NEXT Magazine September Issue

MADE IN CANADA• 09|2021

FREE

FINNEAS BILLIE EILISH’S BRILLIANT BIG BROTHER FLIES SOLO

TYLER SHAW THE HALLUCI NATION SPIRITBOX

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OMEGA MIGHTY LANY HALSEY TINASHE SHANG CHI'S SIMU LIU BUBBLE TEA WHERE'S DONDA?

The Newest Songs, Updated Weekly

Check out our interview with Lizzo!

Find this and all your favourite interviews, music news and entertainment on the iHeartRadioCA YouTube Channel.

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Contents

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THE SHORT LIST

The Manifesto hip-hop cultural showcase and panels return live and online; Calgary and Toronto host major film festivals and stream concerts at Y440 Sessions

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MUSIC FEATURE

Tyler Shaw’s buttery voice has been powering pop ballads on the Canadian music scene since 2012 — but a new baby means a new Shaw.

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NEXT BIG THING

She’s been a “special guest” at her sister Haviah’s shows for years, but little sis Omega Mighty is ready to bring her big sound to centre stage.

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COVER STORY

After years helping others find their muse — and picking up eight Grammys along the way — Billie Eilish’s big brother Finneas is ready for his close up.

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ALBUM REVIEWS

Halsey, James Blake, Tinashe, Beatchild, Third Eye Blind, Julien Baker, The Vaccines and LANY are part of this month’s look at the latest releases.

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THE LOCAL PAGES

Live music venues are carefully opening up in our cities — exciting details here; there’s a film fest frenzy and they’re grabbing sunflower selfies in Vancouver.

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THE FUNNIES

We need your help finding Kanye in our “Where’s Donda?” puzzle. Plus, find out which summer album is YOU in our NEXT Personality Quiz.

Cover and this page: Finneas photographed

by Matty Vogel

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06 FOOD Tea time in Taiwan is boba-ling up 08 DRINKS Cider house drools with best seasonal drinks 10 FASHION Here come the ’70s as retro returns big time 12 CANNABIS Let someone else do the rolling and check out our pre-roll picks 14 GAMING Legendary 70s fantasy comic book creator Mobious inspires Sable 16 MOVIES/STREAMING Shang-Chi skillfully fights to top of MCU

NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

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SHORTLIST SEPT

T H E

T O P

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T O

D O

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C A N A D A

T H I S

M O N T H

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Notifi

FESTIVAL

HIP HOP FEST, SUMMIT MARK MANIFESTO RETURN Manifesto Thurs., Sept. 9 - Sat., Sept. 11 In-person and virtual festival Free - $15 CityView Drive-In, 20 Polson St. Toronto mnfsto.com

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Manifesto, one of the country’s biggest celebrations of hip hop, community and culture, is back for a 15th year with a two-day summit and a full day of live music. The summit is free to access online and will cover important artist development topics like personal financing and marketing music. Not to be missed is the panel Stolen Canada (Thurs., Sept. 9, 4 pm ET), discussing hip hop’s role in raising consciousness and featuring 2oolman of The Halluci Nation and Bob Marley’s granddaughter, Donisha Prendergast.

Saturday is all about live performances from Notifi, Savannah Ré, Raz Fresco and many others. You can catch the action in person at CityView Drive-In (no car required!) or watch live online.

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Skye Wallace

YAMAHA Y440 SESSIONS

LIVESTREAM

Mon., Sept. 20 - Sat., Sept. 25, 7 pm ET YouTube livestream Free ca.yamaha.com

Celebrate the return to “live” for an entire week with Y440 as six artists livestream from the Yamaha YouTube channel, including Vancouver singer-songwriter Jon Bryant (Tues., Sept. 21) and Toronto-based fave Skye Wallace (Fri., Sept.

24). These sessions take a deep dive into the artists’ creative processes; past sessions, all available online, include an in-depth interview with Sam Roberts Band drummer Josh Trager.

SEBASTIAN-BUZZALINO

CHECK OUT THE YAMAHA 440 SESSIONS HERE

FILM FEST

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NEXT Magazine

MUSIC ON SCREEN

Editor/Publisher Michael Hollett

A Song Called Hate at Calgary International Film Festival

Creative Director Troy Beyer

Sun., Sept. 26, 9 pm MT Tickets $13.50 per film, bundle options available Cineplex Eau Claire, 200 Barclay Parade SW Calgary ciffcalgary.ca

Associate Editors Laura Robinson (Calgary) Rayne Fisher-Quann (Vancouver) BDSM

In addition to a broad slate of programming, Calgary International Film Festival’s Music On Screen series features music-related narratives and docs, including A Song Called Hate, which chronicles the headline-making Icelandic BDSM techno duo Hatari who, at the 2019 Eurovision Contest in Tel-Aviv,

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GO WEST FOR MUSIC FEST

FESTIVAL

defied the apolitical rules of the competition to speak up about Palestine. Other promising features include I’m Wanita, the tale of a troubled Honky Tonk queen, and Sisters With Transistors, the untold story of the female pioneers of electronic music. More info, page 52.

BBNO$

Advice Columnist Amy Millan askamy@nextmag.ca Sales and Marketing Manager, Sales and Partnerships Barbara Hefler

Jagged

Advertising Inquiries: sales@nextmag.ca

Westward Music Festival Sept. 8 - 13, various times Music Festival Ticket prices vary; packages available Vancouver, various locations westwardfest.com/tickets-schedule

Vancouver gets a blast of music festival frenzy as Westward returns in clubs across the city. Catch acts like spitfire rapper Haviah Mighty (Sept. 12, Imperial), quirky indie-folkster Chad VanGaalen (Sept. 11, Rickshaw), genre-bending duo MONEYPHONE (Sept. 10, Imperial), iconic comic rapper BBNO$ (Sept. 11, Vogue) and many more.

More info page 49.

Contributors Benji Andringa, Kristen Chew, Keisha Balatbat, Latoya Elle, Kristal Griffin, Sarah Khan, Amy Lloyd, Zack Kotzer, Khufu Najee, Nicole Richie, Laura Stanley, Sierra Stone, Sarah Wade, Caely White, Sanjeev Wignarajah

Administrative Coordinator Amy Lloyd Digital Content Coordinator Elaine Song Circulation Coordinator Eric Caldwell Circulation Paul Mckenzie, Callum Miller, Adam Pharoh, Connor Radcliffe, Sharon Rosinke, Henry Voskuil

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Published by NEXT Magazine Enterprises Inc.

MUSIC IN SPOTLIGHT AT TIFF FILM FEST

FILM FEST

Toronto International Film Festival Thurs., Sept. 9 - Sat., Sept. 18 In-person and virtual screenings $19 - $69 Toronto, Various theatres and online

One of the world’s biggest film festivals returns to Toronto with over 150 films across a hybrid of theatre, drive-in and virtual screenings. Highlights include several great music documentaries, including Alanis Morissette’s Jagged and Toronto rock legends, Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine and Oscar Peterson: Black + White. Dive deeper into the festival in our YYZ section on page 43.

NEXT Magazine Enterprises Inc. Board of Directors Michael Cohl, Michael Hollett, Gary Slaight Distribution NEXT Magazine is distributed in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto For distributor info: distro@nextmag.ca Contact Us 115 Danforth, Suite 302 • Toronto • ON • M4K 1N2 T. 416.519.5004 email: info@nextmag.ca All content property of NEXT Magazine Enterprises Inc. ©2021

nextmag.ca

nextmagcanada

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FO O D

TEA TIME

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othing beats having your drink and eating it too, which is why bubble tea or, boba — that most crave-able snack/drink combo — continues to quench the collective desires of our NEXT Three Cities.

Filled with silky milk tea or refreshing fruit flavours paired with chewy and sweet tapioca pearls, this Taiwanese creation satisfies all your cravings.

There were once only a few iconic bubble tea brands, like Chatime, Gong Cha and Yi Fang Tea; now, there’s a new and innovative tea house on every corner. We’ve scoured the streets for the best and most creative bubble tea so you can spend your September slurping and sipping the best boba your city has to offer. Time to get this tea party started!

By NICOLE RICHIE

WHERE TO SCORE GREAT BOBA IN YOUR TOWN TORONTO The Alley

Looking for a woodsy vibe to go along with your afternoon boba break? The Alley alludes to its grassroots and do-it-from scratch mentality by taking us back to nature in its homey cottage-style teahouse. This Markham boba shop hand rolls different flavours of “deerioca” (tapioca) pearls daily for its multitude of tea options.

Try the fresh Green Milk Tea made with all-natural cane sugar, fresh hand-selected tea leaves and fresh black sesame “deerioca” pearls.

505 Hwy. 7, Markham, the-alley.ca

OneZo Tapioca

Mastering the art of fromscratch tapioca, OneZo is pumping out fresh pearls daily to elevate the classic Taiwanese drink. Concentrating on creating the most flavourful and delectably chewy tapioca, each of OneZo’s pearls is unique, just like its teas. The Dirty Milk Tea is a fan favourite, with brown sugar and fresh tapioca pearls.

399 Spadina Ave., Toronto, onezotapioca.com 6 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

TP TEA

Famous in Taiwan for its slurp-able shakes and Tieguanyin tea, TP Tea (Taiwan Professional Tea) is a must-have in Toronto. Sister brand of original Taiwanese tea house Chun Shui Tang, this spot is connected to the history of popularizing milk tea in Taiwan.

With over 30 years of experience, TP Tea brings some of the most well-crafted and traditional teas to the market, but it also has a flare for the original. Try the boba soft serve or one of the cheese crema-topped teas, like the new Pink Salt Cheese Crema Strawberry Tea. Can you say strawberry cheesecake in a cup!?

505 Hwy. 7, Unit 86, Thornhill, on-tptea.com

VANCOUVER Baroness

Known for its handmade brown-sugar pearls and grass jelly, Baroness is making a royally good name for its brand in North America. Originating in Taipei and recently opening on West Broadway, Baroness brought over 30 different tea options to its Vancouver outpost.

OneZo Tapioca

Popular picks include the Purple Yam Milk with Brown Sugar and the Classic Brown Sugar Milk Tea. Another great thing about Baroness is that all its milk teas are dairy-free!

Using oat milk for the luscious milk teas, this boba shop is vegan and lactose-friendly.

layered with Okinawa brown sugar, loaded with mini brown sugar pearls and topped with its cloud foam — may just be the best boba in Cowtown.

The Moon also makes its pearls in-house every four hours, so each tea is guaranteed fresh to order.

2790 West Broadway, Vancouver, baronesscanada.com

14th Ave. SE, Unit #212, Calgary, tmoon.ca

Machi Machi

Don’t Yell at Me

Machi Machi is all about that cheese foam. After whipped cream-cheese bubble tea took over bubble teashops in Asia, Machi Machi decided to bring its thick, frothy, cream-topped drinks to North America.

Along with the classic teas, Machi Machi also slings some two-layered drinks, like Fresh Strawberry Latte with Panna Cotta, in its iconic stubby bottles. If you’re looking for a cheese-free experience, try the refreshing Fizzy Passionfruit Orange Honey Jasmine Green Tea, made with fresh passionfruit and orange slices.

Layered to perfection, this boba tea house has some of the most Instagram-worthy drinks in Alberta. With a massive menu of specialty drinks, Don’t Yell at Me has a bubble tea for whatever mood you’re in.

The dessert-inspired drinks here are super popular, especially the Tiramisu Milk Tea. But if you’re looking for something really out of the box, try the Winter Melon with Milk tea and Soft Grass Jelly. The drink list is long and enticing.

620A 17 Ave. SW, Calgary, dyam-ab.ca

1194 Robson St., Vancouver, machimachi.ca

Dragon Ball Tea House

This Vancouver stalwart is a nostalgic spot for long-time residents and offers traditional Taiwanese staples. The Shaughnessy tearoom, with its extensive list of bubble tea options and iconic cups sporting a red dragon drinking bubble tea, is hard to miss.

The pearls here are legendary for their chewy texture and perfectly balanced sweetness. Order like a local and go for the red bean or Japanese green tea ice cream slush with pearls.

Or spice things up and pick up a peach tea with chewy coconut jelly.

1007 W. King Edward Ave., Vancouver

CALGARY The Moon

MEET THE INVENTOR OF BUBBLE TEA

We’re over the aforementioned moon about this tea house’s commitment to working with the best and highest-quality ingredients to serve up carefully crafted boba.

The brown sugar drinks are a staple at The Moon. The Flame Cloud — a milk tea

Kung Fu Tea

This is Calgary’s spot for traditional milk tea. At Kung Fu, the style is clean, classic and focused on providing the highest-quality boba. The 38 Milk King is its most popular tea, with freshly prepared pearls, agar jelly and grass jelly in the rich, yet delicate, milk tea. This is the bubble tea fit for royalty. The fresh fruit teas here also can’t be missed, especially the Grapefruit Green Tea with agar bubbles — perfect for a hot September day.

564 64th Ave. NE, Calgary, kungfuteacalgary.com NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

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D RI N KS Authentic Dry

Crisp Apple

Lonetree Cider

Okanagan

Brewed in British Columbia, available in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver lonetreecider.com

Brewed in British Columbia, available in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver okanagancider.ca

Authentic is an apt name for a business that all started with a Kelowna-based, third-generation family orchard. This cider combines acidic cooking apples, like Bramley, with honeyed table apples, like Golden Delicious and Spartan, resulting in a vivid and thirst-quenching blend.

For a classic cider experience, you can’t go wrong with Okanagan. The aroma alone transports you to an orchard and the taste is incredibly crisp.

Just one sip feels like biting into a juicy, freshly picked apple, and there’s a perfect balance of sweet and tart flavours.

Afternoon Delight Peach

Wild Blueberry Elderflower

Chill St.

Thornbury Village

Brewed in Nova Scotia, available in Toronto chillstreetcraftbeverageco.com

Brewed in Ontario, available in Toronto and Calgary thornburycraft.com

Not all ciders have to be strictly apple forward in flavour.

This small-batch drink is both fruity and floral, combining apples, passionfruit, elderflower and ripe Nova Scotian blueberries that leave a sweet aftertaste.

Light and refreshing, it’s guaranteed to help you beat this summer’s inevitable final heatwave.

Extra Dry Cider Liberty Village Brewing Co.

Brewed in Ontario, available in Toronto

If you don’t favour sugary drinks, this option is perfect.

Liberty Village Brewing Co. went against the odds to launch the country’s first unsweetened cider because it knew the cider would be a hit.

Carefully fermented, this cider is extra dry and light on fizz, making the apple the shining star of each sip.

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CIDER RULES! IT MAY BE A LITTLE EARLY FOR HAYRIDES and pumpkin patches, but September welcomes the first day of autumn and, with it, a host of fall activities.

It’s prime time to visit an orchard, pick a bushel of apples and gorge on fruity treats. Among these goodies is a crisp, refreshing cider — the perfect transitional drink as the summer heat slowly fades.

Best served chilled, hard cider is fermented fruit juice that comes in varying levels of sweetness and carbonation — think apple wine. While an apple a day keeps the doctor away, we can’t guarantee that philosophy applies to these drinks!

By AMY LLOYD

Who says cider can’t be mixed with more alcohol? This is an aromatic riesling and cider mix, with subtle apple and peach notes. Swirl your glass like a true connoisseur and try one of Chill St.’s suggested food pairings listed right on the can — in this case, Indian food or vanilla ice cream.

Original Hopped No Boats on Sunday

Brewed across Canada, available in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver noboatscider.com

This Nova Scotia cidery was founded on the idea that we all deserve a little break, and it’s easy to kick back and relax with this fresh brew. Uniquely made in three different provinces from 100 per cent locally sourced apples, this is a classic hopped and zesty cider with bright apple and citrus flavours.

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ST YL E

THE ABBA 1

Zara Squared Sunglasses $36

2 Zara

Linen Blend Crop Top $40

3 Free People x

Zandra Rhodes Just Float On Flare Jeans $123

B

ut do you really remember the 21st night of September? Make some new memories in the last of the summer sunshine this month while rocking some seriously funky disco duds.

The ’70s are back in a big way — we’re flirting with fringe, sashaying in sequins and acting like the top three buttons of our collared shirts don’t exist (here’s looking at you, Travolta).

Between the old-school trends popping up on fashion TikTok, the sparkle-drenched Fall Winter ’21 collections from Versace, Givenchy and Missoni, and pretty much anything Harry Styles wears on a red carpet, it’s clear that disco is red-hot — dare we say — an inferno.

After being cooped up for months on end, busting loose to the tune of an era associated with sexual liberation, a whole lot of reefer and glittering dance floors sounds groovy, baby!

Raid the dusty corners of your grandparents’ closets or shop our picks below — and don’t forget to scan the QR code for a playlist tailor-made for boogie nights.

By LAURA ROBINSON 10 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

4 Jeffrey Campbell Mamma-Mia $200

THE TRAVOLTA

BROWSE AND SHOP THESE STYLES HERE

5 Warby

Parker Hatcher $150 1

6 Madcap

England Purple Paisley Blazer $179

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Madcap England Purple Paisley Bellbottoms $63

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8 Dr. Martens 1461 Patent Leather Shoe $160

LISTEN TO THE NEXT DISCO DUDS PLAYLIST HERE

CA N NABIS

JOINT VENTURE

Moonrock Pre-Roll (Moonrock Canada)

MAC 1 Pre-Roll (Citizen Stash) 2 joints x 1 gram flower per joint Potency: 22-30% THC

1 joint x 1.2 grams flower per joint Potency: 55-65% THC

This pre-roll will knock off your moonboots. Made with an OG bud, Moonrock Canada blasts its nugs with honey oil and dusts them in kief for an otherworldly experience.

Not for the beginner smokers, this pre-roll is one of the strongest on the market. It comes in flavours like piña colada, watermelon or blueberry crumble.

Bakerstreet Pre Roll (Tweed) 1 joint x 1 gram flower per joint or 5 joints x 0.5 gram flower per joint Potency: 18-24% THC

Tweed is one of the most recognizable weed brands in Canada for good reason.

Its Bakerstreet strain is a dense indica-dominant with a whopping 25 per cent THC. With a terpene profile giving off juniper and orange peel aromas, this pre-roll is perfect for experienced smokers looking for a mood boost and pain relief.

Nebula II CBD Pre-Roll (DIVVY) 12 joints x 0.35 gram flower per joint Potency: 1-7% THC, 9-15% CBD

Packed in with rich CBD and a touch of THC for activation, this is one of the best prerolls for settling the mind and body. With a high dose of 15 per cent CBD, the 60/40 Sativa-dominant strain is known for its medicinal properties and is a top-seller in the medical marijuana field. It’s perfect for alleviating feelings of pain, stress or anxiety.

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IF EVERY JOINT YOU ROLL IS COMING OUT FLOPPY, LOPSIDED OR LOOSEYGOOSEY, IT MIGHT BE TIME FOR A PRE-ROLL.

WHILE ROLLING THE

perfect joint is a worthy accomplishment, sometimes quick and convenient is required. The preroll market is full of gems for every type of smoker. There are pre-rolls available in packs of multiples; as singles; rolled in kief, shatter or oil; not to mention the THC and CBD variation and the grams per pre-roll. It’s a wonderland of readyto-smoke weed.

By NICOLE RICHIE

Part of Citizen Stash’s small batch series, this coveted strain encourages a cerebral high with physical relaxation.

High in THC, MAC — or Miracle Alien Cookies — is a hybrid strain producing creative and uplifting effects, all while relaxing the body.

Granddaddy Purple Pre-Roll (48North) 3 joints x 0.35 gram flower per joint Potency: 15-22% THC

A strain perfect for combating insomnia, this sedative preroll is a knockout. 48North’s potent pre-roll has high levels of THC (22 per cent), which explains why each joint is only filled with an eighth of a gram.

With a terpene profile of grape and berry aromas, this indica-dominant strain is the perfect before-bed burn.

Rosy AF Pre-Roll (Superflower) 10 joints x 0.35 gram flower per joint Potency: 14-20% THC

These Rosy Animal Face prerolls are the first from Carmel’s partnership with Canadian dispensary Superette. Stuffed to the brim with Animal Face, a sativa-dominant hybrid strain, this pack of 10 joints is a convenient stash that will keep you uplifted and relaxed all day long.

WATCH A HOW TO ROLL A CROSS JOINT VIDEO HERE

NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

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GAMING

SABLE CHANNELS THE GLORY OF 70s FANTASY COMICS Heavily influenced by the fantasy comic book legend Moebius, Sable's vast landscapes will appeal to players who like exploration games By ZACK KOTZER

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top a hoverbike, floating in a levitation bubble or just using a knack for climbing, the world of Sable is a vast and sombre wasteland to wander.

It’s a desert filled with holy temples and wreckages from beyond the stars, treasures buried in a coat of dust waiting to be uncovered, where the

titular hero must travel between nomadic encampments and complete a sacred ritual known as the Gliding. Sable features no combat, but fans of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will enjoy the similar, cooling nature of exploration. The moods in Sable are tied together by a score from acclaimed

14 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

musician Michelle Zauner, the lead singer of Japanese Breakfast, and bound in a visual style reminiscent of cult ’70s comics.

The two-person, London-based studio Shedworks began work on Sable in 2017, first unveiling peeks at its debut game through animated gifs of a hoverbike kicking up dust across a pastel desert.

These clips were not only catching attention for the game’s promise of adventure but also the influential visionary it was hearkening back to.

Jean Giraud, better known as Moebius, is one of the most important artists of the last century. A mountainous output of fantasy comics and illustrations under his belt, the French cartoonist was one

of the founding members of Metal Hurlant (Heavy Metal magazine in North America) where he printed his most famous collection: Arzach.

The titular stone-faced, slender swordsman in a poncho traverses across an acid-rock landscape atop a floating concrete bird, challenging ogres and overcoming psychedelic adversaries.

WATCH THE OFFICIAL SABLE TRAILER HERE

WATCH JAPANESE BREAKFAST PERFORM GLIDER FROM SABEL

GAMES AT A GLANCE: SEPTEMBER

Deathloop: Arkane Studio's PlayStation swan song Arkane Studios, creator of Prey and the Dishonored series, was part of Microsoft’s big shopping spree over the last few years. Its farewell game for PlayStation, Deathloop, should be a party no one will soon forget. Or escape.

Deathloop follows Colt, an assassin who finds himself trapped in a stretch of time that restarts upon sunrise.

A decadent cult is taking advantage of the anomaly, spending this cycle to celebrate and sacrifice. Arkane’s specialty are a clockwork-like environment, rewarding players keen on detail and finding elaborate methods of getting the job done. A looping night seems like the perfect playground to shape your own destiny. Unfortunately for Colt, he’s not the only one making the most of the time. Deathloop begins Sept. 14 on PlayStation 5.

Moebius was involved in the visual design of films like Alien, Tron and The Fifth Element. Studio Ghibli’s first feature film, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, was by no secret an homage to Moebius’s work. His touch is still felt across sci-fi and fantasy to this day — video games included.

Many games are iterative of Metal Hurlant’s influence, from Ubisoft’s Beyond Good and Evil to Breath of the Wild. Sable gets delightfully specific: similarly following a lone, cloaked and afloat hero, the colours and gradients seem curated to thrill fans of Moebius and introduce others to his world. The stone face

encountered in the first moment bears a strong resemblance to one seen in Moebius’s Starwatcher anthology. As Sable’s landscapes unfurl, great splendours await players and European comic fans alike when the game comes to Steam and Xbox Series X on Sept. 23.

WarioWare revived for the Switch

Big Con: The race to save a video store

Speaking of time ... it’s WARIO TIME! Hearing the prayers of my roommate, Nintendo is finally reviving WarioWare for the Nintendo Switch. The series is known for manic, idiosyncratic, blink-if-youmiss mini-games that have kept people charmed and on their toes since 2003.

WarioWare: Get It Together!, coming Sept. 10, emphasizes cooperation, so get ready to yell at your friends. September also marks the 20th anniversary of Wario Land 4, the best Wario game. Wish we were getting another one of those, but what are ya gonna do?

I probably know the answer to this but: How far would you go to save a video rental store? In The Big Con, from Toronto-based studio Mighty Yell, you have the chance to find out. You play as Ali, a teenage scammer hitting the road across ’90s America, looking to do some crimes and rake in some cash to save their mom’s video store. Embrace your inner mallrat as the game hits Steam and Xbox this month.

NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

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Watch TV / MOVIES / STREAMING

What To

SHANG-CHI DELIVERS VISUAL FEAST IN POWERFUL NEW MARVEL FRANCHISE

BY MICHAEL HOLLETT

Simu Liu as Shang-Chi

16 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

WATCH THE OFFICIAL SHANG CHI TRAILER

September Movies and Streaming

Awkwafina (left) and Simu Liu

K

ey cast and crew from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings — the latest soon-to-be blockbuster from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) — are in a great mood, sharing plenty of laughs during a Zoom meeting with press just before the film’s release. And it’s not just because hilarious fellow cast member Ronny Chieng (The Daily Show) is hosting.

Why shouldn’t they be pleased?

This film is going to be huge, and it’s fantastic. Shang-Chi feels fresh and fun, and it’s not just the long overdue casting of Asian characters in lead roles that re-invigorates the Marvel universe — but it helps.

Shang-Chi, played magnificently by super-handsome Canadian actor Simu Liu (TV’s Kim’s Convenience) doesn’t wear a mask or a costume, and this unadorned character doesn’t really “change” to muster his super-powers — it’s more like he finds himself.

Director Destin Cretton shares, “I love that this is a superhero that doesn’t get splashed with chemicals to get his superpower. This is a journey of self-discovery, of growing up, of learning to deal with pain that he’s been running away from his entire life.

“When he is finally able to look inside, into his past — and embrace good, bad, the joy, the pain — and accept it all as part of himself, that’s when he finally steps into his big-boy shoes.

“I think that’s what we’re all doing as humans in some way or other.”

Plus, there are awesome fight scenes, lots of clever laughs, a cool-looking utopian world and fantastical beasts in a film that is a nonstop visual treat.

In addition to Liu and Chieng, the cast includes: Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh and Ben Kingsley — in a surprise, extended-cameo It’s a cast

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS

Where: In theatres What: Movie, 132 mins.

When: Now Genre: Marvel comics universe Why you should watch: A visual feast with great leads, including Canada’s born-to-be-a-star Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, an endearing performance from Awkwafina as his kick-ass gal pal and an amazing extended cameo from Ben Kingsley. Great action, some quests, solid storytelling and plenty of amusing asides to the audience. This could become Marvel’s biggest property. that was clearly thrilled to work with Kingsley, to whom the actors refer exclusively as “Sir Ben” throughout the Zoom call.

Stage actor Michelle Yeoh makes her film debut in Shang-Chi and explains that when she asked Sir Ben the difference between performing in the two media, he said, “When we are on stage, we are landscape artists; and when we are in front of a camera, we are portrait artists.”

Kingsley, who has South Asian heritage, won an Oscar playing Mohandas Gandhi and was given the task of addressing representation in the film.

“The motives behind telling this story are crystal clear, lucid, pure

motives, and they are life-enhancing. If your motives are pure as a storyteller, the angels will come assist you with that story.

“To quote a great author, ‘To tell a story is to heal.’ And I think that this story — because it’s so beautifully told and so rich — will ultimately be healing because it’s not propaganda, it’s just a really beautiful story," says Kinglsey, commanding the Zoom as if delivering lines from The Tempest.

“As soon as I arrived on set, the fact that my colleagues were from a different culture was immaterial, completely immaterial and irrelevant.

“We are actors together, we live on empathy and transformation, and this is our currency. All the rest is irrelevant.

And if we can demonstrate that energy, I think it will be ultimately be soothing and healing.

“People will realize there’s very little difference in storytelling and very little difference in our hearts.”

Everyone looks like they want to clap.

Rumours that a tweet by Liu asking for the job got him the gig were quashed by the producer. But concluding his audition with a backflip and a Black Widow-esque power pose definitely helped him land the role.

“I thought, it couldn’t hurt. I was auditioning for a superhero franchise and if I could show them I could pull off a superhero pose, maybe that would help. I thought it was like a good signature.”

Despite the flip, Liu admits to intense nerves auditioning for his life-changing role.

“My nerves were sky high. I was an actor from Toronto who had never allowed myself to imagine being part of the MCU. It’s the craziest dream someone can possibly dream.”

A dream that could well see him at the top of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

MOGUL MOWGLI

Where: In theatres What: Movie, 90 mins.

When: Now Genre: Drama Why you should watch: This striking indie film follows British-Pakistani rapper Zed (Riz Ahmed) who’s diagnosed with an autoimmune disease just as he’s preparing to tour.

In an exploration of identity, family and religion, Zed learns to accept help from his parents, whom he hasn’t seen in two years. Interspersed with emotional freestyle verses, unorthodox camera angles and bright dream sequences, you physically feel the chaos and confusion Zed is experiencing.

BAD RAP

Where: CBC Gem What: Documentary, 82 mins.

When: Now Genre: Music doc Why you should watch: Featuring battle rap king Dumbfoundead and a young Awkwafina, this 2016 lowbudget-vibe doc explores the roles race and gender play in the hip-hop industry as it follows four Korean-American rappers in their efforts to make it big.

September Movies and Streaming

FLAG DAY

Where: In theatres What: Movie, 109 mins.

When: Now Genre: Family drama Why you should watch: Sean Penn stars in an ambitiously directs this stylized family drama that ably captures the pain and elusive allure of an intermittent, lying father who constantly disappoints.

In this true story written by an alt weekly journalist, Penn’s adult daughter Dylan provides a powerful performance as the child determinedly picking through the shards of her father’s broken life as she tries to build her own.

RUPI KAUR LIVE

Where: Amazon Prime What: One-hour poetry performance When: Now Genre: Live poetry Why you should watch: Love it or meme it, there’s no denying that Indian-born Canadian poet Rupi Kaur’s empowering brand of feminist poetry (does Milk and Honey ring a bell?) is a pop culture phenomenon. The charismatic Kaur performs her celebrated works live in this special full of humour, heartache and inspiration.

SEX EDUCATION

Where: Netflix What: Series, season 3, 8 episodes, 50 mins.

When: Sept. 17 Genre: Dramedy Why you should watch: If a middle school sex-ed teacher screened this hilarious and heartfelt smash hit series, the hormonal students would learn everything they need to know — from abortion to asexuality to first-time hookups. The plot thickens this season as Girls actress Jemima Kirke plays Moordale’s new headmistress, awkward and charming Otis has casual sex and Otis’s sex therapist mom has a baby on the way.

SCHMIGADOON!

Where: Apple TV What: Series, 6 episodes, 38 mins.

When: Now Genre: Musical comedy Why you should watch: SNLers deliver an upbeat and bizarre series that appeals both to people who love musicals and those who hate them. Cicely Strong and, Keegan-Michael Key play a pair whose ill-fated couple’s therapy hike lands them in a world that’s a non-stop musical from the Golden Age of Hollywood (40s and 50s). There is much absurd singing and dancing as well as hilarious, sly asides.

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MIDNIGHT MASS

Where: Netflix What: Limited series, 7 episodes When: Sept. 24 Genre: Horror Why you should watch: Netflix’s horror series The Haunting of Hill House took the world by storm when it was released in 2018, counting itself as an early contributor to a wave of emotionally poignant, beautifully crafted horror programming. Its creator, Mike Flanagan, has returned with new limited series, Midnight Mass — and it lives up to the hype, with gorgeous cinematography and sophisticated storytelling about an isolated island community struck by religious fervour.

THE WHITE LOTUS

Where: Crave What: Series, 7 episodes, 60 mins.

When: Now Genre: Drama Why you should watch: Spectacular, sometimes excruciatingly real characters highlight this deep dive into white privilege, class, race and much more with an “upstairs/downstairs” look at all sides who play and work at a high-end Hawaiian resort.

From deeply real family drama to the struggles of BIPOC employees forced to smile while the privileged play, The White Lotus is insightful and hugely entertaining.

MOTEL MAKEOVER

Where: Netflix What: Series, 6 episodes; 30 mins.

When: Now Genre: HGTV-core Why you should watch: Since COVID has made it significantly less chill to hop on a plane, road trips are on the rise. Thus, two Western University grads, best friends and amateur moteliers are upping the ante on roadside crash pads as they flip a decrepit, 70s motel — think miles of crusty wood panelling, dingy bedrooms and a pool that hasn’t been touched in who knows how long — into a sparkling retro oasis in Ontario’s Sauble Beach.

THE LOST LEONARDO

Where: In theatres in Toronto, Vancouver What: Movie, 90 mins When: Now Genre: Documentary Why you should watch: A remarkably gripping dive into the intrigue-filled world of highstakes fine art as a recently found painting is believed to be a long lost work by Leonardo da Vinci. Millions are flashed and credulity strains as the painting skyrockets in value, and truth itself feels buried under layers of paint.

Edge-of-your-seat energy from the opening credits in a film populated with amazing, often eccentric, characters.

BLOOD BROTHERS: MALCOLM X AND MUHAMMAD ALI

Where: Netflix What: Movie, 95 mins.

When: Sept. 9 Genre: Documentary, Political Why you should watch: Based on the book of the same name, this expertly produced documentary explores the complex relationship between historic icons and luminaries Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali. Through exclusive interviews with both men’s families and friends, the story of their chance introduction, world-changing friendship and explosive falling out is tracked with humour, charm and relevancy.

THE STARLING

Where: Netflix What: Movie, 102 mins.

When: Sept. 24 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: Make sure to bring the tissues for this festival favourite because our writer burst into tears at the trailer alone. Co-stars Melissa McCarthy and Chris O’Dowd play a couple struck by tragedy and move through the stages of grief in unexpected, bittersweet ways. Despite being better known for their comedic work, the two actors play these complex roles with subtlety and skill.

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CELEBRATING

30 YEARS 20 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

CELEBRATING

25 YEARS

Music THE REINVENTION OF TYLER SHAW

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yler Shaw is a man on a mission. The critically acclaimed singer-songwriter has used his crooning, buttery voice and strippedback pop ballads to become a mainstay in Canadian music since he splashed onto the scene in 2012. But he’s never stopped growing, and with the release of his heartfelt, emotionally charged eponymous album, he says he’s ready to reintroduce himself to the world.

“This year, I’ve been able to take the time to really be present. Like, literally sitting down each morning for half an hour and listening to the wind in the trees.

“And it’s made me able to really meditate on my values and actually develop this sort of mission statement about who I am and what I believe in. This has been such a fun album to write for that reason: having my subconscious be a big part of it, where all the ideas are flowing from, it’s created some of my best work.”

A huge part of Shaw’s growth has been instigated by the birth of his daughter, Everly.

“She changed my life in every aspect. I want to be the best version of myself for her. I want to make the world a better place for her

to grow up in, for her to see and adventure in — and I think that was the biggest change for me.

“I had this purpose: I want everything to be perfect for her. She changed the way I write.”

It’s clear in my conversation with him that Shaw has spent the last year intensely reflecting on who he is, what he’s here for and what he wants to do with everything he has.

When I ask him questions about his values, his goals and his identity, he barely has to pause — he’s asked himself these questions a million times.

This past May, he dedicated himself to advocacy during Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. As a Chinese-Canadian, a great deal of his work has been dedicated to exploring his identity in increasingly tumultuous times.

“Being half Chinese, half Canadian, I didn’t have a single role model growing up who looked like me. When I sent out a video about my story for Asian Heritage month, someone messaged me saying that her son is half Chinese and that he looks up to me like a hero.

“That was a very special moment — realizing that now I'm that person for people

TYLER SHAW Tyler Shaw

Genre: Pop Sound: Passionate vocals harmonize with everything from punchy pop melodies to heart-tugging strings.

If you like: Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Alessia Cara Why you should listen: A record full of soaring love songs, the third album from JUNO-nominated Tyler Shaw is like plunging into a romcom—there’re catchy, upbeat anthems as the characters flirt, and raw, emotional love ballads when things get real.

Best track: Sex on the Beach

that I wished I had growing up.

There's a responsibility there, and I'm glad to take on that responsibility. It’s important.

“It’s about to be 10 years for me in this business and, you know, I'm still learning a lot — about the industry, about myself, about my art.

There's so much to learn and it excites me. I know who I am more so than I ever have before.

“My honesty is more honest, now.”

By RAYNE FISHER-QUANN

LISTEN TO TYLER SHAW'S LATEST ALBUM HERE

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THE MERCH TABLE SUPPORT THE ARTISTS YOU LOVE AND BUY THEIR STUFF

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FINNEAS CAN'T WAIT HAT $25 finneasofficial.com

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POPPY FLUX SKATE DECK $82 sumerianmerch.com/ collections/poppy

YOLA PURPLE TIE-DYE TEE $32 yola-us.myshopify.com

SPIRITBOX PINNED BUTTERFLY INDIGO TEE $20 spiritbox.com

ORVILLE PECK IRON HOOF BATHING SUIT $76 orvillepeckmerch.com JUSTIN NOZUKA THEN, NOW & AGAIN HOODIE $66 shop.kt8merch.com/ collections/justin-nozuka

LANY VARSITY CREWNECK $64 lanymerch.com 22 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

A tri b u t e to 27 Years of

NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

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4?s FOUR QUESTIONS

THE HALLUCI NATION

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icture pulsating strobe lights illuminating two DJs in cut-off denim vests layering booming beats with traditional Pow Wow music on a table adorned with action figures. That’s what a Halluci Nation — formerly A Tribe Called Red — set is like.

What started as a sold-out party at an Ottawa club in 2007 went on to become the Electric Pow Wow genre — a sound that shakes bones and demands dancing while firing up listeners about fighting for Indigenous rights.

As both A Tribe Called Red and as The Halluci Nation, the group has scored a league of awards and recognition in the Canadian music scene, but perhaps its most important accomplishment is the space it has carved for Indigenous culture in mainstream music.

We catch up with producer Tim “2oolman” Hill and DJ Ehren “Bear Witness” Thomas surrounding the drop of the band’s upbeat new album, One More Saturday Night, and the kickoff of an ambitious North American tour.

By LAURA ROBINSON

THE HALLUCI NATION

One More Saturday Night Genre: Electric Pow Wow Sounds Like: Indigenous drum circles, Pow Wow calls and mosh pit-worthy beats If you like: John Trudell, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Skrillex Why you should listen: Featuring collabs with Canadian artists, like rapper Haviah Mighty and CBC Q host Tom Power on the banjo, this joyful yet hard-hitting record unites sounds from dancehall to throat singing while daring listeners not to dance.

Best Track: The OG

1

Right now is an especially heavy time for Indigenous people in Canada. Is there a message you hope One More Saturday Night conveys to the community?

WHAT IF WE PUT OUT MUSIC DREAMING ABOUT A FUTURE WHERE THERE ISN’T A STRUGGLE?”

200lman: The last album we did was pretty dark and heavy. It exhausted me in a lot of ways. When it came down to making this new album, there was a sense of wanting to make something lighter and more fun.

Bear: That was the challenge: how do we do that without pulling back on the punches? Our last album was all about Indigenous struggle. With this album, we asked ourselves, “What if we put out music dreaming about a future where there isn’t a struggle?” It became about exploring ideas of love and a positive dream of the future.

2

When did the music go from party to political?

Bear: We were DJing a sold-out Saturday night party each month — when the idea of using Pow Wow music came up, we started to draw more attention. Once the media got involved, it was politicized very quickly. The idea that “these Native DJs have created a space for Native people” was really thrust upon us.

We had to decide very quickly how we were going to handle that; we decided we had to use this opportunity to shed light on things in our community that aren’t getting talked about.

3

When performing, you typically wear denim vests with a big patch on them. Is there a meaning behind this style choice?

Bear: By creating that patch — a very ’70s looking “great seal” of the nation — and the idea of The Halluci Nation, we had something that all of our fans — Indigenous or otherwise — could be a part of.

People would say, “I wanted to wear a headdress because I love what you do, and I want to be a part of it.”

Now we can say, here’s this patch. We all wear it on our back, and this is a signifier that you’re a part of what we’re doing without having to culturally appropriate.

4

Some of your older tracks are gaining traction on TikTok, particularly with Indigenous creators.

What’s it like seeing this play out?

Bear: With Indigenous people, we’ve always wanted our music to incite pride in ourselves and in our culture. When I see them using our music to represent themselves with pride — that’s exactly why we put this stuff out in the world.

The Halluci Nation's Tim “2oolman” Hill (left)and DJ Ehren “Bear Witness” Thomas

WATCH THE BA NA NA VIDEO HERE

LISTEN TO DANKO JONES ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT HERE

NEXT BIG THING

OMEGA MIGHTY

HAVIAH’S MIGHTY SISTER OMEGA TAKES CENTRE STAGE

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By RAYNE FISHER-QUANN

hrough her music, her socials and special guest appearances at sister Haviah Mighty’s shows, dynamic Toronto artist Omega Mighty’s presence is nothing less than regal.

Her talent is explosive, and she exudes a confidence that makes you sure she knows it. In her latest single, Whine Masta, she sings R&B-dancehall fusion with a hypnotic lower register and moves with a joy and sensuality that show up full-force in her new signature dance, the ‘Mega Whine.

Mighty has been training for a music career since the ripe age of four, when she began classical piano lessons, and hasn’t slowed down since. She and her sister, rising star rapper Haviah Mighty fought like hell to become an indomitable force in Toronto’s music scene — and their spitfire energy and expertly controlled power have made them irreplaceable.

Acting at various times as her own producer, singer-songwriter, choreographer, marketing team and more, she’s a voice to be reckoned with, so don’t be shocked when you see her taking over the world in the years to come.

INSPIRATIONS Definitely culture, first and foremost — I wanted to include the cultural dancehall aspect in my music but keep it a little bit fresh and modern, being that I’m from Toronto. And so, what I did was make sure that we really spoke to empowerment with Whine Masta. I wanted it to be sensual and sexy but still have a really, sort of, powerful and energetic vibe.

MUSICAL ICONS My sister Haviah Mighty is definitely a huge inspiration for me.

Just growing up with her and always making music with her has been fantastic. In terms of collaborations, definitely gonna have to be Rihanna. I feel like she’s my mother, literally — and my mom is from Barbados, too! She literally encompasses to me not just the musical aspect of being an artist, but the performance aspect, the empowerment aspect … She’s everything.

ROADBLOCKS

Lack of resources and being independent means you have to be much more than just an artist. It means you have so much more to do than just writing a good song and putting together good lyrics, especially during the quarantine. It has meant having to record my own vocals, having to do mixing.

You have to work on your own campaigns and marketing and roll everything out on your own by yourself. I like to say that maybe only 20 per cent of what I do is actually creating music while the other 80 per cent is all the other moving pieces of being an artist. When you don’t have that industry support, it takes away from the work that you do.

HIGHLIGHTS

The best thing about being a performer is definitely getting to perform in front of fans and collaborate with other amazing, talented artists. That’s the best part.

It feels like home when I’m on stage. I can literally express myself the way I would normally, and it’s okay — like, in some rooms, it might be seen as really, really weird, but whenever I’m on stage, it’s like I’m totally understood. It feels really, really safe.

HOMETOWN LOVE

My favourite thing about Toronto has to be the diversity. I love the different cultures and mixing, blending pot that we are. That’s my favourite thing — the way it’s okay for us and it’s celebrated for us to be able to celebrate other cultures and cross over into different genres. I really love that about Toronto.

WATCH OMEGA MIGHTY'S DRIP DREAMIN' VIDEO HERE

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LISTEN TO OMEGA MIGHTY HERE

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

SWEATER WEATHER DADDY ISSUES +MORE

X O B T I PS IR T

he first time I heard Spiritbox, my life had just been flipped upside down. Out of work due to the pandemic and aimlessly driving around my small, southwestern-Ontario hometown contemplating my next move, the band’s breakout single “Holy Roller” came on the radio. I was immediately consumed by a sonic wall of anger, surrounded by guttural screams and heavy guitars. It was raw and cathartic and exactly what I needed at that moment.

Sensing this progressive metal band from Vancouver Island was something special, I followed their journey over the last year as they shared pieces of the upcoming debut album Eternal Blue. Turns out I wasn’t the only enraptured listener, as the band quickly

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amassed millions of streams from fans around the world with only an EP and a few singles to its name.

“It feels like we had a ton of time where we couldn’t get anyone to validate or care about us, except for a really small, core group,” says vocalist Courtney LaPlante from her Vancouver Island apartment.

“And now, it’s really overwhelming, especially because most of this hype was created while I was isolated on the island and all of us were working our day jobs. It’s been so positive that I’m like, ‘Where do we go from here?’”

LaPlante, her husband and guitarist Michael Stringer and bassist Bill Crook are not new to the music scene. LaPlante and Stringer performed with American metalcore band Iwrestledabearonce for years, touring the world

WATCH THE CONSTANCE VIDEO HERE LISTEN TO SPIRITBOX HERE

Spiritbox: Bill Crook (left), Courtney LaPlante and Michael Stringer

before deciding to branch off and Limp Bizkit across the U.S. Touring explore their own sound. Although was far more physically demanding Spiritbox’s exact genre is hard to than the members remembered, pin down, there’s an underlying but it was also incredibly rewarding. theme of light versus dark in all of Only when they watched recordthe band’s music. “Constance” is a ings did they realize audiences beautiful, ambient track with soaring were singing along, and LaPlante vocals that pay tribute to LaPlante’s confesses she would have started late grandmother; “Yellowjacket” is crying on stage if she’d known. aggressive and industrial, made all And for the first time in their the more powerful by the album's careers, the members of Spiritbox only guest feature, U.K.’s metal icon didn’t return home to day jobs, a Sam Carter of the reality that the band Architects. group has always “A lot of the been vocal about. songs were written “I think bands when I was in a need to be more much worse place, honest with our mentally — just fans that we’re all feeling personally a bunch of fuckvery defeated. But ing losers!” she I was also having laughs. “None of such a wonderthe bands you like ful time creating are millionaires; in music, and I was fact, most of them around people who aren’t even thouunderstood me and SPIRITBOX sand-aires. We we created a safe make this music Eternal Blue space. There’s so purely because Genre: Metal much variation in we love it, not for Sound: Melodic vocals meet our sound because the money. Our harsh screams and thrumming we’re still exploring band has finally instrumentals that you’ll feel in what our band is, gotten to the your soul and my biggest point where we If you like: TesseracT, Make goal is to never don’t have to work Them Suffer, Currents stop doing that.” other jobs, which Why you should listen: One Her hope is that I’m so grateful for, of the year’s most anticipated audiences open but we’re more the metal albums, this Vancouver their minds to the exception than the Island band is proving there’s many facets of rock more to the genre than breakrule.” and metal music.

On top of downs. A balance of soft and “There are so finishing a record, heavy tracks, there’s aggresmany dimensions LaPlante has sion to amp you up for a live to what it means to found time for a show but also a gentleness make heavy music, few side projects. that’ll make you want to cry in and it doesn’t She’s made guest the pit. always have to be a appearances Best track: Sun Killer low-tune breakon songs with down — it can be American metalso much more plus a breakdown!” core group Crown the Empire and LaPlante and I make quite Australian deathcore outfit Make the colourful pair on our Zoom Them Suffer. meeting — my vibrant green hair During the lockdown, she complements her electric blue hair, launched her own podcast Good mirroring the album’s colour palette.

For A Girl, where she chats with inIt’s evident Spiritbox is passionate spiring women in the music industry. about visuals as much as sound, “Sometimes the conversation with its teal-tinted photoshoots and covers sexism and misogyny, and music videos that harken cult horror sometimes it doesn’t. I like having films like Midsommar and Silent Hill. the pressure taken off them and “We’re always gonna have this letting them talk about whatever grand, visual idea for the band. My they want. It’s also selfish: I get to hair, makeup, clothing are such talk to all these really cool people a big expression for me and my and learn from them!” music. I can’t wait to have a full And, while she dreams of awevisual package with me in a blue, some collabs, “Right now, I feel like I sequinned gown and fire and smoke have to prove that I deserve to sing and a sparkler wall on stage!” on my own — that I don’t need other The band is just home after a people’s voices. I need to earn this.” brief stint on the road opening for

By AMY LLOYD NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

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FOR WRITING, PRODUCING AND ENGINEERING WITH HIS KID SISTER BILLIE EILISH. HE PRODUCED A NUMBER ONE SONG FOR SELENA GOMEZ. HE APPEARED ON GLEE. HE PERFORMS HIS OWN MUSIC TOO. HIS ANTICIPATED DEBUT ALBUM OPTIMIST IS ABOUT TO DROP. MEET FINNEAS.

By LAURA ROBINSON

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PREVIOUS PAGE: MATTY VOGEL, THIS PAGE: LUKE FENSTEMAKER

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FINNEAS

ho do Justin Bieber, Halsey, girl in red, Kid Cudi and Billie Eilish all have in common? Finneas Baird O’Connell. The 24-year-old musical polymath (who goes by Finneas professionally) has produced smash hits for all of them — most notably as a close collaborator with little sister Eilish, having produced and co-written her stratospherically popular oeuvre from “Ocean Eyes” to this summer’s “Happier Than Ever.

If the eight Grammys he earned for his behind-the-scenes work creating the new sound of pop music weren’t enough, turns out he’s got a killer voice too. The former Glee actor (he was a regular on the last season) is ready to drop his solo album and take his radically honest ballads on tour. His bold yet masterfully simple sonic style is indicative of a larger personality trait: Finneas is at peace with his ego, making him comfortable both baring his most vulnerable emotions through song and yielding the larger spotlight to his globally famous younger sister.

“I didn't think lightning would strike twice. I was pretty surprised that I could go on my own tours and have my own career as an artist. I thought I was lucky to get to do it once,” he says of performing with Eilish on her tour. “I feel like I'm getting to do it twice.”

As we sit in our side-by-side Zoom windows chatting, he’s busy signing covers of his upcoming record, entitled Optimist. He’s only got 7,500 to go.

“I have to sign a million of these,” he announces, lightheartedly laughing off the daunting task. I have a feeling this is a microcosm of his diligent work ethic — it would explain how he managed to work on Eilish’s new album while also producing his own.

Since 2016, he’s put out a couple dozen solo singles and an EP that racked up over a billion streams with his hook-happy anthems and lovesick lullabies alike. Though he’s the architect of his sister’s eerie and textural pop-noir sonics that catapulted her to fame, Finneas’s personal sound errs on the more classic side of pop music production.

Love is his specialty. He croons in arrestingly rich tones over cinematic soundscapes of gentle piano chords, lush strings and bass beating like a heart. It’s enough to make you clutch your chest, feeling the heartbreak he just sprung on you — had he not been seven years old when The Notebook came out, there’s no doubt one of his songs would have made the soundtrack.

“When other people are like, ‘Oh, you're so romantic.’ I'm like, ‘Word … you don't love your girlfriend that much? That sucks,’” he quips, as if everybody is capable of expressing themselves with such devastating beauty. “I’ve always articulated how I’m feeling.

I’m not the kind of person that doesn’t talk about it.”

That articulation doesn’t just apply to love — it applies to darker feelings too. In the Apple TV+ documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry (R.J. Cutler), their mom, Maggie Baird, says to the camera: “People are like, 'Oh, Billie Eilish's music is depressing.' It's like, no, kids are depressed … There's a lot to be depressed about right now.” She continues, “You're in a political climate that is terrifying, racist, hateful. It is a horrible time to be a teenager."

Though he could hide away in the plush hills of L.A. and ignore the problems of the world, Finneas stays plugged in to the headlines.

“I spend too much time on Twitter. Pretty much all I follow are journalists, it’s all news — but I’m hyper informed. I look up from my phone and tell my girlfriend about world events; she definitely NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

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I WOULDN’T HAVE A CAREER — OR AT LEAST THE SAME CAREER — WITHOUT THE INTERNET. IT DOES MAKE ME FEEL HYPER CONNECTED TO PEOPLE. I'VE MADE FRIENDS AND MET MY GIRLFRIEND BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET."

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LUKE FENSTEMAKER

FINNEAS doesn't have to do any of it because I'm telling her all of it. I can't imagine she doesn't think I'm pessimistic just because I'm aware of what's going on in the world. And the truth is, I’m not. I'm paying attention to it. I'm not turning a blind eye. And I'm seeing it for what it is.”

His vision is in full colour.

“Some artists act holier than thou with their synesthesia,” he says, addressing this mystical sixth sense that allows those with the condition to see colour, shapes, textures and even feel temperatures when they hear music. Artists from sister Billie Eilish to Lorde to Stevie Wonder claim to have it. Illustrating its effects with songs from the new album, Finneas explains, “A Concert Six Months From Now is white. ‘The 90s’ is a bright, orangey, tomato red. Love Is Pain is a very dark, muted red. The only interesting thing about it is I didn’t decide any of this,” he says self-deprecatingly.

So, what compelled the headline-binging synesthete to call the new record Optimist?

“I am a hopeful person,” he asserts with conviction. “I hope the future is bright and sustainable. I don't think you have to be like, ‘Oh, everything's fine.’ To me, that’s being a denialist. Yeah, there's a lot of bad stuff happening at a frequent rate, but I'm optimistic that we’re smart, we’re compassionate, we can figure it out.”

Enter his newest single off the album, The 90s. It’s an electro-pop ballad that hums with fuzzy, tasteful autotune à la James Blake and a romanticization of the world pre-widespread internet.

“You could sign me up for a world without the internet / hate how easy they can find me just by looking at my mom’s address,” the lyrics wistfully muse. It seems like a paradox — the internet plays an integral part in the very pop-star fame machine of which he is apart. Billie Eilish has 90 million Instagram followers; Finneas himself has a few million; and his girlfriend, Claudia Sulewski, is a popular lifestyle vlogger with 2.5 million YouTube subscribers.

It’s a way of interacting with fans, teasing new music, staying top of feed and, therefore, top of mind. Though on the surface it might seem hypocritical to claim internet aversion when your career relies on it, it goes deeper than that: it’s a golden handcuff.

Finneas describes his relationship with the internet as “challenging.” He continues, “I wouldn’t have a career — or at least the same career — without the internet. It does make me feel hyper connected to people. I've made friends and met my girlfriend because of the internet. I have a lot of respect and appreciation for it.”

He contrasts, “During COVID, the internet was the main course. It can be a much healthier machine if you're having an experiential day, getting to go places and socialize with your friends. Then, the internet is this à la carte element of your life.”

Friend and fellow trailblazing producer James Blake recently cast Finneas as the star of the video for Say What You Will, a single off of Blake’s new album. The video is a parodic story in which Finneas’s booming career is the object of Blake’s shoegaze jealousy and longing. It starts with Blake holding up his Grammy proudly, then feeling deflated as he sees Finneas swagger down the red carpet with two arms full of them. The video ends with a Teddy Roosevelt quote that’s gained relevance in the internet era: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

There’s a parallel to Finneas and Eilish here. Though he’s begun to earn acclaim for his solo career, it’s nearly impossible to eclipse Eilish’s star power. Does he ever get a little jealous?

“I felt like the success was so shared, you know?” he says, still signing away at those album covers.

“Because we were sitting there writing the songs together, and I was producing them; it wasn't like my sister went off completely alone and had this career that I wanted. It's more fun to share moments like that than to go through them alone.”

Finneas then proceeds to flip the script and ask me a question: “Do you have a sibling?” I’m surprised by his interest, and by the timing — I had just returned the night before from a trip to visit my own big brother across the country. It was the first time in two years I’d seen him, and he’d just become a dad.

“Congratulations, that’s awesome,” he says earnestly before hitting me with some truth. “Your siblings are people you love more than anything.

And your life isn't really set up to see them all the time.” Spoken like the eloquent songwriter he is.

THE NEW ALBUM

INCLUDES

“Remember”, “When You’re Home” AND THE NEW SINGLE “I See You”

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IF I DIDN’T TOUR WITH BILLIE, I WOULDN’T SEE HER MOST OF THE YEAR. I LOVE HANGING OUT WITH HER — OUR EXCUSE IS WORKING TOGETHER.”

Though their massive creative output would make it seem otherwise, Finneas and Eilish don’t get to spend quality time together all that often either.

“If I didn’t tour with Billie, I wouldn’t see her most of the year. I love hanging out with her — our excuse is working together.”

When they do get to chill, it’s usually relaxing after a studio session with some Mexican or Thai food and bingeing a show — The Office, Fleabag, Killing Eve, The Undoing and Big Little Lies are all favourites. “So much good TV, it’s insane,” he enthuses.

Despite the shared joy the siblings have for their career successes, Finneas does acknowledge the discrepancy between the crowds they draw.

“I’m not playing arenas. Being an arena headlining artist, which Billie is — that's an athlete. It’s really intense to captivate 15,000 people at once. It’s been so fun to play those shows with her. I’m captivating, like, 1,000 at a time — if I ever am lucky enough to play arenas; I’m certainly not thinking about that right now. I’m just thinking about what I have coming up and enjoying that like it’s the biggest it’ll ever get.”

As Finneas flies solo, it’s yet to be seen if he’ll land the arena show one day. Either way, he’s not too fussed: the level-headed mega talent is content to be right where he is. Let’s just hope that’s not still sitting at that desk signing album covers.

WATCH A CONCERT SIX MONTHS FROM NOW VIDEO HERE

36 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

LISTEN TO A FINNEAS PLAYLIST HERE

LUKE FENSTEMAKER

FINNEAS

APRIL 2 - Edmonton, AB - Starlite APRIL 3 - Calgary, AB - Commonwealth APRIL 15 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall APRIL 16 - Montreal, QC - Fairmount Theater MAY 16 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

37

REVIEWS

30¯SECOND ALBUM ROZZI Hymn For Tomorrow

Genre: Soul/Pop Sound: Mixing bangers with ballads, a versatile array of genres, anchored by a strong voice with rich tone If you like: Adele, Yebba, Tori Kelly Why you should listen: Honest and vulnerable, Rozzi earnestly captures her heartbreak and new beginnings. While she sings of hope for a better tomorrow, the songstress, discovered

by Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, showcases her range vocally and musically.

Best track: Mad Man

TINASHE 333

Genre: Alt-R&B Sound: A sonic landscape ranging from low-key R&B melodies to upbeat pop bangers If you like: The Internet, Chloe x Halle, SZA Why you should listen: Even on her fifth album, Tinashe keeps her sound fresh — with seamless transitions and understated vocals that still hold their ground. The multitalented performer solidly builds on her previous work while still infusing her music with new sounds.

Best track: Small Reminders

WILLOW lately I feel EVERYTHING

Genre: Pop-punk Sound: Intertwines R&B melodies with punk bass tempos.

If you like: Avril Lavigne, FKW Twigs, All Time Low Why should listen: The poppunk genre-bending queen is back with another introspective, multifaceted project. Courageously giving us an insider look at her relationships, the authentic creative shares her growing pains and insights with punk/rock stars Avril Lavigne and Travis Barker, to name a few.

Best track: Transparent Soul (ft. Travis Barker)

ANNE-MARIE Therapy

Genre: Dance-pop Sound: Classic, buoyant pop with danceable beats and catchy choruses made to be screamed with friends If you like: Little Mix, Zara Larsson, Rita Ora Why you should listen: U.K. pop powerhouse Anne-Marie, known for hits: Friends, Rockabye and 2002, follows her dazzling debut with the perfect soundtrack for a carefree summer.

Best track: x2

BARNEY ARTIST & MR. JUKES The Locket

Genre: Hip hop Sound: Old-school hip hop with a hint of soul-jazz If you like: Tom Misch, Loyle Carner, Phife Dawg Why you should listen: East London rapper Barney Artist joins singer-songwriter-producer Mr. Jukes and uses oldschool vibes and sick, buttery bars to preach being your authentic self.

Best track: “Blowin’ Steam (Open Up Your Mind)”

THE NEXT PLAYLIST

1

Dream About A Girl

Sam Drysdale

Powerful, passionate pop from fresh new Toronto-based singer-guitarist.

2

Like That Kalisway

Unique, infectious and full of hooks, Toronto artist perfectly merges funk, R&B and rhymes in what might be the catchiest track of the summer.

38 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

3

Light of the Moon

Russell Louder

Dark dance pop bop decorated with rich vocals from PEI-raised, Montreal-based powerhouse Russell Louder.

4

Laughin’ In The Dark Calvin Love

Soaring strings juxtapose a low, sepia-toned voice in this hauntingly beautiful melody with an old-school Western feel.

5

Care For Blossoms

Britain’s perpetual bloomers drop a radiant indie-rock track bouncing with piano chords and craving, lovesick vocals.

REVIEWS

JAMES BLAKE Friends That Break Your Heart

Genre: Electronic Sound: Experimental production involving strings, hip-hop beats and electronic onomatopoeia melts into Blake’s hushed, sultry voice.

If you like: Billie Eilish, Perfume Genius, Frank Ocean Why you should listen: With a soft-spoken sensitivity and a poetic pen, Blake muses on love and friendship while marrying his classical savoir-faire with electronic experimentation.

Best track: Coming Back (ft. SZA)

JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW Grapefruit Season

Genre: Chill pop Sound: Sinuous acoustic riffs tango with electronica that puts a spring in your step while hitting smack dab in the feels If you like: Bon Iver, Chet Faker, Cautious Clay Why you should listen: McMorrow’s spellbinding falsetto tastefully ties together eclectic influences from dancehall to R&B in this Kenny Beats-coproduced record.

Best track: Hollywood & Vine

LANY gg bb xx

Genre: Alt-pop Sound: Soft and dreamy lead vocals, airy acoustic strums and subtle electronic beats inspired by ’80s love songs If you like: LAUV, HONNE, Troye Sivan Why you should listen: Metabolize heartbreak with this glittering synth-infused collection that encapsulates the cool, glossy sounds of L.A. pop Best track: Get Away

USE YOUR PHONE'S CAMERA TO SCAN THESE CODES TO LISTEN TO ALL THE MUSIC REVIEWED HERE ON YOUR FAVOURITE STREAMING SERVICE.

LAURA MVULA Pink Noise

Genre: Pop/neo funk/ disco Sound: Disco pop with groovy echoes of funk and neo soul.

If you like: Janelle Monae, Emily King, Jessie Ware Why should listen: After a fouryear album hiatus, the talented British neo-soul singer is back with some retro-inspired tunes that will make you want to pull out your roller skates.

Best track: Got Me

AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS Comfort to Me

Genre: Punk Sound: ’70s-style headbangers with squealing guitars and heart-stopping drums If you like: The Runaways, Destroy Boys, Bikini Kill Why you should listen: With screaming authenticity and irresistible energy, Amyl and the Sniffers are genuinely creating some of the best punk music being released today. When it comes to angry, classic punk, it doesn't get better than this.

Best track: Security

10 TRACKS THE NEXT STAFF CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS MONTH

6

Howler Sate

Some bad-ass punk jammed through this Toronto singer-songwriter’s funk filter for a bluesy track that’s a soundtrack for sneaking around.

7

7 Days

Jay P, Boldy James, Elzhi, Ro Spit

Jazz-rap that embraces the sounds of Motown in an eloquent and smooth freestyle featuring Detroit’s rap icons and producer Jay P

8

Emotional Healer

Space Ghost

Hypnotic, funky, nostalgic and catchy beats and vocals from this Oakland DJ will make you groove the night away.

9

Screaming

Kayla Diamond

An affirmative party anthem from Toronto singer-songwriter that basically requires listener to twirl during the chorus.

10

End of Me

Billy Talent with special guest

A high profile special guest joins Billy Talent for a power ballad preview of BT’s upcoming album.

NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

39

30¯SECOND ALBUM REVIEWS

PINK SIIFU GUMBO’!

Genre: Hip hop Sound: Southern hip hop featuring staccato verses and instrumental interludes If you like: Quelle Chris, Homeboy Sandman, OutKast Why you should listen: Alabama-based rapper Pink Siifu drops his slice-of-life stories of growing up in the South while blending hip hop and jazz to create tracks that are sometimes hypnotic, sometimes edgy.

Best track: Scurrrrd (feat. Big Rube, Nick Hakim, Asal Hazel, Georgia Anne Muldrow, DJ Harrison, Iiye)

JOHN K IN CASE YOU MISS ME OUT NOW

HALSEY If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power

BEATCHILD Unselfish Desires

Genre: Alt-pop Sound: Wildly diverse influences from fuzzed-out guitar riffs to head-banging techno If you like: Twenty One Pilots, Grimes, Paramore Why you should listen: Halsey is undefinable. She deftly switches from track to track; from distorted electronica to ’90s shoegaze to stripped-back folk acoustics to spoken word beats that sound straight out of early Twenty One Pilots. One of the year’s most interesting popular records.

Best track: You Asked For This

Genre: Neo-soul/R&B/ Electronic Sound: A fusion of funk, soul, electronic, and jazz straight from the ’80s.

If you like: K-os, Saukrates, Chromeo Why you should listen: A grove-tastic mellow musical ride from Toronto’s Beatchild.

He smoothly fuses different musical genres for a guaranteed toe-tapping, hip-grinding record that puts an upbeat and expansive musical ribbon on the end of summer 2021.

Best track: Dance For Love

SUZIE UNGERLEIDER My Name Is Suzie Ungerleider

Genre: Roots Sound: Tender tales beautifully told If you like: Kathleen Edwards, Sarah Harmer, Phoebe Bridgers Why you should listen: She may have dropped her Oh Susanna stage name, no longer comfortable with the reference, but her great vocals and insightful songwriting remain unchanged. Beautifully sung, rich narratives are at the core of her Americana sound.

Best track: Mount Royal

YEBBA Available September 10th

40 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

NESSA BARRETT Pretty Poison

Genre: Alt-pop Sound: TikTok-ready bangers with an edgy, new-wave emo twist If you like: Melanie Martinez, renforshort, LILHUDDY Why you should listen: Music releases from viral TikTok stars typically don't have the greatest reputation, but Barrett's fledgling music career looks promising: with vulnerable, angst-ridden songs about mental illness and teenage love (and some promising collaborations), she just might be a step above the rest.

Best track: i hope ur miserable until ur dead

ORLA GARTLAND Woman on the Internet

Genre: Indie Pop Sound: Bouncy, cerebral pop builds a soundtrack to overthink to If You Like: Ani DiFranco, Lorde, Tessa Violet Why you should listen: Features best parts of twee indie and electro-pop with charm and skill to build a sound that’s like an anxious, pacing version of Taylor Swift’s 1989. Strong debut from an artist sure to make waves. With almost a million Spotify listeners days after release, people are already taking notice Best Track: You’re Not Special, Babe

JULIEN BAKER Little Oblivions Remixes

Genre: Indie Rock/Electronic Sound: Raw, angelic vocals remixed into fuzzed-out, bass-bumping electronic tracks If You Like: Phoebe Bridgers, Big Thief, Soccer Mommy Why you should listen: If Baker’s Little Oblivions album was a sonic revolution for the former stripped-back acoustic songwriter, her Remixes album is on a whole other planet. Baker is unrecognizeable on these tracks, but these electronica transformations retain every bit as much emotion and power as the originals.

Best Track: Ringside

THE VACCINES Back In Love City

Genre: Indie pop rock Sounds: Fuzzy guitar riffs, bubbly keys and catchy hooks made for jumping while yelling along to witty lyrics If you like: The Last Shadow Puppets, Blossoms, The Flaming Lips Why you should listen: Resplendent with decadent lines about American indulgence, this intellectual brand of glistening synth rock is a booster shot of good-mood medicine.

Best track: Headphones Baby

YOLA Stand For myself

Genre: Classic pop/soul Sound: Swinging ’80s-inspired pop with soulful vocal runs.

If you like: Margo Price, Tina Turner, Patti LaBelle Why should listen: Swaying back to ’80s pop and disco, Yolo bears her heart with edgy, alto gospel vocals. The British artist takes you to church with powerful lyrics and soulful, edgy singing that will have you drifting in the music.

Best track: Barely Alive

NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

41

No purchase necessary. Contest starts at 8:00 a.m. on September 7, 2021 and closes at 8:59 p.m. on October 15, 2021, based on the local time at your place of residence. Open to legal residents of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec, who are of the age of majority in the province in which they reside. Some restrictions apply. Correct answer to a mathematical skill testing question required. Twenty-seven prizes available to be won, each a cheque in the amount of $5,000.00 CAD. Odds of winning a prize will depend upon the number of eligible entries received for all the participating stations up to the point of the applicable daily draw. The number of prizes available to be won will decrease throughout the contest as they are awarded. Complete contest rules and entry available at virginradio.ca.

42 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

THE LOCAL PAGES

Y Y Z TORONTO

ARTS & EVENTS SEPTEMBER

TIFF RETURNS IN PERSON, VIRTUALLY AND MORE Toronto International Film Festival

Thurs., Sept. 9 to Sat., Sept. 18 In-person and virtual screenings $19 to $69 Various theatres and online tiff.net

One of the world’s best film festivals returns with a jampacked, 10-day program of in-person, drive-in and virtual screenings. With over 150 films to choose from, movie fans can visit one of TIFF’s many theatres — including Roy Thomson Hall and Scotiabank Theatre — sit under the stars at Ontario Place or watch from the comfort of home. Digital screenings have scheduled start times just like in-person events but can be viewed from anywhere in Canada. Here are some of our top picks: Jagged 99 mins.

This Alanis Morissette documentary asks the Ottawa-born singer to reflect on her seminal album Jagged Little Pill and features never-before-seen footage spanning her 25-year career.

← Dune

155 mins.

One of the festival’s highly-anticipated blockbusters, Dune is the latest adaptation of the 1965 sci-fi novel detailing interstellar feuds in the distant future. Timothée Chalamet stars alongside Zendaya, Oscar Issac and Rebecca Furguson.

WATCH THE DUNE TRAILER HERE

Night Raiders 101 mins.

This timely and impactful Canadian drama draws on the country’s ugly history.

Cree mother Niska fights to protect her daughter from the system in a dystopian post-war future, where children are considered property of the state.

NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

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YYZ SEPT

GARRISON GETS GOING WITH ALIVE SHOWS Garrison ALIVE Series

Wed, Sept. 29, 8 p.m. ET Concert $5 The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. garrisontoronto.com

One of the many Toronto venues buzzing to reopen is beloved Dundas spot The Garrison and it’s doing it in style. ALIVE is an eightmonth concert series featuring local Canadian acts, and it all starts this month with Edmonton-born, Toronto-based rapper Cadence Weapon. He’ll be joined by experimental artist Korea Town Acid and music collective No Tourists. All ticket proceeds will be donated to the Unison Benevolent Fund and the AMY Project (Artists Mentoring Youth). Future showcase artists include Witch Prophet (Dec. 10, 8 pm ET), Vallens (Jan. 6, 8 pm ET), and Vile Creature (Mar. 12, 8 p. ET).

Cadence Weapon

44 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

SEPT YYZ

SMALL WORLD FEST CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF CHAMPIONING DIVERSITY Small World Music 25-for-25 Mon., Sept. 13 - Sun., Sept. 19 In-person and virtual events Free - $30 Various venues and online smallworldmusic.com Small World Music celebrates its 25th anniversary launching “25-for-25,” a year-long program featuring virtual broadcasts, intimate studio sessions, outdoor performances and concert hall extravaganzas that all lead up to the 2022 Small World Music Festival.

Small World Music has been championing cultural diversity in the GTA through musical showcases and artist development programs.

Kicking off the celebration is a week of shows at Lula Lounge and Drom Taberna, as well as virtual tapings. Watch the Indian classical stylings of sarangi master Pankaj Mishra (Sept.

13, 7 pm ET) recorded at Small World Centre and catch an in-person performance from JUNO-Award winning duo OKAN (Sept. 16, 8 pm ET), who blends its Afro-Cuban roots with jazz and folk music.

OKAN

21 Greater Toronto artists address the most pressing issues of our time — and our city A new museum-wide triennial exhibition September 29, 2021 – January 9, 2022 158 Sterling Road, Toronto moca.ca/GTA21 Presenting Sponsor

KAREN GREEN Common Accounts, Parade of All the Feels (rendering), 2020. Courtesy of the artists.

NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

45

YYZ SEPT

ALL AXIS FESTIVAL RE-BOOTS FORMER MOD CLUB

All Axis Festival 2020

ADITI SIVAKUMAR

WOMEN'S RIGHTS ADVOCATE

2019

ABHAYJEET SINGH SACHAL HUMANITARIAN

2018

STELLA BOWLES ENVIRONMENTALIST

The Canada’s Walk of Fame Community Hero Program, presented by MLSE and Scotiabank, selects an exceptional Canadian under 30 who positively influences the lives of others and makes a profound impact on their communities and beyond.

The selected grand prize winner receives a donation to help raise awareness and advocate for a cause that is important to them.

Is the 2021 Community Hero someone you know?

Thurs., Sept. 9 to Fri., Sept. 10, 7 pm ET In-person and livestream event $10 to $15 Axis Club, 722 College St. theaxisclub.com

Last year brought devastating news that Mod Club was permanently closing, but now fans get an exciting new beginning with Axis Club taking over the space. Launching the newly renovated venue is the All Axis Festival, a two-day, in-person and online event featuring performances from Savannah Ré, The Dirty Nil, 3409 and DijahSB. These unique hybrid shows blend live acts with pre-recorded sets, and a portion of ticket sales will be donated to the Unison Benevolent Fund.

Nominate your Community Hero beginning September 27 at communityhero.ca

★★★★ OBSERVER

★★★★ EMPIRE MAGAZINE

★★★★ TIME OUT

POWERFUL Time Out

FIERCE UNRELENTING The Guardian

Savannah Ré

46 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

CANADA’S FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSIC, GAMING AND DISCOVERY RETURNS

The Magazine That Plays Music and Videos on Your Phone MADE IN CANADA• 09|2021

FREE

FINNEAS BILLIE EILISH’S BRILLIANT BIG BROTHER FLIES SOLO

JUNE 14-19

TORONTO

TALENT IS EVERYWHERE

20 22

TYLER SHAW THE HALLUCI NATION SPIRITBOX

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OMEGA MIGHTY LANY HALSEY TINASHE SHANG CHI'S SIMU LIU BUBBLE TEA WHERE'S DONDA?

We encourage you to read NEXT Magazine with your phone handy. When you see a QR code, Apple Music QR Code or Spotify Code, your phone's camera will instantly deliver extra music, video and exclusive content from your favourite streaming services.

How To

QR Code

Apple Music

Spotify

1. Open camera app on your phone.

1. Launch Spotify app on your phone.

2. Hold your device so that the QR code is centred in viewfinder.

2. Go to the search bar on Spotify search page.

3. Tap the notification that pops up to open link associated with the code.

3. Tap camera icon on the right of the search bar and hover camera over the code.

YYZ SEPT

SUDS-SATIONAL SELECTION OF BEER FESTIVALS Fall Beerfest TO

Fri., Sept. 24 - Sat., Sept. 25 Outdoor event $70 - $125 Bandshell Park, 100 Prince Edward Island Cresc. fallbeerfestto.com

Fall Beerfest TO is hosting a two-day celebration of beer with an impressive selection of local and international brewers, delicious food and live music. Friday’s headline act is reggae star Shaggy and Toronto music collective Dwayne Gretzky graces the stage on Saturday. For more boozy events, check out the Toronto Craft Beer Festival at RendezViews (Thurs., Sept. 23 - Sun., Sept. 26).

FALL 2021 The Rose Brampton is proud to continue to offer exceptional artistic experiences virtually this fall. Enjoy shows expertly broadcast live from our stage to audiences at home, featuring some of the most exciting names in entertainment. Stay tuned for more announcements!

PHOTO: TOKYO POLICE CLUB; DECEMBER 2020, THE ROSE BRAMPTON

FREE TICKETS RESERVE NOW 48 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

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FALL 2021

THE LOCAL PAGES

Y V R VANCOUVER ARTS & EVENTS SEPTEMBER

GO WEST FOR MUSIC FEST Westward Music Festival

Sept. 8 to 13, various times Music Festival Ticket prices vary; packages available Various locations westwardfest.com/ tickets-schedule

Western Canada has been waiting patiently to return to festival season, and it’s looking like the wait has been worth it: the multi-venue Westward Music Festival returns with five venues, five days and 34 electrifying Canadian acts. Highlights include: spitfire rapper Haviah Mighty (Sept. 12, Imperial), surfy local band DACEY (Sept. 11, the Fox), genre-bending duo MONEYPHONE (Sept. 10, Imperial), the iconic BBNO$ (Sept. 11, the Vogue) and many more. You can see any of the acts individually, but the themed multi-day festival packages provide the best possible music fix.

YUNG YEMI

WATCH HAVIAH MIGHTY'S POLARIS PERFORMANCE HERE

Haviah Mighty NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

49

YVR SEPT

A Toast to Prohibition

FRINGE THEATRE FESTIVAL LIGHTS UP GRANVILLE FRINGE FESTIVAL Vancouver Fringe Festival

Sept. 9 - 19 Theatre festival Prices vary, typically $15 On and around Granville Island tickets.vancouverfringe.com/events

Catch Vancouver’s 10-day fringe theatre festival in the idyllic Granville Island neighbourhood for some of the quirkiest shows you’ll see all year.

There’s never been a better time to support indie theatre, so make sure to catch The Coveted Wife of East Van, a romp through a new-age artist’s questionable dating choices (Sept. 11 - 19, Picnic Pavilion); A Toast to Prohibition, a musical revue of prohibition-era standards in celebration of its 101st anniversary (Sept. 10 - 19, Performance Works); and Everybody Knows, a one-woman performance art piece set to the songs of Leonard Cohen (Sept 11 - 18, Revue Stage).

50 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

SUN-FORGETTABLE Sunflower celebration

Richmond Sunflower Fest Now until Sept. 15 Seasonal festival $12 12900 Steveston Hwy. richmondsunflowerfest.com

Swing into the fall season with one of the most beautiful sights the city has to offer. The Richmond Sunflower Fest, hosted at the idyllic Richmond Country Farms, is a colourful, seasonal celebration of the end of summer that shouldn’t be missed. With countless IG-ready photo ops, food trucks and farm-fresh treats galore, and over 90 varieties of flowers, it’s the perfect spot for a date or family day-trip. Tickets go on sale on a weekly basis, so plan ahead because spots fill up fast!

SEPT YVR

MASSIVE BLOCK PARTY FEATURES DJS, GAMES, SCAVENGER HUNTS AND MORE

MONSTERCAT STREET PARTY Monstercat Compound Sept. 18, 2 pm - 9 pm Street party Free 380 Railway St. monstercat.com/compound

Fall’s wildest one-day block party is just around the corner, so get your gaming fingers ready! With carnival games, live street art, public pianos and a killer DJ lineup all surrounding a one-of-a-kind gaming stadium, the Monstercat Compound street party has something for everyone. Musical highlights include mega-viral Twitch streamers Jessu and Pyka, Coachella and Burning Man alumni the Funk Hunters and French house producer Tony Romera. For bonus prizes, scavenger hunts and more, text "Compound" to 310-299-9368!

HAVE A GAS-TOWN Gastown Unplugged

Sept. 9, 5 - 8 pm Live music series Free Gastown district (various locations) instagram.com/mygastown

Gastown has always been the go-to block for Vancouver’s bougiest residents, but even if you’re not a rich millennial (or a UBC student getting dinner with their parents), there’s a brand-new reason to tread those cobblestone streets again.

Gastown Unplugged, a live concert series featuring free music on sidewalks and patios by surprise local musicians, will be taking over the neighbourhood for the first two Thursdays in September.

Gastown is famously the best patio spot in Vancouver, so soak up those last rays of summer sun in style and listen to some free, local talent!

NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

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THE LOCAL PAGES

Y Y C CALGARY

ARTS & EVENTS SEPTEMBER

BLOCKBUSTERS FROM SUNDANCE TO COWTOWN Calgary International Film Festival Thurs., Sept. 23 – Sun., Oct. 3 Tickets $13.50 per film, bundle options available Cineplex Eau Claire, 200 Barclay Parade SW Globe Cinema, 617 8th Ave. SW Contemporary Calgary, 701 11th St. SW ciffcalgary.ca

Film buffs rejoice! After going digital last year, CIFF is back and better than ever in person with three theatres, 160-plus screenings and mountains of buttery popcorn over 11 jam-packed days. The CIFF team corralled film features all over the globe, presenting everything from Sundance Film Festival favourites to the best in Alberta filmmaking.

Interested in making movies? Sign up for the industry week programming, taking place Sept. 23 – 26 to network and learn from professionals at the top of their craft. Feel like staying home? Tune in online Sept. 28 for the Let’s Get Digital programming.

Here are three screenings we’re hyped about:

← Don’t Say Its Name

dir. Rueben Martell, 84 mins.

Canada In this nail-biting spiritual thriller, a local activist protests a new deal with a mining company to drill on Indigenous land. When she’s targeted in a hit-and-run and the company starts drilling, the land itself starts retaliating.

We Are The Thousand

dir. Anita Rivaroli, 79 mins.

Italy In a small Italian town, big dreamer Fabio bands together 1,000 musicians to play a Foo Fighters song and convince the legendary rock group to fly out and perform a concert. If this documentary isn’t a testament to the power of music, we don’t know what is.

El Planeta

WATCH THE DON’T SAY ITS NAME TRAILER HERE

52 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

dir. Amalia Ulman, 81 mins.

Spain/USA Plucked from the festival circuit, this black-and-white auteur-driven comedy is set in post-financial-crisis Spain, following a hustling mother and daughter publicly maintaining their diva lifestyle while privately going broke.

SEPT YYC CLASSICS, NEW RELEASES HIGHLIGHT INDIA FILM FEST AT GLOBE INDIA ON FILM India Film Festival of Alberta Fri.. Sept. 10 through Sun., Sept. 12 Globe Cinema, 617 8th Ave SW Free indiafilmfestival.ca

From current film festival darlings to restored old-school classics like 1964’s Charulata (Sept. 10, 7 pm) and 1958’s The Music Room (Sept. 11, 12 pm), the IFFA showcases the most exciting flicks in Indian cinema right now as well as the best from the past. Sixteen films in over seven regional languages will light up downtown’s Globe Cinema, exploring key social, economic and environmental issues in India while celebrating Indian culture.

WATCH THE GREAT INDIAN KITCHEN TRAILER HERE

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53

YYC SEPT

COSPLAY, COMICS, CELEBRITIES, OH MY! Calgary Comics & Entertainment Expo Fri., Sept. 10 - Sun., Sept. 12 BMO Centre, Stampede Park, 20 Roundup Way SE $35 per day in advance, $40 per day at door fanexpohq.com/calgaryexpo

WATCH THE CALGARY COMIC EXPO VIDEO HERE

Remember all the chatter about Neville Longbottom growing up to be hot? Well, now you can meet him — er, Matthew Lewis, the actor who played the timid character in the Harry Potter films — and a handful of other cult favourites from movies and shows, like Doctor Who, Star Trek and The Mummy, over three days at the Calgary Comics & Entertainment Expo. Geek out over comics, sci-fi, anime and gaming while attending panels, workshops and browsing the artisan market. Don’t forget to dress up and show off your favourite cosplay!

WE’RE SAVING YOU A SEAT...

TO THE YEAR’S HOTTEST FILMS!

In-Cinema & At-Home

September 23 to October 3

54 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

GET TICKETS:

www.CIFFcalgary.ca

SEPT YYC SMOKIN’ GOOD TIMES AS PALOMINO RESTARTS THE ROCK SMOKIN’ HOT LIVE MUSIC The Palomino Smokehouse 109 7 Ave. SW Friday and Saturday nights Tickets from $12 thepalomino.ca

Live music is back every Friday and Saturday night at this dope downtown dive and showroom. Grab a draft beer and a whack of tasty wings (we highly recommend the Ass Rippin’ flavour) at the main-floor smokehouse before heading downstairs to jump around as a killer local band tears up the stage. Catch shirtless funny man B.A. Johnston as he rocks out to his punk jams on Sept. 10 or YYC psych rock outfit Sunglaciers on Sept. 24. Be sure to check the website for concert times and grab tickets online in advance.

ELECTRIC CIRCUS REWINDS WITH 90s POP STARS AIN’T NO PARTY LIKE AN S CLUB PARTY ’90s Nostalgia: Electric Circus Edition Sun. Sept 26 3:30 pm - late Shaw Millennium Park, 1220 9 Ave. SW $85 90snostalgia.ca

The ’90s are all the rage right now, and the bands responsible for the sounds of the decade — Aqua (“Barbie Girl”), S Club 7 and Eurodance group Vengaboys (“We like to Party!”)

— are taking the stage to scratch all those nostalgic itches. Former MuchMusic VJs Monika Deol and Rick Campanelli host a jam-packed lineup of ’90s bands in homage to the channel’s wildly popular 1990s show Electric Circus, in which camera-happy dancers would shake it on TV at the MuchMusic studios.

WATCH THE ELECTRIC CIRCUS VIDEO HERE

Aqua

NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

55

SLAIGHT MUSIC SEPTEMBER PLAYLIST

FEATURING NEW SINGLES FROM

KAYLA DIAMOND

SAM DRYSDALE

SCREAMING

DREAM ABOUT A GIRL

www.kayladiamond.com

56 SEPTEMBER 2021 NEXT

www.samdrysdalemusic.com www.slaightmusic.com

FUNNIES THE NEXT

TIME-WASTING PUZZLES, GAMES AND ACTIVITIES

WHERE'S DONDA?

ILLUSTRATION: BENJI ANDRINGA

Oh, Kanye, you tease. You keep promising us new music — but when?

Why so elusive? You kinda changed your name — again. And now, you’re even hiding your face — again. Help us find Kanye, Donda, whatever!

NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

57

FUNNIES

NEXT QUIZ

Mostly A’s: Lorde, Solar Power

Which Summer Album Are You?

You’re laid-back, in-demand, always on trend, but probably a little controversial — maybe your self-care, good-vibes obsession feels a little preachy at times?

The bottom line is that you’re not afraid to make waves. Keep spending time at the beach and make Virgo season a time for growth and reflection.

Summer is almost over, but it’s ending with a bang: some very hot album releases have made the twilight of summer a musical moment to remember. But which one should you spend your beach days and downtown nights listening to? We’ve done the heavy lifting for you with this personality quiz. Let us check your vibes and we’ll tell you which hot-girl album fits you like a glove.

1: What’s your strategy after a breakup?

A. Trendy self-care: crystals, face masks, weed.

B. Burn all of their shit and erase them from your life.

C. Listen to your favourite classic breakup songs.

2: What’s your summer hangout spot?

A. The beach

B. The skate park

C. The arcade

3: Which decade is your home away from home?

A. The early 2000s

B. The ’50s

4: Describe your personal style.

A. A lot of effort to look as low-effort and laid-back as possible.

B. Put-together and feminine, with an edge.

B. People who are just as chaotic and emotional as you.

Simply put: you’re a bad bitch. You might have gone through something of a personal transformation recently, and you’ve come out way better on the other side. God forbid anyone crosses you now — you’re unbothered, maybe a little unhinged, and entirely focused on your own happiness.

C. The ’80s

C. Colourful, eccentric and a little goth.

5: What’s your type?

A. Too-good-to-betrue who turns out to be toxic.

Mostly B’s: Billie Eilish, Happier Than Ever

C. Record store employees and pretentious film students.

Mostly C’s: Angel Olsen, Aisles

Whether everyone else knows it or not, you’re the coolest one in the room. You’ve always stuck out a bit from everyone else and aren’t afraid to do your own thing — and why wouldn’t you, with taste as good as yours? You have an appreciation for the classics, but you’re never derivative. Keep putting your own spin on things.

JOHNNY SILVERCLOUD/SHUTTERSTOCK

ASK AMY DON’T COP OUT ON ELECTIONS Dear Amy: Politics is rigged: the majority of Canadians support progressive parties, but the Conservatives always have a chance of getting elected, even if most Canadians are against their selfish approach. We voted last election to have Justin Trudeau fix this; he didn’t, even though he said he would — okay thanks for pot, but come on!

Why should I bother voting when all politicians are liars and they’ll just get validation from us voters and go ahead and do whatever they want, even if they literally said they wouldn’t? Why vote?

— Not voting Dear Not: If voting was worthless, they wouldn't be trying to suppress so many votes in America.

You are extremely privileged to get a vote. People have fought for the right to vote for centuries and continue to fight for voting rights all over the world. As the actual name of one of my favourite social innovation groups: APA-

point since the whole thing fell apart so fast? How can I be a supportive cousin?

How do we support soldiers without necessarily supporting the war?

— War Wondering Dear Wondering: I think you are doing everything right so far. Just being present and conscious of her struggles is showing her support. Having worked tirelessly in anti-war and coalitions for peace in my early days, I have little experience with soldiers, but I think we can all find a through line of humanity in the pain of what feels like endless conflict. You’re a kind cousin who cares about your family, and showing up for her with such ongoing empathy will hopefully help her find some peace.

PLAY IT SAFE OR STEP OUT? Dear Amy: I am a 20-year-old, relatively shy male student getting ready to go back to university. I am from what gets called “a minority” and, with my parents’ encouragement, have always sought social connection within my community, even dating.

But I am troubled by the thought that I am limiting myself and that maybe I should step out and try new experiences.

But what if I’m setting myself up for disappointment or, worse, overt or even subtle racism? Should I just “stick to my own kind” this semester or try to expand my horizons? And how?

— Reluctant Reboot

I think being open to possibilities in the world of love is best. Your instincts will guide you to the good people.

THY IS BORING (www. apathyisboring.com).

It is working tirelessly to promote being an active citizen and engage youth to help them understand the importance of their votes. GET INVOLVED, challenge your local members of parliament, go deep on who is running and what they stand for, or GO RUN FOR GOVERNMENT! The last thing you should do is withhold your vote because that is just a cop-out.

HOW TO SUPPORT WAR VET COUSIN Dear Amy: Seems like a long time ago, but my cousin served in Afghanistan with Canadian troops in 2010, and it doesn’t seem like a long time ago to her. We talk about it from time to time, and she always struggled with “What was the point?”

Now, after the recent debacle, I’m afraid to even talk to her, but I know I need to.

How can I be supportive and explain we appreciate her sacrifice even if it’s hard to say what, in fact, was the

NEED ADVICE ON LOVE, SEX, RELATIONSHIPS, THE MUSIC BIZ OR HAVE A CONFESSION TO GET OFF YOUR CHEST?

ASK AMY MILLAN.

Dear Reluctant: I’m not sure love is that pragmatic. I think there is always fear of rejection when venturing into territories of the heart.

Being vulnerable always feels risky, but if you meet the right person, it’s worth it! I think being open to possibilities in the world of love is best.

Your instincts will guide you to the good people. Being 20 is hard and complicated! Try not to put too much pressure on what’s the right and wrong thing to do when it comes to finding people you are drawn to, whether in friendships or

relationships. Life will unfold in ways that will continue to surprise you.

LOVE TO WRITE, HATE TO PERFORM Dear Amy I have been making music on my laptop for about two years. My laptop seems to like it, but I am so shy about playing my songs for anybody else. I am a teenaged, female-identifying singer-songwriter who writes very personal music, and I just don’t have the courage to play tracks even to friends or family.

How did you start to share your music, without being devastated with fear of exposing your most personal thoughts and biggest vulnerabilities? Who knows, maybe I’m good — ultimately you make music to share your gift right?

— No Time for Showtime Dear Showtime: This is still my struggle!

Sharing art that is so personal and playing new songs for anyone else other than your cat is what my friend Ariel Engle in La Force calls “the naked cartwheel.” I don't think there is any artist out there who doesn't feel some twinge of worry or some pit of terror — and, in my experience, the utterly confident are usually not as good as the super shy.

Maybe DJ a party and drop your song secretly and see if people react?

Play it in the background when you have someone you love and trust over and see if they notice? Or just burst out and play it for your bestie! I'll tell you one thing: I would LOVE to hear your music. You can always send me an anonymous email to askamy@nextmag. ca. I bet with such raw honesty, you have made some beautiful art.

Amy Millan is a Canadian indie rock singer and guitarist. She records and performs with Stars and Broken Social Scene and has a successful solo career.

Have a question for Amy? askamy@nextmag.ca

NEXT SEPTEMBER 2021

59

FEATURING LIVE PERFORMANCES BY SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE ARTISTS

MON 20. 9. 2 1 Scenic Route To Alaska T21.9.21 U E Jon Bryant WED 22.9.21 MOC3 (Marriner/O'Brien/Caddell) T23.9.21 H U Altered By Mom F R I Skye Wallace S25.9.21 AT The Hello Darlins 24.9.21

Every night:

September 20TH – 25TH @ 7PM (ET)

SET A REMINDER LIVE .Y 4 40.CA CA.YAMAH A.C O M

A WEEK-LONG CELEBRATION OF LIVE MUSIC

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