Be Safe
I’m sure quite a lot of you will be enjoying events and concerts through-out Canada today and I thought i’d recommend a few things:
- Stay Hydrated – Unfortunately many will consider foregoing hydration to retain a position in line or a view of the stage, especially will those long lines at the portable toilets. But dehydration isn’t something to be played with on a hot day so drink plenty of water and watch your alcohol intake.
- Pack A Small Medical Kit – Better safe than sorry. You can find some that can be thrown in your backpack or pocket.
- Wear Ear Plugs – They’re cheap, they protect your hearing and they do not hinder your experience.
- Pack A Lighter Wallet – You won’t need all those cards and documents so why bring them along? All you need is a bank card, a credit card or two and cash. Leave the library cards, security cards and most of your credit cards at home. This will make your wallet thinner and easier to conceal. And you could always hide cash somewhere on your body or use the payment app on your smartphone if it’s an emergency.
- Consult Your Latest Weather Forecast – Conditions change so it’s best to check the latest local weather forecast just before you leave and pack accordingly. You don’t want to be caught off guard without water, an umbrella, sunglasses and/or sunscreen.
- Use Public Transit – It’s always best to either take public transit from home or a parking facility closer to the event’s site. And some are offered free, like here in the National Capital Region, so consult your local public transportation’s web site for details.
- Locate The Nearest Pharmacies To The Event – Some major chains like Shoppers Drug Mart or Rexall will have select stores remain open, mainly in the largest cities, and you might want to know where they are, in case you need pain relievers or other things you forgot to pack. You can also save these locations on your phone, in case. And yes, some grocery store chains (like Loblaws, Metro and Whole Foods) will also have select stores open for limited hours as well.
- Take Your Time – The traffic is always bad after the event. Everyone’s trying to leave at the same time so there’s no point in rushing it.
Have a great time ! And don’t forget to browse the Canada Day Celebration Sale offers at Newegg.ca.
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Canada Day – Recommended Reading
It’s Canada’s 150th and Montreal 375th anniversary this year so I thought I’d recommend some of my favorite Canadian music history books:
– “Oh What A Feeling – The Next Generation” by Martin Melhuish
Originally released in conjunction with a four-CD compilation to commemorate the 25th anniversary of The Juno Awards, “Oh What A Feeling – A Vital History of Canadian Music” featured a year by year chronological account of Canada’s music history as well as information on the Juno Awards from 1971 to 1996.
“The Next Generation” is an updated version that was released in 2014, with additional information relating to upcomming artists, notable births and deaths, Hall Of Fame inductees and Juno Award Winners. Available from Amazon.ca / Amazon.com / Chapters-Indigo
– “Music From Far and Wide” – by multiple authors
This official Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences book was released in 2010 to celebrate the Juno Award’s 40th Aniversary and provides an in-depth history of the organisation and creation of the Juno Awards, with a list of Juno Award winners up to 2010 as well as a listing of Board of Directors from 1975 to 2010.
This book can be found at some local book stores, at Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.
– “Is This Live?” by Christopher Ward
As the Nation’s music station, Much Music had been the epicenter for music in Canada from the mid-1980’s to mid-1990’s. And this book by VJ and songwriter Christopher Ward not only discusses the history of the station but makes notes of many events that occurred at the infamous 899 Queen Street West.
This is a must for Canadian fans of 80’s music. Available from Amazon.ca / Amazon.com / Chapters-Indigo
– “Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia” by Jaimie Vernon
Originally released as the “Encyclopedia of Canadian Rock Pop & Folk Music” in 2004 by Rick Jackson, this artist by artist account of Canadian music history has now become a multiple volume compilation, the first two listing artists alphabetically from “A Thru K” and “L thru Z“, respectively, and a recent celebration of the country’s “Vinyl Years“.
Published in 2011, the first two volumes include information on specific artists (brief history and discography) up to 2010 whilst the third volume concentrates on artists whose vinyl releases were popular up to 1996. All three volumes are available from Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.
– “Top 40 Hits” / “Top Albums” by Nanda Lwin
These reference guides list the chart activity of domestic and international artists in Canada up to 1999 for singles and 2003 for albums. These are of course a must for people who are interested in Canadian music history and altough they are out of print, you can still find “Top 40 Hits” at Alibris, Amazon.ca and Amazon.com. And other chart information can be obtained from the RMP database on Library and Archives Canada and from a blog simply entitled “Canadian Music Blog“, which also contains a wealth of chart information including the best selling singles and albums by year and decade.
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Canada Day Weekend 2015
I’m a big fan of 80’s music from Canada so I thought i’d list a few events that you might want to like to attend this weekend.
Platinum Blonde and The Spoons will be performing tonight at the It’s Your Festival in Hamilton, Ontario. The free concert starts at 6pm at Gage Park, 1000 Main St E. But I suggest that you get there earlier to get the best seats.
Alan Frew of Glass Tiger will be performing various 80’s and 90’s classics tonight at Woah Canada ! in Moncton, New Brunswick. This free concert will be held at Riverside Park on Assumption Blvd. But if you happen to miss him, you can catch him on Saturday at Casino Nova Scotia in Halifax, Nova Scotia. And note that you can actually get free admission to the latter with PC Points.
Honeymoon Suite and Helix will also be performing in New Brunswick, at Pioneer Days in Oromocto on July 2nd at 9pm. Tickets to this event are $30.
Barney Bentall will be performing at Canada Place at 2:30pm this afternoon in Vancouver. The main stage is located at 999 Canada Place and Scottish pop star Sheena Easton will perform right after him.
Tom Cochrane & Red Rider will be also playing nearby at the Cloverdale Amphitheater in Surrey, B.C at 9PM. This is also a free concert. And if you miss this one, you can always catch them in Vernon, BC on Saturday at 8pm, at the Predator Ridge Resort (301 Village Centre Place).
The Grapes of Wrath will be performing in Calgary, Alberta at the free Canada Day celebrations. The stage will be located on Riverfront Avenue and the concerts will be starting at 7pm.
I will of course update this listing if I find some more concerts.
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Sick On Canada Day
Yeah, isn’t that great ? I’ve been in bed most of the day, sleeping off and on. I knew I should have worked on a scheduled blog entry but I put it off.
Anyhow, have a safe one tonight. Take public transit if you can – It’s free in some cities, like Ottawa. And sorry for the very late post.
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Canada Day 2012
It’s Canada day so I thought I’d bump some Independent Canadian Artists.
Lately I’ve been partial to electronic pop band Austra but I’ve also been keeping an eye on rock instrumentalists The David Barrett Trio and new wave rockers Metric.
I’ve also recently discovered Young Galaxy, whose catalogue I haven’t yet had the time to listen to thoroughly. But I like what I’ve heard so far on Youtube and their latest single is excellent.
I’ve been meaning to get back into francophone music after hearing Marie-Mai and Cœur de pirate recently. But I’ve unfortunately been quite busy over the past year and a half so I haven’t been keeping track of the music scene in Quebec for some time.
Anglophones may know Cœur de pirate for her Everyday cover on Danone Activia commercials and Ensemble, the song behind this cute viral video.
I’m hoping to find more time to get back to my previous music listening schedule in the next few months. I have quite allot of catching up to do.
BTW, don’t forget to listen to CBC Radio today, which will feature Canadian music all day.
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