Watch this 1997 clip of Prince, the iconic musician, making a special appearance on TODAY to help celebrate Bryant Gumbel’s last day as anchor, and going so far as to dress as Gumbel and attempt an impersonation that has the anchors in stitches.
Micah Barnes “When In Rome” 2nd straight #1 on iTunes Jazz
Canadian jazz virtuoso Micah Barnes has transformed into a transcontinental tomcat with the release of his new single, “When In Rome (I Do as the Romans Do)” — available now!
“For the video, we got very lucky indeed,” Barnes says of the opportunity to shoot in the song’s subject city itself — Rome! “So for three days I pretended I was Marcello Mastroianni in La Dolce Vita, sweltering in a suit as we shot in the warm Italian sunshine.
“For the song itself, ‘When In Rome’ has a real ‘swingers anthem’ to it, so I decided to give it a sexy, breezy, Bossa Nova feel with strings for that ‘International playboy’ approach,” Barnes continues, detailing his 2020 vision for the 60s-era Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh classic, in collaboration with his band — Michael Shand, Russ Boswell, Al Cross, with additional contribution from Rob Pitch and Don Breithaupt. “I hope folks will find the results deliciously naughty!
“After all, ‘When In Rome’ is essentially a very smart and sophisticated ‘cheating’ song.
“I think the New York Times said it best:” he adds, referencing a piece published May 2009. “‘When In Rome’ has lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Coleman’s greatest collaborator and the only major American lyricist whose bon mots consistently match Cole Porter’s in capturing an attitude of jaded sophistication fraught with heartbreak. The more pain is exposed, the sharper the wit that covers it up…’
“Which,” Barnes continues, laughing, quintessentially captures that “mid-century American attitude of jet-setting to the tune of International infidelity.”
“When In Rome” is the second single to land ahead of Barnes’ forthcoming album, Vegas Breeze. The album is the newest to come from Barnes, and follows his #1 iTunes Canada Jazz Chart album, New York Stories.
Featuring songs by longtime greats such as Sammy Davis Jr, Peggy Lee, Tony Bennet, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, and Lena Horne, Vegas Breeze sets the stage immediately, transporting listeners back to Sin City’s yesteryear of legendary showrooms featuring iconic entertainers working ‘the strip.’
“Finding the songs for Vegas Breeze has been a gas,” Barnes says of his meticulous search of 50s and 60s-era pop. “It meant hours and hours of enjoyment, discovering lesser known material of the classic showroom era.
“It was an interesting time for song craft in that most of the ‘hit parade’ was generated from Broadway and Hollywood,” he continues, adding that most songs from musical scores enjoyed status as mainstays on the charts. “It’s not a generalization to say that meant a more sophisticated sense of lyric and melodic structure in that pre-rock n’ roll period.
“With the first single being Frank Sinatra’s classic, ‘That’s Life’, I knew it was important to look beyond the Rat Pack tunes for the rest of the collection,” says Barnes, noting the album’s premiere release. “I went deep diving through the repertoire of other Las Vegas entertainers.
“‘When In Rome,’ was first recorded in 1964 by Ms. Peggy Lee, who had a real knack for finding witty and intelligent songs… It’s the Barbra Streisand version — released the same year — that I was most familiar with from my family’s record collection at home.”
Home for Barnes has long been Toronto, Ontario; born in Vienna and raised in Canada, he cut his teeth in the cabarets and jazz clubs of the city while still a teenager, before joining a cappella vocal group The Nylons in 1989. A JUNO Award-nominee, the years since have seen Barnes’ catapulting solo career has proffer extensive International touring, top-charting at #1 — including but not limited to Billboard hit “Welcome To My Head” and debuting #1 on the iTunes Canada Jazz Chart for Vegas Breeze’s “That’s Life” — and an extensive coaching roster for some of the industry’s most elite entertainers.
“When In Rome (I Do as the Romans Do)” is available now.
Vegas Breeze is available March 2020.
Gord Bamford Announces 2020 #REDNEK Music Fest Tour Starring Jess Moskaluke And Special Guests
Multiple JUNO, CCMA and CMA award-winning singer/songwriter Gord Bamford will be hitting the road across Canada in 2020 with his #REDNEK Music Fest tour that will showcase a broad range of homegrown country music artists including the hottest emerging acts in Canada. Along with Bamford, the show stars multi-platinum, JUNO Award winner Jess Moskaluke, and an incredible line-up of rising talent including Andrew Hyatt, Cory Marks, Duane Steele, Eric Ethridge, Ghost Boy and JoJo Mason.
The #REDNEK Music Fest tour is set to kick off on Feb. 21 at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, B.C. The first round of dates will cover western Canada into the spring, with an eastern Canadian round of shows expected to be announced soon.
The tour coincides with Bamford’s latest single, “To Get To You” featuring Jess Moskaluke and the success of his previous single #REDNEK, both from his forthcoming ninth studio album. The theme #REDNEK inspired him to conceive a tour consisting of likeminded artists. “I’ve always wanted to do a traveling festival where you can hear a great variety of new music,” he says. “I want to hit as many towns in this country as possible. The shows will predominantly be in arenas, but we’re not afraid to go to smaller towns with more intimate venues. I’m very excited to share the stage with the highly talented Jess Moskaluke, and to sing our new duet for the fans.”
Moskaluke shares those sentiments, adding, “I’m thrilled to be joining Gord on his #REDNEK cross Canada tour. Gord has an incredibly loyal fanbase, and I can’t wait to get back out on the road to share some new music we’ve been working on as well as some fan favourites, with everyone!”
2019 has proven to be a busy year for Bamford with MusiCounts announcing him as the 2019-2020 recipient of the MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award, presented by The Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation. The award recognizes individuals who have had an extraordinary impact on music education and MusiCounts over the course of its history.
Since 2014, Gord Bamford and the Gord Bamford Foundation has donated $200,000 to MusiCounts to support school music programs, the largest donation ever received from an artist in MusiCounts’ history. These donations provide instruments grants to children across Canada and give generations of students the opportunity to enjoy the incredible benefits of music in school.
Andrew Hyatt was named an “Artist To Watch” by Entertainment Tonight Canada, the Sudbury native is currently working on new music to follow up his back to back Top 10 radio hits (“On Me” and “Do It With You”), and current single “Didn’t Know Me” which is soaring up the charts with over 1 million streams to date. With a mixture of rebellion and respect for tradition, Hyatt was one of the Top 10 most played Canadian Country artists at Country Radio in 2018. Winner of the 2018 CMAO Award for “Rising Star” and nominated for Male Artist of the Year in 2019, Hyatt was also crowned the winner of SiriusXM’s “Top of the Country” competition last September. Most recently presented during the 2019 CCMA Awards national broadcast.
Cory Marks mixes the twang of country music with the hard-hitting stomp of rock & roll. His body of work is full of autobiographical storytelling, guitar-driven anthems, drinking songs, and breakup ballads. Cory’s first single “Outlaws & Outsiders” (featuring Ivan Moody of Five Finger Death Punch, Mick Mars from Motley Crue and country superstar Travis Tritt), shows that there is more unity than division between Rock and Country fans.
Duane Steele has been one of Canada’s most highly regarded country artists since he first came on the scene during the mid-1990s. The Hines Creek, Alberta native has won multiple CCMA awards and has toured with Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood, Terri Clark and others. His latest single is “Breathing Your Air.”
Eric Ethridge of Sarnia, Ontario was recently nominated for the 2019 CCMA Rising Star award on the strength of his Top 40 single “If You Met Me First.” A former chiropractor, he is now based in Nashville and working on his full-length debut album.
GhostBoy are Denis Dufresne and Aaron Young, two multiple award-winning, session and live musicians who have performed on global stages and recorded or toured with hundreds of artists. As country as the Eagles and as rock as Blue Rodeo, these Ghosts are standing in the spotlight, and it’s got our attention.
JoJo Mason is known for his infectious optimism, fun-loving personality and intoxicating storytelling, the 604 Records recording artist has quickly made a name for himself in the Canadian country music scene since releasing his debut single “It’s All Good” in 2015. With over 14 million collective streams to date and five Top 10 singles, the 2019 CCMA Awards nominee for Rising Star released his second EP, Chapter Two in the fall, and followed with his first headlining tour (The Hug Life Tour).
#REDNEK Music Fest Tour Dates:
February 21, 2020 – Kamloops, BC – Sandman Centre
March 12, 2020 – Brandon, MB – Westoba Place
March 13, 2020 – Moose Jaw, SK – Mosaic Place
March 14, 2020 – North Battleford, SK – Gold Eagle Casino
March 19, 2020 – Spruce Grove, AB – Trans Alta Tri Leisure Centre
March 20, 2020 – Grande Prairie, AB – Bowes Event Centre
March 21, 2020 – Fort Nelson, BC – Northern Regional Rec Centre
March 22, 2020 – Peace River, AB – Belle Petroleum Centre
March 23, 2020 – Prince George, BC – Vanier Hall
March 24, 2020 – Terrace, BC – R.E.M Lee Theatre
March 27, 2020 – Penticton, BC – South Okanagan Events Centre
March 28, 2020 – Abbotsford, BC – Abbotsford Centre *
March 30, 2020 – Trail, BC – The Bailey Theatre
April 1, 2020 – Cranbrook, BC – Venue TBD
April 2, 2020 – Lethbridge, AB – Enmax Centre Arena
April 4, 2020 – Calgary, AB – Deerfoot Inn & Casino *
April 17, 2020 – Lac La Biche, AB – Bold Centre *
April 18, 2020 – Sedgewick, AB – Wildrose Rec Centre *
May 9, 2020 – Fort McMurray, AB – Nexen Fieldhouse *
June 6, 2020 – Estevan, SK – Affinity Place *^
* JoJo Mason not on these dates
^ Duane Steele not on these dates
Remastered Footage of The Who Performing ‘Baba O’Riley’ and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ in May 1978
Here are The Who performing Baba O’Riley and Won’t Ge Fooled Again, filmed on B-Stage at Shepperton Studios on May 25, 1978 in front of an invited audience including members of The Pretenders, Generation X, the Rich Kids and the Sex Pistols and included in Jeff Stein’s documentary The Kids Are Alright. This was the last time the band would ever perform with Keith Moon, as he died several months later, on September 7, 1978.
Jacob Collier Announces DJESSE WORLD TOUR for Spring 2020
From the beginning of April to the end of May 2020, Collier and his new group will embark on the next leg of his DJESSE WORLD TOUR, including 35 dates and 29 North American performances. At Los Angeles’s Wiltern, New York City’s Brooklyn Steel, and stops in every US region between, fans will hear music from Djesse – Volumes 1, 2 and 3 .
Currently halfway complete, Djesse is a four-album expedition through sonic space and style. The intimate and intricate acoustics of Djesse – Volume 2 fit perfectly behind NPR’s Tiny Desk, while the orchestral scope of Djesse – Volume 1 had all of Toronto’s sold-out Opera House harmonizing with him (during a concert that featured a surprise appearance from Daniel Caesar).
Djesse – Volume 3 (Hajanga/Decca/Geffen) is due out in the coming months, and – like Volume 2’s collaborations with JoJo, Lianne La Havas, Chris Thile, Steve Vai, a cover of “Moon River” with a chorus of Chris Martin, Ty Dolla $ign, Tori Kelly, and 140-some others – exciting guests and astonishing feats are ensured.
After revealing the Volume 3 album artwork to his social media followers this past Friday, Collier will have many more details to share soon. In the meantime, check out his 5 Favorite Tiny Desks for NPR Music, his guide to making songs out of any sound at Interview Magazine, a deep dive into creativity with Sodajerker, and a Crocs-clad breakdown of Stevie Wonder for Vox’s Earworm.
DJESSE WORLD TOUR – SPRING 2020 DATES
1-April – Berlin, DE – Huxleys
3-April – Utrecht, NL- Transition Festival
4-April – Cologne, DE – Carlswerk Victoria
5-April – Paris, FR – Le Trianon
7-April – Manchester, UK – The Ritz
8-April – London, UK – Roundhouse
14-April – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre
15-April – Seattle, WA – Showbox SODO
16-April – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
18-April – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield
21-April – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
22-April – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
23-April – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
25-April – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
26-April – Englewood, CO – The Gothic Theatre
28-April – Dallas, TX – The Bomb Factory
29-April – Austin, TX – Emo’s
30-April – Houston, TX – House of Blues
2-May – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
3-May – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live
5-May – Atlanta, GA -Variety Playhouse
7-May – Charlotte, NC -The Underground
9-May – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
10-May – Washington, D.C. – 9:30 Club
14-May – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel
15-May – Boston, MA – House of Blues
17-May – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
19-May – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater
20-May – Detroit, MI – The Majestic Theatre
22-May – Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre
23-May – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
26-May – Kansas City, MO – The Truman
27-May – Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall
28-May – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom
30-May – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
My Next Read: New Waves, Old Hands, And Unknown Pleasures: The Music Of 1979
The year 1979 was a seminal watershed moment in rock music. The year saw the release of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, David Bowie’s Lodger, Led Zeppelin’s In Through the Out Door, Bob Dylan’s Slow Train Coming, Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk, Elvis Costello and the Attractions’ Armed Forces, Joe Jackson’s Look Sharp! and I’m the Man, Stiff Little Fingers’ Inflammable Material, Gary Numan/Tubeway Army’s Replicas and the Pleasure Principle, Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures, the Jam’s Setting Sons, the Clash’s London Calling, and the UK 2-Tone phenomenon. It also saw a slump in album sales, a resurgence in single sales, and the peak and bloody death of disco.
My Next Read: Blues From Laurel Canyon: My Life As A Bluesman by John Mayall
John Mayall has played with them all; Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jack Bruce, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, Andy Fraser… the list goes on. Now, in his 80’s, John continues to tour all over the world and perform to sell-out crowds. With an incredible blues career spanning over sixty years, which rightly earning him the title “The Godfather of British Blues,” John shares his experiences and encounters in what will be a must read autobiography for any true blues fans.
Video: Phil Collins On His 1989 “But Seriously” Album and Serious Tour
“I feel I’m treading new ground … writing about things that I’ve felt for a long time but never really written about,” he said in a promotional interview from 1989 to promote his But Seriously album. The was a huge commercial success worldwide, reaching No. 1 in the UK and the US for 15 and 4 non-consecutive weeks, respectively. It was the best selling album of 1990 in the UK, eventually selling 2.75 million copies there and 4 million in the US. The lead single “Another Day in Paradise” won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
Bikini Kill Announce International 2020 Tour Dates
Legendary feminist punk band, Bikini Kill recently regrouped for 10 thrilling performances in select cities NYC, LA and London + a special headlining Riot Fest appearance. Marking their first full shows since 1997, the enthusiastic fan response saw these shows selling out quickly. The band is thrilled to announce today, a more expansive, international tour in 2020.
The run kicks off with a valiant return to Olympia, WA and a benefit concert for Interfaith Works Nightly Shelter, a local non-profit acting as the only shelter/homeless services program that explicitly prioritizes women and LGBT single adults in the Olympia community.
These shows sees the band performing with their iconic line-up of Kathleen Hanna on vocals, Tobi Vail on drums, and Kathi Wilcox on bass — along with guitarist Erica Dawn Lyle. Hailed by The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and The Los Angeles Times, the reunion has sparked critical discussion on the band’s legacy and influence on culture and music today with Entertainment Weekly, NYLON, The New York Times.
Active from 1990 to 1998, Bikini Kill is a feminist punk band that started in Olympia, WA, and later moved to Washington, DC. Billy Karren joined Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox and Tobi Vail on guitar after the band had played several shows as a three-piece. Credited with instigating the Riot Grrrl movement in the early ’90s via their political lyrics, zines and confrontational live shows, Bikini Kill encouraged women and girls to start bands as a means of cultural resistance. They used touring as a way to create an underground network between girls who played music, put on shows and made fanzines. This informal network created a forum for multiple female voices to be heard.
Bikini Kill started touring in June 1991, serving up their radical feminist punk rage to crowds across the US several times, as well as making their way through Europe, Australia and Japan. The band recorded and released a demo tape, two EPs, two LPs and three singles which are available via their independent label Bikini Kill Records. The band has just re-issued Pussy Whipped and Reject All American, available now on vinyl & CD for the first time since they went out of print 7 years ago. They also uploaded their entire catalog on streaming services last Fall. Now available for streaming on Spotify, Tidal and Apple Music, the catalog includes landmark releases from 1991’s Revolution Girl Style Now to 1998’s The Singles, which features production, guitar and vocals from Joan Jett.
3/13: Olympia, WA @ Capitol Theater & *Benefit For Interfaith Works*
3/16: Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre &
3/19: Victoria, BC @ Distrikt #
3/23: Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom ^
5/12: Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
5/13: Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
5/14: Boston, MA @ Boch Center Wang Theatre
5/16: Winooski, VT @ Higher Ground
5/18: Montreal, QB @ M Telus
5/20: Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
5/22: Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
5/23: Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
5/24: Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater
08/12: Oslo, Norway @ Øya Festival
& w/ Table Sugar
^ w/ Lithics
# w/ Mecca Normal
Video: Pearl Jam plays basketball at a suburban high school outside of Cleveland for charity in 1992
Here’s high school television coverage of Pearl Jam back in May, 1992 playing a charity basketball game versus local Cleveland rock radio station WMMS.