Being There

Tuesday is a special day for fans of music and home video.  That’s because it’s the one day of the week devoted to new releases.  The beginning of the year is always quiet, but things have been starting to pick up lately and this week is no exception.

Let’s start with music.  Jayhawks fans will definitely want to pick up Gary Louris’ solo debut Vagabonds, which was produced by Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes and features appearances by Susanna Hoffs and Jenny Lewis, among others.  Another solo release comes from Kinks frontman Ray Davies.  Working Man’s Cafe is Davies’ second solo record in two years.  Irish heatseekers Bell X1’s Flock finally gets a North American release, and reissues fans won’t want to miss Nick Lowe’s Jesus Of Cool remaster (Yep Roc).  Also out this week are new releases from American Music Club, Mountain Goats and Allison Moorer.

Now onto the DVD shelf.  The Academy Awards are coming up next Sunday, and those eager to catch up on nominated films will be happy to hear about this week’s release of Michael Clayton, which is nominated for 7 awards including Best Picture.  Also out this week is American Gangster, which received noms for Ruby Dee as Best Supporting Actress and Arthur Max & Beth A. Rubino for Art Direction.  Other releases include Margot At The Wedding and Lust, Caution.

Some of you are probably wondering where we’ve been over the past, well, six-to-eight months.  Truth is, Being There is in a bit of a flux right now.  We’ve managed to lose a lot of our staff to conflicting priorities, and since everyone contributes on a volunteer basis, it’s been a bit of a challenge to get people on board.  With that said, if you’re interested in writing for us, please check out our recruitment page.  We’re looking for solid writers with a passion and knowledge for music, film, etc.  The more strong people we get, the more content we’ll be able to deliver on a regular basis.

What about the Being There blog?  Starting Monday, we hope to update this section of our website at least four times a week.  An ambitious prospect, maybe, but there’s always plenty to talk about, especially with the Writer’s Guild of America strike coming to a close, the Oscars coming up on Feb. 24, and at least a few albums and films we’re excited about on the horizon.  So check back on Monday for a new era of the Being There blog, and we’ll keep you posted on new Being There content as it appears!

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern, Joel Plaskett and possibly the Emergency band will be playing a series of four shows at the historic venue in December. Each night, the accomplished singer-songwriter will be playing one of his first four albums in its entirety.

December 10: In Need of Medical Attention
December 11: Down At The Khyber
December 12: La De Da
December 13: Truthfully Truthfully

Ticket prices are $15 advance and $17 at the door for each show.

Travel back in time to Being There’s first issue, to read our interview with Joel Plaskett before the release of La De Da.

Neil Young may have spent most of his youth in Winnipeg, but here in his birthplace of Toronto he remains a hometown hero.  His warm reception in the city was recently captured on the archival release Live at Massey Hall 1971, which was recorded in January 1971, when Young was familiarizing himself with the new songs that would end up on 1972’s seminal Harvest album.

Now, thirty-six years later, Young is returning to Massey Hall for the first time since then.  Considering the fact that he played his last six shows here at a hockey arena, this is obviously huge news.  In fact, most of Neil’s Toronto shows since the mid-1970s have been at stadiums, arenas and other large venues.  Those of you in other cities are also lucky, as it looks like Neil is finally opting for more intimate places to be heard.  In the midst of the tour, Neil will stop in Mountain View, CA for his two-date annual Bridge School Benefit, which this year features apperances by Eddie Vedder, Tom Waits, Metallica, Jerry Lee Lewis and John Mayer, among others.

This particular tour is in support of Neil’s upcoming album, Chrome Dreams II.  You can read more about the project here.

Neil Young’s Tour Dates:

October 18 - Boise, ID (Morrison Center)
October 20 - Spokane, WA (INB Perfoming Arts Center)
October 22 - Portland, OR (Keller Theater)
October 23 - Seattle, WA (WaMu Center)
October 27 - Mountain View, CA (Bridge School Benefit @ Shoreline Amphitheatre)
October 28 - Mountain View, CA (Bridge School Benefit @ Shoreline Amphitheatre)
October 30 - Los Angeles, CA (Nokia Theatre)
November 5 - Denver, CO (Wells Fargo Theatre)
November 8 - Minneapolis, MN (Northrop Auditorium)
November 10 - Detroit, MI (Fox Theatre)
November 12 - Chicago, IL (Chicago Theatre)
November 13 - Chicago, IL (Chicago Theatre)
November 15 - Washington DC (Constitution Hall)
November 18 - St. Louis, MO (Fox Theatre)
November 26 - Toronto, ON (Massey Hall)
November 27 - Toronto, ON (Massey Hall)
December 2 - Boston, MA (Orpheum Theatre)
December 3 - Boston, MA (Orpheum Theatre)
December 5 - Wallingford, CT (Chevrolet Theatre)
December 9 - Philadelphia, PA (Tower Theatre)
December 12 - New York, NY (United Palace)
December 13 - New York, NY (United Palace)

Being There is a bit underwhelmed by the slate of new shows set to debut this fall (I mean, really, how many shows about rich people and vampires do we really need?).  We are, however, excited for the return of NBC’s The Office, which has somehow managed to match the quality of its shorter-lived British counterpart.  (If you don’t believe me, rent Season Three - now out on DVD).  This season should prove interesting, as Jim and Pam have their romantic reconnection and Ryan becomes Michael’s boss and Jan’s replacement.

We’re also curious about Grey’s Anatomy, which shocked everyone with its Season 3 finale in which Burke deserts Christina at her wedding after the latter’s annoying bouts with cold feet and George fails his first-year exam.

Boston Legal, the hilarious legal comedrama, is about to throw us for a loop, as cast members Rene Auberjonois (Paul Lewiston), Julie Bowen (Denise Bauer), Mark Valley (Brad Chase) and Constance Zimmer (Claire Simms) depart the show.  On the plus side, new addition John Larroquette is undoubtedly going to be brilliant opposite James Spader, Candice Bergen and William Shatner.

The critically acclaimed and fan favourite Heroes is also back this season, with the wonderful Kristin Bell (Veronica Mars) set to guest star.  Speaking of guest stars, Edie Falco is set to guest star in several episodes of 30 Rock this season.

As for the new shows?  Who knows.  A few of them look promising.  We’ll be skipping the Grey’s spin-off Private Practice, but are curious to see if Kelsey Grammar can re-invent himself as a troubled news anchor on Back To You (which co-stars Patricia Heaton and Fred Willard).  Dirty Sexy Money has a terrific cast, led by Donald Sutherland and Peter Krause (Six Feet Under), but ultimately writing and direction are what will keep it going.  (Unless, of course, it suffers a similar fate as Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip) and Jimmy Smits looks ferocious in Cane, but we just can’t get excited about this crime drama right now.  As for the rest… we just don’t know yet.  Plus there are too many great shows to rent on DVD, like Dexter.

MSNBC has a pretty solid fall preview, which you can look at here.

Springsteen fans have plenty to be excited about this fall.  On October 2, Columbia Records will release Magic, The Boss’ 15th studio album.  After putting out the sparse and acoustic Devils & Dust in 2005, and the rousing covers album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions in 2006, Springsteen has reunited with the E-Street Band, who will join him on a tour of North America and Europe.

The E-Street Band lineup for the upcoming tour consists of Max Weinberg (drums), Danny Frederici (organ), Roy Bittan (piano), Clarence Clemons (saxophone), Patti Scialfa (backing vocals), Steven Van Zandt (guitar), Nils Lofgren (guitar) and Garry Tallent (bass).  All of these musicians have played with Springsteen since the mid-1970s, with the exception of Lofgren and Scialfa (who also happens to be Springsteen’s wife), who both joined in 1984.  After a period of inactivity, the band reunited in 1999, when Springsteen was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

Tracklist for Magic:

1. Radio Nowhere (hear it here)
2. You’ll Be Comin’ Down
3. Livin’ in the Future
4. Your Own Worst Enemy
5. Gypsy Biker
6. Girls in Their Summer Clothes
7. I’ll Work for Your Love
8. Magic
9. Last to Die
10. Long Walk Home
11. Devil’s Arcade

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band tour dates:

Being There doesn’t know a whole lot about opera.  Our radar mostly covers the various types of music created in the 20th and 21st centuries.  Sure, we can collectively throw out a few composers names and hum a few lines from a handful of arias, but we are mostly clueless.  And yet, we know Luciano Pavarotti.  Through his collaborations with mainstream pop artists like Elton John and Bono, along with his tenure as a third of The Three Tenors, Pavarotti helped make opera accessible to those who would otherwise feel intimidated by the genre.  Perhaps he wasn’t the world’s greatest tenor, but he certainly was the most popular and beloved, selling millions of recordings and playing to sold-out crowds around the world for decades.  Today we mourn his passing, which comes after a lengthy - and undoubtedly painful - bout with pancreatic cancer.

Here are some of the obituaries:

CNN

The New York Times

Forbes

While it still may not get the attention of its counterparts in Cannes, Venice or Park City, the Toronto International Film Festival is considered by many industry insiders and moviegoers to be one of the world’s top film festivals.  For ten days each September, Toronto is a-buzz with movie stars, world premieres and excited moviegoers eager to catch a glimpse of the finest the world has to offer.

After the dust settles on September 15, Being There will offer a full round-up of the festival, but since screenings commence tomorrow, we’ve decided to offer up a little bit of a film festival primer.  Here are just a few of our suggestions for this year.  Rather than us go on about films we haven’t seen, we decided to simply link to the information pages on the festival’s website.

Thursday, September 6 -

Fugitive Pieces (6:30 PM, Visa Screening Room - Elgin Theatre) - directed by Jeremy Podeswa, starring Stephen Dillane, Rade Sherbedgia, Rosamund Pike, etc.

Young People Fucking (7:45 PM, Varsity) - directed by Martin Gero, starring Carly Pope, Diora Baird, Aaron Abrams and Sonja Bennett

Starting Out In The Evening (8 PM, Varsity) - directed by Andrew Wagner, starring Frank Langella, Lauren Ambrose, Lili Taylor, etc.

The Brave One (9:00 PM, Ryerson Theatre) - directed by Neil Jordan, starring Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard and Mary Steenburgen

Friday, September 7 -

Captain Mike Across America (6:00 PM, Ryerson Theatre) - directed by Michael Moore

Lust, Caution (9:00 PM, Visa Screening Room - Elgin Theatre) - directed by Ang Lee, starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Tang Wei, Joan Chen and Wang Leehom

The Visitor (9:15 PM, Ryerson Theatre) - directed by Thomas McCarthy, starring Richard Jenkins, Hiam Abbass, Haaz Sleiman and Danai Gurira

Saturday, September 8 -

Juno (6:00 PM, Ryerson Theatre) - directed by Jason Reitman, starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Olivia Thirlby, J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney

No Country For Old Men (6:00 PM, Visa Screening Room - Elgin Theatre) - directed by Joel & Ethan Coen, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Woody Harrelson and Josh Brolin

Brick Lane (8:30 PM, Isabel Bader Theatre) - directed by Sarah Gavron, starring Tannishtha Chatterjee, Satish Kaushik and Christopher Simpson

Nothing Is Private (8:45 PM, Ryerson Theatre) - directed by Alan Ball, starring Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette, Maria Bello, Peter Macdissi, Summer Bishil and Eugene Jones

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (9:00 PM, Visa Screening Room - Elgin Theatre) - directed by Andrew Dominik, starring Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard and Mary-Louise Parker

George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead (11:59 PM, Ryerson Theatre) - directed by George A. Romero

Sunday, September 9 -

Darfur Now (12:00 PM, Varsity) - directed by Ted Braun

A Jihad For Love (8:30 PM, Cumberland) - directed by Parvez Sharma

Monday, September 10 -

In The Valley of Elah (6:00 PM, Visa Screening Room - Elgin) - directed by Paul Haggis, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon and James Franco

Sleuth (6:30 PM, Roy Thompson Hall) - directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Michael Caine and Jude Law

The Savages (7:00 PM, Isabel Bader Theatre) - directed by Tamara Jenkins, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney

Across The Universe (9:30 PM, Roy Thompson Hall) - directed by Julie Taymor, starring Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess and Joe Anderson

Tuesday, September 11 -

Margot at the Wedding (6:00 PM, Ryerson Theatre) - directed by Noah Baumbach, starring Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Black and John Turturro

Cassandra’s Dream (6:30 PM, Roy Thompson Hall) - directed by Woody Allen, starring Hayley Atwell, Colin Farell, Sally Hawkins, Ewan McGregor and Tom Wilkinson

King of California (7:00 PM, Scotiabank Theatre) - directed by Mike Cahill, starring Michael Douglas, Evan Rachel Wood

Body of War (9:00 PM, Isabel Bader Theatre) - directed by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue

The Babysitters (9:45 PM, Scotiabank Theatre) - directed by David Ross, starring John Leguizamo, Katherine Waterston, Cynthia Nixon, Andy Comeau and Lauren Birkell

Wednesday, September 12 -

I’m Not There (8:30 PM, Ryerson Theatre) - directed by Todd Haynes, starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere and Heath Ledger… all as Bob Dylan! 

Thursday, September 13 -

Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead (9:00 PM, Visa Screening Room - Elgin Theatre) - directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei, Albert Finney and Rosemary Harris

Friday, September 14 -

Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who (7:45 PM, Varsity) - directed by Paul Crowder & Murray Lerner

When it comes to new album or DVD releases, Beatles fans seldomly have reason to be excited.  Sure, the past few years have offered up a handful of George Harrison and John Lennon reissues, a few better-than-average McCartney solo records and the terrific Beatles Love soundtrack, but many are still anxiously awaiting the digital availability of The Beatles’ catalogue on iTunes, not to mention sonic upgrades of the CDs and the release of Let It Be on DVD.

Those may still be a while, but the recent reissue of the two Traveling Wilburys records, along with some exciting new releases, should keep us Beatles nuts occupied for at least a little while.

As a solo artist, Ringo Starr may not have been as groundbreaking as his fellow ex-Beatles, but he certainly had his fair share of great songs over the years.  Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr collects classics like “Photograph,” “It Don’t Come Easy” and “Back Off Boogaloo,” the lesser known “Early 1970″ and “Beaucoups of Blues,” and recent gems like “King Of Broken Hearts” and “Weight Of The World.”  If you’re going to own just one Ringo CD, this may as well be it, though you’re free to sample the rest of Ringo’s catalogue online thanks to a recent deal with iTunes (similar deals have been struck with Paul McCartney and the estate of John Lennon for those two artists’ solo catalogues).

Next up is Help!, the Beatles’ second feature film.  Originally directed by Richard Lester in 1965, Help!’s story revolved around Ringo Starr obtaining a cursed ring, which he is unable to remove from his finger.  Hilarity ensues as the film’s villains chase The Beatles through London, the Bahamas and Austria.  The film had once been available on DVD, but the audio and video quality was mediocre at best.  On October 30, Apple/EMI will release a two-disc deluxe edition of the film, featuring a 5.1 audio mix and a new 30-minute documentary on the making of the film.  You can read more about it here.

Finally, Nov. 13 will bring us The McCartney Years, a whopping three-DVD set of music videos, live performances and rare footage spanning 1970 to 2005.  Disc 1 and 2 include practically all of McCartney’s videos, including “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Silly Love Songs,” “Take It Away,” “Beautiful Night” and “Fine Line,” though oddly enough the collection does not include the recent Michel Gondry-directed video for “Dance Tonight.”  Disc 3 features excerpts from Wings’ 1976 concert film, Rockshow, Paul’s 1991 appearance on MTV’s Unplugged, and a 2004 set from the Glastonbury Festival.  Read more here.

Is that all?  Some aren’t too sure.  Rolling Stone has the Top 5 rumors about Apple’s upcoming iPod announcement, including a digital Beatles deal for iTunes.  But for now, I suppose we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out, so watch this space!

Your faithful Toronto correspondent is currently in exile in not-Toronto, brooding over the cool stuff happening around the city during the tail end of August. Go forth and party in my honor:

August 25th brings a good reason to brave the throngs of small children, couples holding hands, and guys shooting themselves out of cannons at the Canadian National Expo: Sloan and the Golden Dogs will be sharing a stage. Admission to the Ex is $14 every day; buy your tickets early and they’ll be cheap.

If you’re still ready to hit the town after that, put on your best princess gown or suit of armor and head out to the Palais Royale for the 2007 Fake Prom. Organizers promise a magical evening - just like a royal cotillion, but with more ’80s hits and beer. Way more beer. Tickets are $10 and are available at Rotate This and Soundscapes.

If that’s not enough costumed nerdery for you, this year’s Toronto ComicCon will be taking place at the Metro Toronto Conference Centre from the 24th to the 26th. In addition to an airplane-hangar-ful of comics and merch, this year’s con will feature such guests as Sean Astin (my third-favourite hobbit), Malcolm McDowell, David Prowse, and Adam Freaking West. Don’t get a Cthulu made out of balloons and then repeatedly poke a Trekkie in the back of the head with its tentacles; I made that mistake last year.

Haligonian folk-rock dreamboat Joel Plaskett will be playing Yonge-Dundas Square on August 30th for a Ryerson University frosh event. Start practicing your Ryerson student impression (scowl, large engineering textbook, loud complaints about mysterious school fees and how much U of T sucks) so as not to look too suspicious.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the eighth album by The Beatles, was released in the United Kingdom on June 1, 1967 (a North American release followed a day later).  It immediately sent shockwaves around the world. Jimi Hendrix performed the album’s title track within days of the album’s release, and songs like “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and “A Day In The Life” were quickly put under heavy analysis by listeners, critics and musicians alike.

Even today it’s influence is still felt on popular culture.  People still wonder about the connection between “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and LSD; they still listen closely to the orchestral arrangements and studio trickery.  Everything from its popular album cover, featuring a Who’s Who of cultural figures (Bob Dylan, Oscar Wilde, W.C. Fields, Karl Marx, Edgar Allan Poe - to name just a few), to the music within is still marveled to this day.

Sgt. Pepper has been so heavily analyzed at this point that to offer much more would be pointless.  Instead, we’d like to direct you to a few goodies that should help celebrate this special day in musical history.

The Beatles Ultimate Experience website has comments from John, Paul, George and Ringo on each of the album’s tracks.  You can find that here.

Here’s Hendrix playing “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, courtesy of YouTube.

BBC Radio 2 has scheduled a special radio programme planned for tomorrow afternoon, featuring Oasis, Kaiser Chiefs, Travis, The Fratellis and more.  You can read about it here.