Travel

Paul McCartney tickets for $5,000? Insiders reveal why going to a concert costs so much

Artists’ business managers say that after the pandemic touring became a lot more expensive.  For Paul McCartney’s recent performance at Hamilton’s TD Coliseum, it wasn’t unusual seeing tickets go for $5000. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star It’s no secret that concert ticket prices have reached unprecedented heights, bolstered in part by the secondary resale market, dynamic pricing and ticketing fees that rise accordingly with each transaction. In fact,…

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From ‘Bobcaygeon’ to ‘Sudbury Saturday Night’ — this musician is cycling across Canada to learn about the places made famous in song

Aengus Finnan’s musical journey will end in mid-September on Vancouver Island.  By Nick Krewen Special to the Star As our country celebrates its 157th birthday, July 1 will find Aengus Finnan in the midst of a nation-hugging project of his own, one he calls “The Great Canadian Song Cycle.” It’s both a literal and figurative adventure: the folk musician and administrator is currently wheeling across our land on his trusty…


Cape Breton’s Fertile Music Scene

Story by Nick Krewen | September 17, 2018 For SOCAN Words & Music On Cape Breton Island, the music flows like water. Despite its relatively modest population, at 132,000 residents, this Northeastern tip of Nova Scotia, spread over 10,311 square km, has launched a number of tuneful tributaries surnamed MacMaster, Rankin and Sampson: artists that have impacted lands and listeners far beyond its borders. The Island’s musicians are largely known…


Neil Young: take a look at his life

Entertainment / Music The museum set up in Neil Young’s onetime home town pays abundant tribute to his early days, and the rock icon himself has noticed.    BRENDA HOSIER PHOTO Neil Young checks out Youngtown. Nick Krewen Special to the Star Published on Sat Mar 26 2011 Not too long ago, one of Trevor Hosier‘s lifelong ambitions came true. No, not the one where he creates and curates his own rock…


Are house concerts the next big thing?

Are house concerts the next big thing? | Toronto Star One Toronto family plays host to concerts — and they’re not alone.      Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Sat Jan 01 2011 Next weekend, Joanne and Blair Sleightholm are bringing the Bluebird Café concept to their spacious Yonge and Eglinton-area home. Inspired by the tiny Nashville restaurant that launched the songwriting careers of thousands, the Sleightholms…