I’m at a spiritual retreat in Maui, Hawaii, in 2016 and singer-songwriter Trevor Hall solemnly plays harmonium. In deep concentration, he sings a prayer in Sanskrit to the fierce Hindu Goddess Kali Ma. He explains why she is portrayed with skin as black as night, fangs, a necklace made out of human skulls and a […]
Despite the extreme Montreal deep freeze, eager fans were gathered at the intimate bohemian bar, Casa del Popolo, last Saturday to see Canadian singer-songwriter Corin Raymond. He joked that it was “the hardest night to sell of the year” yet the mood was warm and cozy, and everyone was pleased to have made it out […]
“It’s about time,” says Bonnie Raitt about being back on the road again. She kicked off her Canadian tour in Montreal this past Wednesday to promote her latest release and 20th album Dig in Deep. Her remarkable musical career as a singer-songwriter and guitarist spans 45 years. After dropping out of Harvard University in 1971, she […]
Jon Bon Jovi was stunned when he first heard Philip Sayce play guitar alongside Melissa Etheridge at the 2007 Grammy Awards. After the performance, Bon Jovi told the audience, “I want to give a special nod to Philip, who I immediately opened the program and said ‘Who the fuck is that guitar player?’ Pretty fabulous […]
Imagine a post-apocalyptic Charlie Chaplin film with robots, puppets, a string quartet and a scratch DJ. This is Kid Koala’s staggeringly complex live adaption of Nufonia Must Fall, which was slotted for six performances at Montreal’s Place des Arts from September 2-5, 2016. The live Nufonia Must Fall experience is based on his original “silent” […]
The first time I heard Chaim Tannenbaum’s extraordinary singing was on Kate and Anna McGarrigle’s album The McGarrigle Hour, which was recorded at a gathering of friends and family in 1998. In particular, I was struck by the poignancy and luminance of Tannenbaum’s vocals on the traditional song, Dig my Grave. I thought, “Who is this guy?!” […]
Babar the elephant has captivated the hearts and imaginations of children all over the world for almost a century. Babar first appeared in 1931, in the iconic French children’s picture book, The Story of Babar: The Little Elephant, by author and illustrator Jean de Brunhoff. The book is based on a tale that Brunhoff’s wife invented for their children. […]
Montreal stand-up comedy fans were thrilled when a revitalized Comedyworks reopened in February of last year. Local comedy icon and Comedyworks regular, Peter J. Radomski, emceed the grand inaugural weekend. One year later, he is invited to headline five upcoming shows at Comedyworks taking place on three consecutive nights (Feb. 25-26-27, 2016). For the occasion, […]
I’m particularly susceptible to male rock singers with clear high voices, like Freddie Mercury of Queen, Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, and of course Matt Bellamy, lead singer of the British band Muse. Seduced by Bellamy’s soaring vocals, theatrical musical arrangements, fiery guitar solos and heart-stopping riffs, I bought a […]
The ghost of the artist who goes by the name of The Weeknd has been haunting my psyche for months. By ghost, I mean five albums worth of dark, brooding beats coupled with outrageous lyrics sung in a high melodic voice reminiscent of Michael Jackson. I’ve been listening obsessively to The Weeknd’s music since late […]
I’m spending Saint-Jean-Baptiste or “la fête nationale”, a public holiday celebrating the province of Quebec and it’s culture, in Toronto, Ontario. I’m a fluently bilingual Montrealer, visiting my American father and my Quebecoise mother who live in Toronto. Sacrilege you say? I don’t think so. Most Montrealers, whether English or French speaking, view Toronto as […]
Last Friday, I saw Joe Rogan perform an energetic 2-hour stand-up comedy show in Montreal at the The Corona Theatre. Onstage, Rogan is a high octane, intense and supremely confident alpha male, with an imposing muscular build and the testosterone levels of a large bull. The audience was predominantly male, and I was part of […]
The spaced-out scientist 