XTC at Centennial Hall, London, Ontario, Monday November 24, 1980. Too bad the show never happened (Thanks to MZ for the scan of her handbill).

You’ve got the warm ticket in your hot little hands, anticipation… Read full post »

020a. You Won’t See Me: 20 Acts I Wish I’d Seen  

For those of you who go out to see live music, you know that part of going to shows is not going to shows. Concerts are cancelled, plans change, unforseen events present themselves,… Read full post »

056. Stoned Soul Picnic: Laura Nyro, Music Hall Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Saturday July 15, 1989, $17.50

A night of reverie.

This Saturday April 14, 2012, Laura Nyro will be posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On the occasion of her induction, I would like… Read full post »

171. Chameleon/Comedian: Kathleen Edwards with Hannah Georgas, Bronson Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Thursday February 9, 2012, $43.50.

My 2012 concert-going begins with this magnificent show from returning hometown hero, Kathleen Edwards.

Back around the turn of the century (i… Read full post »

170b. Beat and the Pulse: Etc #7 2008-2011 Part Two with Austra, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, and Carole Pope.

170a. The Shape I'm In: Etc #7 2008-2011 Part One featuring Rush, Cyndi Lauper, John Hiatt, the Levon Helm Band, and comedian Margaret Cho.

NOTE: Over the course of this series, I will occasionally be publishing compilation pieces that are a collection of encapsulated re… Read full post »

Every decade has a few key years that seem to hit the jackpot in terms… Read full post »

Season's Greetings from Schlitz.  And Joan from Mad Men (Life, December 1960) .

Part 1 of my look at Christmas advertising from 1949 until now focussed on gift giving: which items have been singled out as worthy from then until now, and how they have been flog/… Read full post »

Which of you ladies out there wouldn’t be simply delighted to find a Borg Scale under your tree this Christmas? No? Well, the woman in the ad doesn’t look too convinced either. And that’s Madonna, right? (detail below).

Christmas is the season o… Read full post »

019. Walking on the Moon: Police Picnic III featuring The Police, Peter Tosh, James Brown, King Sunny Adé, Blue Peter, and The Fixx, CNE Stadium, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Friday August 5, 1983, $20.

Three consecutive summers of Police Picnics — and four consecutive summers of mu… Read full post »

169. Do U Lie?: Prince, Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Saturday December 3, 2011, $165.24.

One of the most frustrating experiences in 36 years of concert going.

"Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?" — Johnny Rotten/Lydon at the end of the Sex Pistols… Read full post »

018. I Keep A Close Watch: John Cale with Sheep Look Up, Fryfogle's, London, Ontario, Canada, Monday June 13, 1983, $n/a.

I do not have a ticket for this show, so a big Thank You to MZ for this handbill scan from her collection.

Given my life-long obsession with music of… Read full post »

017. Fucked Up Once Again: Flipper, Fryfogle's, London, Ontario, Canada, May 1983, $n/a, with Guest Contributor M. Zeppelin.

I do not have a ticket for this gig.  Instead, here is the cover of their second album, 1984's Gone Fishin', featuring a cut out their famed Flipper Touring… Read full post »

168. Trees Outside the Academy: 2011 Ottawa Folk Festival with Thurston Moore, Bright Eyes, Tom Morello/The Nightwatchman, and The Little Stevies, Hog’s Back Park, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, August 27-28, 2011, $39.50 per night.

The retooled Ottawa Folk Festival — now under the ausp… Read full post »

I have written about my love of collecting vintage magazines via my pieces chronicling the motherlode of copies of Life that I lucked into last year as well as the issue of Maclean’s that was synchronous with a Season Four Mad Men episode.  While it’s always great to find… Read full post »

167. Stop!: Jane’s Addiction and Death From Above 1979, Ottawa Bluesfest 2011 (Pt. 4), LeBreton Flats, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Saturday July 16, 2011, $19.17 (pre-sale, per-night average).

Bluesfest Stops!: the high spirits of the second Saturday night came to an abrupt halt… Read full post »

165. On & On: Erykah Badu, The Tragically Hip, Shpongle, and more, Ottawa Bluesfest 2011 (Pt. 2), LeBreton Flats, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Saturday July 9, 2011, $19.17 (pre-sale avg., per night)

Saturday t… Read full post »

166. Lookin’ Out My Back Door: John Fogerty & more, Ottawa Bluesfest 2011 (Pt. 3), LeBreton Flats, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Tuesday July 12, 2011, $19.17 (pre-sale, per night). 

John Fogerty's top-notch set kickstarted Week Two of this year's Ottawa Bluesfest ... and triggered… Read full post »

164. Bootzilla: Bootsy Collins, The Flaming Lips, and a sprinkle o’ Soundgarden and Wanda Jackson (but, sadly, no Black Keys), Ottawa Bluesfest 2011 (Pt. 1), LeBreton Flats, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Tuesday July 5/Friday July 8, 2011, $19.17.

Bootsy Collins headbutted me! (Photos… Read full post »

163. Splendor in the Grass: Pink Martini with Mike Essoudry’s Mash Potato Mashers Parade, Confederation Park, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Sunday June 26, 2011, $40.

After several rainy days, it was splendor in the grass — at last —… Read full post »

Jack Layton 1950-2011 (Official NDP Photo). 

162. Sugar Buzz: k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang with the Belle Brigade, Confederation Park, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Saturday June 25, 2011, $40.

Several days of rain finally come to a full stop for k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang at the 2011 Ottaw… Read full post »

161. The Other Side of Summer: Elvis Costello & the Imposters, Confederation Park, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Friday June 24, 2011, $40.

A relentless night-and-day-long downpour preceded the second evening of the 2011 Ottawa Jazz Fest… Read full post »

160. The Rain Song: Robert Plant & the Band of Joy with Bahamas, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Confederation Park, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Thursday June 23, 2011, $40.

2011’s Ottawa Jazz Festival, sporting its oft un-jazzy high profile headliners, is kicked off under dar… Read full post »

159. Wouldn’t It Be Nice: Brian Wilson, Southam Hall, National Arts Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Monday June 20, 2011, $92.94.

This concert took place on Brian’s 69^th birthday and the eve of this summer’s arrival.

When I think of the Beach Boys, I make an insta… Read full post »