Award Winners

Bryan Adams’ Life-Saving Valentine

PUBLISHED IN THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 , 1998, ADVANCING ST. CATHARINES GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION BENEFIT CONCERT ON FEBRUARY 15       NICK KREWEN     TORONTO:   Bryan Adams has decided to unofficially extend Valentine’s Day by 24 hours. His generous gift to supermodel pal Linda Evangelista and the women of the Niagara Region is a benefit concert this Sunday at the Jack Gatecliff Memorial Arena in…


Meeting Pope Was Highlight: B.B. King

MEETING POPE WAS HIGHLIGHT: B.B. KING Gets 1st gold album in 48 years, Blues Brothers 2000 coming up      NICK KREWEN THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR, Wednesday, January 21, 1998 TORONTO — The undisputed King Of The Blues calls meeting Pope John Paul II “the highlight of my life,” but says he didn’t offer him any lessons after giving him a replica of his prized guitar Lucille. “No, I did not,”…


Tragically Hip – In Violent Light

PUBLISHED IN THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR Thursday, December 5, 1997 NEED TO KNOW: THE TRAGICALLY HIP with Rheostatics, Copps Coliseum, Wednesday, December 11. Sold Out.   BY NICK KREWEN   Suppose you gave a performance and nobody came? According to Rob Baker, guitarist for Canadian rock icons The Tragically Hip, a Hamilton strip-and-rock club was the host for just such an astonishing occasion, much to the band’s chagrin. The era was…


The Book Of Secrets Revealed

PUBLISHED IN CANADIAN MUSICIAN     Nick Krewen   When it comes to exploring her Celtic ancestry, Loreena McKennitt leaves no stone unturned. She’s trekked to the far corners of the Earth following her muse, this one-woman dynamo on a mission of cultural renaissance. Her travels have taken her to London, Ireland, Athens, Istanbul, Sicily and even a ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway to inspire her latest masterpiece, The Book…


Pat Benatar: She Belongs

  Nick Krewen Kitchener-Waterloo Record October 21, 1997 A million website hits can’t be wrong. Nor can thousands of people who flocked to outdoor sheds the past couple of summers to see her share the stage with Styx and Steve Miller. So why isn’t radio playing the music of Pat Benetar, especially when she’s recorded an album as strong as her latest, Innamorata? “Radio? I’m frustrated,” says Benatar, 44, matter-of-factly…