– Canadian beats artist-producer Joel Zimmerman, professionally known as deadmau5, is celebrating a quarter century as a performer. The mouse-headed superstar kicked off his “retro5pective: 25yrs of Deadmau5” tour with his first headlining show at the Hollywood Bowl. By all accounts, it was an impressive show that included numerous guest artists and a finale with Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee joining the headlining star at the mixing console.
In keeping with the colourful character, he has also launched an “ultra-limited” toy line withToyMak3RS “commemorating 25 years of musical innovation.”
As per the announcement:, “These collectable keychains are not your average memorabilia. Infused with cutting-edge Jellybean technology, each plush unlocks exclusive digital VIP experiences for fans, offering a seamless blend of nostalgia and innovation. With only a select number available, collectors will have the chance to snag rare designs like Professor Meowingtons, adding an extra layer of excitement to this milestone release.” There are 1,500 classic mau5 plushies, 1,100 mixed mau5, 900 cheese mau5, 700 disco mau5, and 500 pixl mau5.
Later this year, Deadmau5 is set to headline one of two nights at Calgary’s Chasing Summer Music Festival on the Aug. 3–4 weekend.
– Mike Reno and Paul Dean from Loverboy, Tom Lavin from the Legendary Powder Blues band, Bill Henderson from Chilliwack, John Hall, Al Harlow, and Lindsay Mitchell from Seeds of Time & Prism and Lee Aaron are expected to reunite on stage on Oct. 17 for Rocket Norton’s Rock Cancer Benefit with all proceeds going to the B.C. Cancer Foundation. Norton staged two earlier benefits in the city under the “Fuck Cancer” banner before he passed away from the disease on April 5 of this year at age 73. Those two all-star concerts raised over $600K for the charity.
–Brampton, ON hip-hop star Haviah Mighty will headline the 8th annual Canadian Live Music Industry Awards, in partnership with Canadian Music Week. The event takes place on June 4 at the Westin Harbour Castle.
– The Guild of Music Supervisors, Canada (GMSC) and Canadian Music Week (CMW) have announced that Patrick Watson will receive the inaugural Impact Award at this year’s Canadian Sync Awards on June 3, at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto. The trophy is given to “an individual to celebrate a lifetime of contributions and influence on music, culture, community, self-expression, and vision, as well as their profound in the sync world.” The popular Quebec-based composer, pianist and singer has toured with several artists over the years, including John Cale, the Cinematic Orchestra, and Cold War Kids. Some notable projects featuring his‘syncs’ include The Rest of Us, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Grey’s Anatomy, Orange Is the New Black, Ray Donovan, The Good Doctor, The Blacklist and a Yves Saint Laurent ad campaign.
– The Rolling Stones are embarking on an 18-show, 16-city North American tour with one Canadian date on the itinerary (so far) in Vancouver at BC Place, on July 5. Frontman Mick Jagger, now 80, has been pumping the shows on late-night TV and a sprinkling of print interviews, to promote the jaunt, along with the band’s latest album, Hackney Diamonds. The tour officially opened on April 28 at Houston’s NRG Stadium. Here’s the 18-song set list.
– Montreal-based catalogue company Unidisc Music owns one of the most impressive, cash-spinning oldies catalogues in North America and for sure in Canada. The range of tracks the company owns span rock, electronic, funk, soul, hip hop, jazz, reggae–and a long list of Canadian artists acquired through catalogue acquisitions formerly owned by the likes of Daffodil, Attic, and Aquarius, which in turn once had artist rosters that included April Wine, Klaatu, Goddo, Corey Hart, and Lee Aaron and Anvil. Launched by former nightclub DJ George Cucuzzella who continues to run the company with son Anthony, the media-shy company has quietly spun cash from royalties earned from the sale of records, online streaming and the licensing of beats and syncs. The company now in its 50th year of operation has become even more illusive with its imprint now seemingly exclusive to updates on Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, SoundCloud and YouTube videos. What doesn’t seem to be part of the external promotion is a website. Emails to the company asking for news and information have so far gone unreturned.
