Considered one of the best industry conferences for radio and audio broadcasting in the world, Radiodays Europe will be bringing this event to North America in association with the highly popular Canadian Music Week conference held each year in Toronto. RADIODAYS NORTH AMERICAwill take place June 8th and 9th in Toronto at the Harbour Castle Westin Hotel on the shores of Lake Ontario as part of the weeklong Canadian Music Week Festival.
“We are thrilled to be able to bring the Radiodays Europe brand and it’s expert international content to North America,” says Peter Niegel, General Manager for Radiodays Europe. “Toronto is the ideal location to bring everyone together to ensure that we as an industry move forward with strategies for the future.”
Neill Dixon, Founder and President of Canadian Music Week stated: “I’ve long admired the people at Radiodays Europe and the outstanding job they do each year for the radio and audio industry. It’s now time to come together for the betterment of all. This partnership will create a new standard for broadcast conferences around the world.”
Troy Reeb, President of the Canadian Radio Council, speaking on behalf of Canada’s commercial radio industry said: “We are very excited to participate and support Radiodays North America. Now is the time that our industry needs to work together to help evolve our businesses in order to meet the demand of an ever-changing audience environment.” Susan Marjetti, General Manager of CBC News, Current Affairs and Local, said: “Canada’s public broadcaster is so pleased to be part of this incredible world class event which recognizes and celebrates the unique and lasting role of radio and audio in people’s lives. We look forward to getting together next June in Toronto.”
Keynote speakers and expert panelists from North America and around the world will be in Toronto to discuss and strategize all aspects of over the air and digital broadcasting. From broadcast to podcast, everything is on the table: Executive leadership, workplace diversity, innovation, technology, talent, programming, marketing and how to grow your audio revenue will be on the agenda over the two-day event.
Radiodays North America will bring our industries back together to learn and inspire anyone working in the audio industry today and tomorrow. It all happens June 8th and 9th, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario.
Today, A&M/UMe releases a digital-only 35th-Anniversary Expanded Edition of Sting’s stunning second solo album, …Nothing Like the Sun. The album title was lovingly adopted from Shakespeare’s Sonnet No. 130 (“My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun”).
The 26-track Expanded Edition features the original 12 songs on the album plus 14 bonus tracks that consist of B-sides, remixes, alternate versions, and instrumentals – the full track listing included below.
Building on the momentum of his 3x platinum debut solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles, …Nothing Like the Sun tackled a litany of deeply rooted and profoundly personal subjects. As Sting reflected in the liner notes, “I look back on this album, and I realize that the record is about my mother, although I didn’t see it at the time. It’s about mothers and daughters, mistresses and wives, sisters… Every song has one of these themes. It surprised me.” Sting’s mother sadly passed away in late 1986, not long before four months’ worth of intensive recording sessions for the next album got underway in earnest at AIR Studios in Montserrat in early 1987.
As a result, …Nothing Like the Sun, which was Sting’s first digital recording, is, for the most part, a subdued and reflective album with the exception being the up-tempo lead single, “We’ll Be Together,” an instant chart hit featuring Annie Lennox among its stellar background vocalists. Other key songs on the album showcased Sting’s development as an acclaimed solo artist. The quirky, jazz-inflected “Englishman in New York” tipped its bowler to English ex-pat and expert storyteller Quentin Crisp, while “Fragile” paid homage to an American civil engineer killed in Nicaragua by the Contras. Some of the album’s subject matter was born out of what Sting became aware of while participating in Amnesty International’s Conspiracy of Hope Tour in 1986. Narrated in stirringly vivid detail, “They Dance Alone” recounts the actions Sting observed of wives and daughters of certain men in Chile who were tortured and murdered by the then-military dictatorship. These wives and daughters would dance the country’s traditional dance known as the Cueca by themselves, with only photos of their missing loved ones pinned to their clothing.
Produced by Sting, Hugh Padgham, Bryan Loren, and Neil Dorfsman, …Nothing Like the Sun featured a variety of A-list guitarists, including former Police-mate Andy Summers on the album’s moving opening track “The Lazarus Heart,” Hiram Bullock on the heartfelt cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing,” and the triple threat of Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, and Fareed Haque on “They Dance Alone.” Another notable topline …Nothing Like the Sun collaborators include keyboardists Gil Evans and Kenny Kirkland, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, and drummer Manu Katché. In addition to handling arrangement duties and singing all of the album’s lead vocals, Sting played bass and double bass, as well as Spanish guitar on “History Will Teach Us Nothing” and acoustic guitar on “Fragile.”
…Nothing Like the Sun has been certified 2x platinum by the RIAA, topped the album charts in two countries, the UK and Japan, and also peaked at No. 9 on the US Billboard 200. The album’s aforementioned lead single, “We’ll Be Together,” had a strong chart impact upon its release, ultimately reaching No. 7 on the US Hot 100. The album’s second single, “Be Still My Beating Heart,” was nominated for two Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1989, and climbed to No. 2 on Album Rock Tracks, No. 15 on the Hot 100, and No. 37 on Adult Contemporary. The album’s other three singles were “Englishman in New York,” “Fragile,” and “They Dance Alone.” In the US, …Nothing Like the Sun garnered three Grammy nominations in 1989, including Album of the Year. In the UK, …Nothing Like the Sun received the BPI’s Brit Award for Best British Album of the Year in 1988.
STING: …NOTHING LIKE THE SUN – EXPANDED EDITION [digital only]
The Lazarus Heart
Be Still My Beating Heart
Englishman in New York
History Will Teach Us Nothing
They Dance Alone
Fragile
We’ll Be Together
Straight To My Heart
Rock Steady
Sister Moon
Little Wing
The Secret Marriage
Conversation With A Dog [Bonus Track]
If You There [Bonus Track]
Up From The Skies [Bonus Track]
Someone To Watch Over Me [Bonus Track]
Ghost in The Strand [Bonus Track]
Englishman in New York / Ben Liebrand Mix [Bonus Track]
Englishman in New York / Ben Liebrand Mix (Edit) [Bonus Track]
Fragile / dj MONK’s Extended Vocal Remix Version [Bonus Track]
Fragile / dj MONK’s Radio Edit Version [Bonus Track]
Fragile / dj MONK’s Hard Rain Dub Version [Bonus Track]
Fragile / Bedroom Rockers Remix Version [Bonus Track]
We’ll Be Together / Extended Mix [Bonus Track]
We’ll Be Together / Alternate Version [Bonus Track]
We’ll Be Together / Instrumental [Bonus Track]
Roadrunner United was a project organized by iconic hard rock record label Roadrunner Records to celebrate its 25th anniversary, culminating in the U.S. Billboard Top 200, UK Albums, and Australian ARIA Albums-charting original The All Star Sessions. Four “team captains” (Slipknot’s Joey Jordison, Machine Head’s Robb Flynn, Fear Factory’s Dino Cazares, and Trivium’s Matthew K. Heafy) were chosen to lead 57 artists from 45 past and present Roadrunner bands. It was truly a heavy metal family affair — and then some!
The release was labeled “a testament to Roadrunner’s far-reaching impact on the genre” by MTV. Because that’s exactly what it was.
Additionally, on December 15, 2005, a concert celebrating the project, album, and anniversary took place at the Nokia Theater in New York City.
That star-studded event featured multiple musicians, both past and present, from Roadrunner bands — as well as musicians that did not originally perform on the All-Star Sessions album.
The set list consisted of some of the most popular and famous songs released by Roadrunner Records, as well as some of the original songs from the project’s album. The “core band,” which performed on the majority of the songs, consisted of the aforementioned Cazares (Fear Factory), Adam Duce (Machine Head), the late Paul Gray (Slipknot), the late Joey Jordison (Slipknot, Murderdolls), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), and Roy Mayorga (Hellyeah, Stone Sour).
Now, both the original All-Star Sessions album and the concert performance itself will be made widely available in multiple configurations on March 10, 2023. Pre-orders for the concert album, which will be available on vinyl, CD, digitally, and presented in HD for the first time, are now live here.
“The Roadrunner United album was something I still have a hard time believing that it happened,” says Heafy, who served as the youngest songwriting captain on the album. “A 19-year-old me being enlisted to be able to write anything I wanted… while picking a dream lineup of my favorite musicians every single every song? I am still honored and grateful to have been allowed this amazing experience. All I can say is… I want to do Part II.”
Flynn reflected on his participation as a captain, saying, “I had a couple of riffs left over from [2004 Machine Head album] Through the Ashes of Empires that I hadn’t ended up using, so brought them into play first-off for Roadrunner United. The song that really kicked it off for me was ‘The Dagger.’ I was like, ‘Man, this is a f–king banger. I don’t know if I even want to give this away!’
‘I actually told the label, ‘If you can lock in Howard [Jones] from Killswitch Engage to do the vocals, you can have it. Otherwise, I’m keeping it for Machine Head!’ We had so much fun when Howard flew in to record that song at my studio. He only had about three sentences of lyrics prepared, so we spent hours talking over what the song could be about, and then he freestyled a bunch. I remember him getting up, walking into the vocal booth, and just belting out this f–king insane scream, this screech! It became the sound that opens the whole record.”
That moment caused a wave of songs to come flooding through for Flynn and further inspired his creativity on songs and the iconic Machine Head album that came after — 2007’s The Blackening. He even stated that working with different artists for Roadrunner United “really opened my mind to all these possibilities.”
All details about each configuration of the live concert album and original CD are below.
ROADRUNNER UNITED: THE CONCERT (LIVE AT THE NOKIA THEATRE, NEW YORK,NY, 12/15/2005) VINYL:
We have opened the vault to bring to you for the first time on vinyl Roadrunner United The Concert (Live at the Nokia Theatre, New York, NY, 12/15/2005), featuring members of Slipknot, Anthrax, Trivium, Machine Head, Fear Factory, Sepultura, and more. Roadrunner United was a project organized by the heavy metal record label Roadrunner Records to celebrate its 25th anniversary. On December 15, 2005, in New York City. Roadrunner Records produced the metal concert to end all Metal Concerts: 39 musicians, representing 25 different Roadrunner bands, performed 25 songs from 19 different bands’ repertoires. This unique and unprecedented aggregation of musicians was no jam session. Each song was studiously rehearsed and arranged, coming together with exuberant perfection, to produce a concert that can only be called legendary and iconic!
Conceived as a follow-up to the Roadrunner United The All-Star Sessions, the label recruited the core team of musicians (Dino Cazares, Adam Duce, Paul Gray, Joey Jordison, Andreas Kisser, and Roy Mayorga) as the backbone of the performance. Sure enough, as they fine-tuned the songs and rehearsed them tirelessly, dozens of other musicians boarded the performance.
This 3-LP set represents the gathering of a community of musicians that spans the heavy metal history of the first 25 years of Roadrunner Records — from King Diamond to Slipknot and beyond. Those who were lucky enough to be there experienced a night they will never forget. For the first time as a live concert album, this 3-LP set on red, white, and black-colored vinyl is a chance to relive that special night again and again.
The concert will also be available digitally.
It is also presented in HD for the first time ever.
SIDE A:
Biohazard’ // “Punishment”
Madball // “Set It Off”
Stormtroopers of Death // “March of The S.O.D.”
Life of Agony // “River Runs Red”
Obituary // “The End Complete”
SIDE B:
Mercyful Fate // “Curse pf The Pharaohs”
King Diamond ”Abigail”
Annihilator // “Alison Hell”
Deicide // “Dead By Dawn”
SIDE C:
Trivium // “Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr”
Killswitch Engage // “My Last Serenade”
Chimaira // Pure Hatred”
Fear Factory // “Replica”
SIDE D:
Type O Negative // “Black No. 1″
Roadrunner United // Tired ‘N Lonely”
Stone Sour // “Brother”
Roadrunner United // “The Rich Man”
SIDE E:
Roadrunner United // “The Dagger”
Roadrunner United // “The End”
Soulfly // “Eye For An Eye”
Sepultura // “Refuse/Resist”
SIDE F:
Slipknot // “Surfacing”
Machine Head // “Davidian”
Slipknot // “(sic)”
Sepultura // “Roots Bloody Roots”
MUSICIANS:
Steve Asheim, Matt Baumbach, Cory Beaulieu, Glen Benton, Rob Caggiano, Keith Caputo, Dino Cazares, Mike D’Antonio, Phil Demmel, Adam Duce, Brian Fair, Robb Flynn, Justin Foley, Paul Gray, Billy Graziadei, Paolo Gregoletto, Matthew K. Heafy, Andols Herrick, Scott Ian, Jamey Jasta, Howard Jones, Joey Jordison, Andreas Kisser, Jesse Leach, Logan Mader, Roy Mayorga, James Murphy, Tim “Ripper” Owens, Nadja Peulen, Evan Seinfeld, Acey Slade, Travis Smith, Joel Stroetzel, Corey Taylor, Ville Valo, Tommy Vext, Jeff Waters, Jordan Whelan, Tim Williams
ROADRUNNER UNITED: THE CONCERT (LIVE AT THE NOKIA THEATRE, NEW YORK, NY, 12/15/2005) CD:
This 2-CD set represents the gathering of a community of musicians that spans the heavy metal history of the first 25 years of Roadrunner Records — from King Diamond to Slipknot and beyond. Those who were lucky enough to be there experienced a night they will never forget. For the first time as a live concert album, this 2-CD set is a chance to relive that special night again and again.
ROADRUNNER UNITED: THE ALL-STAR SESSIONS CD
Roadrunner United was a project organized by the heavy metal record label Roadrunner Records to celebrate its 25th anniversary. It culminated in an album released worldwide on October 11, 2005, entitled The All-Star Sessions. Four “team captains” were chosen to lead 57 artists from 45 past and present Roadrunner bands, and produce and oversee the album’s 18 tracks: Joey Jordison, Dino Cazares, Robb Flynn, and Matt Heafy. The 18 tracks are back in print for a limited time to celebrate four decades of Roadrunner Records’ mark on the metal world.
THE ALL-STAR SESSIONS TRACK LISTING:
“The Dagger”
“The Enemy”
“Annihilation by the Hands of God”
“In the Fire”
“The End”
“Tired ‘n Lonely”
“Independent (Voice of the Voiceless)”
“Dawn of a Golden Age”
“The Rich Man”
“No Way Out”
“Baptized in the Redemption”
“Roads”
“Blood & Flames”
“Constitution Down”
“I Don’t Wanna Be (A Superhero)”
“Army of the Sun”
“No Más Control”
“Enemy of the State”
Country singer-songwriter Travis Dolter has released his version of the classic ABBA song, “Does Your Mother Know.” The song, originally released on the Swedish group’s 6th album in 1979, has been covered in various genres, and this one, Dolter’s version, is a fan favourite at his live shows.
“I have been a huge ABBA fan since my grandma first showed me the movie “Mama Mia”. When I saw a Ukrainian band performing “Does Your Mother Know” at a Zabava back in 2019, I decided to add this song to my set list. It quickly became a fan favourite at my shows that everyone loved! I am so excited to be releasing this ABBA cover, with my own twist on it!”
“Growing up I’ve always listened to a broad range of genres. Good music is good music! Bringing old classics back to life is an important part of my shows. ABBA’s “Does Your Mother Know” is one of those songs that needs to be heard and really gets you moving.”
Dolter’s original work is inspired by real life experiences which he turns into songs and then shares the stories behind his songs at his live performances. Travis takes on life with a positive and lively attitude and reflects that spirit in his songs. His energy, talent and enthusiasm are showcased at his performances as well as his ability to connect with the audience.
In July, Travis released his debut Double EP entitled – “Travis Dolter … Every Song” and “Travis Dolter … A Story”! These EPs are currently only available at live shows.
Travis has been compared to a mix of Kenny Chesney and Buddy Holly with a hint of Barenaked Ladies and is sure to keep you entertained as he shares hits from the 1950s to current day.
Travis Dolter Tour Dates:
October 8, 2022 Community Centre Andrew AB
November 5, 2022 Recreation Centre Lamont AB
November 18, 2022 Ranchman’s Dance Hall Calgary AB
November 19, 2022 Ranchman’s Dance Hall Calgary AB
November 25, 2022 Cook County Saloon Edmonton AB
December 9, 2022 Community Hall Strome AB
January 21, 2023 Norseman Inn Camrose AB
February 3, 2023 District Communiplex Macklin SK
February 4, 2023 Civic Centre Watrous SK
The fire of passion and desire is perhaps no more evident in a dance form than it is in flamenco. The famous, entrancing Spanish dance has been deemed part of the World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage for its spirited incorporation of poetry, singing or cante, specific flamenco style guitar and the dance movements themselves. It’s much more than a dance style and a perfect way for international award-winning, multi-disciplinary singer-songwriter, actor and dancer Harriet Chung to present her songwriting debut, “Place for Dreams.”
A captivating tale of love and loss conveyed through the rhythmic hand claps and percussive guitar that are hallmarks of flamenco, “Place For Dreams” is an ideal showcase for Chung to channel her own creative fire.
“The song is a passionate confession about an ill-fated romance,” explains the Toronto-based, Hong Kong-born artist. “It takes you on a passionate ride to infamy.”
The place for dreams lie in one’s heart
The life we lead tears them all apart
A veteran, multi-honoured theatre performer, Chung shines with her dramatic vocal delivery of the song’s tragic storyline, propelled along by Warren Robert’s melodic flamenco guitar flourishes. “Place For Dreams” pits the star-crossed lovers in a struggle in the space between romance and regret.
I can’t erase your tempting grace
But this must end without a trace
I want to be just you and me
My soul tells me we cannot be
Will these lovers succumb to their perceived fate or find everlasting happiness somewhere in the “Place For Dreams”? Only Harriet Chung knows that answer before you listen through to her fourth single and third release so far in 2022.
Harriet Chung’s debut single “A World Away (Remix)”, released in 2021, won Best Original Song at the Hollywood Gold Awards, and its music video has won 10 Best Music Video awards from film festivals around the world. She has appeared in many musical theatre productions, including The Phantom of the Opera (Toronto), Cats (Germany), The King and I, Iron Road, and Golden Lotus, for which she has received numerous awards and nominations for Best Actress on both stage and screen for her portrayal of the titular role.
As an accomplished “triple-threat” performer — singer, actress, and dancer/choreographer — Chung has the innate ability to connect with audiences on many levels. She was Canada’s first Asian actress to be cast in The Phantom of the Opera and has also appeared in Cats (in Germany), The King and I, Iron Road, Fiddler on Fire, and more. She shares her expertise, experience, and love for her crafts with students from all over the world through her school – Harriet Chung Performing Arts (HCPA).
Osas Igbinosun is a Nigerian-born artist based in Edmonton, AB who started his career by teaching himself songs on YouTube. His love for music began when he picked up his brothers abandoned guitar, and from the age of 16, he has been immersed in music, playing for his local church and worship team as a guitarist and singer. From there, it was a goal to only write songs that showcases Osasioo’s expansive voice like no other.
Hitting his stride out of the gate tuned into R&B with a fusion of modern pop, with his debut single still inspired at the base of an altar. ‘Gravity’ showcases his distinctively warm and velvety voice and his unique song writing style. The single ‘Gravity’ was a project he collaborated with friend and fellow songwriter, Femi Sobaki and Canadian Producer Ryan Stewart. What he classes as his future wedding song, Osasioo recorded the track in May 2022 in Vancouver in the same studio that the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City have recorded.
When discussing the story behind the making of his single, Osasioo said, “I was playing my guitar when I began to play a certain melody that I really liked. These words: “This is the moment of our lives, where we have got what we have wanted” popped in my head and I instantly knew I wanted to write a wedding song.”
Osasioo and Femi wrote the song in December 2021. Not wanting to recreate just another traditional wedding song, Osasioo revisiting the song whilst swimming in Mexico in January 2022.
“I really wanted to write something different, something more structural and narrative, yet captivating. I knew that most traditional wedding pop songs almost always described the wedding day. However, after hours of showcasing my embarrassing swimming skills, it dawned on me- I had figured out the missing pieces of the puzzle to make this song sound different! I decided that the structure would be.”
Melody and lyrics in a match make for a perfect love song, and ‘Gravity’ is your new soundtrack for that unison. A toast to that.
Dita Von Teese announced that she will be bringing the world’s biggest burlesque show, ‘Glamontrix’ to North America next year. Produced by Live Nation, the 21-date tour kicks off on January 7th, 2023, in Seattle, WA at the Paramount Theatre, making stops across North America in San Francisco, New Orleans, New York, and more along with a special performance on Valentine’s Day at The Chicago Theatre. The tour hits three cities in Texas, plus Dita’s home state of Michigan, with a finale show in Riverside, CA at the Fox Performing Arts Center on February 24th.
Dita’s burlesque show continues to break records as the biggest and most lavish burlesque show in history. Hot on the heels of her 41-show tour overseas in historic theaters, including The London Palladium, Opera Garnier Monte Carlo, Folies Bergère and Vienna’s Burgtheatre, Dita is thrilled to bring the Glamonatrix burlesque revue to cities across the United States and Canada. The Glamonatrix Tour is produced and directed by Dita Von Teese, and sponsored by Sweet Gwendoline French Gin and Lashify.com, inventor of DIY Lash extensions.
“For me, burlesque has always been about finding my own confidence, liberating the taboo of striptease with fantastical stripscapes, while encouraging others to indulge in and enjoy their own sensuality. Glamour is the art of creating mystery and allure, and the new “Glamonatrix” show speaks to unapologetic sensual power with a fun fetishistic twist.” says Von Teese. She continues, “I feel so fortunate that burlesque has come to symbolize a celebration of beauty and sensuality in many forms, a place where diversified icons take the stage and inspire others. I’m proud to be a part of the modern burlesque movement and I’m grateful to have the chance to tour with performers who change people’s minds about striptease.”
TICKETS: Tickets go on sale to the general public starting Friday, September 16th at 10:00 AM Local Time on Ticketmaster.com.
GLAMONTRIX 2023 TOUR DATES:
Sat Jan 07 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
Tue Jan 10 – Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Fri Jan 13 – San Francisco, CA – Palace of Fine Arts
Sat Jan 14 – San Francisco, CA – Palace of Fine Arts
Sun Jan 15 – San Francisco, CA – Palace of Fine Arts
Tue Jan 17 – Portland, OR – Keller Auditorium
Fri Jan 20 – Dallas, TX – Majestic Theatre
Sun Jan 22 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre
Tue Jan 24 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center
Fri Jan 27 – New Orleans, LA – Orpheum Theatre
Sun Jan 29 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
Thu Feb 02 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
Sat Feb 4 – Toronto, ON – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Tue Feb 7 – Montreal, QC – Theatre Maisonneuve
Thu Feb 09 – New York City, NY – Beacon Theatre
Sat Feb 11 – Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre
Tue Feb 14 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
Thu Feb 16 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
Sat Feb 18 – Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace
Wed Feb 22 – El Cajon, CA – The Magnolia
Fri Feb 24 – Riverside, CA – Fox Performing Arts Center
Glamonatrix is a full evening of comedy and sophisticated striptease celebrating diverse beauty and individuality. Far from being a typical burlesque show, Dita elevates and modernizes the classic 1940’s variety show in an inspiring and uplifting way. Always ahead of the curve, Dita’s show casting has consistently been inclusive and multi-faceted, showcasing the talents of male, female, and gender-fluid performers from around the world to create a body-positive, celebratory show like no other.
As the consummate performer in modern burlesque, Von Teese’s exhilarating live shows are world-renowned and draw fans from every corner of the globe. With over a million tickets sold, and an unprecedented quality of production in burlesque, it is clear why Von Teese’s self-produced tours are the gold standard of the modern burlesque revival, with devoted fans that include A-list celebrities.
The uber-glamorous variety show presents extravagant new production numbers from Dita and the cast, with costumes created by Jenny Packham, Mister Pearl, Alexis Mabille, Catherine D’Lish and more. Shoe aficionados will delight in the extraordinary bespoke fetish footwear by Christian Louboutin, some of which are currently on display as part of the Louboutin “L’Exhibition(iste)” in Monaco.
The Glamonatrix show showcases the most revered performers in burlesque, including the legendary Dirty Martini. Dita’s dapperVontourage and choreographer Alek Palinski returns to the stage, along with fan-favorite Zelia Rose, one of the lead performers of Hamilton Australia. Dita is also pleased to introduce showstopping newcomer Lana Kai Fox, along with Tosca Rivola and Laszlo Major. Jonny McGovern of “Hey Qween!” and “Go-Go for the Gold” returns as host, due to popular demand from fans around the world. Dita will also be joined in select cities by special guests, including three time ballroom world champion Umario Diallo partnering Dita in a fiery striptease Latin dance.
On the dawn of one J’ouvert Morning in Trinidad, the juxtaposition of the lively parade of partiers along the line of quiet graveyards provoked KOBO Town’s Drew Gonsalves deep into thought – the influence behind the band’s new single, “Carnival Of The Ghosts.”
The title track of the JUNO Award-winning group’s fourth album takes its listeners on a journey with Gonsalves through time, experiencing a night with the dead who paved the way for the generations that followed.
“The idea for the song came to me a few years ago while I was back in Trinidad for Carnival,” Gonsalves said. “I was struck by this contrast between the worn, silent grey tombstones and the noisy explosion of life and festivity passing by them. And the thought that many of the graveyard’s residents once paraded down that same street gave me an overwhelming feeling of continuity with those who walked the road before us.”
The tale begins with Gonsalves passing out at Carnival and awaking with no one else around. But he soon discovers that he isn’t alone – the spirits of the dead had come out to play.
From Shaka Zulu to King Henry VIII and many more, KOBO Town references a plethora of humanity’s most-notable characters in its spiritual shindig.
“In that moment I felt my kinship with those now gone and thought I could glimpse my small place in that march of time which began long before I arrived, and which will continue long after I am gone,” Gonsalves explained. “So, I had the idea of a Carnival band made up of spirits of famous dead people – I imagined how they would interact and what they might say to us and to one another.”
Laid over Gonsalves’s story is an entrancing tune that takes you right into the picture the singer is painting. If there were ever to be a Carnival celebrated only by the ghosts of partygoers past, there is no question that this sound would be its anthem.
“Carnival Of The Ghosts” is the second tune on the album and is one piece of a greater puzzle that KOBO Town builds throughout the project. Gonsalves drew inspiration from a public performer on a Paris subway train for the album’s motif.
“A few years ago, I was riding the metro in Paris to a recording session when at one stop an old fiddler stepped into the subway car and revealed its passengers with a medley of rousing tunes,” the musician recalled. “He played his jigs and reels with great technical dexterity and a tasteful dramatic flair, dancing and tapping his feet all the while.
“For all his effort and ability, no one even looked up,” Gonsalves continued. “In fact, so completely was he ignored, that he seemed to me like a ghost out of the past.”
Was this a sign of a joyless modernity, unable to parse beauty through the monotony, or perhaps the commuters were too familiar with the show unfolding in front of them to care? Regardless, the performer’s glow shone among a sea of lifelessness.
“It made me think many thoughts: of the sense of wonder and how easily it fades among the worries and cares that beset us all; of how important it is to rekindle it and to remain open to the spontaneous moments of grace which will intrude upon the fixed habits and routines of our lives if we will only let them,” Gonsalves said.
With themes centering around the march of time and the temporary nature of everything, KOBO Town crafts a narrative meant to encourage an appreciation of all.
“The common thread running through all is a feeling of impermanence: this is an album about the swift passing of time, the unceasing rhythm of that clock whose swinging pendulum marks the moods and movements of any age, which humbles our greatest endeavours and endows every fleeting moment with a value beyond measure,” Gonsalves explained.
Placed second on the track list, “Carnival Of The Ghosts” sets the stage for what’s to come in the rest of the album. Will you join Gonsalves and his ghostly gang in a once-in-a-lifetime Carnival?
Your past doesn’t determine your future, you do – that’s the message of New Brunswick artist Upkvst’s newly-released single, “Midnight Club.”
Over a murky boom-bap beat that leaps the listener into a nighttime vibe, Upkvst delivers meaningful bars explaining the diamond in the rough mentality, shining in the dark, and pushing forward to forge a brighter future.
A Moncton-native, Upkvst has dealt with his share of troubles in his lifetime. The 24-year-old felt misunderstood and outcasted growing up, and it led to a dark path of substance abuse. But years of growth and reflection have lifted him from that place, and his confidence for his future will never falter. Everything moves up for Upkvst, the inspiration for the first two letters of his music moniker.
That mindset is central to “Midnight Club.”
“I wanted to give a sense of confidence through this song, like you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it,” Upkvst explained. “The demons I used to have are no longer burdens. I needed to face them to feel free.”
The song is rife with references of late-night drives and some nights checking out an old video game called “Midnight Club,” from its bars to its overall mood to actual car revving samples hidden within its layers. The track also includes an homage to Mac Miller’s “Nikes On My Feet,” the first song from the rapper that Upkvst ever heard. Along with performers and artists such as Frank Ocean, Daniel Caesar, Post Malone, and Russ, Mac Miller made a major impact on Upkvst in his upbringing, musical and otherwise.
“He was one of the main reasons why I started digging into hip hop, studying other artists and the flows they used,” Upkvst said. “I also love Nike shoes.”
“Midnight Club” is part of a larger release from Upkvst. The track is one of many that’s featured on his newest album, Rdy Set Go! The album’s cover art is layered with metaphors, all meant to signify the important themes and lessons Upkvst lays down.
In Upkvst’s typical style, the album’s name is also a piece of a larger puzzle, aimed at relying Upkvst’s very human struggle with a word of advice on how others can navigate this difficult thing called life.
“I’m ready for what’s to come, I’m set for my future, and I let go of what’s already happened,” Upkvst explained.
You can find more of Upkvst’s music on streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. If melodic, powerful, soulful, relaxing, and emotional hip hop is your lane, then do yourself a favor and peep what Upkvst has to say.
