Art Rock

Taylor Swift may be the hottest ticket in town, but our city has always loved a good gig. Here are Toronto’s 10 biggest concerts of all time

The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and U2 are a few of the artists who drew the largest crowds. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star A rolling stone may gather no moss, but the Rolling Stones certainly gather the masses, especially in or near Toronto. With Taylor Swift and her six-date run at Rogers Centre swiftly approaching, what better time to take a look at Toronto’s all-time biggest concerts. Swift’s…

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Iconic singers Alanis Morissette and Joan Jett rock Budweiser Stage with nostalgia-filled sets

Although there’s no doubt that Morissette gave it her all, there was a problem that dampened proceedings: a bad sound mix, writes Nick Krewen By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Alanis Morissette and Joan Jett Three stars (out of four)  Budweiser Stage on Saturday, July 13, 2024  Isn’t she iconic? True that the term “iconic” has been employed to the point of nausea by every well-meaning publicist grasping for…


‘It’s an honour, obviously’: Michel Pagliaro on his induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame

Plus ‘Rock of Fame’ honourees like Alan Frew and Carole Pope talk about making it, fan moments and weird concert catering. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star On Thursday night, 13 legacy Canadian recording artists are to be inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame during a special ceremony at Massey Hall dubbed “Canada’s Rock of Fame.” The list is a who’s who of homegrown music talent from the ’70s and ’80s,…


The band Max Webster, almost Canada’s Next Big Thing in the 1970s and ’80s, gets the coffee table book treatment

From 1972 until 1981, the band created five wonderfully idiosyncratic studio albums and toured incessantly — even headlining Maple Leaf Gardens three times within 18 months. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Up until very recently, Kim Mitchell had forgotten that day in Indianapolis in 1981 when he performed “Battle Scar” with his Toronto rockers Max Webster and a man wearing a mask of ex-U.S. president Richard Nixon snuck…


Before she went to New York and became famous, Joni Mitchell played the Half Beat in Yorkville

     Nick Krewen Special to the Star John McHugh remembers the time he accidentally became Joni Mitchell’s matchmaker. McHugh, who owned the Yorkville-era clubs The Penny Farthing and The Half Beat back in the ‘60s, recalls meeting “Joanna Anderson” when she came around to one of his venues around 1963-64. “It was at the Penny Farthing that (singer) Cathy Young brought this young lady in with her,” McHugh recalled recently…