Guitar

Passenger, a.k.a. Mike Rosenberg, grateful for Ed Sheeran’s support

Passenger returns to Toronto for Dec. 10 show at Phoenix. Singer-songwriter Mike Rosenberg, alias Passenger, returns to Toronto to play the Phoenix on Dec. 10.   By: Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Fri Dec 07 2012     Sometime last month, folk songwriter Mike Rosenberg, a.k.a. Passenger, almost ended up in a German jail. It seems a female admirer handed him a bullet in honour of his…


Corb Lund brings us his Western world

Rootsy troubadour has hit album, crack band and distinct outlook to show off at Danforth Music Hall on Nov. 23. Albertan country star Corb Lund has a hit album in Cabin Fever. By: Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Wed Nov 21 2012 Corb Lund may not be in consideration for the role of Toronto Blue Jays manager, but at least he’s got his hand signals down. Speaking…


Junior Brown invents his place in Sleepwalk Guitar Festival

Musician’s creation, the guit-steel, lets him stand out amid sea of talent at Toronto fest. Junior Brown and his guit-steel are guests of the Sleepwalk festival     By: Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Wed Oct 31 2012 When the second annual Sleepwalk Guitar Festival convenes at the Great Hall from Nov. 2 to 4, there will be plenty of six-string pioneers but only one inventor in…


Iris DeMent wants songs to be worth the wait

By NICK KREWEN Special to the Star Fri., Oct. 19, 2012 The last time Grammy-nominated, Americana music siren Iris DeMent released an album of original songs, Lisa Marie Presley had divorced Michael Jackson; Diana, Princess of Wales was still among the living and social media was restricted to email. Not that it matters to the DeMent faithful who will pack Hugh’s Room to the rafters this weekend for a pair of…


Toronto’s Lindi Ortega a rising alt-country star in Nashville

Lindi Ortega brings her blues-infused songs opening for Social Distortion at Toronto’s Sound Academy. “I like evolving and learning and exploring what I’m interested in, and I wanted to show that musically,” says Lindi Ortega of her new disc, Cigarettes & Truckstops.   By: Nick Krewen Published on Wed Oct 17 2012 If Lindi Ortega’s star is rising so rapidly, then why is she singing the blues? The answer can…