Month: January 2010

Cultural Olympiad: Meet Raphael Saadiq

Lacy

The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, January 22 to March 21, comprises of 122 ticketed events showcasing rich talent from Canadian and international performing arts and culture. The events come in the form of music, dance, film and theatre to name a few, and promise to deliver something for everyone. Soak up as much as you can!

Day Eight: Introducing the Performers
Meet Raphael Saadiq

You might remember Raphael Saadiq as the frontman for Tony! Toni! Tone!. In 2002, he stepped back onto the scene with a self-titled solo project, mixing old school soul with contemporary R&B. Since then, Saadiq has released five albums. His newest, The Way I see it, was nominated for three Grammys. Reminiscent of the Motown era, this music has a retro groove that makes you want to get up and dance. It sounds as though it could have been produced in the sixties.
Saadiq began, as a child, playing music with local soul groups. Also an early fan of the great Motown musicians, you can hear the influences of Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, and Sam Cooke in his music. It seems the Motown sound has become an inescapable part of his artistry.
In an interview with B&S Magazine, Saadiq explains the direction of his most recent album. “The title ‘The Way I See It’ basically represents me saying ‘This has always been me. This is what I really love, and everything you’ve heard from me before has been based on the roots of this music’.”
You will not want to miss Raphael Saadiq performing at The Orpheum at 8:00pm on March 20th. For Raphael Saadiq tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com or ShowTimeTickets.com.
Raphael Saadiq will be performing with Grammy award winning, soul artist, India Arie.

Find out about other great performers in town for the Olympics below.
January 14th Blogpost: Meet Phoenix
January 15th Blogpost: Meet Steve Earle
January 18th Blogpost: Meet City and Colour
January 19th Blogpost: Meet Feist
January 20th Blogpost: Meet Stars
January 22nd Blogpost: Meet K’naan
January 25th Blogpost: Meet Gomez

Guns N’ Roses Tour Canada

Lacy

The American rockers, Guns N’ Roses are back! The band released their highly anticipated sixth album, Chinese Democracy, in late 2008. Fans of the band waited over a year for GN’R to take the album on tour.
Frontman, Axl Rose, did not disappoint. The opening North American show took place at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg to a crowd of 7,500. GN’R played an impressive three hour set, which included songs off the new album and some necessary classics, such as “Welcome to the Jungle,” “November Rain,” and my personal favorite, “Patience.”
With seven cities scheduled, Guns N’ Roses will continue to play in Canada through February. The final show will take place at Halifax Metro Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia on February 4th.

For a full list of Canada dates, check the listings below. Guns N’ Roses tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and ShowTimeTickets.com, where we are never sold out. And remember to continue checking back for more information on ticket sales for other upcoming shows.

Canada Tour Dates:
Montreal Guns N’ Roses Tickets: Jan. 27 – Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Toronto Guns N’ Roses Tickets: Jan. 28 – Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
Kanata Guns N’ Roses Tickets: Jan. 31 – Scotiabank Place, Kanata, ON
Quebec Guns N’ Roses Tickets: Feb.1 – Colisee Pepsi, Quebec, QC
Moncton Guns N’ Roses Tickets: Feb. 3 – Moncton Coliseum, Moncton, NB
Halifax Guns N’ Roses Tickets: Feb. 4 – Halifax Metro Centre, Halifax, NS

Cultural Olympiad: Meet Gomez

Lacy

The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, January 22 to March 21, comprises of 122 ticketed events showcasing rich talent from Canadian and international performing arts and culture. The events come in the form of music, dance, film and theatre to name a few, and promise to deliver something for everyone. Soak up as much as you can!

Day Seven: Introducing the Performers
Meet Gomez

British rock group, Gomez, burst on the scene in 1998 with their debut album Bring it On.  Praised for the unconventional mixture of blues, folk, and rock, Bring it On won the group Britain’s coveted Mercury Prize.
Contrary to the standard band formula, Gomez does not really have a front man. Instead the band has five members, with three who write, play, and sing.  According to the group, this has allowed them to explore multiple directions, and achieve a fresh sound.
Gomez has released eight albums over their ten year career. The newest, A New Tide, came out in March of 2009.
Check out, “Air Stream Driver,” from A New Tide here.
And don’t miss Gomez performing at The Orpheum at 8:00pm on March 12th. For Gomez tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com or ShowTimeTickets.com.
The show will open with Canadian singer/songwriter, Luke Doucet.

Find out about other great performers in town for the Olympics below.
January 14th Blogpost: Meet Phoenix
January 15th Blogpost: Steve Earle
January 18th Blogpost: Meet City and Colour
January 19th Blogpost: Meet Feist
January 20th Blogpost: Meet Stars
January 22nd Blogpost: Meet K’naan
January 26th Blogpost: Meet Raphael Saadiq

John Mayer on Tour in 2010

Lacy

Grammy award winning singer/songwriter, John Mayer, will be touring North America in 2010. Mayer jumped on to the music scene with his second album, Room For Squares, in 2001. He has since released four albums, and has spent the decade at the top of the charts. In 2009, Mayer won the Grammy for “Best Male Pop Vocal”, and released his newest album, Battle Studies.
Mayer goes on tour to promote Battle Studies beginning next month. He has eight stops scheduled in Canada. The tour will get its start in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at the Bank Atlantic Center February 4th. It will continue through the month of June, with the final show taking place at Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam on June 2nd.
For a full list of dates, check the listings below. John Mayer tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and ShowTimeTickets.com, where we are never sold out. And remember to continue checking back for more information on ticket sales for other upcoming shows.

Canada Tour Dates:
Toronto John Mayer Tickets: Feb. 14 – Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
Kanata John Mayer Tickets: Feb. 16 – Scotiabank Place, Kanata, ON
Montreal John Mayer Tickets: Feb. 17 – Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Vancouver John Mayer Tickets: Apr. 1 – GM Place, Vancouver, BC
Calgary John Mayer Tickets: Apr. 3 – Pengrowth Saddledome, Calgary, AB
Edmonton John Mayer Tickets: Apr. 4 – Rexall Place, Edmonton, AB
Saskatoon John Mayer Tickets: Apr. 6 – Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon, SK
Winnipeg John Mayer Tickets: Apr. 7 – MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB

U.S. Tour Dates:
Feb. 4 – Bank Atlantic Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Feb. 5 – St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL
Feb. 6 – Jacksonville Arena, Jacksonville, FL
Feb. 8 – North Charleston Performing Arts Center, North Charleston, SC
Feb. 9 – BJCC Arena, Birmingham, AL
Feb. 10 – Sommet Center, Nashville, TN
Feb. 12 – Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
Feb. 19 – Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
Feb. 20 – Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
Feb. 21 – Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA
Feb. 24 – Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Feb. 25 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Feb. 26 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Feb. 28 – Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI
Mar. 1 – Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
Mar. 2 – Ecel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
Mar. 4 – Qwest Center Omaha, Omaha, NE
Mar. 5 – The Ford Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Mar. 6 – Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Mar. 8 – Erwin Center, Austin, TX
Mar. 9 – American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Mar. 10 – New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA
Mar. 12 – Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
Mar. 13 – Kentucky State Fair, Louisville, KY
Mar. 15 – Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
Mar. 16 – John Paul Arena, Charlottesville, VA
Mar. 17 – Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
Mar. 19 – Fedex Forum, Memphis, TN
Mar. 20 – Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO
Mar. 22 – Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
Mar. 23 – Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
Mar. 25 – Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Mar. 26 – HP Pavillion, San Jose, CA
Mar. 27 – Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Mar. 30 – Rose Garden Arena, Portland, OR
Mar. 31 – Key Arena, Seattle, WA
Apr. 8 – Fargodome, Fargo, ND
Apr. 10 – United Center, Chicago, IL

Other Dates:
Feb. 13 – John Labatt Centre, Podgorica, Montenegro
May 27 – Wembley Arena, London, UK
May 31 – Forum, Copenhagen, Denmark
Jun. 2 – Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Cultural Olympiad: Meet K’naan

Lacy

The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, January 22 to March 21, comprises of 122 ticketed events showcasing rich talent from Canadian and international performing arts and culture. The events come in the form of music, dance, film and theatre to name a few, and promise to deliver something for everyone. Soak up as much as you can!

Day Six: Introducing the Performers
Meet K’naan

Toronto based hip-hop artist, K’naan has a compelling story. He was born, and spent the first fourteen years of his life in Somalia. After fleeing with his family, he lived briefly in Harlem before settling in Toronto. He claims he draws inspiration from the “different eras” of his life.  His music addresses political issues as well as life for a person sort of in-between cultures. He mixes music from his homeland, deeply rooted in poetry, with that of western culture to create a unique afro-pop sound.
In an interview with CNN, K’naan explains his writing. “I left the war, but it hasn’t left me… I’m on the phone with it on a day to day basis. I hear what is going on. That is a constant thing for me… I still don’t feel very comfortable, and I think that’s why I write about that.”
K’naan has released three albums. His debut album, The Dusty Foot Philospher, was awarded the Juno for “Rap Recording of the Year.” He has gone on to become one of the most prominent Canadian hip-hop artists.
K’naan will be performing at The Orpheum at 8:00pm on February 25th. For K’naan tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com or ShowTimeTickets.com.
The Show will open with Tinariwen.

Find out about other great performers in town for the Olympics below.
January 14th Blogpost: Meet Phoenix
January 15th Blogpost: Meet Steve Earle
January 18th Blogpost: Meet City and Colour
January 19th Blogpost: Meet Feist
January 20th Blogpost: Meet Stars
January 25th Blogpost: Meet Gomez
January 26th Blogpost: Meet Raphael Saadiq

Wilco to Play Across Canada

Lacy

Chicago based rockwilco group, Wilco, will be touring in eleven Canadian cities beginning in February. Since forming in 1995, Wilco has released seven albums. Their 2002 release, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, has recently made it onto a number of “Best Albums of the Decade” lists. The group has been the recipient of multiple awards, including two Grammys for their 2004 album, A Ghost is Born. The band received great critical acclaim for their most recent album, Wilco (The Album), which features a duet with Canadian pop artist, Feist, with the song “You and I.”
Wilco will be performing across Canada from February through March. The band also has dates across the U.S., and one stop scheduled in the U.K.
For a full list of dates, check the listings below. Wilco tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and ShowTimeTickets.com, where we are never sold out. And remember to continue checking back for more information on ticket sales for other upcoming shows.

Canada Tour Dates:

Victoria Wilco Tickets: Feb. 12 – Royal Theatre, Victoria, BC
Vancouver Wilco Tickets: Feb. 13 – David Lam Park, Vancouver, BC
Edmonton Wilco Tickets: Feb. 15 – North Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton, AB
Calgary Wilco Tickets: Feb. 16 – South Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary, AB
Saskatoon Wilco Tickets: Feb. 17 – TCU Place, Saskatoon, SK
Hamilton Wilco Tickets: Feb. 23 – Hamilton Place Theatre, Hamilton, ON
London Wilco Tickets: Feb. 24 – Centennial Hall, London, ON
Quebec Wilco Tickets: Feb. 26 – Imperial Du Quebec, Quebec QC
Montreal Wilco Tickets: Feb. 27 – Olympia de Montreal, Quebec, QC
Ottawa Wilco Tickets: Mar. 1 – National Arts Center, Ottawa, ON
Halifax Wilco Tickets: Mar. 3 – Halifax Metro Centre, Halifax, NS

U.S. Tour Dates:

Jan. 29 – Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA
Feb.7 – Adams Event Center, Missoula, MT
Feb.9 – Arlene Schnitzer Hall, Portland, OR
Feb. 10 – Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
Feb. 19 – DECC-Arena, Duluth, MN
Feb. 20 – Overture Center For The Arts, Madison, WI
Feb. 21 – Cobb Great Hall, East Lansing, MI
Mar. 22 – Fillmore Miami Beach, Miami Beach, FL
Mar. 23 – Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL
Mar. 25 – Johnny Mercer Theatre, Pooler, GA
Mar. 26 – Fabulous Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
Mar. 27 – Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham, NC
Mar. 29 – The National Theater, Richmond, VA
Mar. 30 – Music Center at Strathmore, Rockville, MD
Mar. 31 – Scranton Cultural Center, Scranton, PA
Apr.2 – Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ
Apr. 3 – Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ
Apr. 4 – Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, Providence, RI
Apr. 6 – Orpheum Theater, Boston, MA
Apr. 7 – Capitol Center, Concord, NH
Apr. 9 – Mortensen Hall at the Bushnell, Hartford, CT
Apr. 10 – Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 11 – Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburgh, PA

U.K. Tour Dates:
Sep. 12 – Larmer Tree Gardens, Salisbury, UK