Lady Gaga photo by Meeno
Not everyone can get away with wearing a meat dress or a lobster hat, but Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta can. Better known as Lady Gaga, the pop superstar is almost as famous for her outré fashions as for her music. Her return to Rogers Arena, Jan. 11 and 12, is cause for celebration for her fans, known as “little monsters,” who dress up in their own outrageous creations.—Sheri Radford
Blue Rodeo returns to Halifax on January 18th at the Halifax Metro Centre. Photo: Warner Music
January 18: P.E.I. singer/songwriter Lennie Gallant joins Symphony Nova Scotia at the Dalhousie Arts Centre.
January 18: With solid musical chops, distinctive song-writing and deep roots, it’s little wonder that Blue Rodeo remains one of Canada’s hottest musical acts. See them at the Halifax Metro Centre on Duke Street.
February 2: One of Canada’s biggest rock bands for two decades, the Tragically Hip never stay away from Halifax for long.
February 24: Tafelmusik’s Jeanne Lamon joins Symphony Nova Scotia for a celebration of Baroque music at Saint Andrew’s United Church on Coburg Road.
February 28: Celtic Woman, an ensemble of female performers, perform Celtic tunes at the Halifax Metro Centre on Duke Street.
Editors Choice
February 9: Southern gospel staples since 1939, the Blind Boys of Alabama offer an uplifting celebration of American gospel, roots and blues. Three blind singers, joined by four other musicians, offer timeless hits like “Way Down in the Hole,” “Soldier” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” The concert will be held at Dalhousie’s Rebecca Cohn Auditorium.
deadmau5 plays Vancouver Dec. 26
You might recognize electronic DJ deadmau5 (pronounced “dead mouse”) for the massive mouse head he usually wears during performances (pictured). But for the Canadian sensation’s “deadmau5 Unhooked” concert at BC Place’s Contact Winter Music Festival (Dec. 26), it’s all about the music as he sheds his trademark costume and laser light show for a stripped-down evening. Don’t worry—his pounding beats remain, so you can still dance the night away.—Kristina Urquhart
VanDusen Botanical Garden’s Festival of Lights. Photo by R. Chan
Ho ho ho! It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, with a chill in the air and seasonal festivities filling up the calendar.
Larger-than-life characters encourage singing along in The Magic of Santa! (Dec. 21 to 22).
Irving Berlin classics such as “Blue Skies” and “Sisters” sparkle in White Christmas: The Musical (to Dec. 23), based on the beloved film.
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet puts a uniquely Canadian spin on a Christmas classic in The Nutcracker (Dec. 14 to 16).
David Sedaris reveals the down-and-dirty truth about surviving a job as a Macy’s elf in SantaLand Diaries (to Dec. 22).
The Christmas Carol Project (Dec. 16 to 18) is a musical interpretation of Charles Dickens’ timeless tale about Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim.
The Festival of Lights (Dec. 7 to Jan. 1) fills VanDusen Botanical Garden with more than a million twinkling lights.
Winter Harp celebrates the season with several concerts of harps and rare medieval instruments (Dec. 12, 13, 16, 22).
Click here for more Christmas event listings.—Sheri Radford
Here’s a sample of Whistler’s many winter events.
Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival. Photo by Mike Crane courtesy Tourism Whistler
—Sheri Radford
Neil Peart, Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee are (prog) rocking in Toronto
OCTOBER 14 & 16 Good thing you kept those old concert T-shirts! Canadian prog-rock band Rush charges into Toronto to promote Clockwork Angels, its 20th studio album. Air Canada Centre, 8 p.m., $55.50 to $139; call 1-855-985-5000 or visit Ticketmaster to buy.
Paul McCartney photo by MJ Kim copyright 2012 MPL Communications Ltd
Autumn brings a powerhouse line-up of artists to Vancouver: Carrie Underwood (Oct. 4), Alanis Morissette (Oct. 4), The Smashing Pumpkins (Oct. 7), Justin Bieber (Oct. 10), Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler (Oct. 12), David Byrne and St. Vincent (Oct. 20), Snow Patrol and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds (Oct. 25), Barbra Streisand (Oct. 29), Metric (Nov. 10), Neil Young and Crazy Horse (Nov. 11), Leonard Cohen (Nov. 12), Red Hot Chili Peppers (Nov. 17), Paul McCartney (Nov. 25), Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (Nov. 26) Try to get tickets through Ticketmaster.—Sheri Radford
Madonna photo by Mert + Marcus
Before Britney Spears’s school uniform and Lady Gaga’s meat dress made headlines, Madonna (pictured) was music’s wild child—crucifixes, cone bra and all. Now, 300 million album sales later, the Queen of Pop still reigns supreme with spectacular stage shows and provocative routines set to her new dance anthems and beloved hits. Everyone’s favourite Material Girl performs two shows this month at Rogers Arena in support of her latest chart-topper, MDNA (Sep. 29 and 30).—Kristina Urquhart
Bloc Party plays at the Edmonton Event Centre on Tuesday, September 25 at 7 pm.
Photo courtesy EMI Music Canada.
Bloc Party – the British indie-rock band, not to be confused with the political party – are in Edmonton on Tuesday, September 25 to play a show at the Edmonton Event Centre in support of their new album, Four.
WHERE Edmonton interviewed Bloc Party bassist Gordon Moakes about their tour and upcoming show in Edmonton. Moakes was very pleased to hear about the lovely, warm fall weather Edmonton is currently experiencing, and says the band is looking forward to returning to Canada for a series of shows before heading back to the UK.
The band returned to the music scene earlier this year after a brief hiatus; when the band announced their break in 2009 and most of the band members went to work on various side projects, rumours swirled that Bloc Party had permanently disbanded. This, apparently, was never the case. Moakes suggests that there was never a question of whether or not the band would make another album; rather, the question was about when the band would be able to work most effectively together and have a good energy to make the sort of fourth record they could be proud of:
“We knew there should be another album . . . it was just about timing,” Moakes tells WHERE. “[The break] was definitely necessary at that time. We just weren’t functioning as a group. We could have made the record but we wouldn’t have enjoyed making it. We would have just been thinking about other things; and with the time off we got to do those things . . . we got to make the sort of music that wouldn’t have been possible with the band. Being able to do that and to have time away was really good. The record we would have made [before the break] would have been disastrous. The time away was good for everyone . . . When making the record we came back as equals and it was an enjoyable experience which led to a much better record”.
Canadian legend Bryan Adams appears at Voices in the Park
Imagine an all-day outdoor concert featuring Vancouver’s own Sarah McLachlan and Bryan Adams, along with Stevie Nicks, Jann Arden, Hedley, The Boom Booms and The Vancouver Men’s Chorus. Now throw in a special appearance by former U.S. president Bill Clinton. If you think that sounds like the event of the season, you’re right. Don’t miss the first-ever Voices in the Park, taking place Sep. 15 at the Brockton Fields in Stanley Park. The whole thing is raising funds for the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, which offers free music programs to at-risk youth in Vancouver, so you can feel virtuous about how much fun you’re having.—Sheri Radford
The Tragically Hip
Before the sun sets on summer 2012, there’s time for one last weekend of tents and tunes. Canny campers claim their spots early at Live at Squamish (Aug. 24 to 26), then settle in for three days of good times and good music by the likes of The Tragically Hip, Wintersleep, Mother Mother, and City and Colour. More than 40 bands and DJs on multiple stages keep the party going until late. Not keen on roughing it? Glamping (glamorous camping) packages are available.—Sheri Radford
La Bottine Souriante perform at MusicFest Vancouver
The 12th annual MusicFest Vancouver (Aug. 10 to 19) hits all the right notes with a pitch-perfect line-up of musicians performing live classical, world and jazz. For 10 days, at various venues around town, there’s rhythm in the air as stellar acts such as Pink Martini, Sylvia McNair, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Québécois troupe La Bottine Souriante (pictured) take the stage.—Jennifer Patterson