Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band | Toronto 2012

It's taken me a few days to process - but Friday night's Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band concert in Toronto was one of the most amazing things I've ever experienced.  I had a smile on my face for almost 4 hours straight.

When I was in grade 2 my teacher, Mrs. McGowan, dressed up as 'The Boss' for Halloween.  She was Bruce on the cover of the 'Born In The USA' album cover and it was amazing.  My brother had that cassette and it never left the deck of his ghetto blaster that whole year.

I listened to the full 'Born In The USA' album a few times on a flight to Denver this past January.  It was perfect and instantly took me back to those days in 1984.  I could remember the wood stained wallpaper in my brother's bedroom along with all 26 NHL hockey pennants he had on the walls.  Music can truly act as a time machine in a way that nothing else can.

Friday's show at The Rogers Centre was beautiful. Bruce Springsteen is now 62 years of age and not showing any sign he's giving up.  He walked on that stage at 8pm and gave 150% for almost 4 hours straight.  His set list included 29 songs ranging from all decades and styles throughout his career.  Oh yeah and The E Street Band might very well be the finest band on the planet.

I was almost in tears (joy & sorrow) when he gave this speech at the 50 second mark of 'My City of Ruins'.  Keep in mind that this was simply the 7th song into the evening.  These guys gave more in the opening songs than most bands do in a 2nd encore.  This was a truly religious experience if I've ever seen one.

Here are a few links that will give you a better sense of how this evening went down...

'Waiting On A Sunny Day'  (little girl comes and sings the chorus with him)

'Working On A Highway' (Opener)

'Thunder Road / Born to Run / Rosalita / Dancing In The Dark"

Here's a couple classic Bruce Springsteen tracks I'll never grow tired of...

'Because The Night' (1978)

'Hungry Heart' (1984)

'My Hometown' (1984)

'Tunnel of Love' (1987)

'Murder Incorporated' (1995)

'Radio Nowhere' (2007)

'Death To My Hometown' (2012)

The catalogue is deep and it's time for me to dive in a little deeper.

If you have the chance to see this man live the rest assured he won't disappoint.  Bruce Springsteen truly is the hardest working man in showbiz.  Period.

Thank you for reading/listening.

Gregg Stewart

The Doctor

As the world continues to hold its breath for Dr. Dre's 'Detox' album - it's nice to hear the Doctor's voice again.  He may have stepped out of the spotlight since his last album, 13 years ago, but he's managed to keep busy with some of pop cultures biggest trends.  From Beats by Dre headphones to a few singles poised to be on the fabled 'Detox' he's still the master of creating beats in hip hop.  He's a relevant legend as he approaches 50 years of age.

From his early days in The World Class Wreckin' Cru to N.W.A to a solo career and producer - it's safe to say he's shaped Hip Hop over the past 30 years.

I write about Dre today as I am currently enthralled with his latest signing to Aftermath Records.  The kid's from Compton, his name is Kendrick Lamar and he is the real deal.  His writing, flow and style are what sets him apart from the rest at this time. Check out this Dre produced track.

During my first week working at Universal Music I was asked to help set-up a press conference for 'The Up In Smoke Tour'.  The tour was comprised of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Warren G. and newcomer at the time Eminem.  It was by far the greatest concert I've ever been to in my life.  If you have 2 hours to spare I recommend you watch it here.

I worked in the press department at that time and so the idea of a press conference was to get the artists in one room and do all interviews at the once.  It was also to alleviate some of the pressure from Eminem as the press were up in arms about his lyrical content on 'The Marshall Mathers LP' that day. 

When the press conference started it was only Dr. Dre and Eminem there to answer questions.  The others were held up at the border all morning.  As suspected once we opened questions to the floor it was all about Eminem and the controversy surrounding him.  Then in a turn of events George Stroumboulopoulos, of MuchMusic at the time, put his hand up and point blank asking Dre about his current relationship with Suge Knight.  That was a very touchy subject at that time and Eminem told George to get the fuck out of there.  I think it was Master T. that ended up doing the interviews thereafter.  It was fucking amazing.  That an introduction to the music business and a big reason as to why I decided to keep going.

The single best part of that day was watching soundcheck though.  Seeing Dr. Dre walk around the Molson Amphitheatre with his platinum mic checking sound from every corner of the stadium was surreal.  His attention to detail showed me exactly why he was the best in the business.  Well that and seeing Warren G. with a fishing rod in Lake Ontario while smoking a Philly.  I digress.

Dr. Dre's been a part of some of the biggest tracks in Hip Hop history and here are but a mere 10 of them...

Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg - 'Nuthin' But A G Thang'

Kendrick Lamar featuring Dr. Dre - 'The Recipe'

Black Street featuring Dr. Dre - 'No Diggity'

Dr. Dre featuring Akon and Snoop Dogg - 'Kush'

Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg - 'The Next Episode'

50 Cent - 'In Da Club'

N.W.A. - 'Straight Outta Compton'

The Game featuring 5O Cent - 'Hate It Or Love It'

Easy E - 'Boyz N The Hood'

Eminem featuring Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg - 'Bitch Please II'

I'm am excited to see what the next chapter of Dr. Dre's life brings us.  Bring on 'The Detox' please - it's time.

Thanks for reading/listening.

Gregg

6 New Song Recommendations + 1 Classic

It's not that often a week goes by without the discovery of an amazing new song.  Most weeks there are at least 1 stand-out track that I become addicted to and can't live without. 


This week was an exceptional week in that I heard about 6 that I can't get enough of and had to share with you.  4 of them where all from one radio show by Zane Lowe's radio show on BBC Radio 1.  Zane is the finest DJ in the world as he makes everything so exciting.  Give this link a listen and hear for yourself.


Here are the 6 tunes I think you should listen to this week.  Enjoy!

Band Of Horses - 'Knock Knock'

Ellie Goulding featuring Tinie Tempah - 'Holding On'

The Killers - 'Runaway'

Nas Featuring Amy Winehouse - 'Cherry Wine' *This is fan-fuckin-tastic!!

The Sheepdogs - 'The Way It Is'

The Rolling Stones - 'Beast of Burden' *Today marks the band's 50th Anniversary 

Check out these archives if you like The Stones

Thanks for reading/listening.

Gregg

T in the Park

T in the Park takes place this weekend in Balados, Scotland.  It's the finest festival in the UK and boasts the biggest rock stars from around the world.  The line-ups are always so insane that it makes me super jealous that it's so far away.

This year's festival will see the likes of Kasabian, Snow Patrol, Miike Snow, New Order, Noel Gallagher, The Stone Roses, Florence + the Machine, Calvin Harris, Skrillex, Emeli Sande, Ben Howard, Two Door Cinema Club and many more.

I had the pleasure of going to T in the Park back in 2005 for work.  It meant 5 wonderful days in Scotland - and believe it or not it never rained once.  I was there to escort a camera crew + contest winners and so we did not camp thank God.  We stayed in Glasgow and drove to Balados each day - which was an hour away. 

We made a mistake in our vehicle rental and ended up with a Mercedes tour bus.  Not a bad mistake at the end of the day. This was a 16 seater with tinted windows and a stocked bar.  It was a great way to travel and even better when we got to the site. Security just figured we were in a band, based on the sweet ride, and sent us passed the traffic into the back staging area.

In 2005 the line-up was insane (IMHO) and included headliners Green Day, Prodigy, The Killers, Travis, Foo Fighters, New Order, Kasabian, The Streets and James Brown.  I went for a wander backstage and saw Brandon Flowers playing mini putt, Fran Healy and the rest of Travis drinking a few cans of Tenants lager while Peter Hook (New Order Bassist) sat on a picnic bench playing his bass for a few beautiful girls.  It was this amazing 'heaven like scene' of my favourite rock stars hanging and having fun. 

My single strangest moment was running into the now ex-bass player of Snow Patrol Mark - seen here.  I had met him a few times when the band had started coming to North America to promote their 3rd album.  He had been there since the start of the band - but was recently tossed out for creative differences.  Well I met him in the beer tent and he was on fire about how the band chucked him out and had some harsh words for the guys.  It really put it into perspective that these so called 'rock stars' really just are dudes in a band.  They too have differences and not all is happy and fun when you're touring the world playing music.  They just happen to be lucky enough to have had the chance.

I loved my experience at T in the Park and would highly recommend it to anyone.  Music festivals are some of the most amazing things a person can experience.  It's a chance to see some of your favourites and be introduced to great new music at the same time.  The atmosphere is always friendly and energetic.  It helps that most are drinking and perhaps dabbling in enhancements - but regardless of what you on you're outside amongst music lovers for the day.

The festival itself is televised live across The UK and takes over the nation each year.

Here are a few clips I found from this amazing festival...

Snow Patrol

Kasabian

Biffy Clyro

James Brown

New Order w/ Brandon Flowers

Here's to Osheaga - which happens to be Canada's answer to the amazing European music festivals.  See you there. Thanks for reading/listening,

Gregg

10 Canadian Bands

In the Canadian media, be it television or radio, you're required to play content that has been created by Canadian artists and made right here in the great white north.  It's a condition of licence and the percentages are pretty high.  The abbreviation to this rule is CanCon.

Hate it or love it this is something imposed by the governing body that is the CRTC and companies must ensure they meet these percentages in order to continue doing business.  There are other countries that have similar rules including Australia, Israel and the UK to name a few.

For me growing up in Canada this rule introduced me to many artists I would never have heard of otherwise.  There was a period in the 90s when I don't know if I could have told you if a band was Canadian or not.  There was simply so much amazing Canadian music on the airwaves and it didn't matter if it was Canadian or not.  They were being played alongside the biggest acts from all corners of the globe and they sounded like they belonged.  Remember this was a time when the likes of Nirvana, Soundgarden and Weezer were breaking through.  To hear a band like Pluto, Rusty, The Gandharvas  or Esthero just meant they deserved to be book ended by those international acts.

In 2012 the competition is even tougher.  The opportunities to breakthrough are slimmer and harder than ever before.  Yes there are more outlets and avenues to be heard - but that just means only a handful will get their chance to break through the clutter because anyone and everyone can stick some music up online.

I have the luxury of being able to see and hear many of this countries finest on a daily basis.  Some make it internationally like Drake, Justin Bieber, deadmau5, Metric and Carly Rae Jepsen but for each of these success stories there are thousands more incredible talents that have yet to break through.  It's not to say they aren't successful as there are endless acts that have made it here and continue to do so each year.

Here are 10 Canadian bands/artists I love and feel should have made it on an international level.  Many have had some success elsewhere - but they really are world class and should have gone further.

The Junction

Arkells

Shad

The Mark Inside

Young Empires

Marianas Trench

Hedley

Kathleen Edwards

The Sheepdogs

Down With Webster

As we approach Canada Day I'm reminded how great this place really is.  The people, the culture and music are like nothing else on earth and we should be proud.

Happy Canada Day.

Gregg

More Rock Please

Do you remember when Nirvana came out?  Do you remember when The Strokes released their first album?  What about the first time you heard Blind Melon's 'No Rain', Silverchair's 'Tomorrow' or The White Stripes 'Fell In Love With A Girl'? Do you remember the last time a rock n roll band went to #1 on Billboard and took over the world?

It's been a while but it's not like there's been a lack of Rock n Roll to be had.  It's simply that the charts on radio, online and television are currently being controlled by pop music.  Pop music meaning popular music is in it's most bubble gum POP form.

In my opinion Hip Hop's been pretty terrible in recent years too.  With the exception of Jay Z & Kanye, Drake and now 2 Chainz and Tyga.  The rest seem to have leaned more on the pop side with a touch of hip and sprinkle of hop.  If anything they're dance songs that feature rappers.

Rock's also been pretty crap in recent years featuring more hooks, drum machine loops and synthesizers than ever before.  What's missing is the simple rock formula that consists of guitar, bass, drums and vocals.  Perhaps a tambourine or harmonica.  Is it too much to ask?

There are so many great rock bands out there but they just can't seem to garner the attention of the masses the way they once did.  A&R departments are sticking to formulas that work right now and prolong them in an attempt to capitalize on the trends.  It's an age old tradition but it just makes it longer periods of time between great transitions.

It pains me that when albums like Port of Morrow by The Shins come out it only they don't get recognition.  That album is incredible and should have been a defining moment for the band.  Albums like this plummet down charts and you may not hear much of them until the next album comes around.  If you have not heard this song then please give it a spin now...

or Kasabian's 'Re-wired' seen here...

or Montreal's own Sam Roberts Band seen here...

I guess the only massive one I can think of, in recent years, that's taken over all media and demos alike would be The Black Keys.  Rightfully so and finally after all these years.

*one of the greatest videos of all time :)

Anyway - bit of a rant but here's to some great rock n roll to come in the next while.  It's time and I for one welcome it.  I leave you with these amazing rock n roll track by Arkells and Metric.

Thanks for reading/listening.

Gregg Stewart

Summer 2012

It may not officially be summer as yet - but shorts and music outside mean summer up here in the great white north.  It's mid June and it's a very exciting time of year.

One of my all time favourite places in the summer is the lawn of the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto.  I've seen some of my favourite shows there including the likes of Radiohead, Oasis, City and Colour  and The Up In Smoke Tour.  You may not have the best sight lines from the lawn but when the weather's right and the sun's going down - the acoustics and atmosphere are tough to beat.  I've actually left better seats on a few occasions retiring to those lawns.

Toronto isn't actually known for its outdoor festival scene but this year looks to change all of that. Alongside the regular announcements at the Amphitheatre there are many others popping up across this fair city.  From Downsview's latest stage (Foster the People and Kimbra will be debuting on June 19th) to Old Fort York for Hard Toronto on August 4th - there's something for everyone in 2012.

It all kicks off this week as NXNE Music Festival  takes over Toronto's clubs and outdoor spaces like Dundas Square.  I truly wish this festival were a week later as I never get to enjoy it because of our music awards at MuchMusic on the Sunday.  *Please move it by a week if you read this Andy and Yvonne:)

I will however be lucky enough to see Metric this Tuesday as they make a rare club appearance.  The band's latest offering is being released that day and so it'll be awesome to hear the new songs first hand in their home town.

I'd be remise if I didn't tell you how excited I am for this Sunday's MuchMusic Video Awards at 9 ET / 6 PT (plug).  It's the biggest spectacle on Queen Street each year and boasts the biggest stars in the world.  This year we've got Katy Perry, LMFAO, Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen and many more.  Like them or not - these artists realize how unique of an award show it is and bring their energy ten folds.  I'm excited for all the acts but especially pumped to help introduce Ed Sheeran to the Canadian viewers.  He will be a superstar soon and rightfully so as he's fantastic.

There are many more shows and festivals to check out this summer.  Here's a quick list of shows I recommend as I'll be trying my best to get to them all.

• Radiohead at Downsview Park | June 16th 
• Sam Roberts Band / Bombay Bicycle Club and The Jezebels Echo Beach | July 26th
• Florence + The Machine Molson Amphitheatre | August 2nd *$20 lawns people!!!
• Osheaga Music & Arts Festival Montreal | August 3rd - 5th 
• OVO Festival Molson Amphitheatre | August 5th 
• City and Colour Molson Amphitheatre | September 12th 

I truly hope you're able to get out and see some live music this summer.

Gregg

PS - Catch The 2012 MuchMusic Video Awards Live Sunday June 17th at 9 pm :)