Outlaw Country

U2, Dylan, Hip Producer Talks Melanoma, Breakthrough Immunotherapy, and A-List Benefit

Aug 17, 2018 Nick Krewen Mark Howard, the Grammy-winning and Juno-nominated producer and engineer who has worked with everyone from Bob Dylan and U2 to The Tragically Hip and Willie Nelson, has organized a benefit concert featuring Sarah McLachlan, Randy Bachman, Sass Jordan, Sam Roberts and Ian Thornley, and more,  to be held at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall on Oct. 6. The Mark Howard & Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Grand…

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Willie Nelson charms Massey Hall crowd

It usually takes country music icon Willie Nelson and his backing band, The Family, a few numbers to get into that special groove of theirs. That was the case Thursday night in Toronto. Willie Nelson and The Family performing for a Toronto crowd at Massey Hall on June 20, 2013. Nick Krewen Music Published on Fri Jun 21 2013   Willie Nelson Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St., Toronto, June 20…


The persistence of Indie Lindi Ortega

Entertainment / Music Her old label decided she’s no Lady Gaga, as one listen to Ortega’s lonely, affecting tunes should have told them.    Singer/songwriter Lindi Ortega Nick Krewen Special to the Star Published on Mon Nov 29 2010 When The Killers’ Brandon Flowers visits The Sound Academy Saturday to support his new album Flamingo, he’ll have a local hired hand singing backup that everyone should keep an eye on. Though raven-haired and…


The Return Of Redneck Country

THE RETURN OF REDNECK COUNTRY Nick Krewen GRAMMY.com August 2004   Country music is getting rowdy again. As newcomers Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich suddenly race up the charts with attitude-brandishing anthems like “Redneck Woman” and “Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)” and outspoken veterans Toby Keith and Montgomery Gentry watch their fan base increase by leaps and bounds, country audiences have returned to embracing the genre’s ornery streak….


“I’m On The Guest List – My Name Is Satan”

Bad-ass Band Doesn’t Deny The Devil’s Influence   By Nick Krewen Special To The Star Tuesday November 2, 1999   Are Seattle’s Supersuckers the spawns of Satan? It’s an association the rogue quartet’s singer and bassist Eddy Spaghetti – Edward Carlyle Daly III to his mortal parents – will neither deny nor disavow. But judging the number of times ol’ Beezlebub is referenced lyrically in such halo-bending anthems as “Born…