concert

Friday November 15, 2024

As Canadians brace for the political storms of Trump 2.0, Taylor Swift's Toronto concerts offer a brief but shining reprieve, uniting fans in joy amidst looming uncertainty.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday November 15, 2024

Swifties vs. Dread

Chrystia Freeland’s assurances that Canada will be “absolutely fine” under a Trump presidency lack specificity, leaving Canadians skeptical and searching for real solutions amid mounting challenges.

November 8, 2024

As Canadians sit with a creeping sense of dread over Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the gloom is momentarily interrupted by an unlikely hero — none other than Taylor Swift. For six nights, Toronto is transformed into the epicentre of joy, glitter, and unity, as Swift’s Eras Tour rolls through, captivating fans and bringing a respite from the headlines that otherwise feel impossible to ignore. In this odd contrast — the impending impact of a chaotic presidency versus the exhilarating but fleeting experience of a pop concert — there’s something genuinely Canadian happening, a testament to our knack for finding small joys in dark times.

Andrew Coyne’s recent piece in The Globe and Mail paints a grim picture: a “rogue elephant” is now in charge of our southern neighbour, poised to create seismic shifts in Canada’s economy, defence, and way of life. Coyne warns of Trump’s unpredictability, his plans for mass deportations, tariffs, NATO abandonment, and much more — a storm heading our way for which we are woefully unprepared. Canadians in his readership sound off in agreement, calling for cuts, fiscal restraint, and political urgency — even as many admit that the current government, and perhaps any potential government, might struggle to lead effectively in such turbulent waters.

Opinion: Canada is far from ready for the chaos coming our way

December 8, 2021

Meanwhile, just a few kilometres away from this collective stress session, Toronto is buzzing, not with anxious commentary but with Swifties dressed in rhinestones and friendship bracelets. In a cultural phenomenon that defies political anxieties, Taylor Swift has turned up the volume on joy. Fans from across the country (and beyond) have flocked to Toronto for the spectacle, pumping millions into the local economy, with hotels fully booked, restaurants serving up themed cocktails, and businesses cashing in on Swift’s magnetism. Even the normally cynical among us might smile at the parade of fans who would prefer to scream lyrics at the top of their lungs than scream at the latest news. It’s hard to overstate the intensity of Eras Tour mania; it’s almost as if Canadians are staging a “Keep Calm and Carry On” campaign, Swift-style.

Swift, of course, is no stranger to “the man” trying to tear her down, and her discography is full of anthems about overcoming the forces stacked against you. “You’re on your own, kid,” she sings, in a ballad fit for every Canadian reading Coyne’s grim forecast and realizing that we may, indeed, be on our own. But she doesn’t leave us there: Swift reminds her listeners that, even when faced with adversity, “everything you lose is a step you take.” Even if Canada faces four years of intense disruption, maybe there’s room for a little of Swift’s resilience.

Entertainment: Taylor Swift is shaping our culture. How did that happen?

January 16, 2016

Coyne worries that Canada has grown too cozy with its neighbour, relying too much on the stability of an American democracy now veering into dangerous territory. And indeed, if we’re about to be swept into a maelstrom of tariffs, weakened defence pacts, and economic upheavals, it may be time to double down on Canadian resilience and figure out our own plan. But maybe Swift’s tour also gives us a hint of what it will take to handle whatever may come: communities coming together, supporting local economies, and finding shared moments of levity.

We don’t know what Canada will look like in four years, but we know that for a few nights in November, Canadians found some hope, joy, and solidarity at a Taylor Swift concert. Sure, the tour will roll on to the next city, leaving Toronto to wake up to the world’s troubles once more. But for now, this is a reminder to dance when we can, invest in community, and face the future with some glitter and grit. Taylor’s message, in all its pop brilliance, might just be what we need to hold onto as we brace ourselves for the chaos ahead: “We’re happy, free, confused, and lonely in the best way.” In other words, Canada, shake it off — for now.

Lately, it feels like I’ve caught something chronic: Trump on the brain. Every cartoon, every headline, every conversation seems to circle back to him. Some call it “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS), and while OHIP doesn’t cover it, anyone who keeps up with the news knows the symptoms. The trolls are right. Call me gaslit: I do have TDS. It’s draining.

But not everyone’s on board with the Trump overload. The Hamilton Spectator recently published a letter from Janice Beamer, frustrated with “Trump trashing” and demanding a “pro-Trump voice.” Her question, “Where’s the balance?” highlights a sentiment brewing among Trump supporters: a coalition of disillusioned, frustrated people seeing their cost of living go up, their money go down, and politicians they once trusted losing touch.

In the shadow of Trump’s return, Taylor Swift’s arrival in Toronto for six sold-out shows is an oddly uplifting contrast. The “Taylor effect” isn’t just about music; it’s a massive, joyful cultural force—and it couldn’t come at a better time. With Swiftmania projected to bring nearly $300 million into Toronto, she’s giving fans a reason to cheer, connecting across generations with music and energy that transcends politics.

And while I’m no Swiftie, even I know Shake it Off. Maybe that’s the antidote we all need right now. In a city bogged down by Trump headlines, Swift is a welcome breather. So go ahead, Toronto—embrace the moment, take in the music, and yes, shake off the gloom.

– The Graeme Gallery

Read on Substack

 

Thursday April 7, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday April 7, 2022

A lament for Hamilton’s maestro

With the tragic death Tuesday of Boris Brott, 78, Canada has lost one of its outstanding orchestral and operatic conductors.

Maestro Brott

Born in Montreal to violinist-composer-conductor Alexander Brott and cellist Lotte Brott in 1944, Brott debuted as a violin soloist with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at age five. Seven years later, he studied conducting with Pierre Monteux at his academy in Maine. It was Monteux who gave Brott his first conducting job as his assistant with the London Symphony Orchestra and on his European tours.

After studies with Igor Markevitch, Brott won top prize at the 1958 Pan-American Conducting Competition in Mexico. One year later, Brott, then a 15-year-old student at Montreal’s West Hill High School, founded the Philharmonic Youth Orchestra of Montreal.

After winning third prize at the 1962 Liverpool Competition, he served as Walter Susskind’s assistant at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 1963 to 1965. Brott then became active in England, conducting the Northern Sinfonia at Newcastle upon Tyne from 1964 to 1968, and was principal conductor of the Royal Ballet Covent Garden’s touring company from 1964 to 1967.

In 1968, he was awarded first prize at the prestigious Dimitri Mitropoulos International Music Competition in New York and later that year was consequently named assistant to the New York Philharmonic Orchestra’s charismatic and flashy music director, Leonard Bernstein.

Brott came to Hamilton in 1969 as artistic director and conductor of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (HPO). Over the years, he led the HPO from an amateur ensemble to a professional orchestra that at its peak had a 42-week season and some 16,000 subscribers.

Fantasy Classic 2020

Together with members of the community, Brott also spearheaded the construction of the 2,200 seat Hamilton Place, now FirstOntario Concert Hall.

After having made his opera conducting debut with “La fille du régiment” at the Canadian Opera Company in 1977, Brott was one of the movers and shakers who helped to found Opera Hamilton, conducting performances of “La traviata” in 1980 and “Tosca” in 1981.

During the late 1970s and 1980s, Brott was one of Canada’s busiest conductors. In addition to his duties in Hamilton, he held positions with the CBC Winnipeg Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia and the Ontario Place Pops Orchestra, among others.

Unfortunately, things turned sour for Brott at the HPO and the two parted ways around 1990. In 1989, Brott founded the Hamilton-based professional training orchestra, the National Academy Orchestra (NAO) of Canada, which served as the orchestra-in-residence for his eponymous music festival, Canada’s largest orchestral festival. Today, many of the NAO’s over 1,000 alumni hold positions in orchestras across North America and beyond. He also established BrottOpera, which staged operatic productions in the Hamilton area.

From the book, “You Might Be From Hamilton If…”

In the 2000s, Brott also took over the McGill Chamber Orchestra, which had been founded in 1939 by his parents. Renamed the Orchestre Classique de Montréal, Brott was to have co-conducted a “Forever Handel” concert with this ensemble on April 28.

Internationally, Brott was the first music director of the New West Symphony in Thousand Oaks, California, in 1995 and also guest conducted throughout Italy. A career highlight came in 2000 when he conducted Bernstein’s “Mass” in Vatican City before an audience which included Pope John Paul II.

Brott’s many awards include an Officer of the Order of Canada (1986), Order of Ontario (2006), and City of Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Arts Award (2007).

Dorothy the Dinosaur – Illustration by Graeme MacKay

Though Brott had conducted countless works over his career, to many the most essential of these was Handel’s “Messiah,” which he performed in Israel and led annually for many years in Hamilton and Montreal.

For Brott, it was always go big or go home. His chutzpah, his ability to make things happen and to figuratively move heaven and earth if necessary, are irreplaceable. Canada will not see anyone like him and we are all the poorer for his loss.

Brott is survived by his brother, Denis, of Montreal, his wife, Ardyth, of Hamilton, two sons and a daughter and their families.

May his memory be a blessing. (Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Wednesday December 8, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday December 8, 2021

Justin Bieber performs in Saudi Arabia despite calls for boycott over human rights

August 10, 2018

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber performed to a packed crowd in the Red Sea city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, singing some of his most popular hits. The Sunday night concert took place even as human rights campaigners and activists called on Bieber to cancel his performance to protest the kingdom’s arrests and crackdown on critics.

Bieber’s model wife, Hailey Baldwin Bieber, posted a supportive video on Instagram of him on stage, with the words: “Go Baby.” Other videos on social media showed Bieber on stage solo, wearing a co-ordinated red outfit. Pop and R&B singer Jason Derulo performed before Bieber with backup female dancers in sweatpants and baggy tops.

August 8, 2018

Only a few years ago, this would have been an unthinkable scene in Saudi Arabia, where ultraconservative norms prevailed. Concerts were banned and unmarried men and women were segregated in public spaces. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is behind the sweeping changes as he works to modernize society, attract foreign investment and create jobs for youth.

Human Rights Watch and others, however, have called on celebrities to boycott the kingdom, saying such events are aimed at diverting attention and deflecting scrutiny from Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

August 2, 2017

Bieber was the biggest name performer to take the stage as part of Saudi Arabia’s Grand Prix, which saw Lewis Hamilton win ahead of the last race of the Formula One season.

Bieber has not commented on the public pressure surrounding his performance and calls for him to cancel the show. Weeks before his show in Saudi Arabia, the fiancee of slain Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi joined a chorus of voices urging him not to perform at the kingdom’s F1 race.

In an open letter published by The Washington Post, Hatice Cengiz had urged the megastar to cancel his performance to “send a powerful message to the world that your name and talent will not be used to restore the reputation of a regime that kills its critics.” She noted that the decision to host the F1 race and invite a star like Bieber “comes directly” from the crown prince.

November 13, 2012

Bieber’s concert in Saudi Arabia comes shortly before he opens a world tour next year. The tour is being promoted by Live Nation, the company that owns Ticketmaster. Saudi Arabia’s state-owned sovereign wealth fund — steered by Prince Mohammed — is among the largest institutional holders in Live Nation, with a stake worth some $1.4 billion US. (CBC) 

Meanwhile, Tim Hortons has teamed up with pop superstar Justin Bieber to launch three new Timbit flavours — called Timbiebs — along with co-branded merchandise. (Global) 

 

Wednesday September 5, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday September 5, 2018 As crisis envelops Catholic Church, is Pope Francis facing a 'watershed moment'? ROME For some, the accusations sending tremors through the Catholic Church are a concerted and dubious attack by ultraconservatives on Pope Francis. For others, the accusations are a credible attempt to expose the depths of the Vatican's struggle to deal transparently with sexual abuse. But at the centre of the divided church is Francis, whose reputation is being challenged by the unverified accusations that he and other Vatican higher-ups had known for years about the sexual misconduct allegations against a now-resigned cardinal, Theodore McCarrick. One week after the release of a scathing 7,000-word letter from Vatican ex-ambassador Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, Vatican watchers say Francis — who has yet to directly address the veracity of the accusations — is facing the greatest challenge of his papacy. Some Catholics have criticized him for what they describe as an insufficient response to the crisis. A few bishops have suggested that he call an extraordinary meeting to address sexual abuse in the church. And he faces pivotal decisions about whether to release abuse-related documents or green-light a who-knew-what investigation into McCarrick — with the possibility that such a probe could point fingers back to the Vatican. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/8877962-as-crisis-envelops-catholic-church-is-pope-francis-facing-a-watershed-moment-/ International, Roman Catholic, Vatican, Pontiff, Pope, Francis, church, sexual, misconduct, abuse, silence, air guitar, denial, concert

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday September 5, 2018

As crisis envelops Catholic Church, is Pope Francis facing a ‘watershed moment’?

ROME For some, the accusations sending tremors through the Catholic Church are a concerted and dubious attack by ultraconservatives on Pope Francis. For others, the accusations are a credible attempt to expose the depths of the Vatican’s struggle to deal transparently with sexual abuse.

March 1, 2016

But at the centre of the divided church is Francis, whose reputation is being challenged by the unverified accusations that he and other Vatican higher-ups had known for years about the sexual misconduct allegations against a now-resigned cardinal, Theodore McCarrick.

One week after the release of a scathing 7,000-word letter from Vatican ex-ambassador Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, Vatican watchers say Francis — who has yet to directly address the veracity of the accusations — is facing the greatest challenge of his papacy.

Some Catholics have criticized him for what they describe as an insufficient response to the crisis. A few bishops have suggested that he call an extraordinary meeting to address sexual abuse in the church. And he faces pivotal decisions about whether to release abuse-related documents or green-light a who-knew-what investigation into McCarrick — with the possibility that such a probe could point fingers back to the Vatican. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Wednesday February 22, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday February 22, 2017

Trudeau says Canada one of NATO’s ‘strongest actors’ without committing more money

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke about Canada’s diverse contributions to the NATO partnership without committing to up its defence spending when he addressed a news conference in Berlin.

Trudeau and Angela Merkel addressed reporters Friday following their morning meeting and an impromptu dinner Thursday at the German chancellor’s invitation.

Trump has called the 28-country alliance obsolete and U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis told his fellow defence ministers in Brussels this week that while the United States still holds NATO in high regard, it expects its allies to start spending more on defence or the Trump administration will “moderate its commitment.”

Germany has signalled it will heed the warning and make attempts to boost defence spending, which Merkel brought up when asked about it on Friday.

But in Ottawa, there’s little indication that any increase in NATO-specific defence spending is on the horizon.

‘Germany and Canada have always been among the strongest actors in NATO.’- Justin Trudeau

Canada currently spends 0.99 per cent of gross domestic product on defence. That’s below the NATO target of two per cent of GDP, which only a handful of alliance countries have met.

On Friday, Trudeau said that two per cent target is one all NATO countries agreed to, but there are many ways of looking at a country’s contributions to the alliance.

“When you look at the countries that regularly step up — delivering troops, participating in missions, being there to do the heavy lifting in the alliance — Germany and Canada have always been amongst the strongest actors in NATO,” he said.

He made the case that Canada is leading the battle group in Latvia, and working to procure more aircraft and ships for its military as two examples.(Source: CBC News)