Country music star Orville Peck is celebrating his birthday in Limpopo.
The South African born singer calls it his “favourite place on Earth”.
Peck previously told News24 he misses South Africa a lot.
One of the world’s hottest country music superstars is celebrating his birthday back home.
Orville Peck is known for his fringed mask and whiskey smooth voice. Since the release of his debut album, Pony, in 2019 he’s become a global sensation. He’s worked with well-known stars like Beyoncé, Harry Styles, and Diplo.
Very few know that the tattooed mystery man is from South Africa and was born in Johannesburg.
“My family left South Africa in 2002 because my father got a job opportunity in Canada. We were really struggling financially. We are all very, very proudly South African, and it was really difficult for us to leave. I think my whole family sort of had it in the back of our heads that we would always go back someday because it’s our home,” Orville previously told News24’s Bronwyn McKay in an exclusive interview.
He added, “It’s still my favourite place I’ve ever lived. Maybe I’m biased. I miss the food. I miss game drives. I miss wildlife. I grew up loving animals so much and spent many, many memories as a child going to the Kruger and the Pilanesberg.”
Diplo and Orville Peck.
Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images via AFP)
ALSO READ | Orville Peck: Country music’s hot new superstar is a cowboy from South Africa
That is exactly how the muso decided to start off the new year and celebrate his birthday. Posting a photo of himself in Mbabat, Limpopo, he wrote, “Hello, howdy and thank you for all the kind birthday wishes. I got to spend it in my favourite place on earth – out in the bushveld. Love y’all Xo OP [SIC].”
Peck told News24 that his favourite homemade treats include biltong, koeksisters, and milk tart. “I love biltong, and, actually, my brother makes his own biltong, which is really, really good. I love koeksisters, and my mother makes an amazing milk tart! I also have a potjie pot in my house. Everyone thinks it’s like a witch’s cauldron when they come over; they don’t understand what it is.”
How old is Peck? Well, that’s a secret he’ll never tell.
This week, a potential landmark case in the music industry was filed against Universal Music Group for allegedly withholding over $750 million of royalties from its artists over streams. Meanwhile, in Fulton County, a recording artist who was included in a gang indictment using his lyrics as evidence will face the legal fight of his life later this month, while his record label lies in ruins as a result.
It’s clear that, when the law crosses paths with the business of making and selling music, the course of one or the other can shift dramatically. In response to Young Thug’s case above, several states have introduced bills protecting artists’ freedom of speech whose lives and livelihoods can be wrecked by overeager prosecutors looking to score political points. Meanwhile, if Black Sheep’s class action suit against UMG proceeds, it could change the way streaming profits are shared with musicians, effecting broad-ranging changes in the way labels do business.
There have been plenty of other court cases that defined the course of the music industry. Some were copyright fights that caused new rules to be adopted — whether formally or informally — about how artists use and credit past works. Others are legal fights between artists and their labels, which prompted the latter to work out new types of deals in efforts to protect profits and attract savvier recording partners. And at least one seemed to be about artists and labels against the oncoming seismic shift caused by new technology. Here are ten of the court cases that defined the music industry.
1944 — Olivia de Havilland vs. Warner Bros. Pictures
One of the court cases that had the biggest impact on the recording industry wasn’t even about music. In 1944, actress Olivia de Havilland sued Warner Bros. Pictures after the term of her seven-year contract with the studio expired. However, much like with record contracts today, back then, actors signed to studios for a certain number of “pictures” over the course of a given term, and if they didn’t deliver, they couldn’t leave.
However, de Havilland argued that this was a violation of California labor law and that seven years means seven years. The courts agreed, forcing WB to release her; since then, numerous recording artists have used the same statute to end contracts they deem unfair, from Courtney Love and Metallica to Luther Vandross and most recently, HER. Even Kanye cited the rule during his feud with EMI and Roc-A-Fella, although a 1980s amendment allows labels to sue artists for damages if they don’t deliver the full number of contracted albums — even after seven years.
1960s — Chuck Berry vs. The Beach Boys
When the California rock band The Beach Boys basically plagiarized Chuck Berry’s 1958 “Sweet Little Sixteen” to create their 1963 hit “Surfin’ USA” (an event that was parodied in the 2006 adaptation of Dreamgirls), they inadvertently kicked off what nearly became the first copyright lawsuit in recording industry history. Although a lawsuit was never actually filed, all the royalties for “Surfin’ USA” go to Berry’s publisher Arc Music after the Beach Boys’ manager Murray Wilson struck a deal.
1990 — Queen vs. Vanilla Ice
This infamous case wound up being settled out of court, but it also laid the groundwork for future cases in which older artists expressed resentment for hip-hop’s proclivity for sampling their past hits. In 1990, upstart white rapper Vanilla Ice lifted the bassline from Queen’s 1981 song “Under Pressure.” The resulting single, “Ice Ice Baby,” became a monster hit and was hugely profitable, despite its later reputation as a novelty song.
However, the British band wasn’t too happy about it and sued Vanilla Ice over the song. Years later, it was revealed that the rapper paid for part of the publishing rights for “Under Pressure,” while giving credit to the original writers. Although he claims he bought the rights from the band outright, they refuted it, saying that a profit-sharing agreement was reached.
1990 — Roy Orbison vs. 2 Live Crew
Another landmark case revolving around the use of sampling in hip-hop, this one went all the way to the Supreme Court before all was said and done, and laid down some ground rules about how sampling can work. After requesting the rights for Roy Orbison’s “Oh Pretty Woman” and being denied, the group went ahead and released their parody track, “Pretty Woman” anyway in 1989. 2 Live Crew argued that their version constituted “fair use” which allows for parody.
After going through a federal district court and an appeals court, the Supreme Court ruled that 2 Live’s “Pretty Woman” does fall under fair use. However, not many artists have tried to use this defense in the years since — in part because parody tracks have fallen out of favor in hip-hop (although Weird Al is still cranking them out) and in part, because no one really wants the headache.
1990 — 2 Live Crew vs. Decency
Poor Uncle Luke. The 2 Live Crew spent a massive part of their early career battling legal enemies when they should have been enjoying the sort of debauchery that defined much of their creative output. In this case, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office had issued an edict that any stores selling 2 Live’s 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be would face arrest on the grounds of obscenity. 2 Live fought back, filing suit in federal district court. Although an initial judge agreed with the Sheriff, an appeals court overturned the ruling, and the Supreme Court backed it up by refusing to hear a second appeal. Despite the raunchy material, the appeals court decided that the music itself had artistic value and that the band being “nasty” wasn’t enough to ban them outright.
1994 — Tupac Goes To Prison
This was impactful less as a matter of how it changed the rules of the game and more as how it changed the substance — even if indirectly. When Tupac was sentenced to 18 months in prison on rape charges (he eventually served just eight), he became something of a folk hero to a fanbase that felt he was railroaded by a racist system, emerging from prison more popular than ever. This set a precarious precedent in hip-hop, but it also helped to solidify what the genre looked like and represented. “Thug life” more or less became the default expression of the art form and Tupac became its avatar.
So many artists now have at least a little of his DNA in their flow, business moves, and public personas and this was arguably the start of his iconic status. After his prison stint, fans were so ravenous for new music that his final two albums, released during and after his sentence, both went No. 1 after he’d previously only managed to peak at No. 24. We certainly see echoes of that in artists such as 21 Savage and the support for Young Thug.
1994 — Prince Vs. Warner
Also in 1994, Prince waged his infamous one-man war on his label, Warner, for control over his music. By now, you’ve undoubtedly heard of how he changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol in an attempt to free himself from his contract, or how he wrote “Slave” on his face to protest his inability to release music how and when he wanted under those contract terms. Ever since then, artists have spoken out about how they disagree with label practices — whether they’re practical or not — and ownership of their creative output, and any number of them, from Kanye to Megan Thee Stallion to New Jersey rapper Russ, have taken the Prince route to freeing themselves from the constraints of the major system.
2000 — Metallica vs. Napster
The first case of an artist suing a peer-to-peer file-sharing company, Metallica’s victory over Napster not only effectively ended Napster’s reign over the distribution of music, it basically opened the door for the whole streaming era in which we currently find ourselves. P2P sharing was never effectively ended, but it was forced underground, eventually evolving into the download sites that fueled the so-called “blog era.” It also demonstrated the viability of digital distribution, first in the form of .mp3s, and later, as streams, as fans had demonstrated that they were willing to adopt the new technology in lieu of only purchasing physical media.
2000s — MusicNet and PressPlay
Of course, the above transition wasn’t quite as smooth as that sentence may have made it out to be. In the early 2000s, the labels’ early attempts to get into the music-streaming game, MusicNet and PressPlay, weren’t quite as user-friendly as Spotify and Tidal would later turn out to be. But that wasn’t the only problem. The US Justice Department investigated the apps for antitrust violations, suspecting that the labels were suppressing competition and inflating the price of downloads.
Once iTunes hit the scene, though, the labels closed up shop on MusicNet and PressPlay, instead shifting their business models from trying to dominate the streaming space with their own propriety platforms in favor of partnering with tech companies who could do the concept justice.
2014 — Marvin Gaye Estate vs. Robin Thicke & Pharrell Williams
In a case that changed the standards for just what constitutes copyright infringement, the estate of Marvin Gaye alleged that Robin Thicke’s Pharrell-produced hit “Blurred Lines” illegally reproduced Gaye’s 1977 soul staple “Got To Give It Up.” A court agreed that, even without direct plagiarism of sheet music or lyrics, the later song certainly reproduces a lot of the sound of the original — enough that $5.3 million and 50 percent of all future royalties of the song were awarded to the Gaye estate.
This opened the door (and a couple of windows) for all kinds of copyright cases, with everyone from upstart rappers to established producers alleging plagiarism for even the slightest similarities in tone, style, lyrics, or instrumentation. And while a significant portion of those is getting chucked out, they’re likely to keep coming until another ruling draws firmer boundaries around what’s protected and what isn’t.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
We hate to burst your bubble but Pop stars are here to stay.
Short for “popular,” these musicians representing genres that run the gamut from country and rap to R&B and of course Pop, have become some of the greatest icons of the modern day.
It’s no surprise that when it comes to some of the biggest celebrities on the globe, those who bring us our favorite tunes, pull on our heartstrings with powerful lyrics and speak the universal language of music, are indeed the ones that rule the world.
We become captivated by their albums, singles, stories and legacies, fascinated by who they are on—and off—stage. Buckle up as we dive into some of your favs!
To understand the world of pop music, the New York Post spoke exclusively with celebrity music producer Craig J Snider. As a team, we put our heads together to create the definitive list of pop stars astrology and the zodiac.
During our conversations, Craig discussed wanting to think outside of the box when it comes to his choices—so very few of the pop stars we’ve labeled actually are their particular zodiac sign. He wanted to spin it in a way that each of his choices mirrors the energy of each zodiac sign—and I totally applaud his creativity for that!
ARIES (MARCH 21 – APRIL 19): Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga embodies the archetype of Aries.Getty Images for Live Nation
When it comes to a powerhouse who was “born this way,” there’s only one Lady Gaga. Her legacy exemplifies a “no holds” barred approach to life, music, songwriting, fashion, acting and more. This is why she’s the perfect embodiment of the fire within an Aries! This queen has not only pushed the cultural and musical needle forward, but reinvented herself as an artist and performer numerous times. She’s a straight up warrior, for love and pop poetry! Anyone that can dominate remaking “A Star is Born” is a true legend.
TAURUS (APRIL 20 – MAY 20): Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj is a pop star not to be messed with.PA Images via Getty Images
When it comes to a pop star with a hard-hitting, stubborn edge, there’s none other than Nicki Minaj. As if she’s ruled by the planet Venus—just like Tauruses are—she brings a swag, confidence and feminine glamour to her work. Minaj is immensely strong and lives like a queen: just like the zodiac sign of the bull. However, the point that sealed the deal with this pop star pick is that she definitely has the temperament of the bull—peaceful and charming, and never someone to mess with. Beware her horns if you’ve pushed her too far!
GEMINI (MAY 21 – JUNE 20): Katy Perry
Katy Perry brings a mysterious, exciting edge to everything that she does.ABC via Getty Images
Spontaneous, hilarious and unique, Katy Perry is tremendously multi-faceted. The thing about her is that you can’t keep her in a cage! She is also the queen of camp, showing that she isn’t afraid of keeping things fresh and entertaining while having fun—just like a Gemini. She’s very smart and witty, always ready for her next big adventure. Also, anyone that jumps off the Auckland Harbour Bridge mid-tour in New Zealand is about as badass as it gets!
CANCER (JUNE 21 – JULY 22): Post Malone
Post Malone sings from the heart.Getty Images
Post Malone exemplifies the Cancer energy—and it also happens to be his actual zodiac sign! This is because on the outside, he can show he has a tough exterior, but underneath it all, he’s as sensitive, emotional and passionate as they come! This shows pure and potent Cancer vibes. He has the heart of a lover and even has found that becoming a parent is one of his greatest journeys: something that all Cancers thrive within.
LEO (JULY 23 – AUGUST 22): Beyoncé
Beyoncé is regal being that became a real life Queen.Getty Images For Parkwood Entert
When we talk about “the Queen B,” there’s no other Beyoncé! She embodies the raw fire and energy of a leader and the regality of royalty more than any other pop star on this list—and because of that, she’s the Leo pick! Since her first days in Destiny’s Child, she’s shown that she’s the main event and can carry powerful, deep musical narratives throughout her body of work.
Not only this, though, she knows how to break musical boundaries, truly create along many different mediums and “break my soul.” Another trait that links her to the Leo archetype is that she’s as loyal as they come—always standing by her man—Jay-Z. Talk about a power couple!
VIRGO (AUGUST 23 – SEPTEMBER 22): Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez has unlimited tenacity.Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images
When it comes to one of the hardest working pop stars on Earth, Jennifer Lopez embodies the unending tenacity, perseverance and desire for perfection that aligns with the archetype of Virgo. Her list of accomplishments—and skills—continues to go on and on as she pushes herself to be the best version of herself at all times. She’s a multi-talente dancer, singer, actress, fitness buff, business woman and mother. No one works harder with more esprit de corps than J Lo! What a force to be reckoned with!
LIBRA (SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 22): Jay-Z
Jay-Z has unlimited charm.FilmMagic
When it comes to a pop star who can spit rhymes, keep people on their toes and build an empire, there’s the king of hip hop for all time: the great Jay-Z! He knows how to work people—and crowds and the media—with the perfect sense of grace. Just as Libra is ruled by the planet Libra, Jay-Z knows how to blend art, music, business and pleasure! He can spin all the plates strategically and with ease!
SCORPIO (OCTOBER 23 – NOVEMBER 21): Madonna
Madonna slithers with sex.Getty Images for dcp
When it comes to a pop star who embodies pure and total sexual desire and raw power, there’s the one-and-only Madonna. Her ability to push boundaries—as well dive into her “shadow self” and emerge like a phoenix through her art and life—aligns her with Scorpio.
Scorpio rules sex—as well as transformation—something we’ve seen her do in her art, performances, video and other masterpieces, as well. She’s also “all or nothing” about everything with endless passion, drive, business-saavy and sexual libido in spades!
SAGITTARIUS (NOVEMBER 22 – DECEMBER 21): Lizzo
Lizzo is unapologetic.AFP via Getty Images
Sagittarius energy is all about being big, bold, beautiful and unapologetic! This is why Lizzo embodies the archetype of always feeling “good as hell!” Jupiter, the planet of miracles and expansion, rules Sagittarius and is an optimistic, “go big or go home” vibe—and also aligns with how Lizzo has absolutely taken the world by storm. Lizzo’s persona bucks the current trend of lithe waifs that sing breathlessly in your ear. She comes roaring like a cannonball and dominates the stage! She is eager—and confident—as she breaks the barriers of what female artists should look and sound like. And then coming in hot with the flute? Slay, queen, slay.
CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22 – JANUARY 19): DJ Khaled
DJ Khaled is a powerhouse.Getty Images
Capricorn energy is ambitious, long-lasting and business-saavy—so our choice for this zodiac sign is DJ Khaled! Not only has he built an empire over the last decade, he’s shown that he was a mastermind all along. This “big boss” energy—by orchestrating masterful collaborations with A-list “who’s who” music celebrities—has shown that he likes his luxury and can manifest swag forever.
AQUARIUS (JANUARY 20 – FEBRUARY 18): Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is a revolutionary.Getty Images for Amazon
Multi-faceted, ever fluid and groundbreaking: there’s only one Taylor Swift. Aquarius is ruled by the planet of freedom and the future, Uranus. Swift brings a genre-bending and ever evolving approach to her music: from country to pop to dance to indie singer-songwriter!
The other reason we placed her here is because she’s unafraid of change and growth, as the Aquarius archetype always seeks progressive transformation. Community is also a big part of Aquarian energy, and when it comes to an artist who has inspired a generation of women—as well as a devoted, large and fierce fan base—Swift has done it all.
PISCES (FEBRUARY 19 – MARCH 20): Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber possesses tremendous levels of creativity.WireImage
Of all the icons that embody the multi-dimensional energy of Pisces, there’s only one Justin Bieber. Built from a passion to sing, express his creativity and lay his heart on his sleeve, Bieber has shown that he’s a feelings first kind of pop star! Not only this, but as Pisces is the zodiac sign most closely aligned with spirituality due to them being ruled by Neptune, he’s even found his divine connection to his “holy energy.”
Special thanks to celebrity music producer Craig J Snider for collaborating with me on this article!
Craig J Snider, Celebrity Music Producer. @CraigJSniderINKEDKENNY
Craig J. Snider is a Composer, Producer, Remixer, Songwriter, and Multi-instrumentalist who works between Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. His work includes 35+ Billboard Dance Chart #1 hits by artists such as Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake and Madonna. Recently, he and his band “The Shamanic” scored top ten hits with their first singles’ “Fire” and “FK Always.”
Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars
Kyle Thomas is a globally recognized pop culture astrologer who has been featured in “Access Hollywood,” E! Entertainment, NBC & ABC television, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Hulu, Bustle, Elite Daily, Marie Claire and more. He is known for his cosmic guidance for celebrities, business executives and prominent influencers. His work harnesses the power of the stars in regards to entertainment lifestyle and trends affecting people worldwide. For more information, visit KyleThomasAstrology.com.
An Emmy-winning and multiplatinum-selling musician will bring his music education program to Auburn High School in March.
Mark Wood, an original member of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, will work with the school’s band, choir and orchestra through his program, Electrify Your Symphony. Together, they will create a rock orchestra that will perform for the public on Tuesday, March 14, in the auditorium of the school, 250 Lake Ave., Auburn. Tickets will be $10 for adults, $5 for students and free for Auburn district students.
Proceeds from the concert will support Auburn school music programs. Tickets will be available at the door and at showtix4u.com.
“The Auburn Music Boosters, the high school music department and the Auburn Enlarged City School District are thrilled to be able to provide our students with this amazing musical opportunity,” Auburn High School representative Allison Fennessy said in a news release.
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Wood will perform with the students on his handcrafted seven-string fretted electric Viper violin, his invention, while performing his original material and his arrangements of music by Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and more. Vocalist Laura Kaye, who is Wood’s wife, will also perform. Before the performance, Wood and Kaye will prepare students in workshops, teaching improvisation, composition and more.
The program has been featured on “The Today Show,” “CBS Evening News” and more.
“(Electrify Your Symphony) builds on the strong foundation provided by the classically trained music teachers, creating a partnership that inspires students and boosts their self-esteem and motivation on stage and off,” the program said in the news release.
For more information, visit electrifyyoursymphony.com.
Another day offers another exciting Heardle challenge for music fans all around the world. It allows you to continue your great winning run in the game while also allowing you to unwind before taking on the day’s numerous tasks.
The game gives you six opportunities to get the song perfect and the aim is to get it right in as few attempts as possible. The tasks can be complex at times since only the beginning of the song’s opening is played, and even if the music is known, it might be difficult to recognise.
Since it was introduced earlier this year as a tribute to Wordle, the game’s popularity has skyrocketed. Spotify purchased the game in July 2022, which is now accessible to customers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
Heardle hints and solution: Tuesday, January 3, 2022
The daily tasks in Heardle are similar to those in Wordle but the musical element makes the game considerably more enjoyable and thrilling.
One thing to keep in mind is that the songs that the app releases every day are among the most-streamed singles from the past decade, which some may say gives modern music fans an unfair edge.
However, the app also includes hits from the 1980s and 1990s. With that stated, here are some hints to assist you in determining today’s Heardle song:
Hint 1: The song came out in 2016.
Hint 2: The music is of the pop genre.
Hint 3: Hailee Steinfeld’s single with Grey and Zedd.
Hint 4: The length is 3:01.
Hint 5: One word in the song’s title.
Hint 6: It starts with the letter “S.”
Hint 7: The song is from the album Haiz.
If you still have not guessed the music, scroll down to find out what it is.
Today’s Heardle challenge song is Starving by Hailee Steinfeld and Grey ft.
FAQs:
Which company owns the Heardle game? Spotify owns the Heardle song.
Where is the headquarters of Heardle? Heardle, a New York-based game, provides participants with six chances to guess the name of a song. More fragments of the music are given with each incorrect guess.
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There are many things that put the “sweet” in “Sweet Home Alabama,” but among them are the good times we enjoy with our friends and family in the state.
Often overlooked by surrounding metro areas and cultural regions known for their unique music, food and entertainment industries like New Orleans, Nashville and Atlanta, it’s easy to underappreciate the talent right here in Alabama.
In 2020, 1819 News did its best not only to uncover the corruption in our state but also to highlight everything there is to like about Alabama, including the state’s artistic talent and entertainment facilities.
Here are the five top entertainment stories for Alabama in 2022:
American music is Southern music. Blues, country, jazz, and rock and roll all have roots below the Mason Dixon. Alabama, in particular, sits at the intersection between numerous musical traditions.
Throughout 2022, 1819 News highlighted Alabama’s musical talent, from the history-rich studios of Muscle Shoals to young acts just getting their start in the real LA: Lower Alabama.
The Burnells a cross-genre jam band that finds itself in the crosshairs of the folk music of Bob Dylan and artists of the Athens, Georgia, grunge scene of the likes of REM.
1819 News interviewed country music star Tim Dugger. Dugger got his start performing at NASCAR races in Talladega and performed at the Grand Ole Opry for the first time in December 2021.
Barry Waldrep, a Randolph County native and the world’s largest banjo store owner has been joined in the recording studio by successful artists such as Vince Gill, Radney Foster, Warren Haynes, Spooner Oldham and Oteil Burbridge.
1819 News interviewed legendary Muscle Shoals singer-songwriter Walt Aldridge. Aldridge got his start working for FAME Studios in the late 1970s and eventually went on to author several popular songs, such as Conway Twitty’s “She’s Got a Single Thing in Mind” (1989) and “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde” (2000) by Travis Tritt.
Joe Cagle Band‘s music is “a fusion of country, rock and jazz” inspired by jam icons Dave Matthews and the Grateful Dead.
Drew Travis is the lead vocalist and keyboard player for The Backseat Drivers, a Mobile-area jam band whose members are all in their late teens and early 20s. Though young, The Backseat Drivers recorded an album in 2020 at Mobile’s Dauphin Street Sound.
Barry Waldrep. Photo from BarryWaldrep.com.
We live in a crazy world. As serious as it can sometimes be, it can’t hurt to laugh every now and then. Opelika natives Jody Fuller and Dusty Slay will help you.
1819 News spoke to Fuller in September. Fuller is a military veteran, Auburn Tiger fan and lifelong stutterer who built a career by telling jokes on stage. Fuller, whose comedic experience has led him to take on inspirational speaking gigs and author several books, released a special with Dry Bar Comedy in April in which he tells stories about accidentally calling all three time-outs during a middle school football game and reads knock-knock jokes from kids.
Slay once lived in a trailer park and worked at Western Sizzlin. Now, he tells jokes for a living. His “We’re Having a Good Time Podcast” references his signature habit of raising his hand in the air and telling his audience, “we’re having a good time” between jokes. Aside from his solo show, Slay was just made co-host of the “Nateland” podcast with Nashville comedians Nate Bargatze, Aaron Webber and Brian Bates. He also has a 30-minute set on Netflix’s “The Standups.”
Dusty Slay. Photo from Dusty Slay’s Facebook page.
Not all entertainment stories are happy, however. In October, news broke about a possible move that would cause Pelham to lose its beloved Oak Mountain Ampitheatre, which would be replaced by a new amphitheater in North Birmingham.
Since then, the move has continued to come to fruition, with several parties electing to fork up funds for the new 8,500-to-9,000-seat entertainment venue, which will be owned by the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center but managed by Live Nation.
Though Shelby County officials have been mostly silent about the proposed move, it has received support from other state and local figures such as State Sen. Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia Hills) and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin.
Photo from the Oak Mountain Amphitheatre Facebook page.
In August, 1819 News attended Cullman’s classic country music concert Rock the South. The show featured country music stars Morgan Wallen, Koe Wetzel, Jamey Johnson and Fort Payne-native Southern rock band Alabama.
Rock the South has been held since 2012 when it was created as a celebration of the Cullman area’s recovery from the EF4 tornado that struck the region in 2011. From then on, the event has been home to popular country music stars such as Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Dierks Bently, Florida Georgia Line, Alan Jackson, Thomas Rhett and Eric Church.
In 2023, the concert will be extended to a three-day schedule, as was announced in November.
Aside from laughs and sounds, Alabama’s restaurant and recreation industry emerged from the lockdown era in full swing. Notably, one of Huntsville’s entertainment districts, located in the former campus of S.R. Butler High School, offers residents a place to hang out, play games and enjoy a glass of Alabama beer. A similar location in Pelham is following suit.
Huntsville’s Campus 805 is home to two of Alabama’s most popular breweries, Straight to Ale and Yellowhammer, and also includes a speakeasy, axe-throwing range and an indoor golf simulator.
Pelham’s Campus No. 124 is located in the former Valley Elementary School and, though still under construction, is already home to the steak and seafood restaurant, the Half Shell Oyster House, and the Beer Hog, a beer hall featuring several Alabama craft brews.
Campus 805. Photo: Brian Moats.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email will.blakely@1819news.com or find him on Twitter and Facebook.
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Your heart and my heart/Are very, very old/Friends.” – From The Gift by Hafiz
On a Sunday morning in California, Atif Aslam is rehearsing to perform at a prestigious (then-upcoming) Sufi conference – scheduled to take place in Toronto, Canada.
The conference has hosted illustrious names such as Sami Yusuf in the past. Invited to perform, Atif Aslam is well-aware of its significance and the responsibility that comes with it.
To that end, Atif has shed the pop star spirit for the inherent Sufi nature that is a part of his personality. A case in point is the material he is planning to present at the conference. Choosing kalaams by the likes of Baba Bulleh Shah and other Sufi masters has taken precedence over pop songs.
“It is akin to a religious conference with seminars. People from all over the world attend,” he says, “We are performing a completely different set.”
As Atif confesses, the set includes Sufi kalaams by the likes of Baba Bulleh Shah as well as renditions of kalaams he has done in the past such as ‘Tajdar-e-Haram’, ‘Man Kunto Maula’ and ‘Wohi Khuda Hai’ – among others.
This performance is an exciting one for Atif Aslam. “I started my career with singing and it allowed me to express myself and form connections.”
The prospect of performing at this Sufi concert is, for Atif, about his career coming full circle. He also found it challenging because of what the set would entail and how he planned to present it.
“These kalaams have been performed by many others and yet they’re fresh. I think your kalaam doesn’t change, only the voice changes. I’m excited about how I hope to present it.”
Atif Aslam also knew that the audience at this conference extends beyond Pakistani or Indian fans. It would include other nationalities as well so the idea about playing this set to new(er) listeners was exciting, challenging, and created undeniably strong emotions in him.
“May you always do for others/And let others do for you/May you build a ladder to the stars/And climb on every rung/And may you stay/Forever young.” – ‘Forever Young’ by Bob Dylan
2023 is a hallmark year for Atif Aslam, the superstar, the singer, and Pakistan’s biggest export to the world from the performing arts arena. This year, he has entered the 20thyear in his career, beginning with ‘Aadat’ in late 2003 and growing in the decades that followed.
Between 2003 and 2023, the music ecosystem has drastically changed. As Atif looks back to the time when he was starting out, there is a hint of nostalgia as well as the realization that the way we consume music has changed (perhaps permanently) due to technology.
And though technology has given fans a free run to discover music like never before, there can be, at times, so much choice that a person can feel a sense of cognitive dissonance.
“These are different, even tougher times. I think it varies from artist to artist,” he observes. To Atif, it is also about the purpose and what the reason is for an artist to start his career. Is it for 15 minutes of fame? Is it about what comes along with being a superstar like fame, money, power or is it about longevity and expressing an artform. “To be honest, I don’t know what anyone’s real agenda is but if an artist is here to stay, they have a lot of choices now; they can introduce themselves in many different ways and it gives them an edge in comparison to past decades.”
Being an overnight sensation, he says, is not the same as it was. Because people have so many choices, says an astute Atif, if you don’t follow up, you’re not going to last. “If you keep doing the same thing, people will forget you.”
“Servin’ up a look, dancin’ in the drought/Hello to the big stepper, never losin’ count.” – ‘N95’ by Kendrick Lamar
As coronavirus infections eased up in Pakistan in the last two years, Atif Aslam was at the forefront of creating and releasing new music. And when Atif Aslam does something, music fans in and outside the country take notice. He went on an interesting spree, releasing new songs with music videos ft. some of the country’s finest women actors. Somewhere in there, he also worked in his first television drama, Sang e Mah that elated fans and challenged Atif to step out of his comfort zone, emotionally and physically. This didn’t keep him away from commercial platforms like Coke Studio or Pakistan Super League. In a nutshell, the post-corona freedom meant Atif Aslam was everywhere.
Atif Aslam in ‘Cricket Khidaiye’ with Faris Shafi, and Talal Qureshi
“The commercial platforms have their own parameters and you can’t step outside after a certain point. There are client requirements,” he says, thoughtfully. “With your own music, you are the boss and you’re in charge. The fact that only few artists were doing original music was one reason. But more than that, I wanted to reinforce the idea that it isn’t true that a song will only survive if it has enormous push behind it.”
Atif gives an example. Songs that created a path for him in Bollywood were originals like ‘Lamhe’ and ‘Aadat’.
Another reason why Atif Aslam dropped a series of songs – accompanied by elaborate music videos and actors – was because he wanted to make credible music videos, even if it was an expensive undertaking.
But perhaps the biggest reason was the acting bug in Atif that he wanted to push forward with each video, ranging from ‘Raat’ to the most recent, ‘Moonrise’.
“I think it (acting) was noticed because I ended up getting Sang e Mah.”
“In each of the music videos, there was also the aspiration of highlighting our artists.”
“Mahira Khan is a sweetheart,” with whom he had starred in Bol and its smash hit songs. Since a decade had passed, the idea to do a new music video emerged which was about doing something together. It culminated in the music video of ‘Ajnabi’. In the case of other music videos, Atif wanted to highlight the talent of every one who featured in his recent spate of music videos even further than their current status as actors. The collaborations were meant as a process of mutual respect and exposure to each other’s respective audience.
“It’s always good to push artists from within your industry. We’re often at odds with each other because one person is having it out with another and so on. But as a result of this, the sense of being an industry is not there. The day we realise that we need to work as a unit and as a nation, these problems will disappear.”
In some ways, Atif Aslam is a stoic character who wants to do his job without being motivated by prejudice and malice of any kind towards any artist.”
“How did ya find me how did ya find me?/What are you looking for, are you looking for?” – ‘Find Me’ by Kings of Leon
There is no school of music that Atif Aslam is not familiar with. From singing pop songs and recording his debut album in literally 5 days, he has seen and done it all. It includes original soundtracks, pop songs, Bollywood songs, devotional renditions, qawwali, ghazal and folk songs. During this process he has collaborated with a diverse group of artists from various genres.
Acting is a new beast he needed to conquer. We saw a glimpse in Bol (2011) but that was, as Atif has always maintained, about lending his celebrity power to an important film. In recent years, the acting bug in him, emerged first in music videos, followed by TV and in the future, a film, if and when the right one comes along.
With a drama serial as intense as Sang e Mah, Atif did unleash his craft in another field of performing arts: acting.
What compelled him to work in a drama serial, though?
“Well, I’d say I’ve been very lucky,” Atif recalls, “You know, it can be a cliché when people say when are you starting your acting career? I’d say I’m waiting for the right script and this was the right script and I had been waiting for it for a good 17 years.”
Atif admits it took some convincing before he signed on. What held Atif back from immediately saying yes were certain tropes. He wasn’t interested in doing a musical or an unabashed love story. He wasn’t waiting for a murder detective series either. “I was convinced when I heard the narration, read the script and even then, I wondered if it was the right one or not.”
People who make up Atif’s close circle including his family, he remembers, thought it wasn’t necessary since he enjoys a solid music career. But that challenge was the final nail in the coffin. “I didn’t like what they had said,” he remembers. “I was like ‘you think I can’t do this’ and I took it as a challenge and jumped in.”
During the process, Atif Aslam unlearned being Atif Aslam. “Atif is used to being a big star but this role required shedding that perception of oneself.”
In 2022, Atif also appeared in Coke Studio 14 and worked with younger artists such as Talal Qureshi, Faris Shafi and Abdullah Siddiqui. In the case of the latter though, Atif believes that he deserves a lot more credit than what he is currently being recognized for and hopes it will change.
The way he speaks, though, it almost feels like it breaks Atif’s heart to see someone as talented being taken for a ride.
“Hello from the outside/At least I can say that I’ve tried.” – ‘Hello’ by Adele
A middle-class boy who saved money in order to record his first single and those initial days of struggle came back to Atif when he was shooting for Sang e Mah and suddenly, he embraced what was before him. “I unlearned myself.”
Rehearsing meant handing the script to anyone who came before him including the cook. At that point, Atif didn’t know that he would be sharing dialogues against one Nauman Ijaz, an acting giant.
“Acting, therefore, is about reacting to what’s around you. The cook wasn’t giving the expressions that Nauman Ijaz would. So, when on the set, it occurred to me that it was about feeding off each other’s energy.”
“There’s such a difference between us/And a million miles.” – ‘Hello’ by Adele
As we segue between personal stories and the decades of outpouring of love from dedicated fans, Atif admits that his own life is at a point he never expected it to be. But he is grateful for it and for the fans.
Because of his celebrity power, he would meet his wife by going on drives. They dated for seven years before things became official and she became Atif’s partner. His children, he admits, come from a privileged background, because of who he is.
He notes that while he won’t rob his children from being Atif Aslam’s children but certain values have been taught, particularly to the older one, who is eight years old.
On a parting note, Atif says his older son will pass down those values to his youngest and he is looking forward to that period but even between concerts, acting, and as the posterboy of fame, his favourite task is to drop his son to school. Fatherhood and being a good husband matter to him a lot more than being surrounded by sycophants who tell him exactly what they think he wants to hear.
Atif Aslam is confident that his career is, fortunately, on the up and up and he has plans to release more music in this New Year. He is also looking forward to acting but now he has set his sight on cinema. But Atif is unwilling to sign just about anything. Like his choice of drama serial, he will select content that has merit. When the fame disappears, he is willing to part with it because nothing is permanent and Atif knows it well.
Detail from sculpture by Johann Christian Wilhelm Beyer in the Great Parterre, Schönbrunn, Vienna. Photo by lienyuan lee.
In one of the first Oregon ArtsWatch stories of the year, last January’s MusicWatch Monthly, Charles Rose spoke for all of us: “Can we please get some certainty back into our lives?” In the same column, Charles looked ahead to Portland Music Month, a smorgasbord of musical performances in various venues all across the city. PMM is back in 2023 (see their calendar and so on right here), and that sets the tone for what we’d like to think about today, here at the end of another bizarre year.
2022: THE CULTURAL YEAR IN REVIEW
Let’s consider the nature of “certainty”–is such a thing possible? It sometimes seems the only true certainty is uncertainty, but there’s a dynamic and realistic way of making certainty, well, at least a little more certain. We’re talking about determination, and the robustness of collaboration, the connectivity of community, the power of leadership and organization, and above all, the light of hope.
As we listen backward to 2022 and forward to 2023, we notice several trends and traditions that we might hope to hear repeated in the year to come. Let us trace them, one thread at a time, through the year’s reporting here at Oregon ArtsWatch.
Meet the next year, same as the last year
Another important festival returning once again: the beloved PDX Jazz Fest, about to enter its twentieth year. (You can get ready for PDX Jazz 2023 right here). Early this year, Angela Allen reported extensively on the history of jazz in Portland, and you can read her three-part preview and one-part review here:
Chris Brown at The 1905. Photo by Karney Hatch.
The William Byrd Festival is another landmark that returned this year (read Daryl Browne’s coverage of that right here), although it remains to be seen whether the long-running festival of Renaissance music concerts and lectures will be returning next year. Stay tuned, folks: when it’s announced, you’ll hear it on Oregon ArtsWatch. Daryl might even craft another of her crossword puzzles to celebrate. (Test your wits with July’s Byrd-themed PuzzleWatch, right here.)
Portland Opera continues to demonstrate a laudable commitment not only to contemporary music but also to contemporary themes. This is nothing new for them–the present author remembers well their productions of As One and The Difficulty of Crossing a Field and The Little Matchstick Girl, and just this year they commissioned two new operas. Dmae Lo Roberts interviewed the creators of Beatrice on her Stage & Studio podcast in September.
The other commissioned opera creator? Damien Geter, with with librettist Lorene Cary. In PO’s press release, Geter describes Jubilee, which will center on the story of the Fisk Jubilee Singers:
The Fisk Jubilee Singers are one of the most important threads that bind together the fabric of American music and culture. Their performances brought the spiritual—which serves as the foundation for much of America’s popular music even today—into the concert hall. Yet their story and artistry are still unknown to many Americans. So, Lorene and I choose to share it in the same manner they expressed themselves: through song, and with the grandeur they deserve: through opera.
More on Geter later. This year, Portland Opera produced the U.S. premiere of the queer-themed Canadian opera The Sun Comes Out, eight whole years after its original premiere up north. You can read Angela’s review of that right here. Another of PO’s productions, The Central Park Five, merited three stories in ArtsWatch:
In the current season, PO keeps that up. They produced Carmen earlier this year–they’re obliged to keep the war horses alive, and bless ’em for it. Later in the season–next March–they’re staging Kamala Sankaram and Susan Yankowitz’s Thumbprint, on the troubling-yet-inspiring subject of Pakistani human rights activist Mukhtar Mai.
In May, Portland Opera hosts and collaborates with Terence Blanchard, best known to some as Spike Lee’s longtime collaborator and to others as the composer of Fire Shut Up In My Bones–the first opera by a Black composer premiered at The Almighty Met (this was, by the way, last year). Some other big names on this program: PO artistic advisers Geter (conducting) and Karen Slack (singing), plus baritone Will Liverman (read about his recent adventures in Portland in Alice Hardesty’s review).
Earlier this year, James Bash talked to PO’s Priti Gandhi and Sue Dixon about all of this, and you can read that right here.
Aubrey Allicock as Yusef Salaam, Bernard Holcomb as Kevin Richardson, Nathan Granner as Kharey/Korey Wise, Donovan Singletary as Antron McCray, and Victor Ryan Robertson as Raymond Santana in Portland Opera’s production of “The Central Park Five.” Photo by Christine Dong/Portland Opera.
Where the music comes from
It’s often said, bitterly and in jest, that in classical music, “world premiere” means “last performance.” Not so for My Words Are My Sword, a collaboration between Oregon composer Jasnam Daya Singh and Memphis-based actor Darius Wallace. This past spring, Angela covered the work’s premiere from two angles: a pre-show preview and a post-show review. In the former, she described it like this:
Music drama? Collage? Spoken-word piece? One-man show? Multi-media chamber collaboration?
My Words Are My Sword is all of those.
In the year ahead, you’ll have another chance to experience Wallace and Singh’s multi-genre whatsit at The Reser–the latest addition to Oregon’s large-scale venue landscape (ArtsWatch Maestro Bob Hicks reported on that in March). The original players (Singh, Wallace, Portland Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Yaacov Bergman) will perform My Words Are My Sword on January 14.
Sponsor
Phil Darius Wallace performing ‘My Words Are My Sword’ in 2022. Photo by Joe Cantrell.
Note that this “repeat performance” involves the creators as performers–a successful method employed by composers as diverse as Joan Tower, Philip Glass, and J.S. Bach. Oregon’s most recent adopted composer, Andy Akiho, is another of these.
We simply adore Akiho, don’t we, dear reader? He’s been a favorite here since his first appearances with Chamber Music Northwest damn near a decade ago. This summer, Brett and Charles profiled Akiho’s latest composition–the Grammy-nominated Seven Pillars–when it rolled into Portland as part of CMNW 2022.
Akiho has multiple upcoming appearances on the Oregon music calendar for 2023. One of the first concerts of the year happens in Milwaukie (home of Dark Horse Comics) on January 15: Akiho will perform (and, presumably, spin records) as part of Third Angle New Music’s new Decibel Series. The series is another in a long line of creative programming from 3A, who have been known to haunt wine bars and jazz clubs and rooftops and rail museums. Also in the series: Portland Percussion Group co-founder Christopher Whyte in February and multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Machado Mijiga in March.
In April, Akiho dons his Oregon Symphony Creative Alliance hat for the season’s last Open Music concert–this in preparation for the symphony’s performance the following weekend of his concerto for steel pan and orchestra, Beneath Lighted Coffers.
Sandbox Percussion performed Andy Akiho’s “Seven Pillars” at Alberta Rose Theatre for CMNW 2022. Photo by Tom Emerson.
David Schiff is another longtime favorite here, and he was performed pretty frequently around Oregon in 2022. This April, the nearly-homonymous David Shifrin played Schiff’s Homage to Benny at The Old Church (read about that here). In May, Angela previewed two Schiff premieres coming in the summer, Prefontaine and Vineyard Rhythms. In typically excessive ArtsWatch fashion, Brett also wrote a preview of Prefontaine, and then Angela reviewed the performance itself. Later, Angela and Charles reviewed two different performances of Vineyard Rhythms at CMNW (read those here and here).
We ran three separate stories on cellist-composer Nancy Ives in 2022, plus a fourth on the art exhibition that ran at The Reser concurrently with Celilo Falls: We Were There, a collaboration among Ives, storyteller Ed Edmo, and photographer Joe Cantrell. In January, Bennet Campbell Ferguson spoke extensively with Ives about her journey as a composer. In June, we performed another pincer movement: Brett on the preview, Angela on the review.
In May, we’d done the same thing to Damien Geter (told you we’d get back to him). Brett spoke to the composer and to Resonance Ensemble director Katherine FitzGibbon ahead of the long-awaited, long-delayed premiere of Geter’s An African American Requiem–read that preview here. This time James did the post-concert reporting, with a lovely array of rehearsal and performance photos by audience members and by Rachel Hadiashar. Check that out here.
James covered another living composer twice this year. When Caroline Shaw visited Salem’s Willamette University for a residency and performance with Katherine Skovira in February, James was there. When Shaw came back and performed with dancer Anya Saugstad at the Bodecker Skate Bowl in Northwest Portland (part of 3A’s season), James was there for that, too. The intrepid Mr. Bash even spoke with the Pulitzer-winner, who confessed a temptation to relocate Pacific Northwestwards:
Postscript: During my phone conversation with Shaw, I mentioned that a number of composers have decided to make Portland their home, and would she consider moving here.
“Oh yeah!” she replied with a laugh. “I talk about it a lot. I even look in Zillow pretty often. I’m dating someone here. It’s a beautiful place. I really like the moss here. Great moss!”
Choirs tend to be better about new music than instrumental groups (cheaper instruments, presumably), and you can read about that every month in Daryl Browne’s choral column. One episode stands out, an April column spotlighting concerts by In Mulieribus, Choral Arts Ensemble, and Oregon Repertory Singers, all performing (and in some cases premiering) works by living composers. Read that here.
Have you noticed a theme here? We like composers, and we like paying attention to them year after year after year. One of our biggest regrets of 2022: missing out on Shaw’s November performance at The Reser with Sō Percussion. But in this case we were able to buy the record (on vinyl no less) from Bandcamp.
One last Oregon composer to talk about, and he’s a giant. This year, we said farewell to Tomáš Svoboda. Nobody in Brett’s very fine sendoff mentioned my favorite Svoboda anecdote. When I was studying at Portland State University, where the composer taught for three decades, I quickly discovered that Svoboda was a Legend. Everyone who’d been there long enough had hilarious and inspirational stories about him. And a surprising number of those stories were about how he’d be in the middle of teaching a class (say, counterpoint) and sit down to work on his latest composition (say, a piano concerto) while the students did their own exercises. It always reminded me of Napoleon playing chess while discussing war strategy.
My only personal encounter with the man was more an encounter with his music and its devotees, when his String Quartet No. 12, Op. 202 (Post Scriptum) closed a Fear No Music concert in 2017. Here’s what I wrote at the time:
The third and final movement sounded to me like spirits soaring out of conflict and despair to ever higher peaks of vital ecstasy. In the composer’s words, this quartet expresses “a hidden appreciation that I am still alive even as I have experienced so much pain and sadness about perished souls.” Perhaps this is why I can’t help think of Beethoven and Bartók, composers who knew more than a little about overcoming personal adversity through the cathartic power of difficult, triumphant, beautiful music.
Svoboda was in attendance, as he often is when FNM performs his music. After the angel wings of the quartet’s finale, Ives popped up and strutted out into the audience to give Svoboda a big hug—then dashed back up the stage, took up her cello, and tapped the score with her bow. “We have to do it again! Just the end!” Away they went—Ives, violinists Voglar Belgique and Paloma Griffin Hébert, and violist Joël Belgique—this time a bit more restrained and pensive, but no less transcendent. Regular readers will not be surprised that, as usual, this writer burst into tears.
Tomáš Svoboda.
Follow the leaders
Composers may be “where the music comes from,” but as with all things, “it takes a village.” Audiences to hear the music, performers to perform it, venues to host, recording engineers to immortalize. And there must be leaders to make it all happen–captains to steer the ship. One must imagine Blackbeard happy, to paraphrase Camus.
There were a few significant shifts in leadership this year. The biggest was Portland Baroque’s artistic director showdown, and we’re quite proud of James for calling it. In his review of the three concerts hosted by PBO’s three prospective candidates, Ref Bash had this to say:
Each candidate showed their best in these concerts. Each landed more than one punch. But I think that Perkins’ superb keyboard artistry and deft conducting made for an exceptional one-two combination (leading with a jab and following with a right hook) that gave him a TKO in this festival of candidates.
Does PBO have one of those huge belt buckles for the winner?
No photographic evidence has yet emerged of any huge belt buckles, but a week later PBO concurred and announced Perkins’ confirmation (as reported by ArtsWatch Captain Hicks here). I must confess slight disappointment, though Perkins is clearly a wise choice. After reading about another of the candidates, Aislinn Nosky, in James’ review of her February concert with PBO–well, I figured the flamboyant violinist-conductor was a natural fit for a Portland organization. Nosky has a contrarian kind of rock star vibe that seemed perfect for a town that supposedly strives for weirdness.
Another big leadership shift: former Portland Opera director Christopher Mattaliano coming back to Oregon and starting up a different opera company. (In the blues this practice is known as “cutting heads.”)
James spoke to Mattaliano about OrpheusPDX–its inception and plans for the future–and you can read that here. The short season’s two productions then spawned five different ArtsWatch stories: two previews by James, both interviews with singers (Hannah Penn and Holly Flack); reviews of Orpheus and Fall of the House of Usher, both by Angela Allen; and Brett Campbell’s preview of Usher.
Phew!
OrpheusPDX’s 2022 production of “Fall of the House of Usher.” Photo by Owen Carey.
Another change in operatic leadership: this school year, Kelley Nassief took over as Portland State University’s Director of Opera and Opera Studios, filling the role vacated by retiring Director Christine Meadows. The ever-busy Bash interviewed her as well. In the choral/cathedral realm, organist and choral director Bruce Neswick retired and was replaced by protégé Katherine Webb. Read about all of that in Daryl Browne’s profile here. And in the orchestral realm, you can read about David Danzmayr’s first 573 days with the Oregon Symphony right here.
Where there’s a will
One thing we love about Oregon: that frontiersy will to thrive that characterizes all our endeavors. Usually, this takes the form not of an egotistical Pioneer Man vibe but a collaborative spirit more in tune with Oregon’s anarchist traditions (Eugene’s Green Anarchy magazine, the illustrious Le Guin, North Portland in general). And of course we don’t mean the “setting things on fire” brand of anarchism–we’re talking about the mutual aid variety referenced in Matthew 25:31-46 and further developed by Peter Kropotkin.
That brings us to the Maybelle Community Singers, who are probably closer to Matthew 25 than to Kropotkin. You can read about their past, present, and future in Daryl’s profile here. On the more radical side: Renegade Opera, yet another Portland-based opera company. In Max Tapogna’s 2021 profile, co-founder Madeline Ross had this to say:
I have always been interested in creating things, and reinvigorating something that is old. The mission with Renegade is to create opera that serves the community. How can we think about our world in a different way? And how can we get opera to do that?
This year, Renegade staged an immersive, interactive adaptation of Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito, and Max was there for that too. Read his report here.
Madison Hall and Eliot Menard in Renegade Opera’s “Tito.” Photo by Tom Lupton.
My name is–what?
Here we must leave you, dear reader, lest our map become the territory and thereby be rendered useless. The stories that were left out tell a story as complete as the ones collected here. Dissatisfied readers are invited to voice their concerns in The Comments.
As a parting thought, I must explain the year’s last (and worst) pun.
The “Janus” part is clear enough. Here we are at the nexus of two years, facing back into one and forward into another, hope and determination on our doubled faces. But why “My name is”–what’s the deal there?
Blame Weezer. Their song “My Name Is Jonas” opens their one good LP, 1994’s self-titled blue album. The song was written and debuted thirty years ago, in 1992, which means it’s older than your grandkids. It’s catchy as hell, and we like it better than “Auld Lang Syne.” Here’s the “Kitchen Tapes” version from ‘92:
Happy New Year, music nuts, and may your 2023 be bright!
There’s something inherently pro-forma about these “taking stock of the year” cultural exercises. We make lists, look at the numbers, and squint back at what happened hundreds of days ago. Does it have a larger meaning, these twelve calendar months? Does it all fit together? How will we remember it?
Columbia wasn’t immune to the larger narratives that hit the national music scene in 2022. We saw big concerts and festivals return, but also a host of COVID 19-related cancellations, ballooning ticket costs thanks to inflation and the rise of dynamic pricing (thanks, Ticketmaster), and the lingering impacts the pandemic had on the mental health of everybody (particularly artists).
Enough negativity, though. The end of the year offers a chance to reflect on the bright spots in our music scene. The Senate, Township and Colonial Life Arena all seemed to return to something like normal. New Brookland Tavern continued its inspiring post-pandemic tear of impressive bookings. New venues like UU Coffeehouse-inspired The Living Room and the recording-focused At The Addition brought different and exciting performance spaces to the fold, while bookings at bars like Transmission Arcade and Uncle Fester’s filled the gaps with choice nights of dynamic bills.In the classical world, the SC Philharmonic continues to expand its offering and reimagine the spaces and modes of presentation for its fabulous and generous collection of players. The Southern Exposure New Music Series and USC Philharmonic reliably served their role as community pillars for cutting-edge contemporary composition and large, sweeping classical performances, respectively.
The year saw no end of touring heavyweights and local legends lighting up live music venues, but it was the records released in 2022 that really shined. Both the quality and quantity of what independent musicians release in a given calendar year never ceases to amaze me.
The Free Times annual “Best Music of SC” list [Editor’s note: coming in January!] is always a veritable collection of riches.. I was lit up in the beginning of the year by Calebjustcaleb’s off-hand drop of “Corrupted Harddrive 2,” a collection of pummeling and panache-driven rap tunes from a rapper who had ostensibly been devoting most of his time over the past few years to his pop-punk band Aim High, and the pace rarely slowed throughout the year.
I was as comforted by the acts who just continued to churn out their signature greatness like singer-rapper Been Milah, indie rocker Tyler Gordon’s Hillmouse and experimental nerd-rap outfit Autocorrect as I was by those artists who surprised me.
The latter category includes Boo Hag frontman Saul Seibert, who slowly teased out his instrumental stoner/psych concept album “Zion” over the course of the year. Retro folkie Lang Owen collaborated with singer/songwriter and producer Todd Mathis to deliver a warm, rich sophomore LP. Multi-instrumentalist and frequent sideman Moses Andrews III sort of falls in this category too, delivering an EP that showcases his first-rate songwriting chops alongside his omnivorous stylistic range.
We also got long-awaited records from the likes of R&B powerhouse Katera and the shimmering indie pop band Rex Darling that more than delivered on their promise. Both long-cemented acts in the scene were given fresh lives and renewed energy thanks to their recording projects, so much that they now seem like the bright young hopes once again.
Speaking of “the scene,” my favorite local scene moment of 2022 was the return of the Jam Room Music Festival, one of our city’s best yearly musical offerings that had been paused by the pandemic. As tightly connected to the Main Street watering hole The Whig as the titular recording studio, there was something rejuvenating and bittersweet about this year’s festival. The Whig – a tiny room that punched above its weight with shows by acts like Shovels & Rope, Richard Buckner and American Aquarium – closed its doors for good in November to make way for yet another new downtown hotel.
When taking in the stirring, transfixing performance of the Sun Ra Arkestra at the fest next to Boyd Plaza, one couldn’t help but feel the same thing felt every year at this time: the music, like the calendar, can’t help but go on.
Over the past few years, music lovers have come to expect concert postponements and cancellations. One of the first significant shows of 2023 happens at New York’s historic Apollo Theater, where Toronto rap superstar Drake is scheduled to perform on Jan. 21 and 22 – an event that has been postponed twice.
Let’s hope things get back to normal in 2023, because the Canadian schedule looks promising. Highlights in the first half of the year include Billy Joel’s small-venue show at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Ont. The Red Hot Chili Peppers launch their spring tour at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium, rapper Nav hits arenas in Toronto and Vancouver, and John Mellencamp visits Toronto’s Massey Hall and Vancouver’s Orpheum Theatre.
Pierre Kwenders, winner of the 2022 Polaris Music Prize, kicks off a tour at the end of January in Winnipeg, and buzzy American singer-songwriter Weyes Blood plays Montreal and Toronto in March. Further down the road, jazz icon Herbie Hancock plays Toronto and Ottawa in June.
On the classical music front, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra unveils its Riopelle Symphonic Experience, presented as part of its Jean-Paul Riopelle centenary celebrations. Celebrating its own 100 years, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra returns to its ancestral home for one night (Feb. 17) at Massey Hall.
Noteworthy opera productions include the first fully staged professional production of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha in Canadian history.Handout
Noteworthy opera productions include the Canadian premiere of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs by Calgary Opera, Gluck’s Orphéeby Edmonton Opera and, in June, the first fully staged professional production of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha in Canadian history, by Toronto’s Volcano company.
No music calendar would be complete without mention of the Junos (March 13, in Edmonton) and the Grammys (Feb. 5, Los Angeles). That said, music’s biggest nights are as follows:
Winnipeg New Music Festival: Music For Airports
The Polycoro Chamber Choir.Jay Siemens/Handout
In 1978, the British ambient music maestro Brian Eno released Ambient 1: Music for Airports, a four-part, tape-looped adventure in background music. Critic Lester Bangs describedthe work as having “a crystalline, sunlight-through-windowpane quality that makes it somewhat mesmerizing even as you half-listen to it.” Eno’s electroacoustic masterpiece anchors a concert that brings together Dutch bassoonist Bram van Sambeek, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra principals Yuri Hooker and Meredith Johnson and the Polycoro Chamber Choir.
Jan. 29, Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, Winnipeg
National Arts Centre Orchestra: Songs for Murdered Sisters
Joshua Hopkins performs Songs for Murdered Sisters, a song cycle conceived by the Canadian baritone after his older sibling and two other women were slain in a 2016 rampage. Composed by Jake Heggie and based on original poetry by Margaret Atwood, the piece is about the loss of a sister and the larger tragedy of domestic violence against women. It receives its live orchestral premiere in Ottawa. “Meaning transforms grief into a more peaceful and hopeful experience,” Hopkins told The Globe and Mail a year ago. “These songs have provided that meaning for me.”
Feb. 9 and 10, Southam Hall, Ottawa; Feb. 11, Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto; Feb. 14, Isabel Bader Centre, Kingston
These two things can both be true: Nothing the intrepid Montreal-based turntablist Kid Koala does surprises me any more, and Kid Koala never ceases to amaze me. His latest brainstorm is The Storyville Mosquito, a family-friendly experience in puppetry about a melodious small-town mosquito who has a bee in his bonnet about the big city and a band there he dreams of joining. It’s presented as a live film, with Kid Koala, a string trio, foley artists and puppeteers performing, filming, editing, projecting and scoring it all on the fly.
Feb. 22 to 24, Le Diamant, Quebec City
Buddy Guy: Damn Right Farewell Tour
When the blues guitarist Buddy Guy first broke onto the scene in the 1960s, he was a rare breed in the genre: Instead of affecting a sober, authoritative presence, he was excitable and sexy. Now, as an octogenarian and the senior artist in his field, Guy is still up for high energy and electrified shenanigans: Blues Don’t Lie, released in 2022,earned some of the best reviews of his career. That said, the Grammy-winning guitarist who played on Chess albums by Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Big Mama Thornton in the 1960s is quitting the road. And while we’ll probably hear that he is the “last of his kind,” Guy himself would not likely believe it. That he is touring with 48-year-old Eric Gales and 23-year-old Christone (Kingfish) Ingram is verification that Guy believes in his album from 2018, The Blues is Alive and Well.
March 30 and 31, Massey Hall, Toronto; June 30, Montreal Jazz Festival
Shania Twain: Queen of Me Tour
Reportedly the first track on Shania Twain’s forthcoming Queen of Me album is Giddy Up! Whether that is self-encouragement or a message to her fans and road crew, the Canadian country-music superstar will embark on a six-month tour that begins in Vancouver. The singer changed the face of country music in the late 1990s with her pop-music savviness and empowering messages. She also had a way with exclamation points, as proved by Man! I Feel Like A Woman! What left can be said now, except “giddy up”?
May 2 and 3, Rogers Arena, Vancouver, with dates in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Halifax, Moncton, Quebec City, Montreal, Hamilton, London, Toronto and Ottawa to follow
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