All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Photo Gallery: Chicago at Niagara Falls’ Fallsview Casino
Peace Through Music: How Bob Marley and His Music Changed The World
Dreadlocks, weed, and an honest, unabashed voice that not only sang to recording microphones, but to hearts as well. Bob Marley is easily one of the most recognizable figures in music history. We know most of his songs, he was instrumental in putting Jamaica and its culture on the map, and there are few figures that are as iconic as his.
But, like most pop culture icons, Bob Marley’s legacy can easily be overlooked and euphemized as nothing more than the man who brought reggae to the West. Not many people from this age know how Bob Marley fought hard to open the eyes of the world to the plight of third world countries. He also tried to show not just to Jamaica, but the world, that peace was achievable, even in Kingston where the hatred between political factions was so deep-rooted.
Many people nowadays believe that Bob Marley fans are just stoners who get bud delivery Oakland, CA, but there’s so much more to his music than that. So, how exactly did the man try to heal a nation with his music? Read on, friend.
The Setting – A Nation At War
Since Michael Manley was elected as Prime Minister in 1972, the streets of Kingston (Jamaica’s capital city) have been a venue for unprecedented violence. The cause of the violence? The civil war between the Jamaica Labour Party and the People’s National Party.
While many articles will say that it was under Michael Manley’s rule when the violence erupted to alarming levels, this does not paint him in an accurate manner as this gives readers the impression that he was a bad leader. When delving into politics, there is no bad or good, but rather an emphasis on the differences in ideologies. Prime Minister Manley, in fact, had many achievements.
Smile Jamaica Concert
The Smile Jamaica Concert of December 5, 1976 was the famous (or rather, infamous) concert that was organized by then-Prime Minister Manley in an attempt to ease tensions between the warring political factions.
Bob Marley and the Wailers (his band) were set to perform one song for the 80,000 people in attendance. The group ended up playing a whole 90 minutes for the enthusiastic crowd. What made this concert so important was the fact that Bob Marley still performed at the concert despite the injuries he sustained two days prior when he was almost killed by unidentified gunmen. And thus, came about the timeless quote:
“The people who are trying to make this world worse aren’t taking a day off. How can I?”
This is what forever cemented into the hearts of people that Bob Marley was truly, doggedly dedicated to the cause. And that cause? Unity in Jamaica, peace in the world.
But that’s not the end of the tale. It’s one thing to refuse to be brought down by the people who are trying to get in the way of peace, it’s another to be able to influence two opposing leaders to share a moment of peace, amidst the many years of civil war. And that, my dear readers, is just a snippet of the whole story. Bob Marley’s music was so powerful it brought real change to Jamaica at a time when it was truly needed.
Photo Gallery: The Tea Party with The Proud Sons at Hamilton’s FirstOntario Concert Hall
All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
SPACES: Inside the Tiny Bedroom Where FINNEAS and Billie Eilish Are Redefining Pop Music
The second episode of SPACES follows FINNEAS through the humble family abode where he and his sister Billie Eilish have written and produced all of their music so far.
Video: Maggie Rogers’s journey from an NYU classroom to music star
In collaboration with YouTube Music as part of the Artist on the Rise program, this video tells the story of Maggie Rogers’s journey from an NYU classroom where she wowed Pharrell with “Alaska” to where she is today inspiring fans around the world with her new fab album, Heard It in A Past Life. Maggie discusses her influences and reacts to fan covers, remixes, and performances uploaded to YouTube.
30th Anniversary SOCANs Shimmer with Songwriting, Composing, Music Publishing, Licensing Success
More than 700 of the who’s who of Canada’s songwriters, composers, music publishers and industry leaders gathered tonight for the 30th anniversary of the SOCAN Awards, the annual celebration of achievement in music creation, publishing and licensing.
Hosted by CBC’s Amanda Parris, the gala at the Sheraton Centre Toronto opened with an unforgettable performance by songwriters Carly Rae Jepsen, Josh Ramsay and Tavish Crowe of the global smash “Call Me Maybe.” The trio were then honoured with the Most-Performed Song in the organization’s 30-year history as SOCAN.
Chad Kroeger of Nickelback and Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies were honoured for their historic achievements. As the Most-Performed Songwriter in SOCAN history, Kroeger was celebrated for his remarkable accomplishments in music creation with an inspired performance by Dallas Smith of his hit song “How You Remind Me.”
Robertson was presented with the SOCAN Cultural Impact Award for the influence that “The Big Bang Theory” theme has had on pop culture worldwide. The audience was treated to a show-stopping rendition of the song, followed by fan favourite “One Week” by Barenaked Ladies.
Jack Lenz was honoured as the Most-Performed Screen Composer in SOCAN history. Over his career, Lenz’s music has been featured in Due South, Designer Guys, The Passion of the Christ and Goosebumps, to name only a few.
At the show, the incomparable Buffy Sainte-Marie was inducted into SOCAN’s Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame for her life’s work in creation that now spans almost 60 years. Melissa McClelland, Fred Penner and Josh Q delivered unforgettable performances of Sainte-Marie’s “Universal Soldier,” “Up Where We Belong” and “Til It’s Time For You To Go,” and Canadian media personality George Stroumboulopoulos made the presentation.
The SOCANs featured additional memorable performances, including Elijah Wood X Jamie Fine (SOCAN Pop Award winners), Meghan Patrick (SOCAN Country Award winner) and 2019 JUNO nominee, anders.
The SOCAN Songwriter of the Year – Producer was awarded to Frank Dukes, his second consecutive win in the category for his work on hits like “Havana,” “Better Now” and “Pray For Me.” Dukes also took home three SOCAN Awards in the Pop Music category and one in Rap Music.
Grammy-nominated producer Murda Beatz accepted the SOCAN International Achievement Award and a SOCAN Award in the Rap category for “Nice For What,” co-written and performed by Drake. Though unable to attend due to touring in Europe, Drake received the award for SOCAN Songwriter of the Year – Performer.
For her recent meteoric global triumphs, Jessie Reyez was presented with the SOCAN Breakout Songwriter Award, and received two SOCAN Dance Music Awards for her work with Calvin Harris, Dua Lipa and Sam Smith.
Ralph Murphy was honoured with the SOCAN Special Achievement Award for his prodigious achievements in songwriting and his lifetime commitment to passing along his great wisdom to aspiring music creators.
For the third consecutive year, Keith Power earned the SOCAN Composer of the Year Award for his work in television and feature films, such as Hawaii Five-0; Heartland; MacGyver; and Magnum, P.I.
The SOCAN Publisher of the Year Award was presented to Red Brick Publishing for their tireless efforts to ensure bright futures for music creators.
Bell Media took home the prestigious SOCAN Licensed To Play Award, in recognition of the company’s exemplary dedication to Canadian music programming and unwavering commitment to fair music licensing.
Representing the collective appreciation and thanks of nearly 160,000 members of SOCAN who depend on Canada’s music-using organizations and businesses of every size to stay current with their music licenses, the Licensed To Play Award was presented by acclaimed screen composer Janal Bechtold.
“Music creators and publishers are the heartbeat of the Canadian music industry, not only are they achieving personal success, but they are an important source of international culture and pride for all of us,” said SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste. “We are once again thrilled to celebrate the incredible accomplishments and contributions of Canadian songwriters, composers, music publishers and music users, and extend our heartfelt congratulations to all of tonight’s SOCAN Award recipients.”
The annual Gala de la SOCAN in Montréal, which celebrates and honours the work of SOCAN’s Francophone members, will be held in September.
THE DEAD DON’T DIE starring Bill Murray, Adam Driver, and Tilda Swinton trailer is here
THE DEAD DON’T DIE – the greatest zombie cast ever disassembled starring Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Sara Driver, RZA, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane, Austin Butler, Luka Sabbat and Tom Waits. Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. In Theaters June 14th.
“WE WILL ROCK YOU” North American Tour Of Queen-Insired Rock Musical Set To Launch September 3
With the recent Oscar-winning film, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the music of Queen is more popular than ever. In 2002, many of those hits were compiled into a rock musical experience, WE WILL ROCK YOU, which will be hitting the road once again for a North American tour starting September 3 in Winnipeg, Canada.
Produced by Annerin Theatricals in Alberta, Canada, WE WILL ROCK YOU will be offering a VIP package at each stop, which include cast member meet and greets, exclusive merchandise, and much more. Local venue pre-sales will be available starting Tuesday, April 2 at 10am local time. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 5 at 10am local time.
While WE WILL ROCK YOU is a quirky, eccentric and heartfelt story of outsiders, it’s also a creative cautionary tale for the cyberage. It reflects the scale and spectacle that marked Queen’s live performances and earned the band its pinnacle position in rock history. The audience can expect WE WILL ROCK YOU to rock as fiercely as the best of Queen’s concerts.
Since 2002, over 16 million theatregoers in 19 countries have been thrilled by this awe-inspiring production which is based on the songs of Queen with a book by Ben Elton (“The Young Ones,” “Blackadder, “Popcorn”). The original West End production featured music supervision from Brian May and Roger Taylor, and Elton fashioned this futuristic story around more than 24 of Queen’s biggest hit songs including: “We Are the Champions,” “Radio Ga Ga,” “I Want To Break Free,” “Somebody To Love,” “Killer Queen,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Under Pressure,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Another One Bites The Dust” and, of course, “We Will Rock You.”
The fifteenth longest-running musical in West End history received rave reviews upon its original premiere.
With the Oscar-winning film, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the music of Queen is more popular than ever. WE WILL ROCK YOU follows two revolutionaries, Galileo and Scaramouche, on a quest to save rock n’ roll in a post-apocalyptic world where there are no musical instruments and rock n’ roll has died. They join a small group of societal outcasts, the Bohemians, as they fight to take back the iPlanet from the all-powerful Globalsoft, led by the Killer Queen. They fight for freedom, individuality and the rebirth of rock ‘n roll.
Casting for the tour is currently underway.
Prepare to Rock out to WE WILL ROCK YOU at any of the following stops, with more to be added in the coming weeks on the musical’s website:
DATE CITY VENUE
Tue 9/3 Winnipeg, MB. Centennial Concert Hall
Wed 9/4 Winnipeg, MB. Centennial Concert Hall
Thu 9/5 Winnipeg, MB. Centennial Concert Hall
Fri 9/6 Winnipeg, MB. Centennial Concert Hall
Sat 9/7 Winnipeg, MB. Centennial Concert Hall
Sun 9/8 Winnipeg, MB. Centennial Concert Hall
Wed 9/11 Moorhead, MN Bluestem Center for the Arts Amphitheater
Thu 9/12 Prior Lake, MN Mystic Lake Casino
Fri 9/13 Prior Lake, MN Mystic Lake Casino
Sat 9/14 Prior Lake, MN Mystic Lake Casino
Tue 9/17 Joliet, IL Rialto Square Theatre
Fri 9/20 Milwaukee, WI Miller High Life Theatre
Tue 9/24 Casper, WY Casper Events Center
Thu 9/26 Missoula, MT Adams Center
Fri 9/27 Boise, ID CenturyLink Arena Boise
Sat 9/28 Spokane, WA First Interstate Center for the Arts
Mon 9/30 Everett, WA Angel of the Winds Arena
Tue 10/1 Federal Way, WA Federal Way PAEC
Wed 10/2 Salem, OR Historic Elsinore Theatre
Fri 10/4 Las Vegas, NV The Orleans Hotel & Casino
Sat 10/5 Las Vegas, NV The Orleans Hotel & Casino
Sun 10/6 Bakersfield, CA Fox Theater
Tue 10/8 Stockton, CA Bob Hope Theatre
Wed 10/9 San Jose, CA Center for the Performing Arts
Thu 10/10 Fresno, CA Warnors Center
Fri 10/11 Los Angeles, CA Microsoft Theater
Sat 10/12 Indio, CA Fantasy Springs Resort Casino
Mon 10/14 Prescott Valley, AZ Findlay Toyota Center
Wed 10/16 Denver, CO Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre
Sat 10/19 Kansas City, MO Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
Sun 10/20 Enid, OK Central National Bank Center
Mon 10/21 Wichita Falls, TX MPEC Memorial Auditorum
Tue 10/22 Irving, TX The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Thu 10/24 Cedar Park, TX H-E-B Center at Cedar Park
Fri 10/25 San Antonio, TX Majestic Theatre
Sun 10/27 Sugar Land, TX Smart Financial Centre
Tue 10/29 New Orleans, LA Saenger Theatre
Wed 10/30 Birmingham, AL Alabama Theatre
Sat 11/2 Wilmington, NC Wilson Center (two shows: 2pm and 7:30pm)
Fri 11/8 Ocean City, MD Ocean City Performing Arts Center
Sat 11/9 Petersburg, VA VSU Multipurpose Center
Sun 11/10 Allentown, PA PPL Center
Thu 11/14 New York, NY Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden
Fri 11/15 New York, NY Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden
Sat 11/16 New York, NY Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden
Sun 11/17 New York, NY Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden
Thu 11/21 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
Fri 11/22 Mt. Pleasant, MI Soaring Eagle Casino
Sat 11/23 Mt. Pleasant, MI Soaring Eagle Casino
Sun 11/24 Van Wert, OH Niswonger Performing Arts Center
Tue 11/26 Louisville, KY Palace Theatre
Wed 11/27 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre
Fri 12/27 Calgary, AB. Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Mon 12/30 Edmonton, AB. Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Fri 2/7/20 Toronto, ONT. Meridian Hall (formerly Sony Centre)
Thrush Hermit Celebrate 20th Anniversary Of ‘Clayton Park’ With Reissue, Tour Dates
In 1999, Halifax rock band Thrush Hermit released their final album, Clayton Park. Well-regarded upon release for its ambitious alchemy of anthemic hooks and 70s-inspired riffage, the album has since gained a reputation as a classic of its era.
To celebrate Clayton Park’s twenty-year anniversary, the album will be issued for the first time as a gatefold double-vinyl package via New Scotland Records on Record Store Day and will be made available on streaming services on April 17.
Coinciding with this release, original members Rob Benvie, Cliff Gibb, Ian McGettigan, and Joel Plaskett will be briefly reforming for a limited run of shows in October 2019. For a band renowned for its raucous live performances, the anniversary is an occasion of both nostalgic reminiscence and excitement in rekindling its formidable rock power one more time.
“My forearms feel very limber,” McGettigan says. “Oh so very limber.”
TOUR DATES:
Sep 26 – Moncton, NB – Tide & Boar
Sep 28 – Halifax, NS – The Marquee Ballroom
Sep 29 – Halifax, NS – The Marquee Ballroom
Oct 1 – Ottawa, ON – The 27 Club
Oct 2 – Ottawa, ON – The 27 Club
Oct 3 – London, ON – London Music Hall
Oct 4 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
My Next Read: Obsessed with Cigar Box Guitars
Musicians and hobbyists are finding new creative freedom by making their own musical instruments out of unconventional materials. Their ingenious creations range from simple cardboard diddley bows to wooden box electric six-string guitars that are more impressive than anything you can buy in a store.
Obsessed with Cigar Box Guitars celebrates the modern craft of these irresistibly alluring instruments. Here, professional photographer and woodworking enthusiast David Sutton shares his obsession with the genre in an expanded photo gallery that profiles inspiring examples of handmade musical greatness. Sutton details multiple techniques for playing the fretted, three-string cigar box guitar, with easy-to-follow chord diagrams and instructions for a selection of classic tunes. He also provides a new step-by-step project for building your own tenor ukulele.
David Sutton is a highly successful photographer who says that he enjoys woodworking almost as passionately. His portraits of people and their pets have been featured extensively in national media including the Today Show and Animal Planet, as well as in the Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Chicago Sun-Times and Crain’s Chicago Business. He has also exhibited his work in numerous venues including Hermés of Paris and Takishimaya New York.
You can get it here.