Steve Dawson’s guest on his excellent Music Makers and Soul Shakers Podcast this week is multi-instrumentalist and record producer Steve Berlin. A longtime mainstay of the Los Angeles music scene, Steve Berlin is perhaps best known as a member of Los Lobos, although he is also a sought-after producer and session player. Berlin’s production, arranging and session work includes REM, Sheryl Crow, The Replacements, Faith No More, Dave Alvin, John Lee Hooker, The Tragically Hip, Buckwheat Zydeco and many more. I got to speak with Steve and we discussed his long career, the ins and outs of record production, the legendary 80’s roots/punk scene in LA, turning down an “offer he couldn’t refuse” from Ray Manzarek, creating the masterpiece “Kiko” and much more.
BreakOut West Announces Paul Brandt as Hall of Fame Inductee for the 2017 Western Canadian Music Awards
The Western Canadian Music Alliance is pleased to announce Paul Brandt as the 2017 inductee to the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame, presented by FACTOR. In addition to this honour, Mr. Brandt will be performing acoustically at the Western Canadian Music Industry Awards Brunch, during BreakOut West’s 15th year of celebrating western Canada’s musical talent.
BreakOut West takes place this year in Edmonton, AB, from September 13-17, 2017, returning to the capital city for the first time since 2008.
Paul Brandt is the most awarded male Canadian country artist in history. His 1996 debut RIAA-certified Gold album Calm Before the Storm went on to sell one million albums internationally, propelled by the #1 single and wedding standard “I Do”. Stateside, his #5 and #1 charting songs “My Heart Has A History”, and “I Do” were the first to chart by a male Canadian Country artist since Hank Snow in 1974. His 11 career albums have spawned hit singles, multiple Album of the Year awards, gold, platinum, and multi-platinum performances. The song “For You” (Brandt/Rosen) was selected to promote the major motion picture We Were Soldiers, and was performed by Johnny Cash and Dave Matthews.
The Canadian Independent Music Association recently celebrated Paul’s reaching Road Gold Status as a top headliner and major box office draw in Canada. As a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee award, and numerous other national and regional humanitarian nods, Paul is committed to practically meeting the needs of the poorest of the world’s poor through his Buckspring Foundation. A proud champion of The Trans Canada Trail, Paul is dedicated to creating spaces for respectful discussion and fostering meaningful community through his artistic platform. Paul is currently working in partnership with the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre and The Joy Smith Foundation to create a world-class Anti-Human Trafficking Centre for Excellence in Calgary, Alberta. Also currently serving as Mount Royal University’s “Storyteller in Residence” at the Bissett School of Business, Paul has been working with students to create business and social enterprise projects utilizing the Paul Brandt brand. Recent projects have included work raising funds and awareness for the causes of fighting human trafficking and the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
Paul has begun writing for a new music project as of January 2017, and BreakOut West is honoured to induct this unstoppable musical force into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Review and Photos: Bon Jovi at The Air Canada Centre in Toronto
By Dawn Hamilton
It’s been some time since Bon Jovi has hit a Toronto stage and the fans were showing enthusiastic appreciation for him coming back. There isn’t much I can say about this icon that hasn’t been said before. Bon Jovi was actually the very first concert I ever went to in 1989 with Skid Row opening at the Skydome (yes I am aging myself). It has been 34 years since Bon Jovi was formed and that is a long time for any band to still be around. They have once again sold out arena and is not surprising that it isn’t one night but two nights in a row. It seemed that black leather was the garment of choice for most fans in attendance as I watched the fans filter into the Air Canada Centre.
As the band came on stage they were hidden by a screen with a huge picture of a house on it which is fitting for the tour and new album called “This House Is Not For Sale” . John came out sporting a Toronto Maple Leafs t-shirt which of course won the fans over but he really didn’t need help in this department, these fans have been in love for a very long time, some now even bringing their kids to the concert to pass the torch to the younger generation.
Jon explained the meaning behind the house, it is an old house with strong roots and “these songs over the years are not ours (the band) over the years they are ours” (the fans and band)…. “You have taken these songs and made them your own”. I wish I had the right words to describe the audience and how loud they were the whole night deafening doesn’t seem like a strong enough word. They sang like they wanted Bon Jovi to hear each of them individually.
The stage looked fairly simple but that being said the hydraulic truss and truss towers surrounding the stage were impressive. The huge truss towers surrounding the stage raised and lowered shinning lights on the audience as well as the band. Jon tried to include, as much as possible, the people that were seated behind the stage running around the stage on a ramp built behind the drum kit.
I do have to make mention of his guitarist Phil X. When Jon introduced Phil X the crowd went crazy. Nothing quite like having a home town boy get one of the biggest applause of the night. You could see the smile on Phil’s face from anywhere in the arena. The whole night included songs from his new album “This House Is Not For Sale” such as “God Bless This Mess” and “New Years Day”. Of course he didn’t forget to play his anthems “Bad Medicine”, “Wanted Dead Or Alive” and “Livin’ On A Prayer”.
If you missed the concert last night you may have a very slim chance of getting tickets for another show soon and I highly suggest it. Every one is always in a good mood when Jon comes into town, he makes us all “Have A Nice Day”.
Once again thanks to the crew because without them there is no show!
Review and photos by Mini’s Memories ~ you can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley Announce Star Wars: Force for Change Charity Auction
Mark Hamill & Daisy Ridley announce three once-in-a-lifetime Star Wars experiences that you can win—one of which Daisy can absolutely vouch for. Maybe. Contributors to the charity auction, which benefits UNICEF and Starlight Children’s Foundation, will be put in the running to spend the night at Skywalker Ranch, get tickets to the Star Wars: The Last Jedi movie premiere in Hollywood, and have a chance to appear in the upcoming Han Solo film.
Oh Boy Records to Release ‘John Prine Beyond Words’ Songbook
Oh Boy Records is pleased to announce the release of John Prine Beyond Words, available for purchase via https://johnprine.com on April 18th. Beyond Words includes over 100 photographs from Prine’s personal collection, copies of handwritten lyrics showing the creative process with select commentary, and lyrics with guitar chords for 60+ classic Prine songs. Watch the trailer for Beyond Words here. The book retails for $34.98 and is currently available for pre-order with free shipping (within in the U.S.).
For fans of Prine, the general consensus of this release is it’s about time, as a songbook has been requested at the merch table for years. Personally curated, the book is for both the studied Prine fan and the next generation of songwriters newly discovering his work. Beyond Words is a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the man No Depression Magazine dubbed “the poet laureate of our everyday experience.”
Beyond Words is new territory for both Prine and Oh Boy Records, as this is Prine’s first ever songbook and the label’s first foray into book publishing. Decidedly indie, Oh Boy was founded in 1981 by Prine and his manager Al Bunetta, and is the second oldest artist owned independent label in the country; the oldest in Nashville.
Two time Grammy-award winner, John Prine, is a singer songwriter who, from his eponymously titled first LP release in 1971, has continued to write and perform songs that have become central to our American musical heritage. Classics like, ‘Angel from Montgomery,’ ‘Sam Stone,’ ‘Paradise,’ and ‘Hello in There’ speak to the everyday experience of ordinary people with a simple honesty, and an extraordinary ability to get right through to the heart of the listener.
With his career spanning more than 40 years, Prine continues to perform at sold out shows all over the US, Canada, and Europe. Among the many awards and accolades John has received in recent times include is his 2003 induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and an Americana Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting. In 2005, Prine was honored at the Library of Congress by US Poet Laureate Ted Kooser and in 2016 was awarded the prestigious PEN New England’s Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence Award. Prine has become for many, not just a well loved and appreciated songwriter, but a bonafide American treasure.
Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie Announce New Album
Longtime members of Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie have joined together to record their first-ever album as a duo. Simply titled LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM/CHRISTINE McVIE, the 10-song album will be released by East West Records this summer, followed by a run of special U.S. concerts. The first single “In My World” will be available this Friday, April 14, on all digital and streaming services.
The album will be available June 9 on CD, LP, and all digital and streaming services. The U.S. tour will begin on June 21st.
The collaboration began three years ago, when McVie rejoined Fleetwood Mac for the group’s “On With The Show” tour. The pair went in to record new material prior to rehearsals for the tour and their natural creative chemistry was reignited. According to Buckingham, “We were exploring a creative process, and the identity of the project took on a life organically. The body of work felt like it was meant to be a duet album. We acknowledged that to each other on many occasions, and said to ourselves, ‘what took us so long?!!’”
Working their natural singer songwriter skills together came easily for the duo. Said Christine McVie, “We’ve always written well together, Lindsey and I, and this has just spiraled into something really amazing that we’ve done between us.”
Sessions for the album took place at The Village Studios in Los Angeles, which is where Fleetwood Mac recorded several of their classic albums, including Tusk. Buckingham and McVie were joined in the studio by fellow bandmates Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, who supplied much of the dynamic rhythmic engine.
LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM/CHRISTINE McVIE
Track Listing
1.“Sleeping Around The Corner”
2.“Feel About You”
3.“In My World”
4.“Red Sun”
5.“Love Is Here To Stay”
6.“Too Far Gone”
7.“Lay Down For Free”
8.“Game Of Pretend”
9.“On With The Show”
10.“Carnival Begin”
| June 21, 2017 | Atlanta, GA | Chastain Park |
| June 23, 2017 | Nashville, TN | Ascend Amphitheatre |
| June 24, 2017 | Raleigh, NC | The Red Hat Amphitheater |
| June 26, 2017 | Vienna, VA | Wolf Trap |
| June 28, 2017 | Boston, MA | Blue Hills Bank Pavilion |
| June 30, 2017 | Philadelphia, PA | Mann Center for the Performing Arts |
| July 2, 2017 | Detroit, MI | Fox Theatre |
| July 3, 2017 | Chicago, IL | Northerly Island |
| July 5, 2017 | Toronto, ON | Budweiser Stage |
| July 19, 2017 | Woodinville, WA | Chateau Ste. Michelle |
| July 21, 2017 | Murphys, CA | Ironstone Amphitheatre |
| July 22, 2017 | Las Vegas, NV | Park Theatre |
| July 25, 2017 | Phoenix, AZ | Comerica Theatre |
| July 27, 2017 | Denver, CO | Paramount Theatre |
Planned Parenthood Releasing 7-Inch Records Featuring Mary J. Blige, Bjork, Foo Fighters, John Legend, And More
Lawmakers with extreme views are working hard to shut down Planned Parenthood. If they succeed, millions of Americans will lose access to basic health services, including STD testing and treatment, birth control, and life-saving cancer screenings.
7-inches for Planned Parenthood is a response to this threat. This curated series of 7-inch vinyl records is being made by a group of people who believe that access to health care is a public good that should be fiercely protected. The title evokes the rich history of 7-inch vinyl records as a medium for protest music and resistance.
Mary J. Blige, Bjork, Foo Fighters, John Legend, Common, Bon Iver, Sleater-Kinney, St. Vincent, Chvrches, Feist, Laurie Anderson, Estelle, Elliott Smith and members of The National are among a stacked group of artists (full-list below) donating mostly unreleased music for Seven Inches For Planned Parenthood, a new box set of 7″ singles to benefit the reproductive health care organization the Trump administration is pushing to defund.
Complete List of Performers:
Aparna Nancherla, Björk, Bon Iver, Bryce Dessner, Chvrches (with film clip directed by Kristen Stewart), Common, Dr. Willie Parker, Dream Hampton, Elliott Smith, Estelle, Feist, Foo Fighters, Heather McGhee, Helado Negro, Janeane Garofalo, Jenny Slate, John Legend, Jon Brion, Laurie Anderson, Margaret Atwood, Margaret Cho, Mary J. Blige, Mary Lattimore, Matt Berninger, Meg Baird, Mitski, Nico Muhly, Pete Holmes, Sarah Silverman, Sharon Van Etten, Sleater-Kinney, St. Vincent, Tig Notaro and Zach Galifianakis.
Visual Contributors:
Angela Pilgrim, Azar Kazimir, Domonique Echeverria, Hisham Akira Bharoocha, Jacqui Oakley, James Merry, Mark Fox, Megan Tatem, Molly Schiot, Penelope Gazin, Rashid Johnson, Shepard Fairey, William Villalongo
A statement by the “creative collective” behind 7-Inches:
Lawmakers with extreme views are working hard to shut down Planned Parenthood. If they succeed, millions of Americans will lose access to basic health services, including STD testing and treatment, birth control, and life-saving cancer screenings.
7-inches for Planned Parenthood is a response to this threat. This curated series of 7-inch vinyl records is being made by a group of people who believe that access to health care is a public good that should be fiercely protected. Do we know there’s a joke in the name? We do. We hope the title evokes the rich history of 7-inch vinyl records as a medium for protest music and resistance.
Planned Parenthood will receive 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this 7-inch box set and streaming listens. We see this initiative as the start of something bigger, and hope it will inspire both contributors and listeners to continue to seek out ways to stand with Planned Parenthood and other institutions that are so vital to us all.
Seven Inches For Planned Parenthood IStandWithPP.org to find ways to get involved locally, contact their Senator and urge them to stand with Planned Parenthood, show their support for Planned Parenthood on social media using the hashtag #IStandWithPP, and share how Planned Parenthood has helped you.
Statement by Cecile Richards, president Planned Parenthood:
“We’re incredibly grateful to have the support of so many artists and entertainers, many of them who have themselves relied on us for health care,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a statement. “Planned Parenthood has been around for 100 years, and one in five women in America have turned to us for care. Planned Parenthood has stood defiantly in the face of opposition for a century, and we’re not backing down now.”
More information on Seven Inches For Planned Parenthood can be found on the web (7inchesforplannedparenthood.com), Facebook (facebook.com/7inchesforplannedparenthood) and Instagram (instagram.com/7inchesforplannedparenthood).
Author Peter Guralnick On Musicians Roles In Social Justice
“I saw Elvis and Sam Cooke and Sam Phillips as novelistic in a sense. They offer broad landscapes, sweeping themes, great characters, great dimension. There is a potential for epic grandeur, comedy and tragedy…vast novelistic landscapes. The vastness of America; the clash of so many of its cultural aspects; the sense of the immigrant and racial background; the contribution of African Americans and hyphenated Americans of all sorts. There are social concerns underlying all of the books I’ve written. What I’m looking for is the microcosm that becomes the greater picture…in every field.
“I think, and I know this is not a fashionable view, and it in no way undercuts my belief that there has never been social justice in this country — and there is no more social justice today than there was fifty years ago, and sometimes less — but I think music is one of the few places where this idea of appropriation doesn’t apply. I don’t mean in any way to take away from all the injustices that have been perpetuated, and all the racial injustices that have been the bedrock for so much of the social injustice in this country, but if you’re talking about the music business or the transmission of music, it operates in a different way. I would say that musicians in my experience are the most color-blind people I’ve ever met. You simply won’t find in a great musician the categorization gene that exists in so many critics, at least not with respect to the music.”
Simple Plan Announced Canadian Tour Celebrating 15th Anniversary Of “No Pads, No Helmets….Just Balls”
Multiplatinum Canadian pop-punk icons Simple Plan have announced a Canadian tour in celebration of the 15th anniversary of their 2X Platinum debut album No Pads, No Helmets….Just Balls. The band is currently in the midst of the first U.S. leg of the “No Pads, No Helmets….Just Balls 15th Anniversary Tour,” which sees the group performing their first album in its entirety alongside other fan favorites. The wildly popular tour – which kicked off on March 19th – the same date that No Pads, Ho Helmets….Just Balls was released in 2002 – has already sold out shows in New York City, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and more. A second leg of the U.S. will begin in August, before the band tours Canada throughout September. Tickets will go on sale this Thursday at 10 AM local time. All dates are listed below and tickets are available at http://www.simpleplan.com/tour.
Just before heading out on the anniversary tour, the band explained in a note to fans, “we felt it was important take this opportunity to look back and celebrate the amazing adventure we’ve had as a band and as friends… “No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls” changed everything for us and we are so excited to play all these songs again and relive a time in our lives full of so many amazing memories.” Read the note in its entirety below.
On the Canadian tour, the band says: “We can’t wait to come back and tour Canada, our home country, where everything started for us. We wrote this album in our parents’ basements in Montreal, recorded it in Toronto and did our first shows and tours all over this country so it’s gonna be a very special moment for us to come home and do this tour for our Canadian fans.”
Joining Simple Plan for all Canadian dates will be Kitchener, ON-based trio Courage My Love. Toronto band Selfish Things will open all shows except Toronto. Canadian punk-rock band Not By Choice will reunite after over a decade for a special one-night only set at the Toronto show on September 16.
In addition to being certified 2x Platinum in Canada, U.S. and Mexico, No Pads, No Helmets….Just Balls is 5X Platinum in Indonesia, Platinum in Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines and certified Gold in Brazil, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK. No Pads, No Helmets….Just Balls features hits like “I’d Do Anything,” “I’m Just A Kid,” “Addicted,” and “Perfect.”
Last year, Simple Plan released their latest album, Taking One For The Team. The album, produced by Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, All-American Rejects) features “Boom,” “Opinion Overload,” and “Singing In The Rain.” The band recently released a heartfelt video for “Perfectly Perfect” off of the album. Lead single “I Don’t Wanna Go To Bed (Feat. Nelly),” reached the top 10 in 25 countries spanning Vietnam and Brunei to Russia, Taiwan, and The Philippines. The album debuted at #1 on iTunes in 10 countries including Canada, Singapore, Mexico, Czech Republic, Thailand, Switzerland, Prague, Japan, Cambodia, and Macau; as well as debuted in the iTunes Top 10 in 25 additional countries.
Simple Plan has earned widespread acclaim and a global fan following for their genre-defying blend of classic punk energy and modern pop sonics. Since coming together in 1999, the Montreal-based combo has achieved worldwide sales in excess of 7 million, with releases including 2x-platinum debut, No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls, 2004’s 3x-platinum-certified follow-up, Still Not Getting Any, and 2005’s platinum album MTV Hard Rock Live. 2008’s platinum-release Simple Plan proved an planetary blockbuster upon its release, reaching the #1 spot on the iTunes Store’s “Top Pop Albums” chart while also scoring top 3 successes in Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and the band’s native Canada. Get Your Heart On! – released in 2011 – found Simple Plan joined by an array of like-minded artists, including All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth, Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, and UK songstress Natasha Bedingfield. Singles like “Jet Lag” and “Summer Paradise” – the latter released in two distinct versions featuring Somali/Canadian rapper K’Naan and GRAMMY® Award-winning dancehall superstar Sean Paul – were both worldwide smashes, earning chart success and commercial milestones including earning gold, platinum, and multi-platinum sales in Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.
In addition to their studio forays and nearly non-stop touring, Simple Plan has long been involved in philanthropic efforts spearheaded by their own Simple Plan Foundation. Created in 2005, the Simple Plan Foundation supports a variety of social and medical organizations dedicated to helping young people in need. The Simple Plan Foundation has raised over 2 million dollars in donations to date. For more, please see simpleplanfoundation.org.
“It’s hard to believe that this year, we will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of our debut album “No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls”. To commemorate this very special milestone, we are extremely excited to announce that we will be heading out on tour performing our entire first album all over the US. Even cooler, the tour kicks off on March 19th, the exact date the album came out, back in 2002.
These last 15 years have been an incredible journey for us. From rehearsing and writing songs in our parents’ basements to selling millions of albums and playing shows all over the world, we got to live so many of our dreams because of this band and we couldn’t be more grateful. The best part is that we got to do it all with the same 5 friends who started the band together; we couldn’t be more proud of that!
After releasing our 5th album last year and playing more than 100 shows in over 40 countries, we felt it was important take this opportunity to look back and celebrate the amazing adventure we’ve had as a band and as friends. It felt important to do something special, something we’ve never done before to mark this landmark in our lives. This is why we wanted to do this tour. “No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls” changed everything for us and we are so excited to play all these songs again and relive a time in our lives full of so many amazing memories.
More than anything, we wanted to do this tour for you, our fans, who have been there since day one, supporting us and giving us the chance to do what we love the most in life. So many of you have told us how much these songs have meant to you over the years and how this record had a big impact on your lives. We wanted to do this tour to celebrate the emotional connection we all share with these songs. We hope these shows can make you feel like you’re just a kid again, make you want to sing your heart out and bring you back to a time where nothing mattered except listening to music, hanging out with friends and going to concerts.
2017 is gonna be an amazing year of celebration for the band and we really hope you’ll be able to join us for these very unique shows. Thanks for all your support and see you very soon!”
— Pierre, Chuck, Sébastien, Jeff and David.
U.S. DATES
* newly added dates – on-sale Friday, April 7, at 10am Local
March 19 – Ft Lauderdale, FL – Revolution – SOLD OUT
March 21 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
March 22 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
March 24 – Boston, MA – House of Blues – Boston – SOLD OUT
March 25 – New York, NY – PlayStation Theatre – SOLD OUT
March 26 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage – SOLD OUT
March 28 – Philadelphia, PA – Theater of Living Arts
March 29 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom – SOLD OUT
March 31 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues – Chicago – SOLD OUT
April 1 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues – Chicago – SOLD OUT
April 3 – Detroit, MI – Filmore
April 4 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues Cleveland – SOLD OUT
April 5 – Milwaukee, WI – Rave
April 7 – Saint Louis, MO – The Pageant – SOLD OUT
April 8 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theatre – SOLD OUT
April 9 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall – SOLD OUT
April 11 – Phoenix, AZ – Live Wire – SOLD OUT
April 13 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues – Anaheim – SOLD OUT
April 14 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
April 15 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore – SOLD OUT
August 18 – Grand Rapids, MI – Intersection*
August 19 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s*
August 20 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian*
August 22 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue*
August 24 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues*
August 25 – Houston, TX – House of Blues*
August 26 – Austin, TX – Emo’s*
August 29 – Las Vegas – Brooklyn Bowl*
August 30 – Sacramento, CA – Ace*
September 1 – Portland, OR – Crystal*
September 2 – Seattle, WA – Neptune*
October 28-November 1 – New Orleans, LA – Warped Rewind At Sea
CANADIAN DATES
On-sale Thursday, April 13, at 10am Local/Noon in Quebec
September 5 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
September 7 – Edmonton, AB – The Union Hall
September 8 – Calgary, AB – The Palace
September 10 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
September 12 – Thunder Bay, ON – Community Auditorium
September 14 – Guelph, ON – Guelph Concert Theatre
September 15 – Hamilton, ON – FirstOntario Concert Hall
September 16 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
September 18 – Montreal, QC – Metropolis
September 19 – Quebec City, QC – Capitole de Quebec
September 20 – Ottawa, ON – Algonquin Commons Theatre
Legally blind 13-year old boy sees Harlem Globetrotters and Toronto’s CN Tower for first time
Thanks to breakthrough technology from a Canadian-based company, eSight, a 13-year-old legally blind boy from Ontario was able to actually see the Harlem Globetrotters, the top of Toronto’s CN Tower, and the NBA Toronto Raptors practice court during a day to remember in the city.
Ethan LaCroix, a student at W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind in Brantford, ON, wore eSight – electronic glasses that let the legally blind actually see. Globetrotters stars Flight Time Lang and Scooter Christensen spent the day with Ethan, who learned new tricks, made an NBA 3-pointer, and received an invitation to sit on the Globetrotters’ bench at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga on Saturday, April 22.
Ethan’s mother Margaret LaCroix explained that her son was born with a rare eye disease called Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis. Without the eSight glasses, his vision is 20/400 in one eye and 20/600 in the other. Regular glasses do not correct his vision. With eSight, his vision improves to a remarkable 20/30.
eSight is a technological breakthrough – electronic glasses that let the legally blind actually see. eSight is a unique wearable medical device that enhances the functional vision of a person who has low vision or is legally blind.
The Globetrotters’ Canadian tour brings games throughout Canada during the month of April, including two games at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga on Saturday, April 22, and one game at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto on Sunday, April 23. Tickets and the full schedule are available here.