Regions

John Cleese explains the inspiration behind a classic Monty Python “Holy Grail” skit ahead of Toronto show

Cleese appears at Roy Thomson Hall on April 26 for “An Evening of Exceptional Silliness: Unique Lives and Experience.” By Nick Krewen Special to the Star And now for something completely different: John Cleese, how silly is your upcoming An Evening of Exceptional Silliness  Unique Lives and Experience appearance at Roy Thomson Hall going to be? Very, very silly or just semi-silly?  “I think semi-silly, probably,” responds the legendary British comedian and…


Singer-songwriter Basia Bulat is back with chamber folk new album The Garden

Nick Krewen Special to the Star February 25, 2022 Toronto-born, Montreal-based one-time Polaris Music Prize finalist used source material from her first five studio albums for album out Feb. 25. There are some strings attached to the new Basia Bulat album that’s dropped. The Toronto-born, Montreal-based, one-time Polaris Music Prize finalist has hired three arrangers — Owen Pallett, Paul Frith and cellist Zou Zou Robidoux — to wrap the 16…


Brampton singer/songwriter AHI talks influences and the winding path that led him to music

His third album, Prospect, released late last year, with singles “Danger” and “Coldest Fire,” is an extraordinary folk-rooted effort. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star February 23, 2022 From a stranger outside Thunder Bay to Prospect Cemetery, to Bob Marley: Ahkinoah Habah Izarh — AHI for short — finds inspiration in all kinds of places and people. The Brampton-born singer and songwriter’s third album Prospect displays 10 songs of…


Tears For Fears discuss the long road to The Tipping Point

Tears for Fears’ Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith talk about the three-day stint at Massey Hall in 1985 when they filmed the video for “Head Over Heels” at Emmanuel College Library. Nick Krewen Special to the Star February 11, 2022 Remember when Tears for Fears ruled the world? Band co-founders Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, both 60, who have sold over 30 million albums around the world, recall the time…


Blue Rodeo on the making of new album Many A Mile: ‘Everybody was willing to let go of how everything was before and it was really great’

By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Sometimes fate intervenes in mysterious ways. For example, take Blue Rodeo: the creation of the Toronto collective’s new album Many A Mile, released Friday, was as much a surprise to the band’s co-founding songwriters Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor as anyone. Even though it’s been five years since their last studio effort, 1000 Arms, it seemed it would be another little while before…