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Family Channel Sets Dates for Big Ticket Summer Concert Series August 15-25

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With summer, the most exciting time of year for kids, just around the corner Family Channel is readying its plans to make this the best summer ever! Family’s annual Big Ticket Summer Concert, presented by LEGO Friends, will be touching down in SEVEN locations across Canada this August. The highly-awaited concert tour will visit more than double the number of cities of last year’s show, traveling coast-to-coast from August 15-25 making stops in Abbotsford, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto and St. John’s. Showcasing the biggest and brightest young talent from across the globe, Brit pop-rock band The Vamps and rising superstar Becky G are among the performers taking the stage this year. For a complete list of tour dates, venues and ticketing information, please visit Big Ticket Summer Concert’s online destination, Family.ca

“‘More’ might as well be the theme for this year’s Big Ticket Summer Concert tour – we’ve got more artists from more countries, for more shows in more cities, bringing the concert experience to more fans and families in Canada than ever before,” said Paul Cormack, Vice President, Marketing, DHX Television. “The formula for the Big Ticket Summer Concert has always been to bring stars from the network right to the fans together with incredible musical talent who can use the extra push from Family to break into the bigtime. We’re very excited to be able to announce the same line up for every city in which the tour stops and we can’t wait for our audience to connect with the stars we have performing this year in a very “Family” setting that fans can’t get anywhere else.”

Hailing from the UK, pop-rockers The Vamps are ready to bring down the house at this year’s Big Ticket Summer Concert. Most recently, the multi-talented group collaborated with Canadian breakout artist Shawn Mendes on a revival of “Oh Cecilia” and their high-energy performance will electrify the stage. This year’s concert also marks the Canadian debut for singer/songwriter Becky G, whose hit single “Shower” became her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #16. With multiple hits burning up Top 40 charts worldwide, her Latin pop flare will ensure the crowd “Can’t Stop Dancin’.”

This year’s Big Ticket Summer Concert bill will also showcase the talent of Canadian alternative-pop artist Shane Harte whose debut single “Let You Know” is racking up views and streams from around the world.  And from California, The Tide will open the shows. Of course, the event wouldn’t be complete without appearances by some of Family’s biggest stars and, after performing across the country on a sold-out national tour, cast members of the wildly popular tween drama The Next Step will bring their high-energy dance routines back to the live stage for what will be their fourth Big Ticket Summer appearance. Series stars Jordan Clark (Giselle) and Lamar Johnson (West) show off a few of their other talents, bringing an added dose of charisma and charm as this year’s concert hosts.      

Advance tickets will be available for all seven shows beginning tonight, through Thursday, June 4 at 10 p.m. (local time). The pre-sale code will expire when the limited quantity is sold out, or on Thursday, June 4 at 10 p.m. (local time), whichever comes first. Ticket sales open to the general public on Friday, June 5 at 10 a.m. (local time). For additional event information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.family.ca or www.ticketmaster.ca.

A one-stop online shop for everything Big Ticket Summer Concert-related, Family.ca answers all the questions fans have about the show. The dedicated website features details about the hosts and artists, offers music videos from the concert’s performers and allows fans to pre-order concert t-shirts at the online merchandise store. Plus, later this month, fans can enter the “LEGO Friends VIP Experience Contest,” for the chance to win an once-in-a-lifetime trip for four to the Toronto show.

Geddy Lee Can’t Live Without His Binoculars And 9 Other Things You’d Never Guess

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Geddy Lee and I have one thing in common – we both got our granny glasses from Josephson Opticians in Toronto. Well, two, if you count me playing bass in a band that has also sold 40 million records.

Geddy-Lee-10-things-copy

Via A Journal Of Musical Things

Joni Mitchell Gets Animated In Previously Unheard Interview: “I Never Really Wanted To Be A Star”

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“I didn’t like the sound of people gasping at the mere mention of my name. It horrified me.”
– Joni Mitchell in 1986, as told to Joe Smith

This interview is from the Joe Smith Collection at the Library of Congress and has never been heard before. Roberta Joan Anderson sat down for a personal, reflective interview in November 1986. The interviewer, Joe Smith, was a longtime record executive who interviewed hundreds of music legends as part of his book, Off The Record. In this extended conversation with Joni we hear an artist come to grips with both her rise to fame and the price that she felt she paid for experimenting in her career and not seeking hits and fame alone.

The Grateful Dead Set To Release An 80-CD Box Set

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“When we began discussing audio projects to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead back in 2012, we knew we wanted to do something completely unprecedented. We could think of nothing more exciting or ambitious than a career-spanning overview of the band’s live legacy focused on what best tells the story: complete concerts. Our first criterion was the very best live music to represent any given year in the band’s history. We wanted to make sure that there were not only the tent-pole shows that fans have been demanding for decades but also ones that are slightly more under the radar, but equally excellent. For those who listen to the entire box straight through, chronologically, the narrative of the Grateful Dead’s live legacy will be seen as second to none in the pantheon of music history.”

David Lemieux

Are you ready for The Grateful Dead’s most ambitious release ever? 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN will be available as both an 80-disc boxed set and a custom lightning-bolt USB drive, the collection includes 30 unreleased live shows, one for each year the band was together from 1966 to 1995, along with one track from their earliest recording sessions in 1965. Packed with over 73 hours of music, both the boxed set and the USB drive will be individually numbered limited editions. The price? $699.98 (Under $700.00!)

The 80-disc boxed set is individually numbered and limited to 6,500 copies, a nod to the band’s formation in 1965. Thats $4.5 million made once it sells out – look, NOBODY makes that kind of money from their albums anymore, THAT’S the power of The Dead. Along with the CDs, it also includes a gold-colored 7-inch vinyl single which bookends the band’s career. The A-side is “Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)” from the band’s earliest recording session in 1965 with the B-side of the last song the band ever performed together live, “Box Of Rain” recorded during their final encore at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 9, 1995.

The box also comes with a 288-page book that features an extensive, career-spanning essay written by Nick Meriwether, who oversees the Dead archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz, along with special remembrances of the band submitted by fans. Also included is a scroll that offers a visual representation of how the band’s live repertoire has evolved through the years.

The USB drive version will be shaped like a gold lightning bolt with the Grateful Dead 50th anniversary logo engraved on the side. The drive includes all of the music from the collection in both FLAC (96/24) and MP3 formats and is an individually numbered limited edition of 1,000 copies.

GRATEFUL DEAD: 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN will not available in stores or from any other online retailer – only at Dead.net. A smaller 50th Anniversary commemorative keepsake will be released on September 18th as a four-CD version of the collection titled 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN: THE DEFINITIVE LIVE STORY 1965-1995. More on that here.

Head on over to Rollingstone.com for the very first listen of “Morning Dew” 9/18/87 Madison Square Garden, David Fricke’s exclusive interview with archivist David Lemieux, and the reveal of THIRTY TRIPS AROUND THE SUN’s ’69 and ’84 shows.

It Looks Like Devin Townsend Might Take Taking A Break…Of A Few Days

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Devin Townsend Project’s Z² is out now worldwide and the band are currently on tour in the US with Animals As Leaders and Monuments. Now Devin is pleased to reveal a brand new lyric video for the track ‘ March Of The Poozers’ taken from the Dark Matters side of the album, and you can view that here.

Devin checks in with this note, and it looks like he’s taking a bit of a break. That is, before his European Tour, and the man is a machine, seriously.

‘Hey all, Dev here…closing out the North American tour and a heck of a year.
I released 4 albums this year, if you count the bonus disc of Casualties, went through the crazy Pledge process (still going through it) and it was generally a hectic time.
I feel like I’m at the end of a creative cycle… The Z2 project beat me up in a way I wasn’t expecting, but when all was said and done, I’m very proud of it. It’s an accurate description of a really stressful period, but I didn’t sell out, and I saw it through. Thanks to all of you who continue to support.
My mind is full of music again, as it always is, but I’m trying to absorb some of the lessons that came with the over scheduling and chaos of this last period, and I look forward to getting my process back on track. Again, I’m constantly shocked by the fact I get to do this for a living. Thank you.
Here’s another track from Z2, called ‘March of the Poozers’. To be honest, my main motivation to make this album was so I could make those crazy puppet shows that are now online, but musically, it’s kind of typical random music that I’ve been interested in for the past few years. This song was directly influenced by the band ‘Samael’ whom I have great affection for as people, and I’m happy to present it with a lyric video that Stefan at Media Logistics went above and beyond for.
What’s next for me I think will be a short break before the European tour and the Royal Albert Hall show, but then, I have ideas for a destructive bass driven apocalypse record, a meditative record, a symphony, more Casualties, more DTP and a kind of big band thing, none of these ideas are confirmed, but I’m finding myself getting fired up to create in ways I haven’t been able to for a few years because of my schedule. I need to regroup and then I’ll see you soon.
I love music. Thank you for the inspiration, lessons and support.
Devin’

Third Man Records To Open New Detroit Branch

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On June 1st, Shinola founder Tom Kartsotis partnered with Detroit-native Jack White to purchase the building that currently houses the Shinola Flagship store at 441 W. Canfield in Detroit’s Cass Corridor. The deal marks new expansion for both Shinola as well as Jack White’s record label Third Man Records. For Third Man, this is a homecoming of sorts, since the label was originally founded in Detroit in 2001. This expansion signals the opening of their first retail store and offices outside of Nashville, TN. The new retail space is set to be in operation by Black Friday (November 27th, 2015), with many special surprises in store.

For Shinola, the deal comes on the heels of the brand’s investment into yet another category, rapidly honing in on the ability to manufacture speakers, turntables and headphones of audiophile quality, while creating more manufacturing jobs in the US — a top priority for the innovative and quality-focused company.

Third Man Records has long aspired to have a presence in Detroit and the constantly evolving Cass Corridor in particular, given White’s history in the neighborhood. It is the location of the first-ever White Stripes show, the home of White’s high school, and an area of the city that White says, “has always been the most inspiring area of Detroit for me as an artist and as a Detroiter. From the great visual artists like Gordon Newton to the music of the Gories, and the birth of the Detroit garage rock scene, the Corridor has nurtured Detroit’s soul and inventiveness for decades. That spirit pushes forward with Shinola’s passion and will come full circle for the artists of the Corridor that work with Third Man Records to plant a new foundation there to help keep that creative spirit alive for decades to come.”

The expansion for Third Man Records is both a return-to-its-roots as well as a reach forward into the future, and the possibilities with the additional space and the Shinola partnership are endless and exciting.

About the plans, Tom Kartsotis said, “Everyone at Shinola is so excited about Third Man Records moving into the Cass Corridor. Unbelievable… There goes the neighborhood!”

Amy Schumer Plays a Stripper for a Dog’s Bachelor Party

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Things take a racy turn when Amy Schumer lands a gig stripping for an unconventional bachelor party.

Epic Blooper Reel From CNN For Their 35th Anniversary

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It’s CNN’s 35th anniversary, and they’re celebrating with an epic blooper video from their CNN video archives.

The Downtown Yonge BIA in Toronto Launches Ambitious Music Strategy

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The Downtown Yonge BIA today launched its Music Strategy – an ambitious, multi-pronged plan to re-establish the area as a ‘Music Mecca.’

The Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area (DYBIA) is a catalyst for creating vibrant urban experiences and events in the heart of downtown Toronto. Representing more than 2,000 businesses and their employees, as well as the broader community of residents, students and visitors, the DYBIA champions attractive public spaces, popular events, safety and cleanliness. It plays an active role both at street level and in boardrooms, advocating for a thriving and diverse community of retailers, restaurants and services.

“Several generations fondly remember this part of the city as one of the world’s great music scenes, both for live performances at places like The Nickelodeon and Maple Leaf Gardens, and retail hubs like Sam the Record Man,” said Downtown Yonge BIA Executive Director Mark Garner. “It’s a great part of our past, and we want it to be a great part of our future.”

Garner noted that Downtown Yonge’s musical presence is not just historical. There are currently 14 live performance venues in the area – including Massey Hall, the Carlu, Yonge-Dundas Square and smaller performance spaces like the Church of the Holy Trinity in Trinity Park – totalling nearly 16,000 seats.

“Music is always in the air around here. It’s one of the largest and most diverse live music destinations in the city today,” Garner said. “With its extraordinary history and vibrant present, Downtown Yonge’s music future looks very bright.”

The Music Strategy includes a variety of initiatives the Downtown Yonge BIA is implementing and pursuing, in a cohesive vision for Yonge Street to once again take centre stage for Canada’s music industry. The strategy focuses on three major thrusts:

Homage to Toronto’s Music Legacy – through initiatives such as interactive walking tours featuring musicians’ stories about Yonge Street on a downloadable app; heritage plaques showing significant spaces and buildings; and a ‘neon museum’ featuring iconic signs (like the famous Sam the Record Man sign and recreations of Friar’s and The Blue Note signs) in laneways and public spaces.

Activating Live Music – not just in performance venues but also in public spaces through programs like Play the Parks, a series of lunchtime concerts and exercise programs during the summer. This year, the Downtown Yonge BIA will also present Monster Rock Orchestra – a light and sound spectacular – for the first time at Yonge-Dundas Square.
Paving the Way to Toronto’s Music Future – by creating a Music Incubator for emerging artists, providing studio space, mentorship, education, networking and collaboration.

Once implemented, the Downtown Yonge BIA hopes similar strategies will be replicated by other BIAs, helping to achieve the City’s vision for a thriving, vibrant music community.

“Music is dear to Torontonians. We are aiming to build on that love of music – culturally, socially and economically,” Garner said.

Who is Larry David? “Who the hell knows,” says Larry David

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Who is Larry David? “Who the hell knows,” the TV and comedy star tells Charlie Rose in a hilarious and revealing 60 Minutes interview that Larry says he didn’t want to do in the first place