Why aren't downtown Kitchener's patios open yet? Blame the rain and construction
CBC
23-05-17 10:00
Warm and sunny days are due for the patios in downtown Kitchener to open, however, Linda Jutzi, the Downtown Kitchener BIA's Executive Director, says that the reason for the delay is mainly due to weather and construction. There was a delay when the contractor was putting a new overhead cover on the patios, which was affected by the ten days of rain last month. However, the good news is those businesses not impacted by construction are expected to move furniture onto their patios this weekend, even without the new overhead cover in place.
Indigenous talent in the music industry is creating a 'beautiful resistance'
CBC
23-05-17 16:47
The Canadian music industry is full of talented indigenous artists who are bringing their communities' stories to life through a range of genres, according to Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) News. For musicians such as Raven Kanatakta of Digging Roots, incorporating traditional elements such as the use of drums and indigenous language in contemporary sounds is a form of resistance. Others, such as rising Cree artist Aysanabee, are focused on highlighting transcendence and generational trauma within their culture. Jayli Wolf’s upcoming album, God is an Endless Mirror, explores spirituality with a mix of sound elements that inspire her daily.
The King and Queen of the UK visited Covent Garden in London on Wednesday, marking their first joint engagement since the coronation weekend. The visit to St Paul’s Church marked its 390th anniversary, with the couple meeting an actors’ group and domestic violence survivors participating in a Drama for Healing project. The King and Queen then moved to Covent Garden, where they spoke to stallholders, performers and schoolchildren and watched a Punch and Judy show. They concluded proceedings by meeting opera students and choirs from the Royal College of Music and the Royal College of Art.
Korean-American DJ Yaeji has released her debut album, "With a Hammer". The album was influenced by anime shows such as Sailor Moon, which Yaeji watched as a child. Yaeji uses the visual metaphor of an anthropomorphic hammer as a way of articulating anger that she experienced for the first time during lockdown. She describes this emotion as "han", which in Korean is a fusion of anger, resentment and sorrow. Yaeji was bullied throughout her childhood due to being an outsider, making her suppress her anger and feel alienated. "With a Hammer" provides her with a powerful voice and gives visibility to her traumas as the album unpacks a lifetime of suppressed rage. The album relies on visual cues from artist Seong Ryul to help shape its vision and sound, forming an eclectic mix of genres. Yaeji has used both Korean and English lyrics in her album, which has extended the artist's musical toolkit.
Ontario busker finishes 4th on Canada's Got Talent, says time on show a 'whirlwind'
CBC
23-05-17 17:48
Canadian singer and busker Samantha Meave Pearson, known by her audience name Meave, placed fourth in the final of Canada's Got Talent. The 26-year-old received public attention last year when fans persuaded Canadian comedian and judge on the show, Howie Mandel, to listen to her busk outside the Fallsview Casino Hotel in Niagara Falls and to encourage her to audition. Though she failed to claim the show's grand prize of CA$1m this year, Meave said she was grateful for the platform and would consider auditioning for the show again next year.
Beyoncé has launched her first world tour in seven years focusing almost exclusively on her latest album, Renaissance. Her show is described as a “sci-fi stadium-scale superclub” by The Guardian, with the stage, screen, and circular secondary stage all supersized, and backed by a stormtrooper band and squadron of machine drilled dancers. Apart from the odd whisper of her greatest hits, Beyoncé's UK shows bypassed many of her biggest numbers, pretending almost her entire repertoire consisted of Renaissance. Her concerts hit venues including Cardiff Principality Stadium, Hampden Park, Glasgow and London's Wembley Stadium. At 41, Beyoncé remains a pop powerhouse with over 300 Grammy nominations and 28 awards to her name.
Coldplay fans in Malaysia have called on the British rock band to schedule an additional concert date in Kuala Lumpur after tickets for the November show sold out, including pre-sale tickets exclusive to CIMB cardholders. In response, fans have tweeted and launched an online petition to request an additional show date. The Malaysian experience is one example of the soaring demand for concert tickets, which also leads to some tickets being bought by scalpers and resold at higher prices.
Poet and spoken-word performer Anthony Joseph has discussed the parallels between poetry and music ahead of his upcoming appearances at literary events in Melbourne and Sydney. Born in Trinidad, where he developed the rhythms and cadences that characterise his poetry, as a frontman of a rock band in London he learned to adopt a "melodic" way of speaking verse to compensate for a lack of singing ability. His work has its roots in politics, history and Caribbean culture, and he is an advocate of violence as a means of revolution, as expressed on his latest album, The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running for Their Lives.
Blair Tindall, an oboe player-turned-author, has died at the age of 63. Her best-selling memoir, Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs and Classical Music, discusses in detail the life of a jobbing musician and the nepotism that is a part of it in New York. The book led to a television series of the same name, which won two Golden Globes and two Emmys. While the show was dubbed “sex and the symphony", Tindall’s memoir was even more explicit, revealing a world where sleeping with people was a standard method of getting ahead. Despite playing for the New York Philharmonic and making her Carnegie Hall debut in 1991, Tindall became disillusioned with the profession as it only rewards a few, and pays the rest poorly. In the end, she took herself across the country to study journalism in San Francisco and found success in writing and creating the television series that was based on her memoir.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is not a threat to humanity but instead it is our lack of humanity that is threatened, according to this week’s City A.M. editorial. Although AI can provide good, relevant responses to queries, it only has the ability to reproduce humans at their most machine-like and cannot understand emotions in the way this article suggests. Rather than waiting for an almighty technological takeover, society can take control of AI in the same way it has been shaping technology before via some form of government regulation. One of the ways artificial intelligence could have a positive impact on humans is by enabling us to quickly tap into the knowledge base and wisdom of those done before us in a more efficient way. However, there is a significant downside to AI in that it seeds confusion and potential societal discord by enabling our worst impulses and by promoting human intolerance and misinformation.
Paul Cattermole, former member of pop band S Club 7, died of natural causes, according to a coroner's report. The 46-year-old was found dead in his home in Dorset on 6 April, weeks after announcing he was rejoining the band for their UK tour to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Cattermole left the group in 2002 and moved into heavy metal. S Club a total of 11 UK top 10 singles and sold more than 10 million albums worldwide.
Paris' Pompidou Centre is set to close in 2025 for renovations, including extensive repairs and the dismantling of the building's facades, according to France’s culture minister Rima Abdul Malik. Work had been due to begin this year but has been delayed by the hosting of the 2024 Olympics. On reopening, the new centre aims to focus on “pluridisciplinarity, hospitality, ecological responsibility” and will house “a completely reinvented Pompidou Centre.” The cultural centre saw over 3 million visitors last year and is Europe's largest modern art gallery, containing over 120,000 works.
Apple will launch three new accessibility functions – Assistive Access, Personal Voice and Point and Speak – to improve the usability of its products for those who have disabilities. Users with visual or hearing impairments will find it easier to use Apple's technology, including its Macs and iPads, thanks to new features such as Point and Speak, which enables users to hear the text in front of them to help navigation. Guide Dogs, a charity that trains dogs to be companions and assistants for people with sight issues, gave bespoke training at Apple stores on iOS accessibility features.
Toronto's attractions are alive with art and entertainment this weekend. The annual JUNIOR festival at the Harbourfront Centre will feature street theater, circus acts and open-air installations from around the world. The AGO is hosting a Year of the Rabbit children's dance party, while the ROM's 'Canadian Modern' exhibit highlights the country's innovative technology and culture since the 1940s. The museum will also launch 'TUSARNITUT!, Music Born of the Cold', an exhibit exploring music and sculptures from the Inuit community, and featuring performances by Montreal's Beatrice Deer Band.
Amy Lehpamer, actress and singer, who will be playing Anne Hathaway in the jukebox musical & Juliet reflects on what advice Shakespeare’s wife would give to a novice nun like the Sound of Music’s Fraulein Maria. She also talks about the show's premise, which gives Juliet a chance to write her own story. Lehpamer describes the music as “part of your break-ups, that first love, that school camp" and says the show is an all-encompassing experience. Regent Theatre Melbourne will host & Juliet until 29 July.
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives' latest album, “Altitude," is "a throwback, but also entirely fresh," according to an Associated Press review. Featuring 13 original tunes, the album is inspired by the Byrds and their groundbreaking cosmic country of the late-1960s. The set showcases guitar reverb and tremolo, bent notes, chiming 12-strings, and keening harmonies in support of Stuart, with guitarist Kenny Vaughan, drummer Harry Stinson and bassist Chris Scruggs also gaining attention.
Canadian airlines are expected to face another chaotic season of air travel due to ongoing labor disputes and a potential shortage of staff. Despite scheduling more flights for the summer, airlines may not have enough crew to staff them. Experts predict that the situation will lead to flight cancellations and longer wait times for passengers. The issue is discussed in a report by transportation reporter Eric Atkins in The Globe and Mail.
Andy Rourke, the bassist of The Smiths, has died at the age of 59 from pancreatic cancer, his former bandmate Johnny Marr announced on Twitter. Marr described Rourke as a kind and beautiful soul and “one of those rare people that absolutely no one doesn’t like”. Rourke joined The Smiths when guitarist Marr invited him to play bass and became known for his playing on the band’s most famous tracks. Following his departure from the band for two weeks after an arrest for suspicion of possession of heroin, he became a bass player for a range of artists, including Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown. Rourke also formed the band Freebass alongside the Stone Roses’ Mani and New Order’s Peter Hook.
Bassist and founding member of the Smiths, Andy Rourke, has died at the age of 59. His former bandmate, guitarist Johnny Marr, confirmed that Rourke had passed away following a long battle with pancreatic cancer. From Manchester, Rourke played on all four of the Smiths’ studio albums, which established the group as one of the most influential British bands of the 1980s. The group dissolved in 1987 following disagreements about financial remuneration.
Andy Rourke, the bassist with influential 1980s band The Smiths, has died aged 59. A post on one of Rourke's former bandmates Johnny Marr’s Twitter account read: “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer." Rourke was part of the band's original line-up, alongside Marr, vocalist Morrissey and drummer Mike Joyce, and played a key role in the group's string of hits, including Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now and Girlfriend in a Coma.
