Drake’s OVO Fest brings Nicki Minaj and Snoop to town

Entertainment / Music Toronto’s Aubrey “Drake” Graham gets hometown hero’s welcome at Molson Amphitheatre Nick Krewen Special to the Star Published on Mon Aug 06 2012 The one question on everyone’s minds as the lights went down for rapper Drake’s main set of his third annual OVO Fest was how was he going to top himself this time? For the first hometown celebration of October’s Very Own, christened for the…


Havoc over, Alanis Morissette sees the bright lights

Havoc over, Alanis Morissette sees the bright lights Motherhood and romantic stability put a happy spin on Alanis Morissette’s new album, Havoc and Bright Lights. Alanis Morissette reflects on a tarnished brass ring: “I saw that fame could support me as a tool to support my agenda, my agenda of uplifting, and comforting, and titillating — just engaging in conversations that I’m so passionate about. . . . I need…


The Monks’ Bad Habits hard to break

An anomalous punk hit in Canada gets a loving tribute at the Horseshoe. By: Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Wed Jul 25 2012 “Nice legs, shame about her face.” If you’re old enough to remember those lyrics, you’ll recall that circa 1979-1980 there was a band named The Monks that owned Canadian Top 40 radio for a spell with the novel ditty “Drugs In My Pocket.” The…


Blue Skies Ahead for Skylar Grey

NEWS GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter discusses transforming her career and her new album, Don’t Look Down NICK KREWEN GRAMMYS MAY 15, 2017 GRAMMY.com If at first you don’t succeed, try a pseudonym. That’s what Wisconsin native Holly Brook Hafermann did in 2010 when she emerged as Skylar Grey and garnered two GRAMMY nominations, including Song Of The Year for co-writing Eminem and Rihanna‘s 2010 smash “Love The Way You Lie.” She subsequently…


Gomez goes for variety

Easygoing Brit band plays Mod Club, after a break for health. Gomez called off last year’s tour when Ben Ottewell, centre, lost his singing voice. By: Nick Krewen Special to the Star Published on Fri Jul 20 2012   Gomez likes to mix it up. Part of the charm of the five-piece experimental rock band from Southport, England is that it’s hard to pinpoint their sound. When they first broke…