Composer

KISS and Def Leppard a blazing double bill: review

Both bands repeatedly thrilled the sold-out Amphitheatre crowd of 16,000.  Nick Krewen Music, Published on Wed Aug 13 2014 KISS and Def Leppard 3.5 stars At the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, Aug. 12. Does Gene Simmons’ fire-breathing swordplay, bloodied mouth shtick and ever-undulating serpentine tongue ever get old? Not if you’re a member of the KISS Army. The larger-than-life, cartoon-costumed, makeup-sporting hard rockers have entrenched the routines so heavily into their…


John Legend’s effortless concert also effort-free: review

Nick Krewen Music, Published on Sat Aug 09 2014 John Legend 2.5 stars At the Molson Amphitheatre, Aug. 8 John Legend is a man is without a care in the world, it seems. And why shouldn’t he be? Life is good for the Ohio born-and-bred singer and songwriter. Just under a year ago, he tied the knot with his Sports Illustrated model wife Chrissy Teigen. In a recording career that’s…


A Nick Cave concert so riveting, it gets five stars out of four

Nick Cave repeatedly ventured as far into the crowd as his microphone cord would let him, staring deeply into the faces he was serenading. Nick Krewen Music, Published on Fri Aug 01 2014 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, July 31, 2014 How transcendent were Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds on Thursday night? Let’s put it this way: there are singers who are…


Violinist Lindsey Stirling credits YouTube with meteoric rise

In four short years, the classical crossover sensation reached the top with the help of viral videos. Nick Krewen Music, Published on Fri Jun 13 2014 In four short years, classical crossover sensation Lindsey Stirling has gone from anonymity to star stature without the help of the usual star-making machinery. There is no major label, prominent manager, radio station or concert promoter that can claim responsibility for the elfin dubstep…


Liner notes: FM, Black Noise

FM – Black Noise   Oh, the endless possibilities that can be stoked by science fiction. It’s a realm where imaginations are stimulated, emancipated, and allowed to run wild; where boundaries are stretched and eliminated, and where the inconceivable can become an accomplished reality. It’s a topic that is so entrenched and valued in our society that sci-fi has gifted us with some of our most beloved cultural milestones, be…