Monthly Archives: March 2020

Concert review

Nathan Rogers – multiple performances on Facebook Live

This is just for a few laughs, he explained (no fundraising involved), but Nathan Rogers’ own peculiar brand of FUNraising just might be keeping some of us at least half sane in this era of self-isolation due to the Covid-19 pandemic. ...
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How trad music aficionado Elizabeth Szekeres fell for Patrick Watson

It was last December. In my local record store, I was selecting new music to give to the young men in my family. “I don’t have it in stock,” said the middle-aged, long-haired record shop owner, “but you absolutely have ...
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COVID-19: how the Canadian roots community is feeling its ...

On Jan. 25 came the announcement that the novel coronavirus had hit Canada. In the two short months since then, the country has seen an increase in cases by the thousands and a stern response from the government: stay at ...
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Podcasts! 10 comforting voices to help you survive social ...

Stuck at home with nothing to do?  Feeling like you need some company but scared to actually invite somebody over?  Disappointed because even some of your local community radio stations have sent their programmers home and started running repeats?  Thank ...
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Check out these new songs from Ember Swift’s forthcoming album

Beijing-based Canadian singer-songwriter Ember Swift has been resurfacing on the North American scene of late – notably showcasing at last year’s Folk Alliance International conference for the first time in nearly 15 years – and it’s great to see her ...
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JJ Voss is back on his feet (literally) and playing ...

  Getting back on his feet and performing again was already a victory for JJ Voss; writing and recording with three Canadian music icons was the icing on the cake. A degenerative condition requiring surgery left JJ bedridden for the better ...
Concert review

Rufus Wainwright – multiple streaming concerts on Facebook Live

Rufus Wainwright could perform in his bathrobe and still have me spellbou…. Oh wait! He IS in his bathrobe! Starting last week, Rufus began a series of at-home concerts broadcast as part of the #TogetherAtHome initiative. He is fundraising for ...
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Lock-down: imposition or opportunity?

Canadian singer-songwriter Ember Swift has been living in China for more than a decade and has now been living in lock-down for more than seven weeks.  She wrote this piece on her blog as a guide for those of us ...
Concert review

Alan Doyle – Mar. 21 and 22 on Facebook Live

Fourteen thousand dollars. That’s what Alan Doyle brought in for the Kids Help Phone during this weekend’s basement coronavirus concerts. I’d say that was pretty good going. We are all going a little stir crazy with what this pandemic is ...
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The first national online folk festival kicks off tonight!

Hats off to Home Routes/Chemin Chez Nous for keeping the music alive during the era of self-isolation by presenting what we think is the first ever National Online Folk Festival.  Home Routes will be presenting its Season 13 artists in ...