Home Blog Page 1446

New Order’s “Blue Monday” Celebrates 40th Anniversary

0

The iconic 12” single Blue Monday celebrates its 40th Anniversary on 7th March 2023. Written and produced by New Order and released on the legendary label Factory, the seminal track has continued to enthrall fans and influence generations of musicians and creatives since release in 1983.

Blue Monday reached the Top 10 in the UK charts, spent a total of 38 weeks in the Top 75 and is the biggest-selling 12” single of all time with worldwide sales of +3 Million.  Designed by Peter Saville the unique cover sleeve, resembling a 5 ¼ floppy disk with coloured code strip which when deciphered reads the artist, track and label information, became an instant classic and equally revered as the music itself.

In addition to the huge commercial success on release, the track has been sampled, covered and remixed by many of the worlds biggest stars including Rihanna on Shut Up And Drive, Kylie ‘Cant Get Blue Monday Out Of My Head’, Quincy Jones ‘Blue Monday 88’’ and even inspired fashion designer Raf Simons’ A/W 2019 collection, achieving an almost unparalleled status in contemporary culture.

Blue Monday has also soundtracked a multitude of high profile film releases, video games and advertising campaigns in recent years, including House Of Gucci,​​ Ready Player One, Atomic Blonde, Wonder Woman 1984, the Call of Duty game series and Yves Saint Laurent, in the process introducing it to whole new audience forty years after it’s original release.

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary, New Order are releasing a range of merchandise available from 7th March, exclusively via their online store here.

From the ashes of legendary band Joy Division, New Order triumphed over tragedy to emerge as one of the most influential and acclaimed bands of all time.

After Ian Curtis tragically took his own life, Bernard Sumner (keyboardist and guitarist), Peter Hook (bassist) and Stephen Morris (drummer) re-formed the same year as New Order, with the addition of Gillian Gilbert (keyboardist and guitarist) and Sumner taking over as vocalist.

Their debut Movement (1981) was over shadowed by the sound of Joy Division; going forward the band combined post-punk with influences from New York’s club scene, the result was Power, Corruption & Lies (1983). 1983 also saw the release of “Blue Monday” which became the best-selling 12-inch single of all time, selling over 3 million copies worldwide.

New Order then released the albums Low-Life (1985), Brotherhood (1986), Substance (1987) and Technique (1989). Between several brief hiatuses and line-up alterations, Republic (1993), Get Ready (2001) and Waiting for the Sirens’ Call (2005) came out, before Peter Hook’s departure in 2007.

Phil Cunningham joined the band in 2001, followed by Tom Chapman as bass player in 2011

The band released their critically acclaimed tenth studio album Music Complete in 2015 featuring guest vocals from Iggy Pop, Brandon Flowers and Elly Jackson of La Roux.

Never resting on their legacy, New Order continue to perform live around the world, playing some of the biggest shows of their career to date, headlining Manchester’s Heaton Park and London’s O2 in 2021 and a US arena tour with Pet Shop Boys in Autumn 2022.

Peter Gabriel Reveals Details of i/o – The Tour North America Leg

0

Today, Peter Gabriel announces details for his long-awaited North American leg of i/o – The Tour, a 2023 run across Europe and North America this spring and fall. Produced by Live Nation, the newly announced dates will find Peter Gabriel performing in Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Fans should also stay tuned for future tour date announcements in Washington, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Paul, Denver, Austin, Dallas and Houston.

i/o – The Tour will see Gabriel playing new material from his forthcoming album i/o, as well as delving into his peerless catalogue of music, with hits, fan favourites and the unexpected. For the shows, Gabriel will be joined by regular band-mates Tony Levin, David Rhodes and Manu Katché. Additionally, new music from the i/o album is being released on the full moon of each month. The March song release is called Playing For Time.

VIP: Fans can also purchase VIP Packages, which may include premium tickets, access to the pre-show lounge, limited edition gift item & more. For more information, visit vipnation.com.

Tickets for all European shows are available now at petergabriel.com.

i/o – The Tour

May 18 Krakow, Poland TAURON Arena
May 20 Verona, Italy Verona Arena
May 21 Milan, Italy Mediolanum Arena
May 23 Paris, France Accor Arena
May 24 Lille, France Stade Pierre-Mauroy
May 26 Berlin, Germany Waldbuehne
May 28 Munich, Germany Koenigsplatz
May 30 Copenhagen, Denmark Royal Arena
May 31 Stockholm, Sweden Avicii Arena
June 2 Bergen, Norway Koengen
June 5 Amsterdam, Netherlands Ziggo Dome
June 6 Antwerp, Belgium Sportpaleis
June 8 Zurich, Switzerland Hallenstadion
June 10 Cologne, Germany Lanxess Arena
June 12 Hamburg, Germany Barclays Arena
June 13 Frankfurt, Germany Festhalle
June 15 Bordeaux, France Arkea Arena
June 17 Birmingham, UK Utilita Arena
June 19 London, UK The O2
June 20 Nottingham, UK Motorpoint Arena
June 22 Glasgow, UK OVO Hydro
June 23 Manchester, UK AO Arena
June 25 Dublin, Ireland 3Arena
September 8 Quebec City, Quebec Videotron Centre
September 9 Ottawa, Ontario Canadian Tire Centre
September 11 Toronto, Ontario Scotiabank Arena
September 13 Montreal, Quebec Bell Centre
September 14 Boston, Massachusetts TD Garden
September 16 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wells Fargo Center
September 18 New York, New York Madison Square Garden
September 30 Chicago, Illinois United Center
October 7 Vancouver, British Columbia Rogers Arena
October 8 Seattle, Washington Climate Pledge Arena
October 11 San Francisco, California Chase Center
October 13 Los Angeles, California Kia Forum

Lionel Richie And Earth, Wind & Fire Announce ‘Sing A Song All Night Long’ Tour

0

Today, legendary singer, songwriter and producer Lionel Richie announced his 2023 Sing A Song All Night Long tour with very special guests and one of the best-selling bands of all time, Earth, Wind & Fire. Produced by Live Nation, the 20-city arena tour kicks off Friday, August 4th at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, with stops across North America in Chicago, Toronto, New York, and more before wrapping up on Friday, September 15th at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.

2022 was a pivotal year for Lionel Richie, who has now sold over 125 million albums, as he was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, won the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by the Library Congress and was honored with the Icon Award at the American Music Awards. With over 100 million albums sold worldwide and an impressive nine GRAMMY® Awards, Earth, Wind & Fire has cemented their lasting impact on popular music as they continue to inspire new audiences and thrill those who have been with them from the beginning. These two iconic artists have now sold a combined quarter billion albums worldwide.

Earth, Wind & Fire are a music institution. In 1969, music legend Maurice White birthed the music force named after the elements from his very own astrological charts. With soul as deep as the plant, Earth, Wind & Fire charted a history that will live on forever. They’ve scored eight number one hits and have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. They’ve released 23 albums; eight of those albums went Double Platinum and hit the Top 10, making them one of the best-selling artists of all time. They’ve won an impressive nine GRAMMY® Awards including one for Lifetime Achievement (2012). In 2000, Earth, Wind & Fire was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, cementing their lasting impact on popular music and, in 2019, their contributions to arts and culture was acknowledged in Washington DC with the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors.

The music of Earth, Wind & Fire is more alive than ever as they continue to inspire new audiences and thrill those who have been with them from the beginning. Like the elements in their name, Earth, Wind & Fire’s music has withstood ever-changing trends in the world and shows no sign of vanishing as they continue to create joy and uplifting music that will forever reach a sacred universal atmosphere. From the funky and infectious “Let’s Groove” to the timeless dance classic “September” to the heartfelt “Reasons,” Earth, Wind & Fire’s catalog of hits has become the soundtrack to many lives; now, then and forever.

SING A SONG ALL NIGHT LONG 2023 TOUR DATES:
Fri Aug 04 – St Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
Sat Aug 05 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Tue Aug 08 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Wed Aug 09 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Fri Aug 11 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Sat Aug 12 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Tue Aug 15 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Fri Aug 18 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Sat Aug 19 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
Tue Aug 22 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Fri Aug 25 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – FLA Live Arena
Sat Aug 26 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Tue Aug 29 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
Fri Sep 01 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Sat Sep 02 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Tue Sep 05 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Fri Sep 08 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Mon Sep 11 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Tue Sep 12 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Fri Sep 15 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum

About Lionel Richie

Kip Moore Maps Out ‘Damn Love’ World Tour With Special Guests The Cadillac Three

0

Multi-PLATINUM singer/songwriter Kip Moore is mapping out his DAMN LOVE WORLD TOUR today, announcing his headlining fall tour in the U.S. with special guests The Cadillac Three, hot on the heels of the announcement of his fifth studio album DAMN LOVE. Moore, whose electric live show “draws sold-out audiences around the world” (CMT), will return to major cities overseas and some for the first time, kicking off in Bloomsbury, Aus. on March 11. Moore is slated to headline shows in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the U.K. and Europe, many of which are already sold-out in advance. Tickets for the DAMN LOVE fall tour will be available to purchase this Friday, March 10 at 10am local time at kipmoore.net.

Moore’s fifth studio album DAMN LOVE releases April 28 and is available to pre-order now HERE. Over 13 new tracks co-produced by Moore and Jaren Johnston (The Cadillac Three), emotionally raw and thick with epiphany, Moore explores an internal tug of war and puts it simply enough: Damn Love.

Multi-PLATINUM singer/songwriter Kip Moore just released the title track off his forthcoming fifth studio album DAMN LOVE, available on April 28. Co-written and co-produced by Moore and Jaren Johnston (The Cadillac Three), the thirteen-track collection is emotionally raw and thick with epiphany. Moore’s DAMN LOVE WORLD TOUR will kick off in Bloomsbury, Aus. on March 11. Moore is slated to headline shows in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the U.K. and Europe, many of which are already sold-out in advance. Known as “one of country’s more thoughtful artists” (Billboard), Moore has toured the world earning acclaim and a rabid fanbase as an all-in performer in each setting, consistently selling out headlining shows internationally with huge followings in the U.S, the U.K, Europe, Australia, and Canada. Praised by Noisey as “an uncompromising, genre-defying artist firing on all cylinders” Moore has blazed his own trail, with “a bit more Southern rock than traditional country… to be a Kip Moore fan suddenly became a marker of your having a certain refinement in your country-music taste” (Chicago Tribune). Moore first splashed into the mainstream with the double-PLATINUM “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” in 2012, then followed up with three more best-selling No. 1s (“Hey Pretty Girl,” “Beer Money” and “More Girls Like You”), a trio of ambitious, critically praised albums and two gritty EPs that landed Moore on multiple “Best Of” lists. Moore garnered resounding acclaim for his fourth studio album, WILD WORLD. The set, co-written and co-produced by Moore, was spotlighted by critics as “especially vital; occasionally, even rare,” (Esquire).

DAMN LOVE WORLD TOUR official dates:
3.11.23 – Bloomsbury, Australia – Dittmann Bull Pit Country Fest
3.15.23 – Melbourne, Australia – Margaret Court Arena
3.16.23 – Sydney, Australia – Horden Pavilion
3.18.23 – Ipswich, Australia – CMC Rocks
3.21.23 – Auckland, New Zealand – Auckland Town Hall
3.26.23 – Pretoria, South Africa – Loftus Versfeld Stadium
4.1.23 – Cape Town, South Africa – GrandWest Grand Arena
4.2.23 – Cape Town, South Africa – GrandWest Grand Arena
4.16.23 – Florence, Arizona – Country Thunder
5.13.23 – Hamburg, Germany – Grosse Freiheit 36
5.14.23 – Cologne, Germany – Die Kantine
5.17.23 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Melkweg
5.19.23 – Birmingham, United Kingdom – O2 Institute Birmingham
5.20.23 – London, United Kingdom – Royal Albert Hall
5.21.23 – Leeds, United Kingdom – O2 Academy Leeds
5.24.23 – Gateshead, United Kingdom – Sage Gateshead
5.25.23 – Manchester, United Kingdom – O2 Ritz Manchester
5.26.23 – Glasgow, United Kingdom – O2 Academy Glasgow
5.27.23 – Belfast, United Kingdom – Botanic Gardens
6.3.23 – Chesterfield, VA – After Hours
6.4.23 – Crownsville, Maryland – Let’s Go! Music Festival
6.9.23 – Hyannis, Massachusetts – Cape Cod Melody Tent
6.10.23 – Cohasset, Massachusetts – South Shore Music Circus
6.11.23 – Webster, Massachusetts – Indian Ranch Amphitheatre
6.18.23 – Manchester, Tennessee – Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
6.23.23 – Virginia Beach, Virginia – Beach It! Country Music Festival
7.2.23 – Columbus, OH – Flannagan’s Dublin
7.7.23 – West Fargo, North Dakota – Red River Valley Fair
7.8.23 – New Salem, North Dakota – ND Country Fest
7.14.23 – West Salem, Wisconsin – Country Boom Festival
7.15.23 – Pierz, Minnesota – Pierz Freedom Fest
7.27.23 – Cheyenne, Wyoming – Cheyenne Frontier Days
8.11.23 – Elkhorn, Nebraska – The Club at Indian Ranch
8.19.23 – Calgary, Alberta – Country Thunder Alberta
8.24.23 – Saginaw, Michigan – Huntington Event Park*
8.25.23 – Cedarburg, Wisconsin – Country In The Burg
8.26.23 – Mankato, Minnesota – Vetter Stone Amphitheater*
9.7.23 – Stockton, California – Bob Hope Theatre*
9.8.23 – Anaheim, California – House Of Blues Anaheim*
9.9.23 – San Diego, California – SOMA San Diego*
9.14.23 – Park City, Kansas – Hartman Arena*
9.15.23 – Pueblo, Colorado – Pueblo Memorial Hall*
9.16.23 – Grand Junction, Colorado – Las Colonias Park Amphitheater*
9.21.23 – Rochester, New York – Kodak Center*
9.22.23 – Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania – F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts*
9.23.23 – Johnston, Pennsylvania – 1st Summit Arena at Cambria County War Memorial*
9.28.23 – Reading, PA – Santander Arena*
9.29.23 – Charleston, West Virginia – Charleston Municipal Auditorium*
9.30.23 – Toledo, OH – Stranahan Theater*
10.21.23 – Kissimmee, Florida – Country Thunder Florida
11.10.23 – Evansville, Indiana – Victory Theatre
11.11.23 – Manistee, Michigan – Little River Casino
*The Cadillac Three will open

Sam Hunt Announces Summer On The Outskirts Tour With Special Guests Brett Young And Lily Rose

0

Multi-Platinum-selling country star Sam Hunt announces his SUMMER ON THE OUTSKIRTS TOUR with special guests Brett Young and Lily Rose. The SUMMER ON THE OUTSKIRTS TOUR, produced by Live Nation, kicks off July 6 in Hartford, Conn. and runs across the country with stops including Toronto, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Mountain View, New York City, Orange Beach, Raleigh, and St. Louis. Full routing below.

Hunt, called “the most innovative mainstream Nashville performer” by The New York Times, commended for his “formidable charisma” by Stereogum, and his “ace storytelling” by Billboard, has earned critical praise alongside widening his fanbase to millions around the globe. With over 13 Billion in streaming, Hunt’s hits include “23,” “Hard to Forget,” “Take Your Time,” “House Party,” “Body Like A Back Road,” and more.

Joining Hunt is multi-Platinum-selling country artist Brett Young. The “In Case You Didn’t Know” singer has captured the hearts of fans everywhere through his honest lyrics and West Coast-meets-Southern sound, aptly dubbed “Caliville” style. Also hitting the SUMMER ON THE OUTSKIRTS TOUR stage is country-meets-R&B Georgia-native Lily Rose.

Sam Hunt’s SUMMER ON THE OUTSKIRTS 2023 Dates:
July 6 – Hartford, CT – Xfinityk Theatre
July 7 – Gilford, NH – Bank of NH Pavilion
July 8 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
July 14 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
July 15 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
July 16 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
July 20 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater
July 21 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater *
July 22 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
July 27 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
July 28 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center
July 29 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Aug 3 – Carbondale, IL – Southern Illinois University-SIU Banterra Center**^
Aug 4 – Bonner Springs, KS – Azura Amphitheater ^
Aug 5 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Zoo Amphitheatre ^
Aug 11 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre
Aug 12 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Aug 13 – Stateline, NV – Lake Tahoe Harveys Outdoor Arena ^
Aug 18 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman***
Aug 19 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
Aug 20 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
Aug 24 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Aug 25 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
Aug 26 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Sep 7 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sep 8 – Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Sep 9 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Cree

Megadeth Announce “Crush The World” Tour

0

Thrash metal titans Megadeth announce their 2023 Canadian tour. The spring 13-city tour starts in Everett WA on April 26, with the Canadian leg kicking off April 28 in Abbotsford and wraps up on May 15 in Halifax. See full itinerary below.

“We cannot wait to bring Megadeth’s Crush The World tour to the Great White North – I’m still riding high from our Sold Out Budokan show with Marty Friedman last week, but there is no letting up and it’s your turn, Canada. Get ready!” -Dave Mustaine

Cyber Army Fan Club and VIP packages go on sale beginning Tuesday, March 7 at 10 am local time at Megadeth.com. American Express members will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday March 7 at 12 pm local time until Wednesday, March 8 at 10 pm local time at ////Ticketmaster.ca/americanexpress. Live Nation and venue presales will run on Wednesday, March 8 from 10 am until 10 pm local time at LiveNation.com. Tickets will be available for the general public starting on Thursday, March 9 at 10 am local time at LiveNation.com.

Last week, Megadeth performed for the first time to a sold-out crowd at the world-famous Budokan Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Billed as “They Only Come Out At Night”, the concert was also a global livestream event, that included a special appearance of Marty Friedman. For those unable to be in Japan for this historic moment in rock history, the global livestream of the full performance was available for 2 days.

Last year, MEGADETH released their highly anticipated sixteenth studio album The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! to both fan and critical acclaim. The album debuted at the top of the charts during its first week of sales, taking the No. 1 slot on Top Album Sales, Top Current Albums Sales, Top Rock & Alternative Album, Top Rock Albums, and Top Hard Rock Albums, and No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200. The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! is the highest charting MEGADETH album of all time around the world, also notching No. 1 in Finland, No. 2 in Australia, Poland, Switzerland, and Scotland, No. 3 in the UK, and more. MEGADETH received their 13th GRAMMY® nomination for Best Metal Performance for the song “We’ll Be Back” from The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! (The band won a Grammy in 2016).

MEGADETH unleashed Killing Time: Chapter V, part of their epic multi-part short film from their most recent studio album The Sick, The Dying…And The Dead! (UMe) released last year. The first chapter We’ll Be Back: Chapter I premiered in June 2022 and within the first hour of release, the album’s first track and video were met with overwhelming fan reaction resulting in the band trending on Twitter. So far, all five chapters combined have culminated in an astounding 10M plus views to date, a number that continues to grow.

MEGADETH Tour Dates:
April 26, 2023 – Everett, WA – Angel of the Winds Arena
April 28, 2023 – Abbotsford , BC – Abbotsford Centre
April 29, 2023 – Kelowna, BC – Prospera Place
May 1, 2023 – Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Events Centre
May 2, 2023 – Calgary, AB – Grey Eagle Event Centre
May 4, 2022 – Saskatoon, SK – SaskTel Centre
May 5, 2023 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
May 8, 2023 – Hamilton, ON – First Ontario Centre
May 9, 2023 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre
May 10, 2023 – Quebec City, QC – Centre Videotron
May 11, 2023 – Laval, QC – Place Bell
May 13, 2023 – Moncton, NB – Avenir Centre
May 15, 2023 – Halifax, NS – ScotiaBank Centre

Video: How The Drum Sounds Were Created For Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”

0

Anthony Marinelli showed keyboardist Greg Phillinganes how he programmed the drums for Michael Jackson’s song Thriller.

The Mandalorian Theme on RimbaTubes and Native American Flute

0

Here’s The Mandalorian theme song by Ludwig Göransson played on RimbaTubes and Native American Flute.

Lasso Montréal Announces 2023 Lineup: Chris Stapleton, Kane Brown, Jake Owen, Brothers Osborne, Elle King And More

1

LASSO Montréal, presented by Bell in collaboration with Coors Original, is back after a hugely successful first run in 2022. Last year’s inaugural edition of the country music fest surpassed all expectations, creating a massive buzz in the city, and proving that Montrey’all is a country music Mecca and is now is set to return to the Espace 67 grounds in Parc Jean-Drapeau for a second edition between August 18 and 19, 2023.

Jake Owen, Brothers Osborne, Gabby Barrett and Elle King will join previously announced headliners Kane Brown and Chris Stapleton at the second annual LASSO Montreal festival this summer.

Right out of the gate, LASSO Montréal has proven to be a bonafide phenomenon, offering a state of the art festival experience with all the country fixins you’d expect, on a beautiful island in the St Lawrence River, overlooking the stunning Montreal skyline, and with all that momentum from last year’s kickoff edition, the 2023 edition is shaping up to be incredible! With the warm weather just around the corner, Canadians and Quebecers are already gearing up for those long summer days and nights, hanging out with friends and family, eating and drinking to their hearts’ content, while being serenaded by that golden country twang – that is the raison d’être of LASSO!

Two-day passes are already available on the LASSO website, and single-day tickets go on sale on March 3.

General admission for one day is $135. The $205 Gold Pass grants access to Casino de Montréal Gold Terrasse with optimal views, “exclusive food and beverage stands,” a private toilet area, and a “fast-lane entry” to the festival.

If there was ever a question, Montreal is now most definitely a country music town, and LASSO Montréal has proven to be one of the most exciting country music events in North America. With some of the top talent in country music booked for 2023, this second edition looks to be an even bigger, unforgettable country event. On August 18-19, Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau, one of the most picturesque festival sites in North America, will once again be home to a massive get together to celebrate the power of live music! The festival’s second edition will feature some of the hottest acts from the US, as well as incredible talent from our own huge Canadian and Québec backyard! Joining headliners Chris Stapleton and Kane Brown are a variety of exciting acts, carefully curated by the LASSO team to maximize your good time country vibes.

Last year, Montreal’s Brittany Kennell was a revelation for fans attending the festival, and this year LASSO Montréal is pleased to introduce her as the official ambassador for its 2023 edition. The Montreal-based artist has already made a name for herself in Quebec, Canada, and the States with her vintage yet modern country music style.

LASSO Montréal, presented by Bell in collaboration with Coors Original, is back after a hugely successful first run in 2022. Last year’s inaugural edition of the country music fest surpassed all expectations, creating a massive buzz in the city, and proving that Montrey’all is a country music Mecca! Right out of the gate, LASSO Montréal has proven to be a bonafide phenomenon, offering a state of the art festival experience with all the country fixins you’d expect, on a beautiful island in the St Lawrence River, overlooking the stunning Montreal skyline, and with all that momentum from last year’s kickoff edition, the 2023 edition is shaping up to be incredible! With the warm weather just around the corner, Canadians and Quebecers are already gearing up for those long summer days and nights, hanging out with friends and family, eating and drinking to their hearts’ content, while being serenaded by that golden country twang – that is the raison d’être of LASSO!

If there was ever a question, Montreal is now most definitely a country music town, and LASSO Montréal has proven to be one of the most exciting country music events in North America. With some of the top talent in country music booked for 2023, this second edition looks to be an even bigger, unforgettable country event. On August 18-19, Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau, one of the most picturesque festival sites in North America, will once again be home to a massive get together to celebrate the power of live music! The festival’s second edition will feature some of the hottest acts from the US, as well as incredible talent from our own huge Canadian and Québec backyard! Joining headliners Chris Stapleton and Kane Brown are a variety of exciting acts, carefully curated by the LASSO team to maximize your good time country vibes.

Big Loud recording artist, Jake Owen, has been dominating the charts since he burst onto the scene in 2006. The Florida-born singer has ten #1 singles to his name, and his honky tonk baritone has been streamed over 2.5 BILLION times in the US! The multiple-award-winner’s laid back style makes for an amazing live show that has fans singing along in droves, as witnessed last year when he headlined several high profile festivals.

Brothers Osbourne are the real deal when it comes to rockin’ country! The duo, consisting of brothers T.J. Osborne and John Osborne hail from Maryland, where they learned how to light up the sky with country fire whenever they hit the stage. With 6 Grammy noms under their belts, four CMA Awards, five ACM trophies, and a collection of some of the most infectious country hits to chart in the past decade, the bros are sure to have the crowd swaying back and forth to their high energy hoedown!

Pennsylvania-born Gabby Barrett is widely considered the face of Gen-Z country, having been named Billboard’s Top New Country Artist of 2020, an Amazon Music Breakthrough artist, included in Variety’s 2020 Young Hollywood Impact Report, and one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Music. In her meteoric rise to the top, she has amassed nearly 2 BILLION global streams and her debut, I Hope, was the most-streamed country song of 2020, highlighted as one of the Best Songs of the year by the Associated Press and Billboard, and won CMT’s 2020 Breakthrough Video of the Year award, simultaneously cracking the Top 3 on Billboard’s all genre Hot 100 chart – in fact, Gabby is, to date, the youngest artist with a #1 debut at country radio in over two decades. Prior to her LASSO gig, Gabby will also be honored on March 2nd at the 2022 Women in Music Awards with the Rising Star Award.

Elle King is an absolute phenomenon – the young singer songwriter is the daughter of comedian Rob Schneider, but there is nothing funny about her career in music – the four-time Grammy Award nominee, received high honors from the Country Music Association Awards as well as the Academy of Country Music Awards. The singer cites a varied list of musical influences, including Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Otis Redding, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and AC/DC, making for a very old school sound. In fact, The Guardian describes her sound as “steeped in every genre of vintage Americana – sassy rock’n’roll, vampy R&B, country sadness and a little blues.” Elle has been touring with LASSO headliner Chris Stapleton to massive acclaim, and it will be great to see her do her thing in Montreal.

A true icon, multi-platinum Canadian artist Dean Brody has just come off arguably the single biggest year of his career, headlining multiple festival stages across the country. The popular singer/songwriter has collected an unprecedented 34 Top-10 singles; 18 CCMA Awards; 2 JUNO awards, and his music has garnered over 425+ million streams around the globe. Only Shania Twain has more Canadian streams when considering Canadian country artists’ “lifetime” results.
Quebec’s own, Francis Degrandpré, discovered by the public on the wildly popular TV show, La Voix in 2020 (on Marc Dupré’s team), sold out his March show at Corona Theatre in Montreal and released his debut album Soir de quai in May. Performing on stage is where Francis feels most comfortable, and he’s sure to have the crowd enraptured by his strong vocals when he takes the stage at LASSO.

Ontario’s Jade Eagleson is one of Canada’s top country talents, with several # 1 hits to his name, including singles like “Lucky”, “All Night to Figure It Out“, “More Drinkin’ Than Fishin’“ and “She Don’t Know“. Eagleson kicked off LASSO in the City last year to much fanfare, and his 99+ million views on YouTube speaks for itself – Jade’s Honky Tonk revival is one not to miss! He’ll be taking the stage on the Friday evening.

Raleigh, North Carolina’s Priscilla Block is among country music’s most exciting new artists, with an authentic voice that has made her into a real deal social media darling! The new TikTok star describes her sound as “a little sass, a little trash and a little sad”. Representing a new generation of future country stars, Priscilla is sure to get toes tappin’ when she hits the stage at LASSO this summer.

Acadian trio Les Hay Babies are one of Canada’s and Quebec’s most beloved groups, and a perfect fit for LASSO! Their infectious indie-folk-country sound has been celebrated from coast to coast – the trio won Les Francouvertes in 2013 as well as being elected “Francophone Songwriter of the Year” at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. In 2015, My Homesick Heart was crowned “Francophone Album of the Year” at the East Coast Music Awards, as well, and with Boîte aux lettres, their 3rd album, they have gone back to basics for a sound that will pierce through the noise and have fans feeling really good again!

Madeline Edwards is one of America’s most exciting new country artists. In the last year, she has earned non-stop accolades as a Spotify “Hot Country Artist to Watch”, an Apple Music “Country Riser”, and a CMT “Next Women of Country”, as well as from NPR, who named her a Top 20 Breaker artist. Madeline’s 13 million streams to date is a sign of what’s to come, and with her debut at the Grand Ole Opry in the rearview mirror, the sky’s the limit!
Stay tuned, more artists to be announced to complete the festival lineup!

LASSO MONTREAL

The team behind LASSO Montréal would like to extend a huge thank you to fans, numerous sponsors and public partners, including: Bell, Coors Original, SiriusXM, Loto-Québec, Monster Energy, Birkenstock, Coca-Cola, Ford of Canada Ltd, Tourisme Montréal, as well as Société du Parc Jean-Drapeau for their continuous support.

#LASSO2023
@lassomtl

The Maple Blues Band Ends Era As Host Band For Maple Blues Awards

0

The Maple Blues Band announces that after 24 years they will not be returning to their position as host band for the 2024 Maple Blues Awards.

Notice was given to the MBA planning committee at the awards recap meeting on Feb.16th. This departure marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter for the big band that was formed two decades ago to provide the musical landscape for the popular national awards program.

Their new release, Let’s Go on Cordova Bay Records will need full commitment towards increasing their performance schedule with festival shows and theatre concerts. It’s been a great run that has provided band leader/musical director, Gary Kendall with the valuable opportunity of forming a large group with a platform for creating original pieces of instrumental music. Those compositions have become the basis for the band’s live show and an exciting vision for the future.

Special thanks go out to The Toronto Blues Society and President Derek Andrews for guiding The Maple Blues Band through the last two decades and to Jocelyn Greenwood, President of Cordova Bay Records for opening the door to the band’s future.

The Maple Blues Awards made it possible for The Maple Blues Band to accompany and perform with hundreds of Canadian blues musicians, some of the best in the country and the world. That privilege will be expanded upon in their next chapter.