2021 Archives | Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things

Here is the Long List for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize

After nearly of year of nominating, lobbying, and listening, the jury for the Polaris Music Prize (200+ people of which

In the Before Times, Record Store Day was held on the third Saturday of April. COVID screwed that up with

After much nominating, lobbying, evaluating, and voting, we now have the shortlist of 10 great Canadian-made music videos in the

First, a couple of observations about last night’s 50th-anniverary Juno Awards. It was a sombre affair with plenty of attention

They saved the performance for the last five minutes of the two hour broadcast. Set up on the stage of

The big Junos telecast is tomorrow night, but that will only feature half a dozen or so of the major

The Junos are coming up fast–June 6–and the announcements about who will perform on the show are coming fast. Here’s

Eurovision, the ultra-weird international song competition that consumes a couple of continents every spring, concluded last night (May 22) with

Eurovision, the international music competition that spans Europe (plus Australia, for some reason), is back for 2021. It has a

After a long quiet period following the death of Gord Downie, it appears that the Tragically Hip is ready to

We now have a list of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2021. The name I’m

The Custodian of Toronto Sports – Richard Peddie in conversation with TBP Podcast EP 033 May 27, 2021
Over a 20+ year span, as the Toronto pro sports scene evolved from older venues and stands filled with blue and white (Leafs, Blue Jays, Argonauts) to a more intense red (Raptors, TFC), and grand coliseums that define the city’s skyline, there is one sports executive in particular who ownership looked to. We’re of course […]
Mark Silver
The Ultimate Backstage Pass – David Kines in conversation with TBP Podcast EP 032 May 17, 2021
In today’s everything-on-demand world, it may be hard for anyone born post-Y2 K to answer a simple question, “where do you watch music videos?” A reasonable answer would be YouTube, Apple Music, or maybe even Tiktok. Prior to the dawn of YouTube in 2005, the answer was easy. MTV if you’re American, and of course […]
Mark Silver
Gamifying the Movie Theatre Experience – Aaron Silverberg in conversation with TBP Podcast EP 031 May 9, 2021
People yearn for live experiences that they can share with others. Though fan and crowd-based events such as sports and concerts may be the source of most of our FOMO, movie theatres are even more appealing. Although the film may be the main attraction, movie theatre owners are constantly looking for new ways to maximize […]
Mark Silver