--taken from: Wire Service
Iconic Canadian performers Bruce Cockburn, Martha Wainwright and Sloan will each make their Harvest debut during the festival's 27th edition, this September 12-17th in Fredericton, NB.
These performers join already announced headliners including fellow Canadian Colin James and American artists Steve Earle & the Dukes, The Revivalists, Lettuce and The Marcus King Band. Tickets to all shows go on sale May 11th at 11:00AM (AST).
"Cockburn, Wainright and Sloan are some of the most recognizable names in the storied history of Canadian music and we are finally getting the chance to present these iconic performers during the Festival" said Brent Staeben, Programming Director. "These are bucket-list performers for us and for many Festival patrons, and now there's yet another reason to wish away our time, pining for mid September to come."
One of Canada's finest artists, Bruce Cockburn has enjoyed an illustrious career shaped by politics, spirituality, and musical diversity. His remarkable journey has seen him embrace folk, jazz, rock, and worldbeat styles, and writing memorable songs about his ever-expanding world of wonders. That scratching and pulling has earned Cockburn high praise as an exceptional songwriter and a revered guitarist. His songs of romance, protest, and spiritual discovery are among the best to have emerged from Canada over the last 40 years. And he remains deeply respected for his activism on issues from native rights and land mines to the environment and Third World debt, working for organizations such as Oxfam, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, and Friends of the Earth. For his many achievements, the Ottawa-born artist has been honoured with 12 Juno Awards, an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and a Governor General's Performing Arts Award, and has been made an Officer of the Order of Canada. Cockburn will be supported by Canadian roots rocker Terra Lightfoot from Waterdown, Ontario.
With an undeniable voice and an arsenal of powerful songs, Martha Wainwright is a beguiling performer and a refreshingly different force in music. Martha began building a buzz with her well-noted EPs, prior to her 2005 critically and commercially successful self-titled, debut LP. Now, four years later, 'Goodnight City' is poised to be her best record, returning to the rawness of her first release and including songs written by notable artists such as Beth Orton, Glen Hansard, her brother Rufus Wainwright, Michael Ondaatje, and Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs. Waintwright is the daughter of folk legends Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle. Martha tours her music around the world to sold out audiences on several continents.
Sloan is comprised of four distinct songwriting voices, guitarists Patrick Pentland and Jay Ferguson, bassist Chris Murphy and drummer Andrew Scott. The cohesive collective are self proclaimed Toronto scenesters who will always call Halifax home. Their back catalogue uniquely appeals to Much Music and rock-radio regulars, while the group maintains strong ties to their indie roots via their own label murderecords. They're Money-City Maniacs who have a soft spot for sweet sugar tunes, and instead of coasting on their cred, continue to challenge themselves with each record.
The Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival is Atlantic Canada's largest annual music festival, drawing up to 85,000 fans to the streets of Fredericton each September. Bruce Cockburn, Martha Wainwright, Sloan, Terra Lightfoot and more will perform at the 27th annual edition of the festival this September 12-17. Tickets and passes will go on-sale May 11 at 11:00am (AST) via www.etixnow.com or by using a self-serve kiosk at Graystone Brewing or Isaac's Way Restaurant in Fredericton, NB.
--taken from: Wire Service
Monday, April 3, 2017
Canuck Super Group TransCanada Highwaymen Sets Southern Ontario Tour Dates
--taken from: Broadway World
Four friends, four frontmen and four iconic Canadian rock bands - the TransCanada Highwaymen is a Canuck super group made up of Moe Berg of The Pursuit of Happiness, Chris Murphy of Sloan, Craig Northey of Odds and Steven Page, formerly of Barenaked Ladies.
Performing 16 of their hit songs including fan faves "I'm an Adult Now", "The Other Man", "It Falls Apart" and "BrIan Wilson", the set will also incorporate band videos, never before shared photos and inside jokes gleaned from 25 years of friendship and camaraderie.
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. 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.
For this limited engagement, Moe, Chris, Craig and Steven will share a glimpse into one of the most transformative eras in Canadian music. Ontario tour dates include Brampton, Brantford, Guelph, Kingston, North Bay, Oakville, Richmond Hill and St. Catharines, April 19 - 28.
Moe was, and technically still is, a member of The Pursuit of Happiness. The band had plenty of fun over their 12-year active career. They have been on a 20-year hiatus though they do occasionally come out from hiding, just slightly less often than the groundhog. During this time, Moe developed a severe case of stage fright. He is hoping that by teaming up with phenomenal performers like Chris, Craig and Steven he will regain his former love of the stage. He is looking forward to the shows and the camaraderie that goes with being in a band.
Chris Murphy always wanted to be in a band and loves playing music with friends. He considers project-based friendships the most efficient way to go through life. Chris has enjoyed 25+ years in the rock band Sloan where he is an equal member. He has another band called TUNS where he is an equal member. Now he is teaming up with Moe Berg, Craig Northey and Steven Page, three Canadian musical heavyweights that Chris is proud to call peers in the TransCanada Highwaymen... and Chris is an equal member. Fingers crossed, Chris is hoping to put together another project with Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and Bill Gates.
Craig Northey always takes the fun gig. To his wife's credit she has never bothered to roll her eyes when he completely ignores the pragmatic approach. She says, "That sounds interesting. See you when you get back". After 30 years in the band Odds and dozens more as "serial collaborator" with musical and theatrical friends (Kids in the Hall, Colin James, Rob Baker of the Tragically Hip, Jesse Valenzuela of the Gin Blossoms, Brent Butt, and Steven Page) he's found another fun and exotic ride to go on. Craig now gets to make rock n' roll joy with his pals Steven Page, Moe Berg and Chris Murphy as the TransCanada Highwaymen. Anyone would say yes to that. His wife smiles broadly and says, "oh...I'm going with you to those shows!"
Maybe you remember Steven Page from Barenaked Ladies. He was the one with glasses who sang songs like "BrIan Wilson" and "The Old Apartment" and left in 2009. Since then, he's released three albums, performed extensively with the Art of Time Ensemble, hosted his own TV show The Illegal Eater, and composed several scores for the Stratford Festival, including last year's acclaimed production of Macbeth. He is thrilled to be a part of the TransCanada Highwaymen as he's a huge fan of all three of his bandmates' music and is thrilled to be playing some of their biggest hits with them, particularly The Pursuit of Happiness' "Sweet City Woman," Sloan's "Sunglasses At Night" and "Everything I Do I Do It For You," made famous by Odds. Steven likes to think of TCH as Canada's Traveling Wilburys, which would make him their Roy Orbison. Except still alive.
--taken from: Broadway World
Four friends, four frontmen and four iconic Canadian rock bands - the TransCanada Highwaymen is a Canuck super group made up of Moe Berg of The Pursuit of Happiness, Chris Murphy of Sloan, Craig Northey of Odds and Steven Page, formerly of Barenaked Ladies.
Performing 16 of their hit songs including fan faves "I'm an Adult Now", "The Other Man", "It Falls Apart" and "BrIan Wilson", the set will also incorporate band videos, never before shared photos and inside jokes gleaned from 25 years of friendship and camaraderie.
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. 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.
For this limited engagement, Moe, Chris, Craig and Steven will share a glimpse into one of the most transformative eras in Canadian music. Ontario tour dates include Brampton, Brantford, Guelph, Kingston, North Bay, Oakville, Richmond Hill and St. Catharines, April 19 - 28.
Moe was, and technically still is, a member of The Pursuit of Happiness. The band had plenty of fun over their 12-year active career. They have been on a 20-year hiatus though they do occasionally come out from hiding, just slightly less often than the groundhog. During this time, Moe developed a severe case of stage fright. He is hoping that by teaming up with phenomenal performers like Chris, Craig and Steven he will regain his former love of the stage. He is looking forward to the shows and the camaraderie that goes with being in a band.
Chris Murphy always wanted to be in a band and loves playing music with friends. He considers project-based friendships the most efficient way to go through life. Chris has enjoyed 25+ years in the rock band Sloan where he is an equal member. He has another band called TUNS where he is an equal member. Now he is teaming up with Moe Berg, Craig Northey and Steven Page, three Canadian musical heavyweights that Chris is proud to call peers in the TransCanada Highwaymen... and Chris is an equal member. Fingers crossed, Chris is hoping to put together another project with Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and Bill Gates.
Craig Northey always takes the fun gig. To his wife's credit she has never bothered to roll her eyes when he completely ignores the pragmatic approach. She says, "That sounds interesting. See you when you get back". After 30 years in the band Odds and dozens more as "serial collaborator" with musical and theatrical friends (Kids in the Hall, Colin James, Rob Baker of the Tragically Hip, Jesse Valenzuela of the Gin Blossoms, Brent Butt, and Steven Page) he's found another fun and exotic ride to go on. Craig now gets to make rock n' roll joy with his pals Steven Page, Moe Berg and Chris Murphy as the TransCanada Highwaymen. Anyone would say yes to that. His wife smiles broadly and says, "oh...I'm going with you to those shows!"
Maybe you remember Steven Page from Barenaked Ladies. He was the one with glasses who sang songs like "BrIan Wilson" and "The Old Apartment" and left in 2009. Since then, he's released three albums, performed extensively with the Art of Time Ensemble, hosted his own TV show The Illegal Eater, and composed several scores for the Stratford Festival, including last year's acclaimed production of Macbeth. He is thrilled to be a part of the TransCanada Highwaymen as he's a huge fan of all three of his bandmates' music and is thrilled to be playing some of their biggest hits with them, particularly The Pursuit of Happiness' "Sweet City Woman," Sloan's "Sunglasses At Night" and "Everything I Do I Do It For You," made famous by Odds. Steven likes to think of TCH as Canada's Traveling Wilburys, which would make him their Roy Orbison. Except still alive.
--taken from: Broadway World
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Could starting concerts earlier make Toronto a stronger Music City?
--taken from: NOW Toronto
by Mars Sellars
A motion by the city’s Economic Development and Culture Committee was approved in November to look into extending bar licensing hours past 2 am to help music venues succeed.
But here’s a thought: what if we started concerts earlier?
While later opening times are beneficial to club culture, and having legal options for those who want to rave till dawn is a great idea, when it comes to strengthening Toronto as a live music city, extending licensing hours isn’t much of a fix. The core audience who stay out till 1 or 2 am regularly will be the same group who stay out till 4 am, so extending last call won’t necessarily bring new people to bars or live performances.
However, starting shows at, say, 8 pm and having them end at 11 pm on weeknights could make the city a place that more diverse groups of people can enjoy. Right now, those with day jobs often can’t enjoy the music Toronto has to offer.
Last month, NOW surveyed 1,000 readers on their concert-going habits for our Vanishing Venues cover story, and the results may surprise you. Thirty-four per cent of respondents preferred headliners go on between 9 and 10:30 pm, and another 27 per cent preferred 10:30 to midnight. (Only 2 per cent chose midnight or later, a regular headlining time slot for local shows.)
You only have to look at other cities and cultures to see that late-night concerts aren’t standard.
“In Japan, for instance, shows end at 9 pm,” says Sloan’s Jay Ferguson. “People go out afterwards for snacks and dinner.”
Musician and Burdock venue booker Charlotte Cornfield agrees. “We were the headlining band on our Europe run, and the latest we went on was 9 pm as the headliner,” she recalls.
Touring bands don't always appreciate starting so late, either. This was the case with Seattle's Dude York and Glasgow's PAWS on Wednesday night at Smiling Buddha – PAWS didn't start till 12:15 am, which made for a pretty sparse crowd.
In the UK, where I lived for many years, live music ends at 11 pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends. The UK does have 24-hour drinking now, but for many decades pubs stopped serving at 11 pm, which is how the culture of going out straight after work was established. London is a much more weekday-social city than Toronto. With so many people commuting into the city for work, they tend to stick around and go out afterwards.
Toronto is the opposite.
“Toronto is a big weekend city, so on weekends I’ve noticed people hang out after the show and drink,” says Cornfield. “But on weekdays, people just want to get out of there and get to bed. So business-wise it makes sense for things to get going earlier.
“The reality is that the climate of our city is changing. There’s pretty much a mutual understanding that everyone’s working, and in order to make ends meet, people have to be up in the morning.”
So what’s stopping Toronto shows from starting earlier?
“It depends on the artist and the market,” veteran Toronto concert promoter Dan Burke explains. “Different cities have different cultures. In Toronto people have day jobs and don’t want to go to the club straight from work. They want to go home first and change gears and then go to a show after. So that means doors no earlier than 8 pm Sunday to Thursday.
“People have a higher inclination to consume alcohol later in the night, so in order to maximize bar sales, which is absolutely necessary to the financing of shows, you have to take into account the hours when the shows are occurring.”
But if we could shift the culture to going to shows earlier and getting home earlier, the way we do for sports events and theatre performances, audiences could diversify to include more parents, suburbanites, university students, older folks, 9-to-5ers and others. As well, people with jobs are people with money; we should be encouraging them to spend it in on the live music economy. No one wants to see another venue closure.
At the Burdock, where they’ve already started having earlier start times, Cornfield is seeing a difference. She says the shows are reaching an inter-generational audience.
“We have really young people and older people, and having a show at an accessible time makes [attending] more doable for a diverse audience.”
--taken from: NOW Toronto
by Mars Sellars
A motion by the city’s Economic Development and Culture Committee was approved in November to look into extending bar licensing hours past 2 am to help music venues succeed.
But here’s a thought: what if we started concerts earlier?
While later opening times are beneficial to club culture, and having legal options for those who want to rave till dawn is a great idea, when it comes to strengthening Toronto as a live music city, extending licensing hours isn’t much of a fix. The core audience who stay out till 1 or 2 am regularly will be the same group who stay out till 4 am, so extending last call won’t necessarily bring new people to bars or live performances.
However, starting shows at, say, 8 pm and having them end at 11 pm on weeknights could make the city a place that more diverse groups of people can enjoy. Right now, those with day jobs often can’t enjoy the music Toronto has to offer.
Last month, NOW surveyed 1,000 readers on their concert-going habits for our Vanishing Venues cover story, and the results may surprise you. Thirty-four per cent of respondents preferred headliners go on between 9 and 10:30 pm, and another 27 per cent preferred 10:30 to midnight. (Only 2 per cent chose midnight or later, a regular headlining time slot for local shows.)
You only have to look at other cities and cultures to see that late-night concerts aren’t standard.
“In Japan, for instance, shows end at 9 pm,” says Sloan’s Jay Ferguson. “People go out afterwards for snacks and dinner.”
Musician and Burdock venue booker Charlotte Cornfield agrees. “We were the headlining band on our Europe run, and the latest we went on was 9 pm as the headliner,” she recalls.
Touring bands don't always appreciate starting so late, either. This was the case with Seattle's Dude York and Glasgow's PAWS on Wednesday night at Smiling Buddha – PAWS didn't start till 12:15 am, which made for a pretty sparse crowd.
In the UK, where I lived for many years, live music ends at 11 pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends. The UK does have 24-hour drinking now, but for many decades pubs stopped serving at 11 pm, which is how the culture of going out straight after work was established. London is a much more weekday-social city than Toronto. With so many people commuting into the city for work, they tend to stick around and go out afterwards.
Toronto is the opposite.
“Toronto is a big weekend city, so on weekends I’ve noticed people hang out after the show and drink,” says Cornfield. “But on weekdays, people just want to get out of there and get to bed. So business-wise it makes sense for things to get going earlier.
“The reality is that the climate of our city is changing. There’s pretty much a mutual understanding that everyone’s working, and in order to make ends meet, people have to be up in the morning.”
So what’s stopping Toronto shows from starting earlier?
“It depends on the artist and the market,” veteran Toronto concert promoter Dan Burke explains. “Different cities have different cultures. In Toronto people have day jobs and don’t want to go to the club straight from work. They want to go home first and change gears and then go to a show after. So that means doors no earlier than 8 pm Sunday to Thursday.
“People have a higher inclination to consume alcohol later in the night, so in order to maximize bar sales, which is absolutely necessary to the financing of shows, you have to take into account the hours when the shows are occurring.”
But if we could shift the culture to going to shows earlier and getting home earlier, the way we do for sports events and theatre performances, audiences could diversify to include more parents, suburbanites, university students, older folks, 9-to-5ers and others. As well, people with jobs are people with money; we should be encouraging them to spend it in on the live music economy. No one wants to see another venue closure.
At the Burdock, where they’ve already started having earlier start times, Cornfield is seeing a difference. She says the shows are reaching an inter-generational audience.
“We have really young people and older people, and having a show at an accessible time makes [attending] more doable for a diverse audience.”
--taken from: NOW Toronto
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Sloan's Chris Murphy says he is coming to town (and he's bringing Canadian Rock royalty with him)
Steven Page (formerly Barenaked Ladies), Moe Berg (The Pursuit of Happiness), Craig Northey (Odds) and Chris Murphy (Sloan) are the Trans-Canada Highwaymen, and will be performing April 23 at the Capitol Centre
--taken from: Bay Today
by Stu Campaigne
It seems like just yesterday that Chris Murphy and his mates from Halifax were taking Canada by storm with their full-length debut Smeared. Their first single release, "Underwhelmed," had the perfect blend of power pop and grunge to rise above the wave of contenders and pretenders in the post-Nirvana music scene, circa 1992.
Fast forward 25 years and the Toronto-based Murphy, to borrow a Moe Berg phrase, "is an adult now." And with his new bandmates, he will have what he calls the good fortune to play along as The Pursuit of Happiness front-man belts out the lyrics to that classic Candian rock tune.
Murphy took time out from what he termed a typical morning of dropping his child off at school to talk about his newest collaboration, the Trans-Canada Highwaymen. Describing the scene around him, Murphy relayed that he had the phone "jammed up inside" his bike helmet while walking his bicycle along a busy sidewalk in Toronto, all the while excitedly dishing about the upcoming tour.
After being recognized by a passerby, Murphy graciously fended off the well-wisher on the sidewalk, telling the man on the street "you look great, but I can't talk right now," after explaining that he was in the middle of an interview.
It was classic, goofball Murphy, who once jumped into a stranger's van outside MuchMusic during a live show. He says that he is often cast in the role as Sloan's spokesman by default, but it is obvious from our conversation that Murphy's endearing, charismatic nature has not dulled with time.
Four iconic front-men from a golden age of Canadian rock music have banded together to form the Trans-Canada Highwaymen and play their hits in an eight-show tour that kicks off next month and will make a stop on April 23, at the Capitol Centre in North Bay.
Each member will bring four of his own biggest hits to this collaborative effort, with the caveat that they must have written the songs they will play with the Trans-Canada Highwaymen. Four Canadian rock legends, 16 hit songs and the insider stories about the songs, artists, and tours that defined a generation of Canada's most popular and respected music.
The on-stage instrumental deployment of the Trans-Canada Highwaymen is a nod to Sloan's unique practice of switching instruments mid-set, sharing writing and vocalist credits, in essence, performing as a well-oiled machine with interchangeable moving parts.
"For me, it's very similar to Sloan in that we all share all the real estate, as it were, in the set equally. For Moe Berg, he's always been the main guy, never having to contend with anyone else, but for the rest of us, Craig Northey comes from a band where he wasn't the only guy and certainly Steven Page came from a band where he wasn't the only guy or writer."
For the Trans-Canada Highwaymen gigs, Murphy said a democratic set-list structure similar to what Sloan traditionally employs will translate well. Since all four members of his main band share writing and singing, Murphy said a typical 12-song set with Sloan will see each of the members take the lead once in the first, second and third four-song blocks.
The supergroup played one gig last summer as a trial run at a winery in Niagara that was well-received. The four agreed to play together again once schedules could be accommodated, and with the addition of theatre veteran (and Kids in the Hall collaborator) Jim Millan to the project, the intimate multimedia experience and storytelling aspect of the show was achieved.
"Sloan is my life's work, of which I'm very proud," said Murphy, "but I'm excited to hang with these guys, they are all heavyweight writers and players. I think [this tour] will give us more time to stretch and to talk, to goof around.
"There are some people in Sloan where as soon as I start saying anything, they say 'here he goes,' but this format will allow me to be more of a storyteller on stage, an entertainer as opposed to an artist where we are plowing through songs, playing obscure songs, challenging people. This is pretty much 'everyone bring your most recognizable songs and we'll try to make a purely hits set and entertain these people.'"
Murphy is looking at the tour as a fun distraction from Sloan and he is also involved in another side project, TUNS, with Mike O'Neill of the Inbreds and Matt Murphy of Super Friendz. Sloan recently toured while marking the 20th anniversary of their hit album One Chord to Another and Murphy says the band is deciding whether recording new material will happen sooner rather than later.
According to the tour release, the show will deliver: "Sixteen hit songs, road stories, jokes, secrets and surprises. With video evidence and never before seen photos, they indict the guilty and the innocent alike with lots of laughter. Chris, Moe, Craig and Steven have known each other twenty-five years and will reveal what was really going on behind the scenes and behind the songs from the bands you love."
Murphy explained that this tour would allow him to do two things that are dear to him: play and listen to great music. "I get to be the star in a way, but I also get to be a fan. I get to play "I'm an Adult Now," and I get to have Moe Berg sing the harmony on "Underwhelmed." It's pretty fun."
--taken from: Bay Today
--taken from: Bay Today
by Stu Campaigne
It seems like just yesterday that Chris Murphy and his mates from Halifax were taking Canada by storm with their full-length debut Smeared. Their first single release, "Underwhelmed," had the perfect blend of power pop and grunge to rise above the wave of contenders and pretenders in the post-Nirvana music scene, circa 1992.
Fast forward 25 years and the Toronto-based Murphy, to borrow a Moe Berg phrase, "is an adult now." And with his new bandmates, he will have what he calls the good fortune to play along as The Pursuit of Happiness front-man belts out the lyrics to that classic Candian rock tune.
Murphy took time out from what he termed a typical morning of dropping his child off at school to talk about his newest collaboration, the Trans-Canada Highwaymen. Describing the scene around him, Murphy relayed that he had the phone "jammed up inside" his bike helmet while walking his bicycle along a busy sidewalk in Toronto, all the while excitedly dishing about the upcoming tour.
After being recognized by a passerby, Murphy graciously fended off the well-wisher on the sidewalk, telling the man on the street "you look great, but I can't talk right now," after explaining that he was in the middle of an interview.
It was classic, goofball Murphy, who once jumped into a stranger's van outside MuchMusic during a live show. He says that he is often cast in the role as Sloan's spokesman by default, but it is obvious from our conversation that Murphy's endearing, charismatic nature has not dulled with time.
Four iconic front-men from a golden age of Canadian rock music have banded together to form the Trans-Canada Highwaymen and play their hits in an eight-show tour that kicks off next month and will make a stop on April 23, at the Capitol Centre in North Bay.
Each member will bring four of his own biggest hits to this collaborative effort, with the caveat that they must have written the songs they will play with the Trans-Canada Highwaymen. Four Canadian rock legends, 16 hit songs and the insider stories about the songs, artists, and tours that defined a generation of Canada's most popular and respected music.
The on-stage instrumental deployment of the Trans-Canada Highwaymen is a nod to Sloan's unique practice of switching instruments mid-set, sharing writing and vocalist credits, in essence, performing as a well-oiled machine with interchangeable moving parts.
"For me, it's very similar to Sloan in that we all share all the real estate, as it were, in the set equally. For Moe Berg, he's always been the main guy, never having to contend with anyone else, but for the rest of us, Craig Northey comes from a band where he wasn't the only guy and certainly Steven Page came from a band where he wasn't the only guy or writer."
For the Trans-Canada Highwaymen gigs, Murphy said a democratic set-list structure similar to what Sloan traditionally employs will translate well. Since all four members of his main band share writing and singing, Murphy said a typical 12-song set with Sloan will see each of the members take the lead once in the first, second and third four-song blocks.
The supergroup played one gig last summer as a trial run at a winery in Niagara that was well-received. The four agreed to play together again once schedules could be accommodated, and with the addition of theatre veteran (and Kids in the Hall collaborator) Jim Millan to the project, the intimate multimedia experience and storytelling aspect of the show was achieved.
"Sloan is my life's work, of which I'm very proud," said Murphy, "but I'm excited to hang with these guys, they are all heavyweight writers and players. I think [this tour] will give us more time to stretch and to talk, to goof around.
"There are some people in Sloan where as soon as I start saying anything, they say 'here he goes,' but this format will allow me to be more of a storyteller on stage, an entertainer as opposed to an artist where we are plowing through songs, playing obscure songs, challenging people. This is pretty much 'everyone bring your most recognizable songs and we'll try to make a purely hits set and entertain these people.'"
Murphy is looking at the tour as a fun distraction from Sloan and he is also involved in another side project, TUNS, with Mike O'Neill of the Inbreds and Matt Murphy of Super Friendz. Sloan recently toured while marking the 20th anniversary of their hit album One Chord to Another and Murphy says the band is deciding whether recording new material will happen sooner rather than later.
According to the tour release, the show will deliver: "Sixteen hit songs, road stories, jokes, secrets and surprises. With video evidence and never before seen photos, they indict the guilty and the innocent alike with lots of laughter. Chris, Moe, Craig and Steven have known each other twenty-five years and will reveal what was really going on behind the scenes and behind the songs from the bands you love."
Murphy explained that this tour would allow him to do two things that are dear to him: play and listen to great music. "I get to be the star in a way, but I also get to be a fan. I get to play "I'm an Adult Now," and I get to have Moe Berg sing the harmony on "Underwhelmed." It's pretty fun."
--taken from: Bay Today
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Steven Page is forever in search of his next project
--taken from: Medicine Hat News
by Stan Ashbee
Former Barenaked Lady Steven Page is criss-crossing back and forth across the country with a variety of band formations performing material from his solo career, along with classic BNL hits.
“That’s what keeps it fun and exciting. Some of them are full rock band-type shows, then I’m doing some symphony shows, and then the core of them this trio formation we’re doing in Medicine Hat,” Page explained.
Page and company perform at the Esplanade Friday night at 8 p.m.
Page noted the upcoming gig will be an intimate show, especially with it being a three-piece formation, along with his trio mates Craig Northey from the band Odds and Kevin Fox.
“It gives a lot of room for us to spread out, but they are two of my favourite people, as well as my two favourite musicians and collaborators. I’ve worked with both of them, both Craig and Kevin separately a ton over the years. Craig has co-written a lot of songs on my solo record list including my last one and co-produced it with me. Kevin is the first person I called after I left Barenaked Ladies and we’ve been playing together ever since. It was a duo, so with this record we decided to merge our superpowers and make this trio and it’s just been a blast. We play everything from ‘Gordon’ era of Barenaked Ladies all the way up to my latest solo record,” he said. Page’s latest solo effort released last year is entitled, “Heal Thyself Pt. 1: Instinct.”
Page added it’s been great doing the symphony shows, as well. Earlier this month, Page performed with the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra for the “Great Canadian Songbook: A Canada 150 Celebration” concert, which included a collection of Canadian classic hits.
“It’s nice to be included in stuff like that,” he said. “Doing a few of my songs, as well as Leonard Cohen songs.” Page will be performing another symphony show at the end of the month in Ontario and after that he hopes to line up more for next season.
“With Barenaked Ladies we did some symphonic shows and we had arrangements of our songs with different symphonies like the Toronto Symphony and the Boston Pops and so on,” he said, adding other projects have continued in the symphony vein and will continue on.
Page said with Canada celebrating 150 years he will be doing a show in Vancouver with his fellow musical cohorts from Odds.
“I play with them a lot. They’re my backing band and we will do shows where they start the show and then we do a set together and then I’ve got this other project called the Trans-Canada Highwaymen, which is myself, Craig, Moe Berg from Pursuit of Happiness and Chris Murphy from Sloan. The four of us tour with instruments and play each other’s songs. Chris will play drums on ‘I’m an Adult Now’ and then I’ll play drums on let’s say ‘Underwhelmed’ or something like that. It’s really fun. It’s just four guys kind of the same generation playing each other’s greatest hits,” he said.
According to the Canadian singer and songwriter, part two of “Heal Thyself” is basically done.
“I still have some finishing up to do on it on a few last tracks and then just to get a proper release date set up, so I have a deadline to start to work towards. I don’t work well without a deadline,” he admitted.
Aside from recording albums and touring on the road, Page wrapped up filming for the TV food show “Chopped Canada” this past summer, which aired over the holidays.
“I watch all those shows. That’s kind of my TV junk food,” he said.
He added the experience was just as hard and stressful as they make it out to look on TV. “And I won. So, I can’t complain,” he joked.
Page also hosted the reality TV series “The Illegal Eater,” which never got renewed for another season.
“That series itself isn’t going to happen anymore, which is kind of a drag because it was a fun concept and I thought the show worked really well. But, I’m working on some ideas with a production company for maybe another limited series kind of thing,” he said.
Page has had 25 years of on the job training, as far as doing TV and talking to cameras.
“Doing a travel and food show was not a stretch because that’s essentially what touring with a rock band is — you travel around the world and eat. Doing a TV show about it, was almost second nature,” he added.
--taken from: Medicine Hat News
by Stan Ashbee
Former Barenaked Lady Steven Page is criss-crossing back and forth across the country with a variety of band formations performing material from his solo career, along with classic BNL hits.
“That’s what keeps it fun and exciting. Some of them are full rock band-type shows, then I’m doing some symphony shows, and then the core of them this trio formation we’re doing in Medicine Hat,” Page explained.
Page and company perform at the Esplanade Friday night at 8 p.m.
Page noted the upcoming gig will be an intimate show, especially with it being a three-piece formation, along with his trio mates Craig Northey from the band Odds and Kevin Fox.
“It gives a lot of room for us to spread out, but they are two of my favourite people, as well as my two favourite musicians and collaborators. I’ve worked with both of them, both Craig and Kevin separately a ton over the years. Craig has co-written a lot of songs on my solo record list including my last one and co-produced it with me. Kevin is the first person I called after I left Barenaked Ladies and we’ve been playing together ever since. It was a duo, so with this record we decided to merge our superpowers and make this trio and it’s just been a blast. We play everything from ‘Gordon’ era of Barenaked Ladies all the way up to my latest solo record,” he said. Page’s latest solo effort released last year is entitled, “Heal Thyself Pt. 1: Instinct.”
Page added it’s been great doing the symphony shows, as well. Earlier this month, Page performed with the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra for the “Great Canadian Songbook: A Canada 150 Celebration” concert, which included a collection of Canadian classic hits.
“It’s nice to be included in stuff like that,” he said. “Doing a few of my songs, as well as Leonard Cohen songs.” Page will be performing another symphony show at the end of the month in Ontario and after that he hopes to line up more for next season.
“With Barenaked Ladies we did some symphonic shows and we had arrangements of our songs with different symphonies like the Toronto Symphony and the Boston Pops and so on,” he said, adding other projects have continued in the symphony vein and will continue on.
Page said with Canada celebrating 150 years he will be doing a show in Vancouver with his fellow musical cohorts from Odds.
“I play with them a lot. They’re my backing band and we will do shows where they start the show and then we do a set together and then I’ve got this other project called the Trans-Canada Highwaymen, which is myself, Craig, Moe Berg from Pursuit of Happiness and Chris Murphy from Sloan. The four of us tour with instruments and play each other’s songs. Chris will play drums on ‘I’m an Adult Now’ and then I’ll play drums on let’s say ‘Underwhelmed’ or something like that. It’s really fun. It’s just four guys kind of the same generation playing each other’s greatest hits,” he said.
According to the Canadian singer and songwriter, part two of “Heal Thyself” is basically done.
“I still have some finishing up to do on it on a few last tracks and then just to get a proper release date set up, so I have a deadline to start to work towards. I don’t work well without a deadline,” he admitted.
Aside from recording albums and touring on the road, Page wrapped up filming for the TV food show “Chopped Canada” this past summer, which aired over the holidays.
“I watch all those shows. That’s kind of my TV junk food,” he said.
He added the experience was just as hard and stressful as they make it out to look on TV. “And I won. So, I can’t complain,” he joked.
Page also hosted the reality TV series “The Illegal Eater,” which never got renewed for another season.
“That series itself isn’t going to happen anymore, which is kind of a drag because it was a fun concept and I thought the show worked really well. But, I’m working on some ideas with a production company for maybe another limited series kind of thing,” he said.
Page has had 25 years of on the job training, as far as doing TV and talking to cameras.
“Doing a travel and food show was not a stretch because that’s essentially what touring with a rock band is — you travel around the world and eat. Doing a TV show about it, was almost second nature,” he added.
--taken from: Medicine Hat News
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