Rush

Remembering Neil Peart, whose jaw-dropping talent inspired a generation of musicians and wannabes

Nick Krewen Special to the Star January 11, 2020 He was closer to our hearts than we even realized. Make no mistake, the depth of anguish with which the music world  – especially Canadians – regards the unexpected passing of Neil Peart, 67,  on January 7 from glioblastoma, is immeasurable. Arguably the greatest and most influential drummer of his generation,  the Hamilton-born Peart – one third of progressive power trio…

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Massey Hall’s Massive Revitalization

Story by Nick Krewen | December 13, 2017 The Grand Old Lady is not only getting a facelift, but a makeover. Massey Hall, originally built in 1894 by Canadian industrialist and philanthropist Hart Massey at a cost of $152,000, is in the midst of a $139 million revitalization that will see the iconic, downtown-Toronto, 2,765-seat music venue shutter for a little over two years, starting July 30, 2018. When it…


Robert Ott: Music Publisher Turned IP Visionary

By Nick Krewen Reprinted/Re-posted with permission from FYIMusicNews.ca In 12 short years, ole has evolved from two desks and a dream to a worldwide reality worth an estimated US $650M – US $800M as reported by Billboard, and counting; from a music publishing start-up to an organization specializing in rights management that has expanded on many fronts and directly employs over 100 people with offices in Los Angeles, Nashville, New…


Commentary: Rock of Ages…

We’re barely six weeks into 2018 and this year is already shaping up to be a cold, hard truth for music lovers: mortality is rearing its ugly head. The ailment avalanche, affecting some of our greatest pop and rock performers, began in mid-January and seemingly hasn’t let up since. The first shocking admission occurred during a Globe and Mail interview published on January 16 with Rush guitarist extraordinaire Alex Lifeson,…


Foo Fighters keep fans and moms on their feet: review

Dave Grohl makes the most of a leg injury, even playing guitar with his cast. Nick Krewen Music, Published on Thu Jul 09 2015 Foo Fighters 3.5 stars July 8 at the Molson Amphitheatre. Dave Grohl isn’t going to let little things like a severely broken leg and ankle stop him from rocking the night away. Lesser musicians would have thrown in the towel and taken the requisite time to…