This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, Ontario, Canada January 27, 2005 By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, March 2005 Going cold into an opening act can be hard.  You never know if they’ll be terrible or amazing.  James McKenty and The Spades warmed up the audience in preparation for The Joel Plaskett Emergency. An energetic rock ‘n’ roll ruckus, The Spades have all the power to be a large arena band, but unfortunately their songs aren’t strong enough.  Still,… Read More »Joel Plaskett

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, March 2005 I went into this album with high expectations. Plaskett’s previous solo album, In Need Of Medical Attention, is my favourite of his work; Thrush Hermit and the Emergency included. La De Da has its highs and lows, but most of the album seems to ride out in the middle. Very little of the material stands out as exceptional, but those four songs really do make the album worthwhile. “Happen Now”,… Read More »Joel Plaskett – La De Da

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, February 2005 Who They Are: Through their career The Byrds consisted of many combinations of Roger McGuinn (sometimes known as Jim McGuinn), Gene Clark, David Crosby, Chris Hillman, Michael Clarke, Kevin Kelley, Gram Parsons, Clarence White, Gene Parsons, John York and Skip Battin.  Their career lasted from 1964 to 1973, with McGuinn remaining the only constant member of the band.  Exploding in the American pop scene with their first hit, a cover… Read More »Intro To The Byrds

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, Ontario, Canada December 22th, 2004 By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, February 2005 Zunior.com is a label founded by former Inbreds drummer, Dave Ulrich.  Ulrich had an idea for a better way to sell music. Make it cheap, make it easily accessible, and make all the money (less a PayPal fee) go to the artists. Zunior.com’s songs are 88¢ Canadian each and the files have no copy protection to limit how you listen;… Read More »Zunior.com showcase

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, December 2004 Since the death of Ray Charles, we’ve seen the release of a greatest hits package, an album of duets, and a film and its accompanying soundtrack.  This won’t take anyone familiar with the music industry by surprise, and in the time since his death, Charles has had some of his biggest sales ever, as well as several Grammy nominations.  Rhino has now released a DVD of two television performances from… Read More »Ray Charles: O Genio – Live in Brazil 1963

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, December 2004 Jazz and rock ‘n’ roll just scratch the surface of the well of music that is Andrew Bird. Having played music since he was four years old, Bird is a master violinist and songwriter. He has released five studio records and two live compilations over the past eight years, and he won’t stop changing. “I’m trying to keep myself entertained constantly and that’s why I think the music changes so… Read More »One Ribbon Microphone and an Old RCA

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, December 2004 Handsome Boy Modeling School are Prince Paul and Dan the Automator.  Prince Paul has been producing since the 80s and is most famous for his work with De La Soul. Dan the Automator you may know from Gorillaz, and a lot of the creativity and originality of their self-titled album shows through in White People. Rock ‘n’ roll and hip-hop seem to merge into one genre well.  With enough talent… Read More »Handsome Boy Modeling School – White People