In the early 2010s, it became a running gag on many a New York City-set comedy series that John Mayer had dated everyone on the island of Manhattan. Even in more recent years, he's admitted to some of the douchiest behaviour imaginable.
It's all good and fun (I'm certainly not here to slut shame), but it feels like Mayer is increasingly embodying this semi-fictionalized caricature of himself as a songwriter. Case in point: he's back today with "Tom and Jerry," his first new music since 2021's "shitpost" album Sob Rock, and the inaugural release on his new label named after that record.
As someone whose life has, at different points, been changed by more than one John Mayer album, it gives me no pleasure to report that any of the more effective moments from Sob Rock's big cheesy '80s schtick are so missing-in-action here that it feels like they not only fell off the yacht, but sank all the way to the murky depths of the ocean beyond science's grasp.
At best, "Tom and Jerry" feels like "Love on the Weekend"-lite (2017's The Search for Everything kind of had its moments? Sort of?); at worst, it has this nausea-inducing combined bridge/outro section that repeats, "Oh, you and me / Oh, how we love our little hide-and-seek." Thank goodness that Tumblr-ass stock image album artwork's hue is unmistakably reminiscent of Pepto Bismol.
It's unfortunate that Tom and Jerry's good names have been dragged into his mess. The cat and mouse in Mayer's tired game need to be euthanized; it's truly the only humane option.
Alongside the release of his new Charlotte Cornfield collaboration "Happy Belated," Donovan Woods has shared plans for some of his first Canadian shows of 2027, which will bring the singer-songwriter to 15 cities across five provinces.
Next year, Woods will hit the road on the West Coast, kicking things off on February 9 at Campbell River's Tidemark Theatre. While in BC, he'll also perform at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre (February 11), Chilliwack's HUB International Theatre (February 12), the Maple Ridge Arts Centre (February 13) and North Vancouver's BlueShore Financial Centre (February 16).
After making a single-province stop at Dawson City's Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (February 19), the musician will play seven Alberta shows: Medicine Hat's Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre on February 21, Bo's Bar & Stage in Red Deer on February 23, Calgary's Studio Bell on February 24–25, St. Albert's Arden Theatre on February 26, Fort Saskatchewan's Dow Centennial Centre on February 27 and Airdrie's Bert Church Theatre on February 28.
Finally, Woods has Saskatchewan gigs at Saskatoon's Broadway Theatre (March 1) and Regina's Darke Hall (March 2) before wrapping things up with a Toronto concert at Koerner Hall on May 1. Tickets are on sale now; find the full routing — as well as the "Happy Belated" visualizer — below, and more upcoming Canadian shows via Concert Central.
Donovan Woods 2027 Tour Dates:
02/09 Campbell River, BC - Tidemark Theatre
02/11 Vernon, BC - Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre
02/12 Chilliwack, BC - HUB International Theatre
02/13 Maple Ridge, BC - Maple Ridge Arts Centre & Theatre
02/16 North Vancouver, BC - BlueShore Financial Centre
02/19 Dawson City, YT - Klondike Institute of Art and Culture
02/21 Medicine Hat, AB - Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre
02/23 Red Deer, AB - Bo's Bar & Stage
02/24 Calgary, AB - Studio Bell
02/25 Calgary, AB - Studio Bell
02/26 St. Albert, AB - Arden Theatre
02/27 Fort Saskatchewan, AB - Dow Centennial Centre
02/28 Airdrie, AB - Bert Church Theatre
03/01 Saskatoon, SK - Broadway Theatre
03/02 Regina, SK - Darke Hall
05/01 Toronto, ON - Koerner Hall
Prior to the devastating loss of the icon that was Dolly Parton, Los Angeles-based metallers Bad Wolves had recorded a heavy cover of her hit "Jolene" — a rendition that the legend herself loved when her manager, Danny Nozell, played it for her. She had been scheduled to record vocals for it before her death.
The band released their version of "Jolene" this summer, and Parton's team has now helped to bring her voice to it posthumously, supplying previously recorded stems that have now been newly mixed by Kent Wells. Bad Wolves heard the new track for the first time alongside their label, Better Noise Music, and Parton's team at NOZ Studios.
Not only are all the proceeds from the newly updated "Jolene" cover benefitting Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, students from Nashville's School of Rock appear alongside the band in the music video, which you can check out below.
"Being able to raise money for Dolly's charity is an honour, and being able to work with the kids from the Nashville School of Rock was an amazing experience," Bad Wolves' John Boecklin said in a statement.
It's often been said that life is what happens when you're busy making other plans, and that's something one Michael Kiwanuka has learned the hard way. The beloved neo-soul singer-songwriter had finished recording his fifth studio album FUDGE in 2025, and was preparing a big rollout accompanied by some massive shows in support of Mumford & Sons.
That was all derailed, however, when he suffered a stroke and was forced to scrap all forthcoming plans, including delaying the release of FUDGE. Naturally, the shock of such a life-altering — and, in many instances, life-ending — event was going to loom heavy over whatever followed.
Even though it was fully written and recorded before tragedy struck, FUDGE lives in the shadow of Kiwanuka's health the same way the death of Nick Cave's son haunted the Bad Seeds' 2016 album Skeleton Tree, even though the body of work was largely created prior to the traumatic occurrence. As such, it's one of the only times where separating the art from the artist, in at least a certain respect, is a necessity rather than an exhaustive talking point.
After the ornate and layered arrangements that dominated his last two albums, FUDGE sees Kiwanuka intently stripping back and asserting his own artistic agency: that's his name solely on the production credits for the first time since his self-titled debut album, with longtime collaborator Danger Mouse sitting this one out. The record is guided by the British musician's distinctive, soulful croon and strums of an acoustic guitar, with only minor flourishes and textures throughout.
By spacing the more layered moments fewer and further between, they stand out a lot more. "Sing" has an entire back-half that promptly soars, guided by a cascading synth line that recalls the hook melody of Radiohead's "No Surprises." However, it's worth noting that the album's vastness does also serve as somewhat of a drawback. Most songs surge well past the four-minute mark, leading to an hour-plus runtime, and not all of them earn that level of patience: the seven-minute "Love in My Heart," for one, loses itself in its own mantra-like fog.
In amongst the more indulgent and forgettable moments, of course, are plenty of moments highlighting the reasons why Kiwanuka has been an artist worth investing in for all these years. The tenderness of the nylon-string ballad "You Sent Me Flying," with his lush voice front and centre, is one of his most quietly profound love songs yet. The warped, slow-motion psychedelia of opening number "Summer Clothes," too, is a testament to Kiwanuka effectively betting on himself as singer, songwriter and producer; it succeeds on all three counts.
Nobody, least of all Kiwanuka himself, truly knows what the future of his career, or his life in general, will look like as he continues along the road to recovery. All we can really do is to take FUDGE for what it was originally intended to be: a portrait of an artist in-progress — still learning, still adapting and still evolving rather than staying complacent and safe once set.
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Lake Street Dive are embarking on a tour this winter in support of their upcoming album What About Flamingos?, arriving February 19 via the band's own Dive Not Drive Records.
The jaunt starts on February 26 in Waukee, IA, at Vibrant Music Hall. From there, the band will travel through the US Midwest, South and East Coast before crossing the border to play Montreal's MTELUS and Toronto's History on March 16 and 17, respectively. After another handful of US dates, the tour will terminate on March 21 at Prairie Home Alliance Theater in Peoria, IL.
Snacktime will provide support on the tour, except in Greenville, SC. Artist presale begins October 28 at 10 a.m. local, with general on-sale happening October 30, also at 10 a.m. local. Sign up for presale and get more information on Lake Street Dive's website.
See the whole run of tour dates below.
Lake Street Dive 2027 Tour Dates:
02/26 Waukee, IA - Vibrant Music Hall
02/27 Omaha, NE - Steelhouse Omaha
02/28 St. Louis, MO - The Factory
03/02 Memphis, TN - Satellite Music Hall
03/03 Birmingham, AL - Alabama Theatre
03/05 Nashville, TN - The Truth
03/06 Greenville, SC - Peace Concert Hall
03/07 Washington, D.C. - The Anthem
03/09 Philadelphia, PA - The Met Philadelphia
03/12 Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Paramount
03/16 Montreal, QC - MTELUS
03/17 Toronto, ON - History
03/19 Detroit, MI - Masonic Temple Theatre
03/20 Louisville, KY - The Louisville Palace Theatre
03/21 Peoria, IL - Prairie Home Alliance Theater
Boston, MA-hailing hardcore rabble-rousers Haywire have announced a sprawling 2027 tour behind their new album I DON'T WANNA SAY GOODBYE, including a Canadian leg that will bring them to 16 cities across nine provinces next spring.
The Canadian leg of the I DON'T WANNA SAY GOODBYE tour gets underway starting April 9 at Moncton's Caveau. The band have scheduled additional East Coast stops at Halifax's Seahorse Tavern (April 10), Charlottetown's Benevolent Irish Society (April 12) and the Cap in Fredericton (April 12) before heading to the central part of the country for Quebec dates at Sherbrooke's Le Murdoch (April 14) and Montreal's Club Soda (April 15), as well as Ontario appearances at Ottawa's 27 Club (April 16), Toronto's Lithuanian House (April 17) and Thunder Bay's Bloom (April 20).
From there, Haywire will make their way to the West Coast. Following single-province performances at Winnipeg's Park Theatre (April 22) and the Exchange in Regina (April 23), they have Alberta gigs at Edmonton's Starlite Room (April 24) and Calgary's Dickens (April 25) before wrapping the run in BC, with concerts set for the Blue Grotto in Kamloops (April 28), the Pearl in Vancouver (April 29) and Victoria's First Metropolitan United Fellowship Hall (April 30).
Tickets are on sale now. Find the band's full Canadian itinerary below, as well as more upcoming Canadian show announcements via Concert Central.
Haywire 2027 Tour Dates:
04/09 Moncton, NB - Caveau
04/10 Halifax, NS - The Seahorse Tavern
04/11 Charlottetown, PE - The Benevolent Irish Society
04/12 Fredericton, NB - The Cap
04/14 Sherbrooke, QC - Le Murdoch
04/15 Montreal, QC - Club Soda
04/16 Ottawa, ON - 27 Club
04/17 Toronto, ON - Lithuanian House
04/20 Thunder Bay, ON - Bloom
04/22 Winnipeg, MB - Park Theatre
04/23 Regina, SK - The Exchange
04/24 Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room
04/25 Calgary, AB - Dickens
04/28 Kamloops, BC - Blue Grotto
04/29 Vancouver, BC - The Pearl
04/30 Victoria, BC - First Metropolitan United Fellowship Hall
An apple may keep the doctor away, but you won't want to miss out on French singer-songwriter Pomme's Canadian shows as she tours in support of her forthcoming new album, la forteresse (out November 20).
Taking place a year from now, the artist will play four Canadian gigs next October, where she'll hit the stage at Sherbrooke's Granada Theatre (October 8), Quebec City's Imperial Bell (October 9), Toronto's Mod Club (October 12) and Montreal's MTELUS (October 14).
Tickets will go on sale October 26. Find Pomme's schedule below, and head over to Concert Central for more Canadian tour announcements, show listings and more.
Pomme 2027 Tour Dates:
10/08 Sherbrooke, QC - Theatre Granada
10/09 Quebec City, QC - Imperial Bell
10/12 Toronto, ON - The Mod Club
10/14 Montreal, QC - MTELUS
Look alive, goblins, ghouls and goths! The day has finally come: after 17 years, Ryan Gosling's Dead Man's Bones are set to return with new music.
For the uninitiated, before he led blockbusters like this year's adorable Project Hail Mary and topped the charts singing about just being Ken, Gosling was an indie film star who also dabbled in indie music. After bonding over a mutual obsession with the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, he and musician Zach Shields formed the gothic-tinged, chamber pop-inflected rock project in 2007.
Dead Man's Bones released their self-titled album, made in collaboration with the Flea-founded Silverlake Conservatory Children's Choir, in October 2009 via ANTI-, who they seem to be teaming back up with for whatever's happening now.
On October 27, the band are set to release something new just in time for Halloween. They've shared a teaser entitled "Hypnotism" on YouTube, which you can check out below. Attention was first drawn to the news (and the new Dead Man's Bones Instagram account) by Gosling's wife, Eva Mendes, who shared it with the caption, "He came through on his promise to me."
Directed by Taika Waititi, and adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro's eponymous 2021 novel, Klara and the Sun is a whimsical, feel-good film, with the realities of life, loss and belief.
Wednesday actor Jenna Ortega stars in the film as Klara, an android companion with a quirky uniqueness: she stands on one leg, sometimes talks too fast and unintentionally makes a big mess, all while wanting to be chosen and accepted as an "Artificial Friend."
Set in a futuristic rural community, Klara befriends Josie (Mia Tharia), an honest and heartwarming young woman. In a world where connection depends on how much of a "good companion" you can be once bought, Josie and Klara actually celebrate one another's differences, while also navigating a turbulent relationship with Josie's mother, Chrissy (Amy Adams).
After the loss of her first child, Chrissy tightly holds onto her daughter, trying to do what she thinks is "right" to keep her other, and now only, child alive and happy. "Grief changes a person and it makes you do crazy things," says Chrissy after Josie shares that she just wants her mom to choose her and not just view her as an afterthought in her life.
As a mother-daughter duo, Tharia and Adams deliver a believable on-screen chemistry. After Klara helps them to see the value in spending time together and realize where they still need one another, they re-acquaint themselves with one another and establish trust again.
The film promotes the idea that it's okay to feel othered or unseen while still believing in something bigger than yourself. Klara's humility in the film — her ability to listen to Josie, cry, show compassion and anger, stand up for her friend — and the way she expresses herself, despite always being told to make herself smaller, shines through in the film due to Ortega's natural performance.
The innocence of Klara is almost child-like. She asks questions like, "Is love straining?" The irony of a robot having such depth regarding faith, love, self-belief and a willingness to try until she succeeds presents a moving theme.
Seeing Klara, although considered "artificial," learn about herself, embrace her personality and experience something as simple as walking up the stairs for the first time, just like a human would, is refreshing. It's a reminder that it's normal to be a beginner and pace yourself while in a new environment.
Waititi delivers a relatable film exploring our relationship with technology and how people may use tools like ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude in their daily lives for more emotional needs than time savings or organizational uses. Klara and the Sun shows that human connection cannot be replaced. Although we may want to hold on to those we love for longer, when things change or life just simply moves on, we must be willing to do so as well, and we can still be grateful for the memories.
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Vancouver's Five Alarm Funk have issued a statement following a groping incident at their inaugural weekend-long Sweat Fest event at the Hollywood Theatre at the beginning of the month.
"It has come to our attention that during the second set of our Saturday [October 3] show at Sweat Fest, a man groped multiple women in the crowd and left before security could be notified," the band wrote. "We are so sorry to the women who were targeted. What happened to you was unacceptable, and it should never happen at one of our shows."
"For over 20 years, we've worked to build an audience that feels like a community, a place where everyone can feel safe and be themselves," FAF continued. "Touching someone without their consent has no place here, and we will not tolerate it."
The band explained that they've been working alongside the venue and one of the victims to identify the perpetrator, with the intention to ban him from all of their shows going forward. They've also asked that any concertgoers please alert security immediately if they ever feel unsafe.
Read the full statement below.
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Even if the kids from Glee are all grown up now, we can't help but imagine what songs Ryan Murphy is going to make them sing in the Gleeboot. That, and You Can See Everything seems to be the only two things the internet cares about this week, and this Friday's memes and shitposts roundup reflects the millennial and Gen Z suffering of it all.
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The Saturday Night Live folks have done something kind of diabolical here, tapping both Phoebe Bridgers and Gracie Abrams as musical guests for the next slate of episodes.
If you're not chronically online, you might not know that Bridgers used to date Abrams's partner, Paul Mescal, before she got together with Bo Burnham. On the standout Lost Weekend track "The Governor's Waltz," she memorializes the relationship, as well as acknowledging her and Abrams's shared affinity for outer space-themed bedsheets.
Abrams will serve as musical guest on the October 31 episode of SNL, hosted by Obsession breakout Inde Navarette. The Strokes will bring their beloved Auto-Tune to the stage on November 7's show, hosted by Druski, the first digital creator to have the honour. Finally, Bridgers will perform on the November 14 episode, which will feature John Mulaney hosting for a whopping seventh time.
Read Exclaim!'s review of the latest episode of the sketch show to tide you over until then.
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In celebration of her newly released album The Girl of Your Dreams, California pop singer-songwriter Ashe has announced a 2027 North American tour. With support from fellow Californian Claire Rosinkranz, she'll make her way to Canada for a couple of concerts in Toronto and Montreal next March.
Things kick off on February 17 in Atlanta, GA. Just under a month later, Ashe and Rosinkranz will cross the Canadian border to perform at Toronto's History (March 11) and Montreal's MTELUS (March 12) before completing the remainder of the leg stateside on March 23 in Nashville, TN. From there, Ashe will make the rounds overseas with Isabel van Gelder.
Tickets go on general sale next Friday (October 30) at 10 a.m. local time, preceded by various presales starting Wednesday (October 28). Check out the full North American routing below, as well as Concert Central for more upcoming Canadian show listings.
Ashe 2027 Tour Dates:
02/17 Atlanta, GA - The Eastern
02/19 Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
02/20 Dallas, TX - House of Blues
02/21 Austin, TX - ACL Live at the Moody
02/23 Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren
02/24 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
02/26 San Francisco, CA - The Castro Theatre
02/28 Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
03/02 Salt Lake City, UT - The Union
03/03 Denver, CO - The Fillmore Auditorium
03/05 St. Paul, MN - Palace Theatre
03/07 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
03/09 Detroit, MI - The Fillmore
03/11 Toronto, ON - History
03/12 Montreal, QC - MTELUS
03/14 Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall
03/15 New York, NY - Brooklyn Paramount
03/16 Boston, MA - Citizens House of Blues
03/19 Washington, D.C. - The Anthem
03/20 Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
03/23 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
The Talking Heads reunion has been continuing on and off for the last few years. Though we'll probably never get a new album, we're getting a consolation prize in the form of a book.
New Feeling arrives May 18, 2027, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of their debut album, Talking Heads: 77. It follows the recent release of David Byrne's latest book, Sleeping Beauties.
The coffee table-style book will include original essays from each of the band's members and their musical contemporaries, hand-written lyrics, annotated setlists, early album art sketches, storyboards from Stop Making Sense and True Stories, never-before seen photos and more.
An official synopsis for New Feeling says that the book "traces a loose chronology of Talking Heads, from their early formation at the Rhode Island School of Design, to their arrival as clean-cut newcomers generating propulsive grooves in the gritty downtown music scene at New York's CBGB, through studio album releases, breakout hits like 'Burning Down the House,' international live tours, and ultimately to Jonathan Demme's dazzling 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense."
Pre-orders for New Feeling are available now via its publisher, Abrams Books.
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"The saddest thing you can do to a venue is to put in seats."
Returning to the nation's capital for the first time since his 2023 Bluesfest appearance, Thundercat gleefully teased the few hundred people who paid triple the price of floor tickets to sit in History Ottawa's balcony sections, marketed with names like Executive Seating and A-Lister Lounge. But between the self-deprecating humour, constant crowd interaction and an extremely loose, playful setlist, it was clear he came to have fun with the packed crowd.
While tour opener and North Carolina rapper TiaCorine was absent from the two Canadian dates, reportedly due to visa issues, Ottawa DJ and tastemaker Chefnier filled in on the second night with a crowd-pleasing set of modern hip-hop, R&B and pop.
Following a sound collage themed around getting cheated on and a lightning-quick drum solo from his disco ball-helmet-wearing drummer Justin Brown, Thundercat launched into his 2025 single "Children of the Baked Potato," with backup singers Isla (his niece) and Puma (Erykah Badu and the D.O.C.'s daughter) taking on Remi Wolf's vocal parts.
Moving into the first three songs from this year's Distracted LP, Thundercat showcased his incredible range, taking an unbridled bass solo on "Candlelight," delivering a pitch-perfect rendition of Tame Impala's Kevin Parker's vocals on the duet "No More Lies," and effortlessly rapping his fallen best friend Mac Miller's part on "She Knows Too Much."
Switching to a trio of songs from his 2020 album, It Is What It Is, Thundercat began to loosen up, sitting on the lip of the stage to solo during "Black Qualls," leading a call-and-response through "How Sway," and locking into longtime keyboardist Dennis Hamm's groove on "Overseas."
Feeling the love from the audience, Thundercat began to reveal his nerdier side, covering Richard Jacques's almost-jungle "Super Sonic Racing" theme from the 1997 Sega Saturn game Sonic R. and his own "Anakin Learns His Fate," which he prefaced with a charming story about being cast as the Modifier in Disney+'s The Book of Boba Fett.
Fan favourites "Dragonball Durag" and "Funny Thing" showed just how yacht rock-perfect Thundercat's falsetto remains in a live setting. It was clear he had little interest in revisiting the lesser-known material from his first two records, instead relishing the crowd sing-alongs and the sight of the balcony audience finally getting to their feet and dancing.
Closing the 90-minute set with "Them Changes," the lead single from 2017's Drunk — and still his most iconic song — Thundercat invited fans on stage to dance. While nearly 50 people packed the stage, with more crowding the front in search of space to climb up, the rest of the floor rushed to the front to film this made-for-social-media moment.
As the audience began to leave the venue, certain that there was no way to top that, Thundercat and his band returned for yet another Richard Jacques Sonic R. number, "Can You Feel the Sunshine?" featuring Isla on vocals.
Sporting a huge smile, Thundercat ended the night clearly having just as much fun as anyone in the room — and considerably more than those stranded on the balcony.
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Supporting his forthcoming new album Pirouette (out November 13 via Interscope Records), Los Angeles-via-Chicago singer/rapper and producer 2hollis has announced his largest tour to date — the North American leg of which will bring him to Canada for a pair of performances in Toronto and Vancouver early next year.
With support from Lucy Bedroque and Conceal, the Pirouette tour gets underway on February 5 in Salt Lake City, UT. Less than a week later, 2hollis will venture across the border for his first Canadian stop at Toronto's Coca-Cola Coliseum on February 11. From there, he'll continue weaving his way across the US, only returning to Canada for his penultimate North American date at Vancouver's PNE Forum on March 12 ahead of a final stateside gig on May 14 in New York, NY.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Wednesday (October 28) at 10 a.m. local time, with presales taking place the day prior (October 27). Find the full North American itinerary below, and more upcoming Canadian show announcements by way of Concert Central.
2hollis 2027 Tour Dates:
02/05 Salt Lake City, UT - Rockwell at the Complex
02/06 Denver, CO - CoBank Arena
02/08 Minneapolis, MN - Armory
02/09 Chicago, IL - Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
02/11 Toronto, ON - Coca-Cola Coliseum
02/12 Detroit, MI - Masonic Temple Theatre
02/15 Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall
02/16 Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore
02/18 Washington, D.C. - The Anthem
02/19 Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
02/22 Nashville, TN - The Pinnacle
02/23 Atlanta, GA - Coca-Cola Roxy
02/26 Dallas, TX - The Bomb Factory
02/27 Austin, TX - United Heritage Hall
03/01 Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Financial Theatre
03/02 San Diego, CA - Gallagher Square
03/05 Los Angeles, CA - Kia Forum
03/06 San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic
03/08 Seattle, WA - WAMU Theater
03/10 Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
03/11 Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
03/12 Vancouver, BC - PNE Forum
05/14 New York, NY - Under the K Bridge
Massey Hall has launched a free monthly artist discovery series of concerts, set to have its first showcase at Toronto's TD Music Hall on November 18.
Exclaim! New Faves alumnae Thunder Queens, NIA NADURATA and 646yf4t lead the inaugural edition of IN ROTATION, each slated to perform a 30-minute set between 7 and 9 p.m, with a mixer beginning beforehand at 6 p.m.
"Unlike traditional emerging artist showcases, the focus is on artists already demonstrating strong growth and cultural relevance giving audiences, industry professionals and media an opportunity to experience tomorrow's headline acts in an intimate setting," reads a description on the TD Music Hall website.
You can RSVP here to attend, but that doesn't guarantee your admission; entry will be on a first-come, first-served basis and subject to venue capacity.
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Neoclassical composer Jean-Michel Blais is the latest performer to be tapped by the Royal Conservatory for a Pop and Beyond series performance happening next month.
Taking place at Koerner Hall on November 28, the Arts & Crafts-signed artist will expand on his latest album désert, while prepping the audience for his upcoming choral record.
There will be a Postlude Performance following the show, courtesy of jazz pianist Clayton White in the Leslie & Anna Dan Galleria.
Tickets start at $45, and can be purchased on the Royal Conservatory's website, where more information can also be found.
Quebec-hailing singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin has mapped out a 2027 world tour in support of her forthcoming new album, Midnight, mon amour (out January 29 via Cult Nation).
The trek includes both European, UK, US and Canadian dates, and will run from the spring to the winter of 2027. Cardin's Canadian leg is taking place a year from now, and will include dates at Moncton's Avenir Centre (October 8), Halifax's Scotiabank Centre (October 9), Toronto's Coca-Cola Coliseum (October 14), Quebec City's Videotron Centre (October 16) and Montreal's Bell Centre (October 22).
Presale begins October 27 at 10 a.m. local time, which will be followed by general on-sale at October 29 at 10 a.m. local time. See Cardin's schedule below, and head over to Concert Central for more Canadian tour announcements.
Charlotte Cardin 2027 Tour Dates:
05/01 London, UK - 02 Forum
05/05 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
05/07 Köln, Germany - Bürgerhaus Stollwerck
05/10 Berlin, Germany - Metropol
05/11 Warsaw, Poland - Palladium
05/13 Prague, Czech Republic - Roxy
05/14 Munich, Germany - Nachtwerk
05/18 Zurich, Switzerland - Volkshaus
05/20 Milan, Italy - Fabrique
05/27 Rabat, Morocco - Royal Theatre of Rabat
05/29 Istanbul, Türkiye - Zorlu Performing Arts Center
10/08 Moncton, NB - Avenir Centre
10/09 Halifax, NS - Scotiabank Centre
10/14 Toronto, ON - Coca-Cola Coliseum
10/16 Quebec City, QC - Videotron Centre
10/22 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
11/23 Nantes, France - Zenith
11/25 Lyon, France - LDLC Arena
11/27 Bruxelles, Belgium - ING Arena
11/28 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg - Rockhal
11/30 Toulouse, France - Zenith
12/02 Strasbourg, France - Zenith
12/04 Paris, France - Accor Arena
You thought you could make it to the end of the year without Angine de Poitrine (pictured above) announcing another tour? Well, you thought wrong!
Including the Polaris Music Prize winning aliens, Charlotte Cardin, rock vets Bon Jovi and Iron Maiden and more, here are the new tours coming to Canada.
As always, head over to Concert Central for more Canadian tour announcements.
Angine de Poitrine 2027 Tour Dates:
03/28 Calgary, AB - Grey Eagle Event Centre
03/29 Calgary, AB - Grey Eagle Event Centre
03/31 Ottawa, ON - History Ottawa
04/01 Ottawa, ON - History Ottawa
04/06 Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings Theatre
04/07 Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings Theatre
07/17 Toronto, ON - RBC Amphitheatre
07/31 Saguenay, QC - Zone portuaire de Chicoutimi
Ashe with Claire Rosinkranz 2027 Tour Dates:
03/11 Toronto, ON - History
03/12 Montreal, QC - MTELUS
Bon Jovi 2027 Tour Dates:
08/04 Toronto, ON - Rogers Stadium
Charlotte Cardin 2027 Tour Dates:
10/08 Moncton, NB - Avenir Centre
10/09 Halifax, NS - Scotiabank Centre
10/14 Toronto, ON - Coca-Cola Coliseum
10/16 Quebec City, QC - Videotron Centre
10/22 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
CHVRCHES 2027 Tour Dates:
02/23 Toronto, ON - History
03/05 Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 2027 Tour Dates:
04/18 Vancouver, BC - Hollywood Theatre
05/11 Toronto, ON - The Great Hall
The Damned with Mudhoney 2027 Tour Dates:
04/03 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
Iron Maiden 2027 Tour Dates:
04/16 Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
Lambrini Girls with Sprints 2027 Tour Dates:
03/30 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
04/13 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
Fenne Lily with Trinity Ace 2027 Tour Dates:
03/28 Vancouver, BC - WISE Hall
Marianas Trench 2027 Tour Dates:
01/08 Windsor, ON - The Colosseum
02/19 Niagara Falls, ON - OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino
Kim Mitchell 2027 Tour Dates:
03/12 Niagara Falls, ON - OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino
Damien Rice 2027 Tour Dates:
05/14 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
05/15 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
Robber Robber 2026 Tour Dates:
12/02 Toronto, ON - Baby G
Caroline Rose 2027 Tour Dates:
03/04 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret
03/18 Toronto, ON - The Mod Club
03/19 Montreal, QC - Bar le Ritz
The Sheepdogs 2027 Tour Dates:
10/23 Glace Bay, NS - Savoy Theatre
10/25 St. John's, NL - JAG Soundhouse
10/29 Toronto, ON - The Phoenix Concert Theatre
01/21 Victoria, BC - Royal Theatre
01/22 Courtenay, BC - Sid Williams Theatre
01/23 Nanaimo, BC - Port Theatre
01/25 Duncan, BC - Cowichan Arts Centre
01/26 Kelowna, BC - Kelowna Theatre
01/29 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
01/30 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
02/02 Sherwood Park, AB - Festival Place
02/03 Medicine Hat, AB - Esplanade Centre
02/19 Windsor, ON - The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor *
02/20 Niagara Falls, ON - OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino *
* with Blackberry Smoke
Cleo Sol 2027 Tour Dates:
04/19 Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
Sienna Spiro 2027 Tour Dates:
10/23 Montreal, QC - L'Olympia
10/25 Toronto, ON - History
11/04 Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
11/05 Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
08/20 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
08/21 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
09/04 Vancouver, BC - Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
Tommy Lefroy 2027 Tour Dates:
10/27 Toronto, ON - Sneaky Dee's
02/27 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret
03/16 Toronto, ON - The Great Hall
2hollis with Lucy Bedroque 2027 Tour Dates:
02/11 Toronto, ON - Coca-Cola Coliseum
03/12 Vancouver, BC - PNE Forum
Ruby Waters 2027 Tour Dates:
02/25 Montreal, QC - Beanfield Theatre
03/26 Ottawa, ON - History Ottawa
03/27 Toronto, ON - History
04/01 Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings Theatre
04/02 Saskatoon, SK - Coors Event Centre
04/04 Calgary, AB - Palace Theatre
04/05 Edmonton, AB - Midway Music Hall
04/07 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
04/10 Victoria, BC - Capital Ballroom
04/11 Victoria, BC - Capital Ballroom
Remi Wolf with Emma Ogier 2027 Tour Dates:
03/05 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
03/06 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
The Wombats 2027 Tour Dates:
04/26 Toronto, ON - History
05/17 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
It's a big day for Heated Rivalry fans: Cineplex has announced that it will be screening a marathon of Crave's hit horny hockey series in theatres across Canada next month.
News of the event began circulating online this past Tuesday (October 20). According to Toronto Life, two episodes of the show will be screened at a time on November 6, making three paired screenings (Episodes 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6). The series will also get a full marathon screening — including intermissions — on November 8, which will clock in at a five-hour-and-22-minute runtime.
As of this writing, the link to Cineplex's Heated Rivalry marathon is currently showing a 404: Not Found error. Perhaps so many people were trying to secure their ticket to the cottage that it crashed the site?
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Satire ain't easy. It needs to present its events and characters as exaggerated facsimiles, close enough to real-life examples but more hyperbolic, more intense, more grotesque. It needs to be pointed and poignant, leading the viewer through a world they wouldn't want to inhabit, even when they essentially do. It is social criticism at its most absurd and venomous, with humour, caricature and irony sitting at the centre of its approach.
Sacrifice, the abysmal action-adventure dark comedy from director Romain Gavras, contains none of this. The film, a paltry attempt at social critique, longs to ridicule the global elite, fame, idolatry and performative environmentalism, and yet it fails on all accounts. Its cynical, nihilistic approach lacks substance or laughs; it inspires nothing but despair, boredom and many, many watch checks.
The film follows flailing movie star Mike Tyler (Chris Evans), who is attempting to mount a comeback. During a glitzy charity event on a remote Greek island hosted by Ben Bracken (Vincent Cassel) and his wife Gloria (Salma Hayek), radical eco-cult leader Joan (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her siblings (Yung Lean and Jade Croot) dramatically interrupt dinner. The overzealous group kidnap Tyler, Bracken and Katie (Ambika Mod), a performer at the event, believing that sacrificing three people to a nearby volcano will avert a global, extinction-level catastrophe.
While Sacrifice is, for all intents and purposes, a bad movie, forgettable and inconsequential in equal measure, it still has Chris Evans in it, which is always a good thing. Evans plays the clueless, superficial film star part to perfection, his expressive performance and charisma evident throughout. The script gives him less than nothing to do, but he is so charming and pathetic that it's impossible not to root for him.
Evans also serves as the only one who inspires any comic relief, and he wears the shit out of a white tuxedo. He's a superhero disguised as a bumbling buffoon disguised as a film star, supremely unlikable but in a good way. He uses lines like, "It's okay, I'm famous" when he wants to access restricted areas — he's that guy. The film never gives us any real reason for why this disgraced actor is in Greece, but we're sure glad he is.
Similarly, Taylor-Joy continues to deliver a great performance as always, with her manic, bombastic turn rendering as an unsettled mix of un-doomsday cult leader and charismatic eco-warrior. Fearsome in her ebbing temperament, she is violence and calm personified, often expressing both in equal and simultaneous measure.
Although only in the film for a short stint, Miriam Silverman turns in a great performance as Anna, the MC for the charity event. Even after Joan's group takes over the event, Anna maintains the charade, screaming that it's all an act, trying to maintain composure, all while Joan raises a machete over her head for some appendage removal.
The most successful moments in Sacrifice come during the climax, when they finally reach the gaping maw of the volcano, torrents of bubbling magma and lava leaping into the air. The film finally gives the performers lines and scenes with emotion and meaning, and an actual sense of peril prevails. The panic and fear Taylor-Joy expresses is palpable, while the looks Evans gives are pure vulnerability and honesty. If only the rest of the film could be this effective.
The biggest and most glaring flaw is how unremarkable and obvious this all is. Of course billionaires are creepy and awful and insincere; of course celebrities are phonies (anyone remember that inane "Imagine" video led by Gal Gadot?); of course people without morals are callous and will consider others expendable.
Sacrifice doesn't present anything new, groundbreaking or even interesting. Its politics are clear from the outset, and its conclusion is too derivative to be insightful. Most of us are aware that billionaires are trying to save the earth by destroying it bit by bit because they allegedly know better; clueless tech moguls who make neon signs that say "Make Earth Cool Again" and "Indigenous women of colour. Period." are easy targets, and while those may be humorous set pieces, it all ends up screaming "THIS IS POLITICAL!" without any rhyme or reason.
A political film that lacks depth is less than unnecessary, and Sacrifice proves a rudderless passion project without power, substance or influence. Sorry, Romain, your father, you are not.
There is also something inherently amateurish about the filmmaking itself: Gavras, cinematographer Matias Boucard, and editor Benjamin Weill repeatedly subject us to awkward cuts, poorly blocked shots and flat lighting. Some of the settings look beautiful and impressive, particularly the expansive caves where Joan's group hides out, but more often than not, the imagery lack style and depth, just like the storytelling. A hollow sheen that makes its 95-minute runtime feel never ending.
Gavras and co-writer Will Arbery front-load the film with a maximalist intensity reminiscent of a music video, which Gavras many of before transitioning to feature film making. A deliberate rhythm permeates the first half of the film, but after the central kidnapping takes place, it drags and drops. Its desire to appear profound overburdens the film, and it prattles on and on, beleaguered by its own entitlement, pretension and self-aggrandization.
While the screenplay tries to touch on some universal struggles — science vs. belief, hallucinations vs. reality, nature vs. technology — the film's lack of a point or position is as baffling as the eco-group's belief system and objective. The film never gives a satisfying explanation as to why the group believe the volcano sacrifice will save the world (other than that it will), and most egregiously, Arbery and Gavras don't build any empathy for any of the characters. When pain or death befalls them, it's difficult to care or be emotionally affected.
Also, their use of Leonard Cohen and Arthur Russell in this atrocity borders on blasphemous.
At one point near the beginning, Tyler gets on the phone with playwright DK (voiced by Jeremy O. Harris), who finds the whole charity gala scene repugnant. He tells Tyler, "Everyone flies there on their private jets, and then gnaws on the flesh of tortured mollusks. And the auction part, where it's just, like, this virtue signal circle-jerk, no one actually sacrifices anything." Truer words could not be applied to Sacrifice.
This is a film produced by people who think that they are smart and the audience is dumb, and everything needs to be spoon-fed and made obvious to us philistines, us plebes. Worst of all, one has to wonder how many millions of dollars and endless resources the filmmakers wasted making this film, in order to make a point about the ecological shortcomings of the rich and powerful. Stop moralizing and stop preaching, you hypocrites.
Shallow, tone deaf, narcissistic and self-righteous, there is nothing revolutionary or incendiary about Sacrifice. It's barely coherent.
It's a nonthreatening 95-minute waste of time that's as bland and unimaginative as the very things it hopes to subvert. Such a mess of themes, ideas and set pieces, many of which appear and disappear at random, to believe this was all done intentionally would be too painful.
The only thing that needs to be tossed into a volcano, metaphorical or otherwise, is Sacrifice itself.
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The list of producers for the Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson-directed film Wicker is long — like, 24 people long. It's a lot of people for such a humble film. But, in a sense, this list eloquently speaks to the miraculousness of Wicker specifically, and to the current state of filmmaking at large: it takes a village to create something as unpretentious and ambitiously original as Wicker.
The film, also written by Huston Fischer and Wilson, is based on a short story "The Wicker Husband" by Ursula Wills, and for this reason alone — for not just being another remake or an adaptation of a popular text — this film could be considered a breath of fresh air. It only helps then that Wicker is also a captivating film, at once honouring its source material and adding to it to offer up a trenchant and distinctly modern folktale.
The film's story follows Olivia Colman's Fisherwoman, a woman ostracized by her little village for her putative ungainliness, fishy smell and refusal to take a husband. The women in the village, led by Tailor's Wife (Elizabeth Debicki), make fun of Fisherwoman, but they also seem to be cloaking beneath their bullying a jealousy at her independence as Fisherwoman makes her own money and lives alone, caring only for herself.
When a silly game at a wedding predicts that Fisherwoman will be the next in the community to marry, everyone laughs. This finally breaks Fisherwoman, who gives in to tradition and treks to Basket Weaver's (Peter Dinklage) cottage to ask him to weave her a husband.
Basket Weaver obliges and creates Wicker Husband (Alexander Skarsgård). The two swiftly marry, affording Fisherwoman domestic and sensual bliss, along with relative conformity. Except, instead of following a well-trodden path, Fisherwoman's new life reveals potential for equality and love never before seen in the village. Wicker Husband does chores around the house and dotes on Fisherwoman, telling her often and besottedly that he exists solely for her. The village people become jealous of Fisherwoman and her healthy and respectful marriage, and collude to destroy Fisherwoman's happiness.
Making slight changes to certain plot points, the film version nevertheless keeps the soul of Wills's story intact. As with any resonant folktale, Wicker builds a stark world of its own, self-contained and original, in which morality is black and white and goodness as sickly sweet as badness is putrid and festering.
An exaggerated microcosm, the village offers a heightened version of modern society — a patriarchal community roiling with, and turning on, women's desires, apprehensions and invisible labour. What forms the molten centre of this film, the impetus for action, is the women's dissatisfaction with the role of "wife" allotted to them by societal demands. In the real world, this dissatisfaction can lead to revolutionary change, but sometimes revolution is obstructed by heavy traditions, which cause it to fester and putrefy to jealous anger.
Wills's parable is about creation and jealousy, but a distinct type of jealousy: feminine rage against the bind that patriarchy places women in, which is cast in stark relief by Fisherwoman's renegade happiness, first as a single woman and then as a woman with a partner who respects her. Huston Fisher and Wilson's take carefully translates Wills's idea, doing it justice as it carries the understanding that folkloric lessons are best conveyed through stories of communal reckonings with traditions.
The village's women sense that a great power imbalance exists within their ranks. But they sublimate their rage towards this injustice through envy and hateful attacks against Fisherwoman, because they haven't yet shaken off the blinkers of tradition, which they literally carry as collars around their necks and in superstitious gestures toward their bodies. The directors add tremendously to Wills's sense of humour, creating a silly world whose quirky traditions feel intuitive and lived in, and whose criticisms are blackly satirical.
The strength of Wicker derives from its beautifully simple articulation of a deeply complex lesson that patriarchy chains everyone, even men. Colman's Fisherwoman serves as the perfect conduit for this lesson. Her goodness is pure and simple and a strong bedrock for the community's enlightenment, or, depending on how you look at things, its comeuppance. The actor carries Fisherwoman with her trademark sense of humour, at once smart as a whip and humble as pie. Conversely, Skarsgård does feel a bit lost within the Wicker Husband, but his charm manages to peek through, carried by his syrupy voice and perfect comedic timing.
The star of the show is undoubtedly Dinklage. He portrays Basket Weaver as poetic, romantic and caring man whose righteousness runs watery in his eyes and like fire in his creative soul. Dinklage carries the sage man with grace and gravitas, and though a supporting character, Basket Weaver is unforgettable.
Huston Fisher and Wilson craft a sweet, quaint film, so precious it feels a miracle it has been created and is receiving a wide release at a time when those who fund movies prefer the safe, regurgitative option. Given Wicker is based on a short story by a writer not widely known to North American audiences, it's a breath of fresh air.
Never overly-ambitious or a grand spectacle, Wicker remains tremendously human, in its unruly spirit, production and origin. Carried by an endlessly loveable cast and fired by a story about the vice inherent to patriarchy, Wicker feels ancient with lessons about the human condition and invaluable as a critical work of art.
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Brr! It's cold in here! Just kidding, I have my weighted neck-and-shoulders heating pad on and set to scalding — but we have the icy cool 2027 edition of Igloofest Montreal on the horizon. Taking place the weekends of January 14 through February 6 at Old Port, festival organizers have now revealed the full lineup details.
Ninajirachi, Kaytranada, deadmau5, Frost Children, Fatboy Slim, Subtronics, Fcukers (DJ set), Chris Lorenzo, James Hype, Kettama, Boris Brejcha and Moshimann are among next year's headliners, with additional sets to come from the likes of Marie Davidson, Lou Phelps, MGNA Crrrta, TDJ, Chippy Nonstop and more.
Tickets for Igloofest Montreal go on general sale this Friday (October 23) at 11 a.m. local time, with various presales happening tomorrow (October 22). See the poster below for the rest of the lineup, and visit the fest's website for additional information.
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Listen, I'm nothing if not verbose — I often joke that's how I hope people describe me behind my back. Words fucking rule, okay? That said, I'm all for the treatment of a simple sequence of them, if not a cliché, that elevates a few syllables into something surprisingly transcendent.
Such is the case with the latest single from Swedish-Iranian R&B singer-songwriter Snoh Aalegra. It's called "I Love You," and this titular repetition makes up a good chunk of the lyrics; while words are often my way into a song, some operate on a body level above all else.
If you're bringing together two legends of the genre with Nile Rodgers on guitar and Raphael Saadiq on bass, it's an intentional modus operandi. But Aalegra doesn't take a backseat to the glitteriest funk groove this side of Prince, either: wrapping the refrain in her effortlessly plush vocals, the oft tossed-around expression is cooed to ecstatic heights. She really means it.
Aalegra's first album in six years, Legendary Love, is out November 13 via Stem.