The second annual WayHome Music & Arts Festival will return to Oro-Medonte, ON, July 22-24, 2016. Today, festival organizers Republic Live and AC Entertainment revealed Canadian indie rock favourites Arcade Fire will headline the 2016 edition alongside The Killers and the recently reunited LCD Soundsystem.
Many Toronto-area acts have been booked for the festival including Bahamas, BadBadNotGood, Arkells, Tory Lanez, Keys N Krates, Shad, Dilly Dally, Allie X and River Tiber. Other Canadian acts also featured in this year’s lineup include Mac Demarco, Wolf Parade, Stars, A Tribe Called Red, Half Moon Run, Patrick Watson, Black Mountain, Young Empires, White Lung, Braids and Tennyson.
In an interview with CBC Music, festival producer Ryan Howes speaks to some of the festival’s improvements for 2016, revealing a new state of the art production experience at the WayBright stage for performances from Mac Demarco and Vince Staples. Howes also speaks to issues regarding the sinking Canadian dollar, stating that the festival would need to “reduce the number of U.S. vendors outside of artists that are coming in” in order to make up for the additional talent booking costs.
Tickets for WayHome 2016 go on sale February 16 beginning at at the Tier 1 price of $209.99. This year, “WayHomies” hoping to camp for the weekend will need to purchase a separate camping pass for $129.99, with a max occupancy per site of 6 people.
View the full lineup poster below and we look forward to seeing you at Burl’s Creek in July!
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has revealed the programming for its 95th performance season, featuring nearly 60 Canadian artists in the 102 scheduled concerts for 2016/17. With Canada’s 150th birthday approaching in January 2017, the season will reflect diversity and originality with programs and works that pay homage to Canada’s musical riches.
“The Toronto Symphony Orchestra strives to be the world’s most innovative orchestra in the world’s most ethnically diverse city,” says TSO President & CEO Jeff Melanson. “We aim to do so through presenting the best artists and artistic works of the present and past. We also seek to engage the diversity and creative potential of our wonderful city.”
The season will kick off with an Opening Night Gala featuring world-renowned soprano, Renée Fleming. Other season highlights include the AGO-partnered Decades Project, TIFF-partnered orchestral accompaniments to the films Lord Of The Rings and Indiana Jones, and the 13th annual New Creations Festival curated by Owen Pallett. Polaris 2014 winner Tanya Tagaq is scheduled as the first performance for 2017’s New Creations on Saturday, March 4, 2017.
A new 360 degree YouTube video was also unveiled, which allows viewers to step on stage at Roy Thomson Hall with Music Director Peter Oundjian and the TSO as they rehearse Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6.
“Stepping Out” is the theme of Toursim Toronto‘s 2016 edition of Toronto Magazine, an annual cultural tour guide to the city’s well-known and under the radar attractions. With this year’s theme, the magazine is highlighting Toronto’s many amazing festivals, concerts, shows and exhibitions. As with the 2015 edition, 4479 is thrilled to once again see our city’s thriving live music scene promoted throughout the 2016 issue.
Beginning on page 44 with the Your Festival, Your Way piece, writer Yuki Hayashi has compiled a list of some of the city’s best music festivals, noting Toronto “is renowned as a festival incubator, with dozens of music and arts events overlapping throughout the year.” Should a new Toronto tourist not be in town during one of the festivals listed, the section outlines an action-packed weekend of live music venue hopping through the “Your DIY Fest Lineup” sidebars. Venues for Jazz, Alt & Roots, Indie, EDM, World Beat, Carribean and Classical genres are suggested over the 4-page spread.
In the City Style section, stylist Vanessa Taylor uses renowned music venues Massey Hall, Lee’s Palace and the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts as the focus for her wardrobe picks.
On Sunday January 31, 2016, Toronto not-for-profit arts organization Wavelength will host a free, all-ages, and accessible panel discussion “What Makes a Music City?” at Markham House City Building Lab (610 Markham Street).
The discussion aims to explore Toronto’s push towards branding itself as a Music City and is seeking the public’s input into how the city can best serve the music community during its growth.
The panel will be moderated by Wavelength’s Emily Scherzinger and will include Rolf Klausener (Artistic Director, Arboretum Festival), Ayo Leilani (Artist, Above Top Secret & 88 Days of Fortune collective), Daniel Silver (U of T Sociology, Chicago Music City researcher), and Amy Terrill (Music Canada, 4479).
A community poll has also been set up as part of the Wavelength #ICYMI gallery exhibition at Markham House City Building Lab, allowing people to drop of suggestions and questions which will be addressed at the Jan 31 panel.
Toronto jazz radio station JAZZ.FM91 has announced the first of their 2016 Music Business Seminars, in partnership with TD Bank Group.
Finding Your Niche: How To Make A Living As A Musician In The 21st Century is a free networking seminar allowing young musicians to join top industry experts and musicians as they discuss strategies for getting the balance right in the 21st century.
The seminar will take place Sunday February 21 from 10 AM – 5 PM at the JAZZ.FM91 studio located in Liberty Village at 4 Pardee Ave, Unit 100
Speakers at the seminar will include:
Jeff Levenson, label executive, writer-producer, educator and jazz journalist
Jae Gold, music and entertainment industries accountant
Jane Bunnett, Canadian jazz flutist and saxophonist
Miles Jones, hip hop producer/artist, record company owner and artist manager
Paul Sanderson, preeminent entertainment lawyer
Musicians looking to participate in the seminar can register here and visit the JAZZ.FM91 website for more information including the full day’s schedule.
