Review: Foo Fighters at Rogers Centre in Toronto, July 12, 2018

This is not a concert review. Yeah, I know what the headline says. So if you’re here for a retelling of all the face-melting rock majesty that Dave Grohl and company poured over the Rogers Centre crowd, I’m sorry to disappoint. The thing is, my attention wasn’t 100% on the show. My attention was on my boys, because it was their first ever concert. My 10-year-old little dudes have now been baptized in rock by Reverend Grohl and his rock and roll apostles, and I couldn’t be prouder.

Advertisements

Review: The Beaches at The Opera House in Toronto, May 11, 2018

There are no words. That’s about the laziest thing a writer can say about anything. And yet it was the first phrase that came to mind about The Beaches’ homecoming show in Toronto Friday night, rounding out a headlining tour across Canada. So here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to use a fourth-grade poetry trick and use that hacky phrase as my guide to actually say some words.

Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton John: Declaration & Invitation

Olivia Newton-John was my first celebrity crush. When “Physical” was a big hit in 1981 – a Jazzercise anthem – I was just eight years old. It’s probably one of the first pure pop songs I really loved. It was also the first time I was really aware of her and I remember thinking, “Wow, that’s a pretty lady.” And it made me feel kind of good, but simultaneously embarrassed.

Review: Dear Rouge & Lights at Elements Nightclub in Kitchener, April 6, 2018

Maybe something good is coming.

Two and a half years ago I began my first review of a Dear Rouge show with almost the same line. It just wasn’t quite right. I misremembered it because it was from a new song they were playing while touring their first album, Black to Gold. I’d never heard it before, but I immediately loved it. I misremembered it as, “Maybe something good is gonna happen.”

8 Things Dear Rouge’s Phases Reminds Me Of

My exceedingly well documented Dear Rouge obsession started almost three years ago, after I bought their debut album, Black to Gold. That album brought all kinds of fun things to mind for me, inspiring my post on the Top 10 Things Dear Rouge’s Black to Gold Reminds Me Of. Not surprisingly, I love their new album, Phases, and it’s got my mind racing again. So here we go…

10 Songs that Made Me Happy in 2017

If ever there was a year when we needed a little extra dose of happiness in our lives, 2017 was it. Here are the 10 songs that injected the most joy into my life, whether I was sitting on a train heading to work, walking around the city with my headphones on, or driving around town with my boys.

The Beaches & Death From Above at Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, December 1, 2017

One of my favourite moments in last night’s blazing celebration of rock at Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre was not even a musical one, and yet it perfectly illustrates what this night was about.