San Francisco

As he gets inducted into the Mariposa Hall of Fame, Bruce Cockburn looks back on the highs and lows of summer festivals

The 79-year-old musician will play the Lightfoot Stage at the Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia on July 7.  By Nick Krewen Special to the Star The second time he played the Mariposa Folk Festival, in 1969, Bruce Cockburn wasn’t supposed to headline. That honour belonged to Neil Young, fresh from his split with Buffalo Springfield, until a last-minute health issue forced the Ottawa-born folksinger and songwriter — who, until that point, had…

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She’s the daughter of Bobby ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’ McFerrin, but she’s forging her own path in music

With her debut album now out, Madison McFerrin brings her world tour to Toronto’s TD Music Hall. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star If the name Madison McFerrin is familiar, it’s because she’s the daughter of Mr. “Don’t Worry Be Happy” himself, 10-time Grammy winner Bobby McFerrin. So one would assume that the elder McFerrin would be forthcoming in offering his 31-year-old daughter advice on tricks of the trade. They…


The Residents take on death

Entertainment / Music If you think the TV series Lost is cryptic and enigmatic, get a load of The Residents.     Nick Krewen Special To The Star,  Published on Sat Feb 13 2010 If you think the TV series Lost is cryptic and enigmatic, get a load of The Residents. For 38 years, the avant-garde California-based performance art collective – they’re most familiar to the masses as eyeballs dressed in top hats and…


Metallica: Blood, Sweat and Beers

NEED TO KNOW: METALLICA, with Corrosion Of Conformity at Copps Coliseum on Tuesday, February 25. 7:00 p.m. Remaining tickets are $32.50 and available at the Copps Coliseum and Hamilton Place box offices, or by calling TicketMaster at 645-5000.   NICK KREWEN Hamilton Spectator February 20, 1996 There was a scene at last month’s American Music Awards ceremony almost bizarre enough to resurrect Rod Serling‘s decaying corpse. During this Twilight Zone…


‘Better, not bitter’

Carlos Santana’s strategy for success has kept him on top for 20 years   Nick Krewen Hamilton Spectator Friday, July 24, 1987   It was 20 years ago today that Carlos Santana taught his band to play. The summer of love may be best remembered for The Beatles‘ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,  but 1967 should also go down in history as the year Latin rock surfaced to the…