Juno Performers Update

It was announced today that Tokyo Police Club will be the final performance of the 2011 Juno Awards! Heck yes! That should be awesome! Also making news is that Serena Ryder along with Barenaked Ladies member Kevin Hearn have been added to the 40th Anniversary tribute performance. Unfortunately, Garth Hudson had to drop out due to illness. One other piece of info that was announced today is that Juno nominated Chilly Gonzales will make a special appearance with host Drake during the show! Sunday can't come soon enough!

CMW Day 4

Where: Supermarket

When: Saturday March 12th

Who: Nikki Lang

Genre: Pop/Alternative Country

I went into the Supermarket for the 8pm set on day 4 of CMW and was blown away by the big voice coming from the petite girl up on stage. Her name was Nikki Lang, an LA based singer-songwriter. Aside from her amazing voice, I loved her songs as they always tell a story. Her stories. Two of my favorite tunes were "Lost Angeles" and "Monster". I was a little bummed those songs were not included on her 5 song album titled "Feel Better". Nonetheless "Feel Better" is awesome and is available for download on itunes.

"Like" her on Facebook

9pm
Who: Morgan Cameron Ross

Genre: Folk Pop

I don't know how many more good things I can say about Morgan. I've been supporting him and his music for so many years now that I've lost count. I look forward to every time I see him live whether he's with his band Birds of Wales or if he's doing his solo thing, like tonight. I have to say though, this was one of the best shows I've seen in a long time, which is great considering he had very limited time to practice with this new band. Like I told him, you would never have known. His band members that night really added to the show, all super talented. Mike Slute took over the vocals on what is Holly McNarland's part in one of his songs, and I was just blown away! Also, I'm not gonna lie all the musicians up on that stage were rather handsome! Can't wait until the next show!
Morgan Cameron Ross' debut solo album will be available May 3rd!

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10pm
Who: Pat Robitaille

Genre: Folk Pop Rock

I was just about ready to leave the Supermarket....until Pat Robitaille started to play. I had no idea who this guy was but man does he have some serious talent. The sound was amazing that evening and his voice just filled the room! He brought a band up on stage with him for several songs, but admittedly he was new to having a band, and it was a little awkward at times. Checking out his bio, I see that by 24 he has released 4 full length albums and countless EPs and has opened for bands like The Beach Boys, Gordon Lightfoot, The Tragically Hip, Peter Frampton & Matthew Good. Amazing! I think I'll be checking out this guy live again sometime.

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My final thoughts:

You know, this is what I love about CMW. I went to the Supermarket to see Morgan Cameron Ross and came out a fan of both Nikki Lang and Pat Robitaille. Showcases like these are the best way to expose you to musicians you may never have crossed paths with otherwise. I couldn't be happier with how CMW 2011 ended. What a great night!

Sammy Hagar CMW Keynote

Last Saturday afternoon during Canadian Music Week, I had an awesome couple hours of being able to listen to some music legends speak at the Fairmont Royal York. After an hour plus of Melissa Etheridge (see my post below) it was Sammy Hagar's turn. The Red Rocker.

The first thing I noticed about him was how friendly he comes across. I guess I was a little surprised, but at the same time I had heard only good things about him from people I know who have met him. Just like Melissa, Sammy was very open, honest and funny. It was a fantastic interview.

Things I took away from this interview:

1) He made me want to go and listen to some Van Halen

2) Talked so highly about his Cabo Wabo Tequila that I actually wanted to try it. (As if that's gonna happen though! haha)

3) I decided that I'm gonna go to "Sammy's Beach Bar & Grill" in the Las Vegas airport next time I'm there. All profit made is donated to a local charity. He has other locations across the country.

4) I learned that "Chickenfoot IV" is in the works with his fellow band members, Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, solo guitarist Joe Satriani, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith. They are currently shopping around for a record deal.

5) "Chickenfoot IV" came about after they decided that they were just going to skip over numbers 2 and 3 as those numbers just weren't working for them. 4 just seemed to stick!

6) Interviewer Tommy Nast asked Hagar who the best lead guitarist he ever played with was. His answer? Joe Satriani. No hesitation there.

7) I should buy his book. "Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock". You should too.

(photo from cmw.net)

Melissa Etheridge CMW Keynote

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the "celebrity interview" with Melissa Etheridge at the Royal York last Saturday afternoon. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this, like would she be a good interviewee? Could they keep it interesting for a whole hour? The answer is yes, and yes!

I would say interviewer Ralph Simon had a good chemistry going with Ms. Etheridge and it was very entertaining! Melissa was honest and funny and had a lot of stories to share. I was just soaking it all in. I mean, all I could really do was listen as I couldn't see anything from where I was seated! I just kept my eyes on the big screens at the front.

One of my favorite moments was when the floor was opened up to questions from the audience. Canadian singer-songwriter Serena Ryder pulled a little prank on her. Serena had just wrapped up a 3 week Canadian tour with Melissa that ended the night before at Massey Hall and Melissa had spoken very highly of her earlier in the interview. Anyhow, Serena stands up to ask a question that went something like this, "My name’s Serena. I was just wondering what the inspiration for Black Velvet was?" Everyone cracked up! As I'm sure we all know, Alannah Myles is the one who sang Black Velvet.

Melissa responded with "Sister, I didn't know you were here!" She was just chillin' in the audience like the rest of us. I met Serena once, she's a pretty cool chick. We bonded over having the same name! haha

Another thing I really liked was that Melissa had some great things to say about the Canadian music industry. She loves how Canada supports its artists and she's pretty envious of that. She went on to say that they are like our national treasures, and she's right, they are.

(Photo from cmw.net)

Courage My Love

Alright, so I didn't actually get to see these guys live during CMW as their showcase was 3am at Cherry Cola's (It was past my bedtime...I'm old haha). What I did get to see was them being rolled around on a little acoustic tour of the Royal York on Friday afternoon. This pop-punk group consists of twin sisters Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn along with David Blake-Dickson. I gotta tell ya, there was some killer vocals coming out of these girls! On their Facebook page you can see a photo and a video of that little acoustic tour. Check them out if you ever get the chance, I know I will.

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(Photo via Facebook)

Age Of The Enemy

Where: Velvet Underground

When: Friday March 11th

Genre: Hard Rock/Metal

Toronto based band Age Of The Enemy took the stage at the Velvet Underground for their Friday night CMW showcase and they nailed it! It may have been a little too early (8pm) to pack the house but all of their loyal followers didn't seem to mind and neither did they. If you like Metal and you like to rock, then definitely check out Age Of The Enemy.

Catch them live: April 2nd @the Mod Club -$15 at the door, 6-9pm

Check them out online:
www.myspace.com/ageoftheenemy
Follow them on Twitter

CMW 2011 Kickoff: Finger Eleven

Where: Mod Club

When: Wednesday March 9th

Finger Eleven

I have been a huge fan of Finger Eleven for years! The best show I have ever seen from them was CMW three years ago when they played Massey Hall during a huge snow storm! I can remember how excited they were to be playing in that historic venue. The sound was absolutely incredible! A few months ago when I found out they would be playing the Canadian Music Week kickoff party at the Mod Club, I knew I wouldn't miss it for the world! CMW is just not the same without these boys.

Last year, I was lucky enough to be able do a brief interview with guitarist Rick Jackett where he talked all about what we could expect from the new album...I couldn't believe I had to wait months before I could hear it! I was not disappointed! Needless to say, I was pumped to finally be able to hear some of their new tunes live. What a fantastic show! They played the perfect mix of new and old tunes, including crowd pleasers like 'One Thing' and 'Paralyzer'. I wonder what they will have in store for us next year?

Check out 'One Thing' Live below

CMW 2011 Kickoff Show

(Note: This is not an actual review because reviews are simply not my thing :)

Where: Mod Club

When: Wednesday March 9th

Genre: Rock

Who: Frankie Whyte And The Dead Idols

I was pretty excited when I saw that Frankie Whyte And The Dead Idols were going to be performing before Finger Eleven at the kickoff show. I have known about them for quite some time and I definitely wanted to check them out at some point. Back in February they had the opportunity of lifetime when they opened for Bon Jovi here in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre. If I had any musical talent myself, opening for Bon Jovi would have been a lifelong dream of mine! Anyhow, if you love hot rocker chicks, you're going to love Frankie! Her energy is through the roof and her vocals are fantastic! This girl knows how to rock! Definitely check them out if you ever get a chance.

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http://www.frankiewhyteandthedeadidols.com

Need a laugh?

A friend of mine has created a series of silly and hilarious videos. My personal fave is "Paramore - The Only Exception (the true story)".

Check them out here: http://www.youtube.com/bipolarsock

xoxo

2011 Juno Award Presenters

CTV and the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences have announced the first round of presenters for the 2011 Juno Awards.

Appearing on the special two-and-a-half hour 10th anniversary CTV broadcast and celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Juno Awards will be:

Bryan Adams, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Daniel Lanois, Robbie Robertson, and Rush’s Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee. Joining them will be Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley, deadmau5, James Moore, K’Naan, Shad, Tokyo Police Club and the hosts of CTV’s first JUNO broadcast in 2002, Barenaked Ladies.

Even more amazing presenters will be announced soon!

The 2011 Juno Awards will take place on Sunday March 27th at 8pm live from the Air Canada Centre here in Toronto and will be hosted by Drake.

Up and Coming: Steve Major

My friend Steve Major's debut single 'Checkmate' will be available for digital download on March 16th!!!

The ringtone will be available tomorrow, March 9th for iPhone via iTunes.

Wanna know more about Steve Major? Of course you do! You can check out his website right here!

Photo via Facebook

Canadian Music Week

CMW 2011 kicks off tomorrow! Its the best week of the year for me! Stay tuned for all my updates!

xoxo

Maria Aragon: The girl who captured our hearts!

Rather than talk about Charlie Sheen like everyone is this week...and probably for months to come, I'm gonna talk about 10 year old Maria Aragon.

This amazing little girl from Winnipeg quickly became a YouTube sensation with her rendition of Lady Gaga's new hit single "Born This Way". Lady Gaga learned of this video from her friend Perez Hilton and then tweeted "Can't stop crying watching this. This is why I make music. She is the future. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG0wi1m-89o"

Recently, 99.9 Virgin Radio's Billie of the Breakfast Show chatted with Lady Gaga and little Maria. Billie informed Gaga that they were flying Maria into Toronto for the March 3rd show and it was then that Lady Gaga announced that Maria would have to join her on stage to sing "Born This Way" with her. Not gonna lie, this interview had me tearing up a little! I'm such a sap!

This video from last nights show at the ACC was no exception! It was such a beautiful performance! I just wish I was there to see it in person!