Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Synopsis

The 1980s was the visual era, a time of aerobics, big hair and even bigger shoulder pads. The decade sees the rise of music videos and the arrival of the digital age, which brings everything from Pac-Man games to compact discs. It’s also the time when Canadian music explodes internationally. Mixing concert clips and interview footage, Rise Up digs up a treasure trove of gold and platinum hits, from Men Without Hats’ “The Safety Dance” to Bryan Adams’ “Summer of 69,” to showcase Canadian music’s phenomenal global rise.

The 2009 Polaris Music Prize finalists include some outstanding new talent.This year’s Short List nominees are: Elliott Brood – Mountain Meadows (Toronto, ON)Fucked Up – The Chemistry Of Common Life (Toronto, ON)Great Lake Swimmers – Lost Channels (Toronto, ON)Hey Rosetta! – Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood) (St. John’s, NF)K’naan – Troubadour (Toronto, ON)Malajube – Labyrinthes (Montréal, QC)Metric – Fantasies (Toronto, ON)Joel Plaskett – Three (Halifax, NS)Chad VanGaalen – Soft Airplane (Calgary, AB)Patrick Watson – Wooden Arms (Montréal, QC) I’m proud to be a Grand Jury member this year, along with these colleagues: Bryan Acker (Herohill)Stuart Derdeyn (...

Heritage Toronto press release: On June 18 2009, Heritage Toronto was joined by some of Canada's most notable musicians to commemorate famed Yorkville coffeehouse, the Riverboat.  Located in the narrow basement of a house at 134 Yorkville Ave, the Riverboat was opened in 1964 by Bernie Fiedler and became the best-known coffeehouse in Canada. Over its history, the Riverboat stage was graced by Canada's music elite, including Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot. The Riverboat remained open until 1977, by which time it was the sole remaining coffeehouse in the area. A number of musicians who graced The Riverboat's stage during its illustrious life attended the event, includ...