Happy 70th, Horseshoe Tavern: music lovers pick 70 incredible concert moments there

--taken from: Toronto Star (read more here)

by Ben Rayner

From small-time passionate punks to the Rolling Stones, decades of musicians have made magic happen at fabled Queen St. W. venue, which turns 70 on Dec. 5.

Beloved local live-music spot the Horseshoe Tavern turns 70 years old on Dec. 5, a rather remarkable achievement in a city known of late for shedding concert venues at an alarming rate.

In honour of the club’s impending anniversary, the Star took it upon itself to solicit 70 Canadian musicians, music journalists and industry folk for their favourite ever show at the Queen St. W. venue. The response was insane — so insane, we can’t do justice to it all in print. Here are some of our favourites. Mine was a Neutral Milk Hotel gig in July of 1998, which is covered off below.

34. Dan Burke, concert promoter: “In August 2002, Sweden’s Soundtrack Of Our Lives was touring with Oasis and playing Molson Amphitheatre on Saturday. Elliott Lefko recruited me to be promoter of a late show for them at the ’Shoe. It was incredible. And after they played, the party continued. The Gallagher brothers were there, Sloan, everybody. It went until 5 a.m. Craziest night I’ve ever seen at the Shoe.”

41. Ian Gormely, music journalist: “When I moved to Toronto in May of 2008 and was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer volume of live music options. That June’s North By Northeast seemed like as good a place to start as any, so I headed down to the Horseshoe Tavern, a place I’d read about and seen on TV many times, to check out Thomas D’arcy’s band Small Sins (they had a guy whose main job was to clap, ‘the Clapper,’ beating Noel Gallagher’s scissors player by a decade). After their set I was walking from the back down the stairs to the front part of the bar and looked over to the pool table. Leaning against the wall, holding pool cues were Sloan’s Chris Murphy and Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy, chatting away. It remains the most Toronto, and probably Canadian, moment I’ve ever had.”

--taken from: Toronto Star (read more here)

Not into football? Still lots to do this weekend

--taken from: CBC News

by Sandra Abma

Sing-alongs, art shows and storytelling on the list

Far from the roar of the crowd and Grey Cup festivities, check out some arts events that invite you to join in on the fun.

Choir! Choir! Choir!

It started out as an informal weekly sing-along in Toronto, but Choir! Choir! Choir! has grown into a national phenomenon by tapping into a need that people share — and have few opportunities to actually do — joining together, opening their hearts and raising their voices in song.

Under the direction of Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman, the 50-voice choir joins forces with audience members to deliver beautiful choral renditions of pop songs. The repertoire runs the gamut, from Leonard Cohen and Gordon Lightfoot to Drake and Justin Bieber.

The group is in town to perform the national anthem at the Grey Cup, but on Saturday night they'll bring their musical love-in to the NAC, with special guest Chris Murphy from Canadian band Sloan.

--taken from: CBC News

With a little help from my friends: NSO, Sloan's Chris Murphy perform Beatles album

--taken from: CBC News

More than sixty musicians are involved in the performance. (Eddy Kennedy/CBC)

by Jen White

They may not be the original Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, but the all-star ensemble of musicians performing the iconic album in its entirety hope people enjoy the special tribute show.

For its major fundraiser this year, the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra (NSO) has teamed up with Toronto's Art of Time Ensemble and will take the stage at the Arts and Culture Centre in St. John's Friday evening.

Marc David, NSO's music director, says the Art of Time Ensemble events blend pop culture and high art. (Eddy Kennedy/CBC)

"[The audience will] walk away with a very, very special experience with music that they know — a lot of them grew up with this music — but with this special arrangements, special flavour ... a lot of magic," said Marc David, the NSO's music director and principal conductor.

Art of Time has brought in singers to help bring the album to life, including Sloan's Chris Murphy.

Sixty musicians from the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra will take part in the performance on Friday night. (Eddy Kennedy/CBC)

"[Art of Time] pride themselves on putting together events where you have fusion between pop culture and high art," David said.

"They've had arrangements made of this music, wonderful orchestral arrangements, that highlight different sections of the orchestra, so it's a real pleasure for us to work with them."

Murphy's debut with orchestra

Thursday night was the first time that the 60 NSO musicians and the Art of Time Ensemble were able to practice together. David was particularly thrilled that everyone fit on the Arts and Culture Centre stage.

Meanwhile, Murphy said he's elated to be taking part, though he's a little out of his element.

Sloan singer/bassist Chris Murphy says he's a Beatles expert, but still had to do some homework for this show. (Eddy Kennedy/CBC)

"This is the first time I've ever played with an orchestra in my life," said the Sloan singer/bassist.

"They're loud, but they're super musical. And even though I'm a musician, I don't even feel like a musician playing with these people. They're so good," Murphy added.

He'd seen the Art of Time's Sgt. Pepper show before, and was asked to sub in for a friend for this performance.

He's joined on stage by Andy Maize from the Skydiggers and Jason Plumb from the Waltons, who have both participated in Art of Time shows before.

But Murphy said he didn't want to be the only singer out of his element on stage.

"I got Mike [O'Neill of the Inbreds] to do it, because I wanted a friend to do it with me," he said.

"He and I have never done anything like this before. So it's pretty fun. But we are Beatles experts, fanatics, nerds ... so we'll know what's going on."

Murphy says this is the first time he's ever sang with an orchestra. (Eddy Kennedy/CBC)

But the self-proclaimed expert still had some homework to do.

"I did not know all the lyrics to Good Morning Good Morning or Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!, but now I do!" he joked.

"When we were first thinking about it, I was like, 'Yeah I'll sort of be able to do this no problem, I know these songs.' But then I really started to rotoscope ... picked apart all the harmonies that the Beatles and [producer] George Martin would have figured out."

Sloan working on new album

Meanwhile, Murphy said he has some news with his other musical gig.

"Sloan's still at it. Making our must-have twelfth album right now," he said.

Murphy said the band hopes to be mixing the album soon, but is staying mum on any details. When asked for further details, all he would say is, "We're close."

--taken from: CBC News

TUNS on stage at the Sportsmans in Charlottetown

--taken from: The Guardian

TUNS featuring Matt Murphy (Superfriendz/Flashing Lights), left, Mike O'Neill (the Inbreds) and Chris Murphy (Sloan), will be playing the Sportsmans Club in Charlottetown tonight at 10 p.m.

Back Alley Music presents TUNS featuring Chris Murphy (Sloan), Mike O'Neill (the Inbreds) and Matt Murphy (Superfriendz/Flashing Lights) at the Sportsmans Club in Charlottetown Thursday at 10 p.m., with special guest Liam Corcoran (Two Hours Traffic/the Love Junkies) opening the show.

TUNS is a new band of equals, of collaborators, of experienced veterans who sound as exuberant as ever. It’s power pop with intricate melodies, electrifying rock ‘n’ roll written with a deep appreciation for song craft, states a press release.

--taken from: The Guardian

UP + Downtown 2017 Day Two and Three Recap

--taken from: Beatroute

Don’t call it a supergroup: TUNS talent shines without resting on members’ prior notoriety.

by Colin Gallant, Jarrett Edmund, Levi Manchak and Brittany Rudyk

We took a break to pop into Rocky Mountain Ice House to see TUNS, side project of Sloan’s Chris Murphy. Although the music itself was basic feel good Canadian rock, Murphy’s personality shined, making quick and clever comments about the DJ’s choice to play Sloan before their set and other little quips. The show was packed with Sloan nerds, nervously clamoring for Murphy’s attention; but not in an obnoxious manner. The endearment of serious fans in the audience fed into TUNS’ performance, energizing those of us who may have been feeling sluggish from a weekend of festivities. That, and their cover of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” were welcome ways to close the fifth year of the festival.

--taken from: Beatroute

Notes from Harvest ’17 Part III - Friday

--taken from: The Brunswickan (read more here)

by Ryan Gaio

I end the night with the TransCanada Highwaymen, a new Canadian supergroup—a Traveling Wilburys of the Great White North, if you will. Its members consist of the Barenaked Ladies’ Stephen Page; Chris Murphy of Sloan; Odds’ very own Craig Northey and Moe Berg from The Pursuit of Happiness. They each play hits they had written for their respective bands, but the songs are reimagined, reinterpreted, reshuffled and reborn (just as I have been). The set is somewhat sloppy, but in the best way; it feels unpredictable and it feels now. They look like teenagers in a garage band who hardly know their parts—but it doesn’t matter, they have heart; they look like they’re once again having fun playing songs they’d gotten sick of strumming. They even launch into silly, spontaneous singalongs—at one point, somehow, the “Na na na na”s from “Hey Jude” become “Na na na na, Jaaaaaaaz Blueeeees.” Soon, everyone under the tent is singing it. I watch Stephen Page lead the band through “The Old Apartment,” and remember that that same song opened the show at the first concert I ever went to. Now, here I am, all these years later, seeing him sing that same song, and I’m writing about it!. Funny how these things turn out, isn’t it? Moe Berg takes lead vocals on the set-ending “I’m An Adult Now;” if this is what being an adult means, I’m okay with it.

--taken from: The Brunswickan (read more here)

Concert for Orillia Youth Centre promises TUNS of fun with supergroup

--taken from: Simcoe.com

Canadian indie-rock supergroup Tuns headlines a Sept. 23 fundraising concert at Burl's Creek Event Grounds in support of the Orillia Youth Centre. Mike O'Neill (left) of the Inbreds, Matt Murphy of Super Friendz and Chris Murphy of Sloan will hit the stage after performances by Skye Wallace and Aurora Blue. - Vanessa Heins/Submitted

by Frank Matys

Dubbing your band a “super” group can be a risky proposition, lest discerning listeners decide the result is anything but.

In the case of Canadian indie rockers TUNS, however, the designation appears well-deserved.

Since 2015, Chris Murphy (Sloan), Matt Murphy (Super Friendz, Flashing Lights) and Mike O’Neill (Inbreds) have been creating and performing infectious power pop laden with soaring harmonies, driving beats, and guitars that crunch and chime.

“I value singing over musicianship; but, those guys — Matt is a really special guitar player and Mike is such a beautiful singer,” Chris Murphy says in advance of a Sept. 23 performance at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds. “And Matt’s a great singer, too.”

All proceeds from the upcoming concert go to support the Orillia Youth Centre.

Skye Wallace and local music-makers Aurora Blue open the show.

“There is going to be a silent auction and the concert,” said Kevin Gangloff, the youth centre’s director. “Everything is coming back to us.”

The downtown facility provides a range of services, including cooking lessons, horse therapy, art and music, along with a well-used drop-in program.

“This year, so far, we’ve had 8,000 visits,” Gangloff said. “Youth of all walks of life are coming through the doors and take part in different stuff.”

The upcoming concert “puts the youth centre in front of different people that might not know what we are doing,” he added.

TUNS formed in October 2015 to play an all-star benefit show organized by Hayden at Toronto’s historic Massey Hall.

“It is really fun and inspiring to play with these great players and singers,” Murphy said of his bandmates. “And they are also old friends of mine.”

The group’s name is an acronym drawn from the former Technical University of Nova Scotia — now part of Dalhousie University.

The school “was where they would have a lawn jam … and every year, bands would play at TUNS,” adds Murphy, a Halifax native. “I had the good fortune to play at the lawn jam, I think in 1989.”

--taken from: Simcoe.com

Cooling down at the jazz festival

--taken from: Orillia Packet (read more here)

by John Swartz

Looking ahead, the youth centre is heavily involved in a Roots North Music Festival - Revisited concert at Burls Creek Sept. 23. The headliners are Tuns (Mike O'Neill of The Inbreds, Chris Murphy of Sloan and Matt Murphy of The Super Friendz) with Aurora Blue and Skye Wallace.

I'd go just to see Skye Wallace. I've seen her twice now doing very different sets and I enjoyed all of it. Aurora Blue is much better than two months ago (being on the road will do that for you) and are proving to be good students of music by maturing into a great little band. Tuns should be nice icing on the cake with some solid rock.

--taken from: Orillia Packet (read more here)

Tuns to play fundraiser for Orillia Youth Centre

--taken from: The Barrie Examine

by Patrick Bales

For many people, Tuns is just another independent band playing small rooms across the country.

Then there are others who see the three names that make up the band – Chris Murphy from Sloan, Matt Murphy from the Super Friends and Flashing Lights and Mike O'Neil from the Inbreds – and lose their collective minds that three of their 1990s indie-pop heroes are playing together in one band.

“There are some people for whom this will be like 'holy crap, I can't believe Captain Kirk and Captain Picard are on the same show,'” Chris Murphy said in an interview from Toronto, recently. “And then everybody else are like 'who are these people?'”

Folks in this area will get a chance to find out who Tuns are Sept. 23 when they headline a show inside the barn at Burl's Creek Event Grounds. Hosted by Roots North Music Festival, the evening features Skye Wallace and Aurora Blue in support. All proceeds from the show will go to support the Orillia Youth Centre.

The relationship between the three band members stretches back three decades when the two Murphys first met, and even played together for a time in the Super Friends. But the three joining together as any sort of collective is a new development.

About four years ago, the Murphys joined O'Neil on stage for the first time, backing him up as he played tunes at a party to celebrate a book on the history of Murderrecord. That was the label Sloan created in the mid-90s as a way to maintain control of the band's master recordings, and, in the process, release records of like-minded musicians, primarily from the east coast.

While Chris Murphy has been a constant of the Canadian music scene with Sloan, Matt Murphy and O'Neil had found other creative avenues in recent years, with Matt Murphy first working at the CBC and now at Vice, while O'Neil transitioned into television projects, including one in development with Mike Clattenburg, creator of the Trailer Park Boys.

Chris Murphy calls himself the driver behind getting the three to play together on a regular basis, to put out a record – 2016's self-titled debut – and play about 50 gigs in the last two years. But this is a different band than Sloan, operating in a much different fashion. It's also certainly not a solo project.

“I've always shied away from solo projects, because I've always been afraid it would take the best material for the band,” he said. “Eric's Trip were just the greatest. We were their contemporaries, we were there when they started and we loved them so much. They were so special and crazy. But they all had solo projects and that was my lesson. The Elevator to Hell record is better than the new Eric's Trip record. Why are they doing this?”

That made Murphy a bit sheepish about the Tuns side project, but what has eased him is how different the writing process is between the two bands. The three members of Tuns will get together in a room and start to jam, formulating song ideas as they go. The jams are recorded onto a phone voice memo app and the best ideas are turned into proper tunes. Murphy says about 50 songs have been created this way, and a new Tuns record is eventually in the offing.

“It doesn't affect my backlog of material, my cache of song ideas,” he said.

--taken from: The Barrie Examine

NSO, guests to feature entire ‘Sergeant Pepper’ album at major fundraiser

--taken from: The Telegram

The orchestra is teaming up with Art of Time Ensemble for the NSO ExxonMobil Big Ticket fundraiser, taking place Oct. 27 at the Arts and Culture Centre in St. John’s.

The concert will feature the music of The Beatles’ “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album, performed by Art of Time — with Sloan’s Chris Murphy, The Skidiggers’ Andy Maize and pianist Andrew Burashko — and the entire orchestra.

“This is going to be an amazing night of entertainment as acclaimed Canadian performers Art of Time and the NSO perform the entire Sergeant Pepper album along with a few surprises,” Hugh Donnan, CEO of the NSO, said in a news release.

“This fundraiser is a very important one for the NSO and it will be a full evening of festivities. After the concert we will hold a reception in the concourse of the theatre, with food and beverages, all included as part of your ticket.”

The NSO ExxonMobil Big Ticket fundraising concert is expected to become an annual event, taking the place of the NSO Gala and NSO Silver Ball.

--taken from: The Telegram

Canada Games music

--taken from: Winnipeg Free Press

by Erin Lebar

But before Winnipeg gets an injection of East Coast sound, P.E.I. day — hosted by former Haligonian Chris Murphy, who is best known for his work with the bands Sloan and TUNS — will kick off with local singer-songwriter JP Hoe. Hoe has been a mainstay on the local music scene for a decade; he’s released three full-length albums and an EP of original holiday tunes to go along with his immensely popular annual December event, the JP Hoe Hoe Hoe Holiday Show.

Charlottetown, P.E.I., quartet Paper Lions will fill the second slot of the night with their indie-rock/pop jams. The band released their newest record, Full Colour, in 2016 and were subsequently nominated for four East Coast Music Awards.

The stunning — albeit slightly less upbeat — Rose Cousins will also take the stage tonight. The Halifax-based artist is a masterful, emotional songwriter with a penchant for penning tear-jerkers. She’ll make you laugh as much as she’ll make you cry, though — in a former life it seems likely Cousins was a stand-up comedian as she typically fills the time between songs with truly hilarious banter, often making jokes about her catalogue of sad music (she sells T-shirts that read, "Rose Cousins made me cry" and bags that read, "Jam your feelings in here").

After everyone has had a good cry, The East Pointers will get the crowd on their feet and ready to dance. The trio of traditional folk musicians won the 2017 Juno Award for Traditional Roots Album of the Year for their album Secret Victory and never fail to get the party started with their upbeat, Celtic-inspired tunes, many of which are barn-burning instrumentals.

Closing out the night is another Halifax-based performer, folk-pop songstress Jenn Grant. Grant released her sixth full-length record, Paradise, earlier this year, and was in Winnipeg just a few months ago at the Park Theatre while touring across the country promoting it. She’s a captivating writer and performer and, in her 13-year career, has solidified her place as one of the most highly-regarded artists in her genre.

--taken from: Winnipeg Free Press

Local guy plays the big stage at Northern Lights fest

--taken from: Sootoday

by Donna Hopper

Additional NLFB headliners included Friday’s Yukon Blonde, Saturday’s A Tribe Called Red, and Sunday’s Whitehorse. Spotlight performances throughout the weekend featured those by The Turbans from London, England that includes members from Turkey, Bulgaria, Israel, Iran, Italy and Greece; Canadian supergroup TUNS that includes Chris Murphy (Sloan), Mike O’Neill (The Inbreds), and Matt Murphy (The Super Friends, The Pretty Lights); North Carolina’s Johnathan Byrd and the Pickup Boys; Bixiga 70 from Sao Paulo, Brazil; Montreal’s Rae Spoon; Sudbury’s own Juno-nominated hip hop/pow wow singer Bryden Gwiss Kiwenzie; and legendary Canadian children’s entertainer and TV personality Fred Penner.

--taken from: Sootoday

Fest showcases local talent

--taken from: The Sudbury Star (read more here)

by Sara Harasym

Houle has been attending the Northern Lights Festival since she was a child, and has played before with other groups and during workshops with her musical family, but this a first for St-Onge and McDonald. And what a first it is. The Ape-ettes will be performing twice on Saturday. The first performance – at 3 p.m. – will be on The William Ramsey as part of the Party Cannon Pirate Cruise with TUNS – an indie super-group formed by Sloan’s Chris Murphy, Mike O’Neill of The Inbreds, and Matt Murphy of The Super Friendz/The Pretty Lights.

--taken from: The Sudbury Star (read more here)

It's Festival Boreal this weekend: wear good shoes

--taken from: The Sudbury Star (read more here)

Music is in the air as Northern Lights Festival Boréal is ready to deliver four days of non-stop entertainment.

Living-legend Buffy Sainte Marie will be gracing the Grace Hartman amphitheatre in mere days; her first performance at the festival in more than 30 years. She will bring her full band to deliver a truly unparalleled performance this Thursday.

Supporting acts for the special Thursday night include Juno-winners Quantum Tangle, Iqaluit alt-country rockers the Jerry Cans, the iconic poet Joy Harjo, the triumphant reunion of No Reservations, the hauntingly beautiful singer-songwriter Ansley Simpson and the Black Bull Moose Singers.

Once the festival is wrapped, make your way to the Townehouse Tavern to catch Nick Sherman, Leonard Sumner, Bboy Redsky, local Juno-nominee Bryden Gwiss Kiwenzie and Mob Bounce.

Indie rockers and riff-heads beware as Friday night is going to deliver the tunes that will be stuck in your head all summer. Headliners Yukon Blonde are making their way back to the festival to crank their pop-hooked rock anthems. Super-group TUNS, featuring Chris Murphy of Sloan, will be kicking out the jams right before Yukon Blonde. If you’re more into the groove, don’t fret as Festival Boreal delivers with the incredible Brazilian 10-piece act, Bixiga 70, who will be playing a main stage spot, as well as a once-in-a-lifetime slot at the Townehouse Tavern following Yukon Blonde.

--taken from: The Sudbury Star (read more here)

A birthday party like Canada’s 150th doesn’t come around every day, leaving no good reason to sofa away this holiday long weekend

--taken from: The London Free Press

by Dan Brown

If live music is your thing, you’ll want to check out SesquiFest, a five-day celebration of the sesquicentennial in the city’s core that runs through Monday, with free performances and more. Set to rock the Forest City are such local acts as With a Fox, which performs Saturday at 8 p.m., and headliners including Hollerado, Fefe Dobson and Sloan. Sponsored by Canada 150 London and the London Heritage Council, the festival includes a 360-degree cinematic take on Canada in the travelling Sesqui Dome. You can also find a selection of Ontario craft brews at the beer garden. For more information, go to canada150london.ca

--taken from: The London Free Press

Grateful band Sloan headlines free music at Sesquifest party

--taken from: The London Free Press

by Joe Belanger

Pride is not a word Chris Murphy prefers on Canada Day. No, the bass player and vocalist from one of Canada’s most respected rock bands, Sloan, performing Sunday for free as part of the city’s downtown Sesquifest celebration, Murphy prefers another word. “Gratitude,” Murphy said.

“I feel people should feel more gratitude than pride,” he said. “The real heroes are few and far between in Canada. I think we’re extremely lucky to be born here or live here.”

Sesquifest continues Saturday with a full slate of activities, including London Symphonia, a dance, a choir and bands on the Trillium Stage from 1 p.m. until a Headphone Party begins at 10:30 p.m. where you’ll be given illuminated headphones on site to listen to a DJ duel.

On the Carolinian Stage, there will be multicultural performances from noon until 5 p.m., music from 6:30 p.m. with the Jack Richardson Orchestra and local singers perform from 8:30 p.m. until 11 p.m.

The orchestra, presented by the Jack Richardson London Music Awards, includes some of London’s finest musicians, vocalist and guitarist Tanya Lovell, guitarist and vocalist Doug Varty, lead guitarist Jim Nestor, drummer Fil Beorchia and saxophone great Noel Lesperance. Singers taking the stage include Scott Bollert, Casper & Kehmak, Alan Charlebois, Laura Gagnon, Sonja Gustafson, Sarina Haggarty, Brent Jones, Jenn Marino, Darla Stratton and Amanda Lynn Stubley.

“The band will blast through 24 Canadian hits from The Guess Who and The Tragically Hip to Jann Arden, from BTO to The Weekend and along with other Canadian hit compositions by Bryan Adams, k.d. Lang, Nelly Furtado and Michael Bublé,” said JRLMA’s Mario Circelli.

Sunday, Centennial ‘67 Day, the fun continues with a musical lineup that includes a variety of acts from Montreal, including the stilt drumming group, MaracaTall, on the Trillium stage, and, on the Carolinian stage, a line-up featuring London Multicultural Community Association at noon until 2 p.m., Howzat at 2:35 p.m., Texas King at 3:30 p.m., Kman & The 45s at 4:20 p.m., Julia Haggarty at 5:20 p.m., The American Rogues at 6:30 p.m., Carly Thomas at 7:30 p.m., The Weathered at 8:30 p.m. and Sloan at 9:30 p.m.

Sloan is a Canadian band that’s never quite got the international attention it deserved, but has maintained a strong Canadian following since they formed in 1991 in Halifax.

Since then, they’ve released 11 albums, two extended play albums, a live album and a greatest hits album and more than 30 singles.

They’ve received nine Juno award nominations, winning one for best alternative album for One Chord to Another.

Their second album, Twice Removed, released in 1994, has been heralded as one of the greatest Canadian albums of all time in various polls, including one in 2005 that placed the album at the top.

Twenty-five years after forming in Halifax (they’re now based in Toronto) the band includes the same line-up, Murphy on bass and vocals, Patrick Pentland on lead vocals and lead guitar, Jay Ferguson on rhythm guitar, Andrew Scott on drums and multi- instrumentalist Gregory Macdonald on keyboards since 2006.

“I love doing this,” said Murphy. “I have a fantastic life. We’re one of those bands who are beloved in Canada but didn’t really make it elsewhere. But there have been years where I’ve been home with 340 days off and I’m still able to make some money, although I’m not rolling in dough.”

Murphy said the band has managed to stay together for two specific reasons: “We encourage everyone in the band to write and contribute songs and we split the money evenly.

“We’re very lucky,” said Murphy. “We come from a place (Halifax) that supports the arts, but now with mortgages and kids (Murphy has two, seven and nine) we take less risks than we used to.”

Murphy said the band has been recording new material “but I don’t know when it’s going to come out.”

He said the London show will be loaded with “familiar” tunes from a songbook that includes such hits as Underwhelmed, Sugartune, Coax Me, People of the Sky, Everything You’ve Done Wrong, Money City Maniacs, Losing California and Unkind.

“A show like this we’ll play a lot of familiar tunes,” said Murphy. “We have the good fortune of having songs from a good body of work.”

--taken from: The London Free Press

Art joins song at NLFB

--taken from: The Sudbury Star (read more here)

There'll also be a rock 'n’ roll boat cruise featuring members of iconic Canadian rock bands like Sloan, The Inbreds and The Pretty Lights. NLFB has partnered with local indie show presenters Party Cannon to present this one-of-a-kind musical cruise aboard the William Ramsey. Indie rock supergroup TUNS will play on board this party vessel, accompanied by local all-girl garage-punk outfit The Ape-ettes. The Party Cannon Pirate Cruise will depart from the Science North dock on July 8 at 3 p.m. Special tickets are available at nlfb.ca.

Sloan’s Chris Murphy has become known as one of the finest writers and performers in Canadian rock 'n’ roll. TUNS are a supergroup that brings Murphy together with his friends and brothers in rock, Mike O’Neill of The Inbreds and Matt Murphy of The Super Friendz and The Pretty Lights. Combining 90s indie rock with power-pop and straight-up rock 'n’ roll, their debut album boasts some of the catchiest rock songs of the last year, and was recently nominated for the Polaris Prize long list.

NLFB is Canada’s longest continually running outdoor music festival. Over the years, NLFB has grown into a seasoned presenter of roots and modern music, and a lightning rod for the energy of northern Ontario’s artistic community. Tickets and information are online at nlfb.ca.

--taken from: The Sudbury Star (read more here)

Sloan hits birthday bash

--taken from: The London Free Press

Sloan is joining the Forest City’s five-day party celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday.

Sesquifest announced Tuesday the full lineup for the festival that kicks off in just over a week.

The Carolinian Stage in the heart of downtown London at Dundas Street and Talbot Street will be the site of festival headliners Hollerado on June 29 and Fefe Dobson on June 30.

The London Multicultural Community Association will kick off the Canada Day action at the Carolinian Stage from noon to 5 p.m while Londoners can carry on their Canada 150 celebrations past midnight with a headphone party at the Trillium Stage at Market Square.

On July 2, The Bettys play Trillium Stage’s final show just before Sloan closes out the festival’s musical lineup on the Carolinian Stage.

Talent from all across Canada will be on both stages from as early noon to as late as 1 a.m. throughout the first four days of Sesquifest.

--taken from: The London Free Press

Music News Digest, June 19, 2017

--taken from: FYI Music News (read more here)

Survival as a national Canadian music magazine for 25 years is a milestone reached by few publications. Monthly freebie Exclaim! turns the corner this year and celebrated the fact with a party in Toronto on Friday. Held inside and out at Henderson Brewery, the event included a fascinating exhibit from the archives, DJ sets from Ian Blurton and Sloan's Jay Ferguson, and the usual schmoozing, eating and drinking. Many Exclaim! contributors past and present showed, while notables spied included Moe Berg, Tonni Maruyama, Terra Lightfoot, Andy Stochansky, Radio Starmaker's Jerry Leibowitz, Six Shooter's Emily Smart, and Jeff Rogers. Congrats to publisher Ian Danzig and his team.

--taken from: FYI Music News (read more here)

Odds in Tburg for 30th anniversary concert - June 16

--taken from: Tillsonburg News (read more here)

by Chris Abbott

It's the 30th anniversary for the Juno nominated band Odds, and you can celebrate with them Friday, June 16th at Sammy Krenshaw's in Tillsonburg.

The Vancouver alternative rock band, which formed in 1987, first hit the Canadian charts in 1991, and continued to produce hits throughout the 90s. After taking a hiatus roughly from 1999-2007 - although they continued to play individually and together during that span - three of the group decided to reform in 2008, and they've been performing as a four-member band with one new addition since.

"We're writing another record," said lead vocalist and one of the founding members, Craig Northey, from Vancouver last week. "We just keep forging ahead into the future. We are on the current Stephen Page (Barenaked Ladies) release, myself and the band, so we've been playing with him. I've been playing with him as a band member a little while now, too. Lately I've also been playing with Trans-Canada Highwaymen, which is myself, Stephen Page, Moe Berg and Chris Murphy from Sloan."

--taken from: Tillsonburg News (read more here)

Partner’s music merges technical prowess with slacker predispositions

--taken from: The Globe and Mail (read more here)

by Josh O'Kane

When Partner cold-e-mailed demos to Grammy-winning producer and engineer Chris Shaw, admiring his past work with Ween, Shaw immediately thought of another band: Weezer. “I’m really big into ‘W’ bands,” he says by phone from Texas, chuckling, as tends to happen when Partner comes up in conversations.

Shaw engineered Weezer’s 1994 eponymous debut, a sea of crunchy guitars and eager themes that became one of the decade’s loudest alt-rock statements. He saw parallels in Partner, and happily agreed to mix Lost Time. “It was a real nineties thing,” he says. “The material is just ridiculously good. I found myself laughing most of the time because the lyrics were so great.”

That attitude has given them a growing list of admirers. Jay Ferguson of Sloan – who’s also worked with Shaw, because the world is always smaller than you think – was “blown away” when he got a sneak peek of Lost Time from band manager Mar Sellars. The nineties references keep piling on: Ferguson hears the Breeders meeting Nirvana. “It makes for a really exciting record,” he says. The riffs, the humour, the atmosphere: “It sounded like a hit record – like, a top-20 album.”

--taken from: The Globe and Mail (read more here)

Sounds of Home at Toronto’s Harbourfront 2017

--taken from: Cashbox Canada

Harbourfront Centre’s 2017 summer season celebrates Canada’s cultural heritage with Sounds of Home, a sonic tribute to the strength of the diversity found across the land known as Turtle Island. The season kicks off on June 27 with Here in the 6ix: Celebrate Multiculturalism Day, a program offering a full day of free events reflecting Toronto’s rich cultural mosaic.

Four distinct weekend festivals in July form the core of a programming vision that gathers Canadian talent from coast-to-coast-to-coast for an array of evocative and entertaining events ranging from concerts, comedy shows, family activities, culinary events, and late-night afterparties. Audiences and visitors are invited to join us throughout the summer on Toronto’s waterfront to relax on our lakeside vista and enjoy these curated festivals, your favourite annual festivals, and season-long events, such as the Summer Music in the Garden classical music series, and our weekly Free Flicks outdoor film series and Dancing on the Pier events.

“As one of Canada’s leading international centres for contemporary arts and culture, Harbourfront Centre’s waterfront campus will continue to be a meeting place for artists and cultural enthusiasts seeking relevant artistic, cultural, educational, and recreational experiences,” says Marah Braye, Chief Executive Officer, Harbourfront Centre. “Our summer festivals bring together artists from across Canada reminding us of the multitude of voices that create our Sounds of Home.”

Shield to Shore (July 14–16)
From the ruggedness of the Canadian Shield descending onto the Great Lakes to the shores of the Atlantic, Shield to Shore offers a snapshot of the contemporary and traditional musical forms of this celebrated region. Performances include TUNS, featuring Mike O’Neill of The Inbreds, Chris Murphy of Sloan and Matt Murphy of The Super Friendz. Other weekend highlights are Montreal’s multi-lingual hip-hop artist Boogat, Franco-Ontarian sister folk group,Ariko, Lisa LeBlanc and The Sadies.

--taken from: Cashbox Canada

Harry Styles's new direction as a solo artist: modern punk

--taken from: Vox (read more here)

by Sarah Sahim

That’s not really the case with Styles. Take the lead single “Sign of the Times,” whose title evokes Prince but which explodes into a Goliath post-apocalyptic allegorical anthem that sounds more like Never Hear the End of It–era Chris Murphy than, say, going crazy, crazy, crazy. In discrediting the accusations of his music being manufactured for him, Styles has opened up himself — and his loyal fans — to an entirely new sound.

Going beyond that single, Harry Styles invites listeners to mellow down with the folk-rock Dawes and Jackson Browne–inspired harmonies of “Ever Since New York” and “Sweet Creature,” (a.k.a. “Thirteen” by Big Star lite), only to then smack them in the face with the raucous lasciviousness of “Kiwi.” But it’s on “Only Angel” where Styles feels most at home: The song is an illegitimate, sparkly glam-rock baby sired by Electric Light Orchestra and T. Rex, dumped on the doorstep of the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers and Sloan’s Navy Blues. He’s having fun with his references in a manner reminiscent of the Replacements’ notoriously erratic live sets, where they’d drunkenly perform everything from the Jackson 5 to Lloyd Price.

--taken from: Vox (read more here)

What singer-songwriter Moe Berg is listening to, watching and looking forward to

--taken from: The Globe and Mail (read more here)

by Brad Wheeler

It was in 1986, on the Pursuit of Happiness’s breakthrough hit I’m An Adult Now, that Moe Berg sardonically sang that he “couldn’t take too much loud music.” We didn’t believe him then, and now that he’s 58 years old, we still don’t. He was recently spotted at a show at Velvet Underground by punk survivors Dag Nasty and he’s currently part of the power-pop supergroup the TransCanada Highwaymen, with Chris Murphy (Sloan), Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies) and Craig Northey (Odds). On June 2, a live Pursuit of Happiness radio taping from the early 1990s will be released as part of an anthology, the Braves New Waves Sessions. In the meantime, Berg lets us know what else has him turning it up to 11 these days.

What he’s listening to: “I’m enjoying the new side project by my bandmate in the TransCanada Highwaymen, Sloan’s Chris Murphy. It’s called TUNS, and it’s an East Coast supergroup he has with Matt Murphy from the Flashing Lights and Mike O’Neill from the Inbreds. Fans of great melodies and singing will love the band’s self-titled debut from a year ago.”

--taken from: The Globe and Mail (read more here)

’90s nostalgia gets short shrift

--taken from: Waterloo Region Record

by Joel Rubinoff

It was the Canadian version of the outlaw country supergroup, The Highwaymen.

Four frontmen, past and present, of four iconic Canadian '90s bands — Sloan, Barenaked Ladies, The Pursuit of Happiness, The Odds — joining forces at Guelph's River Run Centre last week to perform their greatest hits, and only hits.

"I'm An Adult Now," "Someone Who's Cool," "Brian Wilson," "Underwhelmed."

As The Trans-Canada Highwaymen banged out their songs of smart-aleck alienation with energy, conviction and an unerring sense of melody, it was all killa, no filla, a perfect time capsule of a pivotal era in Can-rock expansion.

"It's fun for Captain Kirk to be in the same band as Captain Picard," joked Sloan frontman Chris Murphy with classic Canadian self-deprecation. "I don't know if you know this, but this group was put together by Simon Cowell."

It was one for the record books.

But instead of Massey Hall or the Air Canada Centre, this so-called "supergroup" played a tiny, 785-seat concert hall to a rabble of enthusiastic diehards and loyal series subscribers in their 80s who appeared taken aback by the volume.

Which begs two questions: 1) jeez, what is going on with '90s nostalgia? 2) is this the best it can do?

At which point I remembered the much ballyhooed Big Music Fest two summers ago at Kitchener's McLennan Park.

Nope, not the sellout triumph with classic rock stalwarts Slash, Styx, Aerosmith and Bryan Adams, who drew a massive multi-generational crowd without breaking a sweat.

The one a year later that saw '90s alt-rockers Soundgarden, Jane's Addiction and Extreme play to a half-empty field of tattooed, nose-pierced 40-something slackers — and no one else.

This, it seems, is the pitfall of '90s nostalgia and indie rock in particular: great as it was in its time, it was so far from the mainstream, with such limited appeal, that it can't pull in the big tent crowds needed to fuel a genuine renaissance.

And it's not just in Canada.

Scanning Soundscan's Worldwide Ticket Sales chart for the top 100 tours of 2016, I count only 12 rooted in the decade of Bill Clinton, harem pants and Luke Perry sideburns, with zero in the top 20.

The highest, at No. 24, is Blink-182, followed by the Dave Matthews Band (27), Phish (29), Celine Dion (38), Red Hot Chili Peppers (42), Weezer and Panic! At The Disco (47), Snoop Dogg with Wiz Khalifa (53), Pearl Jam (56), I Love the '90s with Salt-N-Pepa and Vanilla Ice (76), Ricky Martin (83), Mariah Carey (94) and Rob Zombie/Korn (96).

Who made the Top 10?

Coldplay, a defiantly millennial act, is No. 1, followed by Bruce Springsteen ('70s/'80s), Beyoncé (current), Justin Bieber (current), Guns N' Roses ('80s), Adele (current), Luke Bryan (current), Trans-Siberian Orchestra ('00s), Kenny Chesney (current), and Muse ('00s).

What they have in common, of course, is that they play accessible music that appeals to more than one age group, boast killer live shows and — other than a cursory nod — have little to do with hip hop or grunge.

Call it the '90s Curse, but if you listen to Sirius radio's '90s on 9, what you hear is a preponderance of melismatic divas (Mariah Carey), teen troubadours (Britney Spears) hip hop schlockmeisters (MC Hammer) grunge distortionists (Screaming Trees) and one hit wonders (Right Said Fred).

None of which translate into a) arena-sized tours b) a legacy longer than Y2K panic.

Let's be blunt: The Spice Girls were big, but they were no Beatles (though they may have been The Monkees).

The Backstreet Boys were no Rolling Stones.

And Chumbawamba, despite their fist-pumping anthem "Tubthumping," was no Led Zeppelin.

So where do forged-in-the-'90s stars like Carey, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette and Backstreet Boys earn a living these days?

Casinos, cruise ships and 2,000-seat venues across North America.

It's as if the entire decade, it's time come 'round once again, said, "You know what? Meh. I think I'll pass."

"Very few '90s acts were able to develop deep catalogues of albums with hits that sustained," notes former Kitchener deejay Steve Sobczuk, pointing to a determined lack of melody in both hip hop and alt-rock.

"In the '80s, acts like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince and Springsteen did this, and even secondary level acts like John Mellencamp were able to put together a pretty long career to draw from.

"If Nirvana was one of the biggest acts of the '90s, they had only two hit albums of new material and a third 'unplugged' record with covers and older material before Kurt blew his brains out. Pretty thin output to base any 'legendary' status on."

As New York Times essayist Carl Wilson pointed out in a pithy rant on the same topic, it's hard to feel nostalgia for, say, gangsta rap, when it's associated with things like crack cocaine, turf wars and the Rodney King riots.

The counter argument, of course, is that the reason there's no flag waving, cross-burning '90s revival overtaking pop culture is because the '90s, ahem, never left.

Think about it. In the decades prior to the '90s, we could expect a major musical paradigm shift once every decade or so: rock 'n' roll in the '50s, guitar bands and psychedelia in the '60s, disco and punk in the '70s, synth-pop and metal in the '80s, grunge and hip hop in the '90s.

And then what?

If you scan Billboard's Hot 100, you can draw a straight line between then and now, with a few squiggles for variations on a theme: dance pop, electropop, synth pop, indie pop, indie folk, indie rock, alt rock.

"There's so many more genres vying for your dollar," points out Greg Henderson, programming manager at Kitchener's Centre in the Square, noting how music splintered in the post-90s digital era. "EDM, R&B, hip hop ..."

And just as disco begat EDM and Madonna begat Lady Gaga, so did '90s titans like Mariah Carey beget Adele and Jay Z beget Drake — younger, hipper offshoots drawing from the same musical well.

To be fair, the decade wasn't a total wash, nostalgically, with remakes of TV shows/films like "Full House," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Power Rangers" going head to head with upcoming reboots of "Will & Grace," "Baywatch" and "Toy Story."

Flannel shirts and Mom jeans are back — who would have thought that was possible? — O.J. Simpson was the subject of two recent miniseries, and '90s 'It girl' Winona Ryder made a comeback in the Netflix series "Stranger Things."

"The Simpsons," on the other hand, never left, Pokemon and SpongeBob SquarePants are bigger than ever and — because the culture feels stuck in permanent dry dock — '90s series like "Seinfeld" and "Friends" feel contemporary almost two decades after they went off the air.

And guess who was just named "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People Magazine for the fifth time since 1991?

Julia Roberts, of course, her perky visage seemingly frozen in time.

Which begs the question, how can we miss the '90s if they won't go away?

"In our Been There Done That Mashup Age, nothing is obsolete, and nothing is really new,"' Kurt Andersen wrote in Vanity Fair, explaining this "stylistic paralysis" as a natural reaction to massive techno and geopolitical changes since 9/11.

"I feel as if the whole culture is stoned, listening to an LP that's been skipping for decades, playing the same groove over and over. Nobody has the wit or gumption to stand up and lift the stylus."

"The end of history" was the popular refrain as the '90s kicked off with the dismantling of the Berlin Wall and pundits celebrated the fact humankind had reached its evolutionary peak.

Ha, ha. What's ironic, in hindsight, isn't that history continued with gleeful abandon — 9/11, the War on Terror, Donald Trump — but that pop culture had its head so far up its butt it neglected to pay attention and offer a modicum of course correction.

"I think Bruce Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac wrecked it for everyone," points out programming chief Henderson of the classic rock acts that dominate the concert landscape. "They're so massive and still huge draws."

So here we are in 2017, grappling with bro country and Justin Bieber in place of Billy Ray Cyrus and the Backstreet Boys, watching the same/similar TV shows, the same/similar blockbuster sequels, with the odd sense that no time has passed.

Once "The Rachel" makes a reappearance, there will be no turning back.

--taken from: Waterloo Region Record

The Trans-Canada’s muttonchopped minstrel is packing Gremlins

--taken from: Planet S (read more here)

by Emmet Matheson

He’s Mojo Nixon on maple syrup. He’s Stuart McLean for Millennials. He’s the lovechild of Red Green and Chixdiggit. He’s B.A. Johnston, Hamilton’s hard luck troubadour for an era of lowered expectations. He’s just released a new album — his eighth since 2005’s My Heart is a Blinking Nintendo — and it’s full of lo-fi, minute-and-a-half odes to cheap beer, bad movies, and lousy jobs.

When his 2015 album Shit Sucks made the long list for Canada’s Polaris Prize, which celebrates artistic merit in Canadian music, it was one of the Canadian music scene’s most controversial moments since everyone thought Sloan was breaking up after Twice Removed. Some critics didn’t think an ostensible comedy album belonged among nominees for a prestigious award, and some thought that was a myopic, elitist thing to say.

--taken from: Planet S (read more here)

Napalmpom Premieres Intimate and Hyperactive Video with IMVERYAPE

--taken from: BeatRoute Magazine (read more here)

Napalmpom: “The mid-to-late ’90s era of Much Music instilled confidence in us at a young(-er) age that being a Canadian band could be genuinely important and valued. We obsessively taped episodes of Much East and The Wedge hoping to see videos by Thrush Hermit, Change Of Heart and Slow and wore out our copies of Sloan’s own Intimate and Interactive. 90 minutes dedicated to the music and personalities of a Canadian band? Canada’s Kiss, but with far better songs. Its Beatles, but without the baggage. We dreamt of having our very own ‘leave the Much studios to sing a tune in Speaker’s Corner,’ as Chris Murphy did on ‘Deeper Than Beauty.’

--taken from: BeatRoute Magazine (read more here)

Music icons front and centre again

--taken from: Kingston Whig-Standard

by Peter Hendra

The first time the frontmen from four iconic 1990s Canadian bands -- Moe Berg (The Pursuit of Happiness), Chris Murphy (Sloan), Craig Northey (The Odds) and Steven Page (The Barenaked Ladies) -- got together to play a show, the idea was to do so in a songwriters circle, in which each performer would take a turn telling a back story about a song and then playing it. It didn't last long for that to change.

"We did [a show] last summer, and it was kind of formatted that way, but we basically cheated the whole thing by doing four songs that way, and then doing the rest as a band," Berg recalled over the phone.

The quartet have taken that "superband" idea a step further, and are now known as the TransCanada Highwaymen, a nod to the many hours, days, months each has travelled across the country while touring. The newly formed group, which performs at the Grand Theatre tonight, plays four of the best-known songs penned by each of its members while telling a few stories, too.

"We wanted to do something a bit different," Berg said, who penned hits such as "I'm an Adult Now" and "Cigarette Dangles."

"We wanted to present ourselves as a band. I think we wanted it to be like a real concert experience for the audience instead of just a songwriters-in-the-round. It brings a little more energy and excitement into the show, I think."

This show is different in other ways, too, Berg said, thanks to the involvement of theatrical producer Jim Millan, who previously designed tours for the Kids in the Hall and some reality show stars.

"He approached us about doing a more theatrical production where we share road stories and there's a multimedia aspect to it and also the music," Berg explained. "So it's a bit more than a concert."

Playing concerts, as it turns out, is something from which Berg excused himself for a long time.

"I created a lot of anxiety around it," he said. "I didn't really know how to get around it except for just avoiding doing it."

He warmed up to the idea of performing again, though, after The Pursuit of Happiness played a show about 18 months ago.

"I had a pretty good time that night and I was thinking, 'If I just fought through this, I could get back to enjoying it again.' It's something I can do, it's a skill I have, and then so I just decided when people asked me if I could come do this, could you come and sing a song for this, I decided to say yes more often than I said no, and I [used to] say no all of the time," said Berg, who moved to the other side of the console as a record producer when he stopped performing.

"And I started to get back into the idea of doing it and not being so anxious about it, and then this came up, and I thought, 'OK, this is going to be a real test. I'm going to go out and do this.'"

That he isn't the frontman but rather one of four made performing again more appealing, Berg said.

In hindsight, Berg feels as though he didn't appreciate what he had back in TPOH's heyday.

"I did really enjoy performing. I loved it a lot. It was my favourite thing to do," he reminisced. "In some ways, it's not so much I miss it, I wish I'd taken more time to smell the roses while I was doing it. I shouldn't have let the pressures of whatever was going on get to me. It's such an awesome experience to get to do that, and I know how many people would love the opportunity to do the things that I was able to do. I wish I had appreciated it more than I did."

Berg misses being part of a band, he said, and he especially misses his bandmates.

"There's a camaraderie, a single goal, and a lot of these cliches that are really quite wonderful, actually," he reflected. "I've even been experiencing it rehearsing with these guys. It's great being around these guys and talking about music and about stories about being on the road. They're hilarious, all three of those guys, so they're always cracking jokes. That camaraderie, that's really intoxicating, a really fun thing."

The quartet has eight shows in Ontario lined up, at least for now.

"We're just trying to get this going," Berg said. "There's been talk about maybe doing some songwriting and stuff like that, but I think we're trying to get through these first eight shows, and then talk about doing some more, and see where this goes. It all has to be scheduled around everyone's 'day job,' I guess, if you want to call it that."

--taken from: Kingston Whig-Standard

The resurrection of smart-aleck ‘power pop’

--taken from: Waterloo Region Record

by Joel Rubinoff

He really is an adult now.

Moe Berg, that is, the 58-year-old lead singer of Canadian band The Pursuit of Happiness, whose biggest hit, "I'm An Adult Now," prophesied, among other things, his reaction to the music business from which he made a stern exit in the mid '90s.

"I really became disenchanted and I was not enjoying being onstage," confides the Toronto resident who once lyrically opined, "I can't take too much loud music/ I mean I like to play it, but I sure don't like the racket/ Noise, but I can't hear anything/ Just guitars screaming, screaming, screaming/ Some guy screaming in a leather jacket."

He pauses on the phone. "I just couldn't face it."

And so Berg bought into his own song and found comfort as a behind-the-scenes producer, writer and part-time professor.

Until last summer, when a like-minded posse of smart aleck rabble-rousers from indie pop's glory days — Sloan's Chris Murphy, The Odd's Craig Northey, former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page — made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

"There's a 'power pop' element in everyone's music that flows from the Beatles, Badfinger, the Raspberries and the Knack," he notes of their musical connection.

"All these bands have a real pop sensibility."

And so was born the Trans-Canada Highwaymen, a Can-rock take on the ragtag ensemble once formed by country music outlaws Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash.

"I'm not gonna say we put a ton of thought into it," jokes Berg, who played one gig in the summer with his fellow avatars of wit, snark and attitude before embarking on the current mini tour.

Technically, the multimedia show — which will include songs, video and pithy anecdotes — is billed as "An evening with Moe Berg, Chris Murphy, Craig Northey and Steven Page."

But don't expect one of those laid-back songwriter circles where a bunch of geezers sit around telling war stories while strumming acoustic guitars.

"We're a band," notes Berg, vaguely mortified by the association. "It's gonna be loud."

New material? Forget it.

No one wants to hear veteran artists perform new songs — the universal symbol for "bathroom break" — even when they're good.

Like the golden age of AM radio Berg and company grew up on, the show will be all hits, all the time.

"We decided to just put on the most entertaining show we can," says the Edmonton native, who figures the band's democratic "supergroup" structure will ease his return to the mike after a 20 year absence.

"Each of us will do our four most popular songs."

While he declines to confirm a set list, it's reasonable to assume it would include Sloan's "Underwhelmed," the Barenaked Ladies' "Brian Wilson," The Odd's "Someone Who's Cool."

And of course, "I'm An Adult Now" in which Berg, a wizened old soul at 27, complained about having to wake up early, the perils of drugs, fading sexual potency and his aching back.

"At the time I wrote it, I was just addressing the idea of adulthood — the irony, the humour," he explains patiently. "Definitely at that time in my life I was a little bit of an a---hole."

And now?

"I think being a wise guy is sometimes a bad idea," he notes reflectively. "But we were just who we were and tried not to do things just for the money, so we never looked back with regret. We had a great time doing it."

I point out that at 58, he's as old as the adults he once mocked, but the thought doesn't register.

"I don't feel old," he laughs. "I feel young at heart, with stunted emotional growth."

--taken from: Waterloo Region Record

Legendary Canadian rockers including Moe Berg join forces to form the TransCanada Highwaymen

--taken from: Post City

by Ron Johnson

I remember watching the Pursuit of Happiness play to a couple hundred people crammed into a venerable rock institution dubbed Call The Office in London, Ont. Here, Moe Berg unleashed another in a string of incredible live performances highlighted by now-iconic tunes such as "I'm an Adult Now"and "Cigarette Dangles." It was the early '90s, and live rock in splendidly crappy, beer-soaked clubs across the country was where it was at.  Some of the country's best bands, including the likes of the Tragically Hip, Rheostatics, Sloan, Lowest of the Low, Odds and Barenaked Ladies turned the Canuck sound on its head.

Many artists from that era continue to ply their trade, or have had too many reunion shows to count because the fans just can't let them go. In this swirl of whiskey-drenched memories and hot licks comes the TransCanada Highwaymen, a band composed of four former band leaders from that indie rock heyday: Berg of The Pursuit of Happiness, Chris Murphy of Sloan, Steven Page formerly of Barenaked Ladies and Craig Northey of Odds.

Between then and now, although the band has never officially broken up, Berg developed an aversion to performing live and was one of the few from that era who didn't end up on the reunion circuit — although there were a handful of shows and some greatest hits compilations sprinkled over the past couple decades.

"It was really just because I was anxious about having to go on stage and performing and I didn't look forward to it," says the Toronto-based music producer. "It's the thing that I love the most for the most of my life, so I transferred my energy to producing. I figured I was still in music, still being creative, so why do something you don't really feel great about doing?"

But, here he is surrounded by three of his favourite contemporaries churning out all the four bands' greatest hits on a tour that launches in St. Catharines on April 19, and hits Richmond Hill on April 27.

The idea for the show is credited to Toronto theatrical producer Jim Millan who presented the concept of four band leaders from an iconic era getting together on stage playing hits and telling war stories from a countless number of cross-country tour adventures. And the first four guys on the list jumped at the chance.

The only real challenge has been rehearsing, given just Berg and Chris Murphy are in Toronto, while Northey lives in Vancouver and Page in upstate New York.

"We'll be ready to go, I guess is the short answer," says Berg, who says he's just happy to be back in a band.

"What I miss most about TPH is just that camaraderie. I liked everybody in the band and I remember MIchael Jordan saying the same thing when he retired, that what he missed most was being with the guys," says Berg. "It becomes a family, sort of, I guess. We're not like that yet, but I like being wiht the guys, playing music and cracking jokes. It's a great environment to be in. The show is a ton of fun, it's not one of those songwriters in the round."

For those in need of a quick refresher, or even an introduction to the caliber of cool we are talking about, check out a song from each band below starting with the homespun video for "I'm An Adult Now" that changed everything for The Pursuit of Happiness.

--taken from: Post City

10-day tour lands at the Capitol Centre April 23

--taken from: North Bay Nugget

Pieced together from four iconic Canadian bands, the TransCanada Highwaymen play the Capitol Centre April 23. The lineup, from left, Steven Page (formerly Barenaked Ladies), Moe Berg (The Pursuit of Happiness), Chris Murphy (Sloan) and Craig Northey (The Odds).

by John Law

You can practically hear Craig Northey wince over the phone as soon as he hears the words: Supergroup.

The frontman for The Odds is on the line from Vancouver talking about his latest project, The TransCanada Highwaymen, when the dreaded tag comes up. Inevitable, when your new band includes Chris Murphy of Sloan, Moe Berg of The Pursuit of Happiness, and former Barenaked Ladies singer Steven Page.

“None of us see ourselves as super, as you’ll find,” he says with a laugh. “We’re as mortal and as ordinary as they come. I don’t know how you get past that. I think the idea about all super groups is that they fail, so why put pressure on anybody?”

As Northey describes it, this new foursome pieced together from old bands is all about the fun. Fun to watch. Fun to listen to. And for all them, fun to hang out with. All have been friends for years, this is just another way to spend quality time together.

“This is just an extended ‘hang’,” he says. “Jim Millan, the person who’s kind of the producer of this show, was one of the people who shepherded it together. I worked with him with The Kids in the Hall for a long time, and he’s also a friend of Moe’s. He though this would be a great thing for people to see four frontmen who were all in bands talk about what that means and articulate the music.”

The music, for now, is all familiar. Each member brings some of their old hits to the table, which is like playing fantasy football with actual players, says Northey. He’s not just playing One Week or I’m An Adult Now, he’s playing it with the guys who sang them.

“I think all of us look at the set list and go ‘Oh, next song’s my song, OK …’, and then ‘Oh man! It’s one of Moe’s!’ You don’t really think about your own songs that much. It’s one you didn’t have to learn.”

The band kicks off a 10-day tour this week which brings them to the Capitol Centre April 23.

If all goes well, an album should follow.

“It would be a place to start,” Northey says. “To begin with, it’s for the fun of playing our stuff. I think after we’re together and we realize it could be even more fun, we’ll go further.

“I’m hoping we don’t put a bunch of pressure on each other. We really enjoy each other’s company so much and enjoy the music. That’s part of how music starts … the hang.

“It’s not like we needed verification we had common ground."

--taken from: North Bay Nugget

'Canuck super group' has Guelph show

--taken from: Guelph Mercury

by Doug Hallett

Four musicians who have got together to form what’s being described as a “Canuck super group” will perform at the River Run Centre on Thursday April 20 at 8 p.m. as part of an eight-stop tour in southern Ontario.

The TransCanada Highwaymen consists of Moe Berg of The Pursuit of Happiness, Chris Murphy of Sloan, Craig Northey of Odds and Steven Page, formerly of Barenaked Ladies.

The show will include 16 of their hit songs and will also incorporate band videos, photos and inside jokes gleaned from 25 years of friendship and camaraderie, a news release said.

“From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, each individual TransCanada Highwaymen member has left an indelible mark on the Canadian music scene. They come together now to share their road stories and laugh at the mayhem, mishaps and mischief that go along with being part of a band,” the release said. “Switching instruments throughout the show, the band will move freely from music to memories while providing behind-the-scenes access to the creative minds who wrote the songs that everyone knows and loves.”

--taken from: Guelph Mercury

Iconic Canadian Front Men Bring New Musical Project To River Run

--taken from: Guelph Now!

They are four musicians who have have played to millions of fans and sold just as many records. Now, Moe Berg, Chris Murphy, Craig Northey and Steven Page have joined forces as the Trans-Canada Highwaymen. The iconic Canadian front men will bring their new musical project to River Run Centre on Thursday, April 20, at 8 p.m. The Main Stage Performance is presented as part of the Richardson GMP Music Series.

Distinct singers and songwriters each with a fanatical fan base, the members of the Trans-Canada Highwaymen have performed at the world's biggest music festivals, sold-out arenas and on top television shows. Over time, the beloved Canadian musicians have evolved into music producers, television hosts, authors and composers for film and theatre. As the Trans-Canada Highwaymen, Berg, Murphy, Northey and Page come together to share stories and songs that live on.

A founding member of the Barenaked Ladies, Page’s distinctive and powerful tenor is among the most instantly recognizable voices in popular music. In recent years, he has enjoyed great success as a solo artist, composed six scores for productions at the Stratford Festival and collaborated and toured with the Art of Time Ensemble, among many other projects.

Northey spent 30 years as a member of the iconic Canadian band Odds, but is also well-known as a “serial collaborator” with musical and theatrical friends. Among the friends he's worked with are blues and swing musician Colin James, Rob Baker of the Tragically Hip, Jesse Valenzuela of the Gin Blossoms, Kids in the Hall and Brent Butt.

Murphy has enjoyed a more than 25-year career in the rock-quartet Sloan, one of the most popular bands in Canadian music history. He is also a member of the band TUNS and served as a host on CBC Radio. Murphy finds his greatest artistic joy playing music with friends.

Berg is best known as a member of the Pursuit of Happiness, a band that penned hits including I'm An Adult Now and Hard to Laugh during an active and successful 12-year career. While the Pursuit of Happiness has been on an extended break during recent years, the band does emerge from time to time, much to the delight of fans.

Together, Berg, Murphy, Northey and Page will perform 16 hit songs accompanied by funny and insightful stories that reveal the lives behind their careers. It's a performance that will prove they are as vital, entertaining and charismatic as ever.

--taken from: Guelph Now!

A Fan’s Perspective of the 2017 Junos, Part 2

--taken from: A Journal of Musical Things

[Emily Plunkett was given free rein to roam the Junos. The first part of her report can be found here. – Alan Cross]

In the whirlwind that is national awards shows, it’s inevitable that I’d learn a lesson or two.  Here’s one.

Lesson learned: Just because you don’t get invited to that all-inclusive after party doesn’t mean you won’t attend something just as, if not more, special.

As the complete novice journalist and photographer that I am, it can be really easy for me to get swept in the grand, romantic idea of the fast paced life of a reporter; especially after my last experience at the Junos. At the time I was still a student and 100 per cent green to the experience. Although I quickly learned it wasn’t all glitz, I was thoroughly impressed with the open bar for the members of the press and just being in the press room at all. In the midst of the flurry of activity that week was, I said yes to just about everything that came through my email inbox – including an invite to a major label after party that I didn’t realize was a very legitimate thing until I stepped onto their red carpet at Metropolitan on Sussex Dr.  That night I came face to face with members of Simple Plan, Blue Rodeo, and Epic Meal Time (remember them?).  For the aspiring music journalist without much experience, I was stunned. I still can’t walk past the restaurant without thinking about it, even five years later.

Fast forward to now. One of my grand ideas was to recreate that one story behind the major music label party. It’s been a bit of a hard road these past few years, and I wanted to know if I could do it again.  While I’m at it, I would be able to compare the experiences  But, as time passed this week, I found that my inbox was quieter this time around, and there was no invite to that label party – even though I know for a fact others got it.

Around the time I began to accept my fate as after-party-less, I got an invite to what was called Playlist Live: Canada’s 150th, presented by olè, a music rights management firm. I had no idea what it was about, or really who was putting it on, but George Stroumboulopoulos’ name was attached. I figured it might be a bit of a gamble to RSVP to it without more information. But the address in the email was very near my house in Gatineau, so if things went horribly wrong, I could just walk home and rest up for the next day. I would have to ditch the fancy welcome cocktails at the National Gallery an hour into it, and skip the Juno Cup game entirely, but the trade off possibilities were too interesting to ignore.

And then olè sent another email about half an hour before I arrived with the names of people who were going to show up. Arkells. Billy Talent’s Ben Kowalewicz. Jim Cuddy. Fred Penner. Whitehorse. Sam Roberts. Sloan’s Chris Murphy – now there was a name I wasn’t expecting to see this weekend!  There were also quite a few names that were unfamiliar to me, such as William Prince, Tasha the Amazon, Michee Me; and something called Feltworth was to open.

So I get there, just in time to see Chris Murphy walk in with Jay Ferguson (What?!), and to figure out the $20 I brought for drinks was useless because the bar was open.

To say this show was badass doesn’t even remotely come close to describing what I witnessed. It was Ben Kowalewicz performing Neil Young’s Ohio as a duet with Rough Trade’s Carole Pope.  It was the epic rap battle between Tasha the Amazon and Michee Me. It was the Tenors showing up to perform a tribute to Leonard Cohen.  It was the only chance I got to watch the Arkells properly all weekend and what did they do? Cover Bryan Adams.

And this Feltworth group? Well, they’re a puppet band. Literally puppets, like a rock and roll Casey and Finnigan – but with the singing voice of a certain Sloan frontman. They came back to open the next set with Fred Penner. They sang Spinning Wheel by Blood Sweat and Tears. I have followed Sloan to almost 25 shows in the past 15 years; I’m amazed I got to see this.

Behind me, Rob Baker and Paul Langlois wandered the crowd as Jim Cuddy performed Bobcaygeon. Kardinal Offishall was back there somewhere. As a child of late ‘90’s MuchMusic, my heart absolutely burst with joy to see Strombo be just the biggest music fan I’ve ever seen; and be the warmest fellow when I just couldn’t leave the party until I shook his hand.

The Rolling Stones once said you can’t always get what you want.  I walked home that night with exactly what I needed.

--taken from: A Journal of Musical Things