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YouTube Presents U2: The Virtual Road a Series of Legendary Concerts Broadcast on the Band’s YouTube Channel, for the First Time With Enhanced Visuals and Remastered Audio

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YouTube Presents U2: The Virtual Road a Series of Legendary Concerts Broadcast on the Band’s YouTube Channel, for the First Time With Enhanced Visuals and Remastered Audio

YouTube, Island Records, Interscope, UMe, and UMC today announce U2: The Virtual Road, a series of four concerts broadcast for the first time exclusively on the band’s YouTube channel, for 48 hours only.

U2: The Virtual Road also marks the first time that three of these concerts – Slane, Red Rocks and Mexico – have been made available digitally.

The first concert will broadcast on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th 2021. U2 Go Home: Live From Slane Castle celebrates the band’s return to the legendary Irish concert site on September 1st 2001 for their first performance on the banks of the River Boyne in over twenty years. And in an exclusive YouTube performance, Dermot Kennedy will open the show with a solo performance recorded last week outside Los Angeles.

On March 25th fans can tune in to see U2: Live At Red Rocks recorded on June 5th 1983 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, United States on the band’s War Tour. A career defining show, the rain-soaked performance at the iconic venue helped establish U2’s reputation as one of the greatest live acts in the world. And another Grammy-nominated Dublin band, Fontaines D.C. will open the show with a performance recorded in their hometown last year.

The PopMart Tour stormed into Mexico City in December 1997 for a memorable show at the Foro Sol Stadium and April 1st will see Carla Morrison open for the band, only on YouTube, for a very special one-off performance ahead of PopMart: Live From Mexico City.

In December 2015, U2 returned to Paris less than a month after the November 13th terrorist attacks on the city for two rescheduled shows. iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE: Live in Paris marked the final performance on the tour, an unforgettable evening which included an emotional performance of Patti Smith’s ‘People Have The Power’. On April 10th, YouTube will broadcast the show for the very first time, with French band Feu! Chatterton on support.

“Every show is memorable for us but these four particularly so… It’s exciting to be on the road again… Embracing all the wonder of the virtual road… And especially exciting to be joined by such a brilliant line-up of fellow travelers in Dermot Kennedy, Fontaines D.C., Carla Morrison and Feu! Chatterton.” – Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry

Dan Chalmers, Director of YouTube Music for EMEA said – “It’s fantastic that YouTube is partnering with U2 for this exclusive broadcast. The four concerts featured in The Virtual Road are the most memorable and iconic in the band’s history, and indeed rock history at large. As one of the world’s best-selling music artists, U2 have been at the top of the global rock scene for the past four decades. When they perform, the world takes notice – their performances are always a landmark moment for music lovers around the world. We’re proud to be providing the platform for an artist that has come to embody the definitive live music experience.”

Sam Lunn, Head of Campaign Strategy, Island Records said – “One of the reasons U2 remain one of the greatest and most interesting bands in music is their desire to always break new ground. No band has managed to combine emotion, ambition, innovation and spectacle to produce such consistently brilliant live shows. With the announcement of The Virtual Road, and this hugely exciting partnership with YouTube, U2 are once again leading the way with this incredibly exciting virtual concert series.”

In September last year, YouTube, Island Records, Interscope, UMe, and UMC announced the relaunch of U2’s Official YouTube Channel with weekly releases of the band’s most iconic music videos and never before seen content on YouTube, all remastered at the highest possible standard. The coming year will see the band’s music video catalog remastered in HD and launched exclusively on YouTube.

Throughout their career, U2 has been known for their unparalleled creative vision and artistry when bringing their music to life on screen. As new and remastered content is added over the next year, their YouTube channel will evolve as a hub to celebrate the band’s 40-year legacy and the evolution of their approach to video. Highlights will include previously unreleased live, behind the scenes, and remixed content, and some of their best-known music videos upgraded to HD for the first time ever, up to 4K quality whenever possible. The project will result in hundreds of new and upgraded videos being added to the channel, and a curated experience for fans to be able to explore the depth of the catalog.

Puslinch, ON’s Alt-Rocker APRICITY Releases Smashing New Single, “All My Lies”

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Puslinch, ON’s Alt-Rocker APRICITY Releases Smashing New Single, “All My Lies”

Months after bursting out onto the music scene without so much as a warning, Scottish-born, Puslinch, Ontario-based singer/songwriter Apricity has released her debut single and video, the alt-rock extravaganza, “All My Lies” — available now.

The Puslinch-based powerhouse first released the five-minute track back in October along with a spooky music video, which was directed by Jesse Read of Dropout Entertainment and Toronto Creative; the enchanting song and accompanying short film has already amassed more than 120,000+ streams across platforms — including 80,000+ on YouTube alone.

Sonically, the immediate smash-hit covers ground from alternative music to pop, over to rock and then back to indie. Though it might seem like a darker song, given its moody lyricism, it’s an easy one to tap your feet and sing along to.

Produced by Thomas McKay, “All My Lies” genuinely offers the listener a healthy variety of sounds — really good ones, on that note. Apricity herself says the direction of her music was fuelled by the creative inspiration of female trailblazers like Shirley Mason from Garbage; Alanis Morrissette; and Blondie’s Debbie Harry.

“I want to sing songs that move me,” Apricity said of the song. “I wouldn’t want to have my name on something I didn’t feel, and this song resonated with me on multiple levels.”

Though elements of Apricity’s musical abilities are reminiscent of many critically acclaimed female-fronted rock bands including Paramore, Evanescence and Lacuna Coil, Apricity — like those before her — has really brought something fresh to the modern rock scene with her music. In “All My Lies,” not only does she pack an unmistakable punch with her honest and emotional vocal delivery, but she’s even found herself with one of the catchiest (and most heartbreaking) tracks of 2020.

“‘Cause I’m the one who needs you / Lost in the end / I’m the one who breaks you / I did it again / I will never be the girl in your head / Can’t take anymore,” she sings in this earworm of a chorus — with a perfect blend of attitude and melody. This woman has what it takes to make a name for herself. Seriously, check it out!

Taking her moniker from the Latin word meaning “basking in the warmth of the sun,” “All My Lies” marks the culmination of a passion that has followed the recording artist all her life.

Even before immigrating to Canada as a youth, Apricity was a lover of the arts. At a very young age, she sang at pageant shows before auditioning for the U.K.’s iconic and ongoing ‘Top of the Pops’ show. Before kicking off her solo career and releasing “All My Lies,” she even appeared on multiple kids’ TV shows, before dabbling in musical theatre and enrolling at the Corona Stage School in England’s capital.

Now, on the cusp of what could be a big turning point in the singer’s life, she is nothing but grateful for the good fortune that has come her way so far.

“I feel so fortunate with respect to the way things have played out for me,” Apricity says of her breakthrough. “This whole experience just seems surreal. It is something I’ve been dreaming of for such a long time.”

Toronto’s Pop-Soul Trap-R&B Artist OLENKA Plucks the Petals of Love in New Single, “Purple Rose”

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Toronto’s Pop-Soul Trap-R&B Artist OLENKA Plucks the Petals of Love in New Single, “Purple Rose”

At 50,000+ streams across platforms and rising, breakthrough Toronto pop-soul and trap-R&B artist Olenka plucks at the petals of long-distance love in this, her new single, “Purple Rose” — available now.

“I recorded this single a while back, and it easily became my baby,” the Toronto-based singer/songwriter confides. “It was written about a relationship I had in the past; sometimes you meet someone who just inspires a sound…”

For “Purple Rose,” that’s an experimental word-play vibe and a lush video to match; there’s also a behind-the-scenes documentary detailing its making set for release this year.

The track eschews many of the traditional norms found in the pop genre — and quite deliberately, at that. “I have a very particular taste in music, but I’m also open minded,” Olenka explains. “I would say I’m influenced by all music — everything from radio hits, to rock and grunge. I listen to a lot of random music by underground artists, too, but I’ve always been determined to go down my own path.

“Ultimately, my music suits my soul and persona, and reflects who I am as a passionate, personal, and emotional person.”

While “Purple Rose” sets this tone for 2021, previous releases include last year’s offerings of “Break Yours” and “Worth It;” Olenka studied music at Fanshawe College and first broke onto the scene in 2019 with singles “No Game” and “Poppin’”

Canadian Rockers Cigar Club Release Heavy Hitting Double Single, “…Aliens” and “Swimmin’ in Gold”

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Canadian Rockers Cigar Club Release Heavy Hitting Double Single, “…Aliens” and “Swimmin’ in Gold”

In preparation for the release of their upcoming debut album, Day, Now this May, Cigar Club — the Toronto-based rock band — have just released not one, but two brand-new singles: “…Aliens” and “Swimmin’ in Gold.”

“…Aliens” is an instant classic: a pummeling rock-meets-punk track driven by one of the tightest drum and bass duos of the year. Seriously, fills galore! Percussionist Tyler Booth and bassist Jeff LeFort really pack a punch together on this one.

Better yet, the pair’s backing gang vocals — along with those of lead guitarist Dan Amato-Gauci’s — complement frontman Dan Amato-Gauci’s own smashing vocal delivery.

“This song is so much fun to play,” said the enthusiastic “Trev.” “It’s fast and has gang vocals and a wicked drum intro that’s just like, ‘let’s go,’” he concluded.

Dan revealed that the three-minute, 45-second rager was written about the” perils of dealing with friends who have issues when you yourself, also, have some unrectified issues.”

In the fashion of good old punk rock, side B of Cigar Club’s double song, or “Swimmin’ in Gold,” is led by a raucous, yet awesome display of guitar riffage by twin-axe attack Trevon and Dan. The latter rips a face-melting solo towards the end, before being interrupted by Jeff’s very own precision bass solo. The result is magnificent and emotional chaos after hearing Trevor sing his heart out all throughout.

On his intense and gobsmacking bass solo, Jeff simply called “Swimmin’ in Gold,” “fast-paced, balls to the wall, heavy-hitting, hard rock n’ roll.”

Tyler, the drummer, said it’s “the most demanding track on the (soon-to-be-released) album” and highlighted that while it was inspired by Queens of the Stone Age’s world-renowned 2002 release, Songs for the Deaf, he feels it’s truly reminiscent of the intensity of Megadeth’s beloved thrash metal music.

Cigar Club kicked off their career in 2016 after bonding over their mutual love for John Mayer’s music. Though soft rock and blues (with a hint of soul) was once their game — and will forever be a part of their playing styles — it wasn’t until Dan, Trev and Jeff found Tyler that they mastered their iconic and alternative, punk rock sound that things really started to pick up for them.

After the release of their first-ever EP, Cigar Club, and a year of consistent touring across Ontario — pre-COVID-19 pandemic, of course — the four-piece began garnering a mass of positive attention and developed a gigantic local fanbase, along with the fierce demand for more original music.

To help support their two latest rapid-fire singles, Cigar Club even enlisted a producer to create a brand-new music video for them.

Before the highly-anticipated release of Day, Now, Cigar Club are set to release two other singles — “Like White Flats In Winter” and “From a South East Asian Two Bedroom Condo” this March 20th and April 20th, respectively.

Joy Division/New Order’s Peter Hook Does A Stunning Rendition Of “Ceremony”

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Joy Division/New Order’s Peter Hook Does A Stunning Rendition Of “Ceremony”

As part of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund’s recent ‘For The Crew’ fundraising event, Hooky & his son Jack teamed up with Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Jeff Schroeder and drummer Shane Graham for a special lockdown live version of the New Order classic ‘Ceremony’.

All funds raised by this event went towards supporting out of work touring crews who have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Please consider making a donation if you are able to here.

Texas Rangers Dedicate Baseball Field to Charley Pride

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Texas Rangers Dedicate Baseball Field to Charley Pride

The Texas Rangers paid tribute to late country legend Charley Pride — the baseball player-turned-trailblazing country singer who also held a part-ownership stake in the MLB team — by naming a field at their spring training complex after him.

The Rangers announced the dedication Sunday on Twitter with the unveiling of the “Charley Pride Field” signage at their Surprise, Arizona spring training site.

Pride died December 12th, 2020 from complications related to Covid-19. At the time of his death, Pride was part of the ownership group that purchased the Texas Rangers in 2010; in the decade that followed, Pride frequently visited the team, including annual stops at the spring training facility.

“Mr. Pride’s first love was baseball. He pitched professionally in the Negro and Minor Leagues throughout the 1950’s before embarking on his Hall of Fame singing career of more than 60 years,” the Rangers said in a statement following Pride’s death.

“Mr. Pride then became a regular participant at Texas Rangers spring training camps in Pompano Beach and Port Charlotte, Florida and Surprise, Arizona, working out with the team and staging an annual clubhouse concert for players and staff, a tradition that continued through this past spring.” Even before assuming part-ownership, Pride was a fixture at the team’s spring training.

“The Rangers have been honored to have Mr. Pride be a part of the team’s ownership group for the last ten years. A longtime resident of this area, he was a regular at home games when his schedule permitted… Mr. Pride was a true gentleman, and we will never forget the lasting contributions he has made to the Texas Rangers organization,” the team added in December.

Charley Pride celebrated more than 50 years as a recording artist. He enjoyed one of the most successful careers in the history of country music and is credited with helping to break color barriers by becoming the first black superstar within the genre. A true living legend, he sold tens of millions of records worldwide with his large repertoire of hits. A three-time GRAMMY award and Recording Academy “Lifetime Achievement Award” winner, Pride garnered no less than 36 chart-topping country hits, including “Kiss An Angel Good Morning,” a massive #1 crossover hit that sold over a million singles and helped Pride land the Country Music Association’s “Entertainer of the Year” award in 1971 and the “Top Male Vocalist” awards of 1971 and 1972. A proud member of the Grand Ole Opry, Pride performed concerts worldwide and has toured the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand over the last several years. He received the Crossroads Of American Music Award At the 2019 GRAMMY Museum Mississippi Gala in November of 2019, and the Country Music Association’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award one year later in November 2020. On December 12, 2020, Pride died at the age of 86 from complications due to COVID-19. His memory and storied legacy will live on through his vast library of stories and songs, with forthcoming plans for a final album release, public celebration of life ceremony, tribute concert, and biopic film.

Meow Mix Limited-Edition Record Featuring Epic ReMixes of Famous Jingle Drops in Time for Meow-sic’s Biggest Night

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Meow Mix Limited-Edition Record Featuring Epic ReMixes of Famous Jingle Drops in Time for Meow-sic’s Biggest Night

Today, Meow Mix dropped a limited-edition “Meow Mix ReMix LP” collector’s item featuring the most purred about songs of the year. Meow Mix – the only food cats ask for by name – celebrates its iconic jingle with a tail-swaying vinyl collection that cat lovers everywhere can display proudly on their mantels.

Album pre-sales are now available exclusively on Amazon.com for $9.99. Tracks from artists like “Hearts & Paws” and “Endless Hiss” span genres from tail-vibrating pop to back-rolling metal; from cool-cat jazz to Latin dance. Records will ship in April and are available while supplies last. Each purchase also includes a coupon for a FREE bag of brand-new Meow Mix Tasty Layers cat food.

“The Meow Mix LP celebrates the brand’s iconic jingle while also bringing a modern energy to the party,” said Ryan Thomas, VP of Brand Marketing. “Our Tasty Layers does the same kind of thing for mealtime – with exciting new layers of flavor to surprise and delight cats everywhere.”

Visit meowmix.com/remix to sample the Meow Mix ReMix songs and to learn more about our full collection of Meow Mix products.

Tina Turner Documentary Coming: Watch the Electrifying Trailer

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Tina Turner Documentary Coming: Watch the Electrifying Trailer

Get to know the woman behind the name. TINA is a revealing and intimate look at the life and career of musical icon Tina Turner, charting her improbable rise to early fame, her personal and professional struggles throughout her life and her even more improbable resurgence as a global phenomenon in the 1980s.

In addition to a stunning amount of archival footage spanning 60 years, the documentary includes interviews with Angela Bassett; Oprah Winfrey; journalist Kurt Loder who co-authored “I, Tina,” which inspired the feature film; playwright Katori Hall, who scribed “Tina – The Tina Turner Musical”; and husband and former record executive Erwin Bach, among many others.

Dan Hill Joins Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

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Dan Hill Joins Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) is pleased to announce the induction of Dan Hill, as one of Canada’s most successful songwriters. Hill catapulted to music fame in the 1970s with one of the biggest songs of the decade, Sometimes When We Touch, and continued to conquer the adult contemporary charts through the 1980s and 1990s with a devoted worldwide fan following. Behind the scenes, he penned hits for Celine Dion, Tina Turner, Britney Spears, 98 Degrees, and Alan Jackson to name a few; and recently stepped back into the spotlight in 2020 with his urgent and heartfelt single, What About Black Lives?, off his 15th studio album, “On The Other Side of Here.”

Hill will be inducted to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame’s permanent home in the National Music Centre in Calgary, featuring interactive exhibits and memorabilia dedicated to Canada’s greatest songwriters and songs.

1977’s Sometimes When We Touch, and 1987’s Can’t We Try duet with American songstress Vonda Shepard, are among Hill’s most successful hits. Sometimes was co-written with New York songwriter Barry Mann, and reached No. 1 in Canada and No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. It garnered several SOCAN Awards as well as five JUNO Awards including Songwriter of the Year in 1979. Can’t We Try was Billboard’s No. 1 Adult Contemporary Song of the Year for 1987, among many chart-topping singles and successful albums that Hill would produce.

Between 1986 and 1989, a Dan Hill hit could be found on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart (and usually the Canadian national chart) every week for an unparalleled four years. His hits included the romantic ballads In Your Eyes, Hold Me Now (with Rique Franks), All I See Is Your Face, Carmelia, Unborn Heart, I Fall All Over Again, and Never Thought That I Could Love, which also shot to No. 1 in Canada.

“IT’S RAINING MEN” Joins the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

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“IT’S RAINING MEN” Joins the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the song induction of It’s Raining Men, one of the most iconic dance tracks that defined the disco era and transcended boundaries. The song was co-penned in 1979 by Paul Shaffer and Paul Jabara, whose trademark disco musicality made him the go-to songwriter of 70s and 80s, and hitmaker for Donna Summer among others. The zany concept of a deluge of men raining down from the heavens, led to It’s Raining Men (despite being written from a woman’s point of view and sung by The Weather Girls) becoming a huge hit in the gay community, as Jabara had intended; and its tongue-in-cheek playfulness eventually unleashed a downpour of mainstream success for years to come.

“Of all the honours one can receive, recognition from one’s home country is the most meaningful. I know my late co-author, Paul Jabara, is proud of me as I thank the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame for auspiciously acknowledging our song, It’s Raining Men,” said Paul Shaffer.

Paul Jabara conceived the idea for It’s Raining Men in 1979 for disco queen Donna Summer, for whom he had written her other chart-topping hits, Last Dance and No More Tears. He called upon the affable keyboardist Paul Shaffer, who had done some arranging for him, and invited him to compose the music. As Shaffer told the CBC, Jabara said, “You worked so hard as an arranger; I want you to write this one with me.” Shaffer enthusiastically responded, “I’ll be right over!” — and the duo completed the song that afternoon.

Undeterred by the fact that true-believer Summer had turned down the song on the grounds of it being blasphemous, Jabara recorded it as an instrumental which he shopped to various high-profile singers until he found the perfect vocalists in Martha Wash and Izora Armstead, of the appropriately-named vocal duo Two Tons O’ Fun, who already had some disco hits under their belts. Wash’s voice was a tour de force, and her powerful bluesy-gospel delivery took the song to new heights beyond pop, dance, and disco, into the R&B genre.

Produced by Jabara and Bob Esty, the recording for It’s Raining Men was released in 1982 on the Columbia label, and was an instant dance hit. By December, the infectious song was No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart, in addition to reaching No. 34 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hiphop chart and No. 46 on its Hot 100 chart.

It was the song’s campy music video that propelled its success to the mainstream. Wash and Armstead had renamed themselves The Weather Girls, and the music video featured men in raincoats and skimpy briefs as they rained down during a weather forecast. The light-hearted video was perfectly suited for the new platform called MTV, which had just launched the previous year, to gain a whole new audience for the song.

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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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