Pop

Arranger, Bass, Composer, Concert reviews, Events, Grammy, Guitar, New Wave, Pop, Reggae, Rock, Rock 'N Roll Hall Of Fame, Songwriter, United Kingdom, Voice September 21, 2024

‘Surprise is the essence of music’: Sting still has a few tricks up his sleeve in five-show Toronto stint

By Nick Krewen Special to the Star One amazing evening down … four to go. Rock superstar Sting returned to the familiar and intimate surroundings of Massey Hall Friday night for the first of five concerts in six nights at Toronto’s Grand Old Lady, which — if not unprecedented for the venue — certainly is rare. With his longtime guitarist Dominic Miller and recently recruited Mumford & Sons touring drummer…

Beatles, Bob Dylan, Concert reviews, Events, Pop, Rock, Tom Petty, United Kingdom September 10, 2024

Jeff Lynne’s ELO bring their rousing jukebox to Toronto for their final tour

he band played the hits from their 50-plus-year career at the Scotiabank Arena. by Nick Krewen Special to the Star Jeff Lynne’s ELO 3.5 stars (out of 4) Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 As the co-founder and creative driving force of the Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Lynne has regaled audiences with a musical evolution over 50-plus years that has been nothing short of astonishing, moving from symphonic and…

Adult Contemporary, Alberta, Canada, Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame, Canadian Music Hall Of Fame, Country, Grammy, JUNO, k.d. lang, Leonard Cohen, LGBTQ, Nashville Sound, Pop, Producer, Punk, Songwriter, Voice August 30, 2024

As ‘90s icon k.d. lang enters the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, she reflects on her extraordinary career

The singer said she doesn’t miss the stage but still feels the creative impulse. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star In 1988, k.d. lang arrived at what she called “an emotional destination:” she recorded an album called Shadowland with the legendary Owen Bradley, who decades earlier had produced country icon Patsy Cline. At the time, the perennially lowercased lang was still something of an unknown quantity in the U.S….

Africa, Arranger, Canada, Country, Elton John, Events, Festivals, Guitar, LGBTQ, Pop, Songwriter, Toronto, Voice August 3, 2024

‘I was at a breaking point’: Why masked country-pop star Orville Peck dropped everything last year and returned with a terrific duets album

The musician’s new record, ‘Stampede,’ features Willie Nelson, Beck, Elton John and Kylie Minogue. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Who is that masked man? It’s a question that proudly gay South African country singer and songwriter Orville Peck had been asking himself lately. In fact, when Peck, known for concealing his face in public, headlined the Budweiser Stage on July 3, he revealed to the audience that his…

Bass, Beatles, Canada, Drums, Glam Rock, Guitar, JUNO, Pop, Rock, Songwriter, Toronto, Voice August 1, 2024

They — and their hair — were massive in the ‘80s. On a new tour opening for Billy Idol, can these Toronto rockers make a comeback?

Four decades after touring Canada with Billy Idol, Platinum Blonde will open for him at Scotiabank Arena on Aug. 9.By Nick Krewen Special to the Star You have your Halley’s Comet. You have your solar eclipses. But an even rarer phenomenon — a national tour pairing two rock acts who played together 40 years ago — will be visible in Toronto when Billy Idol and Platinum Blonde perform at Scotiabank Arena on…