my career to the next level,” said Sage Harris, 2023 First Up with RBCxMusic Featured Artist. “With RBCxMusic’s support, I’m excited for my music to reach new audiences and to grow my fanbase.”

Other key partners and program offerings in 2023 include:

  • AWAL, the music industry’s leading alternative to traditional music label deals, supported with the talent identification and selection component of the program. AWAL joined as a partner of First Up with RBCxMusic in 2022.
  • Canadian nonprofit, Conscious Economics, will also return as a First Up with RBCxMusic partner to co-host an artist summit with the Featured Artists later this year. Building on the summit’s success in 2022, the event will guide Featured Artists through a variety of experiential learning seminars, development programs, networking opportunities, financial therapy and more.
  • Yangaroo, the largest North American network for music promotion, will provide educational resources for First Up with RBCxMusic Featured Artists while working with them to distribute their music to radio and TV broadcasters.
The full roster of Featured Artists who join the First Up with RBCxMusic program in 2023 include: (in alphabetical order)
  • AVRY – Toronto, ON
  • Benja – Toronto, ON
  • Charlie Houston – Toronto, ON
  • Clerel – Richelieu, QC
  • Eric Ryan – Toronto, ON
  • J. Hutton – Claremont, ON
  • Jared Daniel – Calgary, AB
  • Joseph Sarenhes – Wendake, QC
  • Katie Tupper – Saskatoon, SK
  • LIZA – Toronto, ON
  • Luna Elle – Mississauga, ON
  • Nick Earle – St. John’s, NL
  • NORTER – Summerside, PE
  • PRIMO – Toronto, ON
  • Ray Reaves – Halifax, NS
  • Sage Harris – Toronto, ON
  • Saveria – London, ON
  • Syd Bomek – Winnipeg, MB
  • the della kit – Nelson, BC
  • The Free Label – Richmond Hill, ON
RBCxMusic recognizes and celebrates diverse artists across Canada, which was demonstrated by the exceptional list of candidates in the latest talent search. Beyond the list of Featured Artists selected, RBCxMusic also supports a runner-up list of up-and-coming artists with performance opportunities throughout 2023.

Gordon Lightfoot’s Final Album ‘At Royal Albert Hall’ To Be Released July 14, 2023

Eric Alper
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Gordon Lightfoot’s Final Album ‘At Royal Albert Hall’ To Be Released July 14, 2023

The final album from revered Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, who passed away on May 1, 2023, at age 84, simply entitled At Royal Albert Hall will be released on July 14th, via Linus Entertainment, the Canadian independent label that released Lightfoot’s last studio album with his band, Harmony, in 2004. You can pre-order it here.

Recorded live in concert in London England at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall on May 24, 2016, the double album set is an unembellished live mix of that night’s performance, without edits, overdubs, remixing, or re-sequencing. It captures every song performed in the order they were played, right down to the encore, by Gordon and his band – Rick Haynes on bass, Barry Keane on drums, Mike Heffernan on keys, and Carter Lancaster on guitar. It features Lightfoot’s best-known hits, and songs never previously appearing on a live album, including “The Watchman’s Gone”, “Sea of Tranquility”, “Now And Then”, “All The Lovely Ladies”, “Drifters”, “Beautiful”, “Did She Mention My Name”, “Sweet Guinevere”, “Never Too Close”, “Don Quixote”, “Minstrel of the Dawn”, “I’d Rather Press On” and “Waiting For You”.

After 50 years of hit making and with international album sales well into the multi-millions, Gordon Lightfoot is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time. Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012, his songs have been recorded by Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton, Barbra Streisand, and hundreds of others. His own recordings of “Early Morning Rain,” “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Carefree Highway”, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and “Sundown” are still among the most performed songs on radio in North America.

A lifetime spent performing live with his band, Gordon Lightfoot singled out London’s Royal Albert Hall as one of his favorite venues. In the final weeks prior to his passing on May 1, 2023, Gordon Lightfoot insisted that this live album be released as soon as possible, approving the cover artwork, and making it clear that no changes were to be made to the recording.

Track Listing:

Disc One

The Watchman’s Gone (4:38)
Sea of Tranquility (3:34)
Now and Then (3:22)
All The Lovely Ladies (3:05)
Drifters (3:27)
A Painter Passing Through (4:11)
Christian Island (1:59)
Rainy Day People (2:07)
Shadows (3:15)
Beautiful (3:02)
Carefree Highway (2:22)
Did She Mention My Name (1:37)
Ribbon of Darkness (1:41)
Sundown (3:43)

Disc Two

Sweet Guinevere (2:40)
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (6:50)
Never Too Close (3:04)
Don Quixote (4:15)
Minstrel of the Dawn (2:41)
I’d Rather Press On (3:32)
Let It Ride (4:12)
If You Could Read My Mind(3:59)
Restless (3:50)
Baby Step Back (3:44)
Early Morning Rain (4:11)
Waiting For You (3:33)

10th Anniversary of South Coast Jazz in Brantford and Port Dover Announces Alex Pangman, Mark Kelso, Charu Suri and More

Eric Alper
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10th Anniversary of South Coast Jazz in Brantford and Port Dover Announces Alex Pangman, Mark Kelso, Charu Suri and More

The 10th Anniversary of South Coast Jazz August 11-12-13, 2023 in Brantford and Port Dover have announced this edition’s lineup plus an expansion into two locations.

The festival is expanding into the Sanderson Center for the Performing Arts 1100 seat theatre in Brantford for their main event concerts. Buy tickets for Saturday Aug 12 on southcoastjazz.com or direct from the Sanderson Center.

The festival has multiple venues, a diverse line-up and is very accessible for everyone. This includes our affordable prices! Note: FRIDAY and SUNDAY are CASH ONLY EVENTS.     

“10 Years, 10 Decades of Music” will take you on a musical journey from the 1930’s with Canadas’s sweetheart of swing Alex Pangman, through to the 50’s -70’s with Le Trio Parisien featuring Juliet Dunn into the 80’s with 12X platinum selling artist Mark Holmes of Platinum Blonde, into today with 2X Juno nominated Mark Kelso and the Jazz Exiles and award winning, internationally acclaimed pianist and composer Charu Suri and more.

Enjoy free and ticketed concerts. Full schedule below and on southcoastjazz.com. Follow us FB Twitter @southcoastjazz1 and on Instagram @southcoastjazz for up to the minute updates and prize giveaways. See www.southcoastjazz.com for more information and festival program with talent bios and sponsors. 

Come make a memory at South Coast Jazz that will last a lifetime. Made possible by Ontario Creates, Baby Charlotte. 92.9 The Grand.  Aug 13th free family programming is sponsored by Elements Casino Brantford and OLG. For a full sponsor list please see our website and social media. Without them, the festival wouldn’t be possible, Thank you!

SCHEDULE BELOW: (subject to change stay tuned regularly)  

Friday August 11th Port Dover Community Center 801 St George Street, N0A1N0                                         

Doors open 5 PM. Seating is First Come First Served. This is a local stage showcase.  Route 6, The Feds and more tba. CASH ONLY EVENT.  Buy tickets on southcoastjazz.com or on Showpass for this event.

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Saturday August 12 Sanderson Center for the Performing Arts Brantford  MAIN Headliner EVENT. 88 Dalhousie St Brantford, N3T2J2  

Buy tickets for Saturday on southcoastjazz.com or direct from the theatre here https://tickets.sandersoncentre.ca/       

Doors 5 PM. Charu Suri, Mark Kelso and the Jazz Exiles, Mark Holmes of Platinum Blonde. Special guests include  Carla  Muller, Dave Griffin, Ryerse Jazz Singers, Thom Adkins. Emcee Rock’N’Ray Michaels and more! 

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Sunday August 13th Harmony Square Brantford (outdoor event BYO Chair) 89 Dalhousie St Brantford, N3T1N3 Bring your own chair and enjoy the music Free family programming.                                                                         

1 PM Le Trio Parisien featuring Juliet Dunn, Gail Obediah, Alex Pangman Band, Kontirennonoron and more tba.  Licensed area available 19+  CASH ONLY EVENT or scan the QR codes to buy tickets for Friday and Saturday

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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