By Steve Newton If you're a dedicated Tragically Hip fan you've no doubt seen their final concert, which took place in the band's Kingston hometown on August 20, 2016, and was broadcast live on CBC-TV. It was an historic gig, bursting with emotion, and for me the finest moment came during one of the several … Continue reading That time Gord Downie told me that the 15 minutes after a Tragically Hip show are his favourite time of the day
Tag: Ontario
That time Gord Downie told me about the music scene in Kingston and being influenced by the Yardbirds and Stones
By Steve Newton Back in 2016, when the awful news about Gord Downie's incurable brain cancer came out, I started posting excerpts from the first interview I did with him in 1989. The first one had him talking about a couple of the tunes on the Hip's then-new album, Up to Here, and the second one … Continue reading That time Gord Downie told me about the music scene in Kingston and being influenced by the Yardbirds and Stones
All the Oscar-winners in the world can’t make The Calling memorable
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUG. 29, 2014 With its pitch-black humour, quirky characters, and desolate small-town vibe—not to mention those furry-earmuff cop hats—The Calling seems like it might be trying to be a horror flick for the Fargo set. Unfortunately, even with a cast that includes Oscar winners Susan Sarandon and Ellen Burstyn and the scene-stealing Donald Sutherland, The … Continue reading All the Oscar-winners in the world can’t make The Calling memorable
Buffalo Brothers pay the price for that sweet Hammond B-3 sound
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 16, 1996 The members of London, Ontario, rock quartet Buffalo Brothers come from all over the largest of the Canuck provinces. Drummer Glen Gamble grew up in Brantford, bassist Jeff Fountain hails from North Bay, keyboardist Michael Bonnell calls Sault Sainte Marie home, and singer-guitarist Shaun Sanders is … Continue reading Buffalo Brothers pay the price for that sweet Hammond B-3 sound
Horror review: Cell 213
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JUNE 8, 2011 By Steve Newton There's a scene near the beginning of Cell 213 where one of the inmates at the dilapidated South River State Penitentiary is performing his duties as an embalmer—yes, the murderers here moonlight as undertakers—and making small talk with a guard. While draining the blood from a corpse, … Continue reading Horror review: Cell 213