I grew up in a tight-knit Armenian community in Scarborough. My family was forced to leave Armenia because of the genocide that was carried out by the Ottoman Empire in 1915, but our home was always filled with Armenian music. We also frequented the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto, which would often host musicians from abroad. It was common for those performers to stay at our house or come over for dinner. I learned at a young age that countless works of art had been destroyed in the genocide, which Canada hadn’t officially recognized at the time. Every bit of what was left felt precious ..read more

Let’s start with the title: My Effin’ Life. What’s that about? I’ve been known to drop F-bombs. Originally, I wanted to call the book My Life in Comedy, because I often pause at the absurdity of it all. But my publisher was convinced such a title would be misleading. My jokes tend to be very inside. You turned 70 in July. Did your age make you want to write it all down? I prefer to look forward, not back. But a few things happened to me recently. My mother was diagnosed with dementia before the pandemic. When I finally got to see her after lockdowns, there was a second where she didn’t recogni ..read more

The singer-songwriter discusses his collab with Chaka Khan, why his record is both Grammy bait and a cosmic necessity, and what he misses most about Toronto The post “A younger me would be horrified”: Rufus Wainwright on returning to his parents’ genre with his new album, <em>Folkocracy</em> appeared first on Toronto Life ..read more

Shad and Charlotte Day Wilson are up for tonight's prize. Get to know them better here where they talk about making meaningful music The post Toronto’s 2022 Polaris shortlist nominees on their albums appeared first on Toronto Life ..read more

"Fans are sick of waiting, bands are sick of waiting, venues are on razor's edge to pay the rent every month" The post “The crowd looked like thousands. It was a proper rock show”: What it was like for Tokyo Police Club’s Graham Wright to return to live performances appeared first on Toronto Life ..read more

When Ivgeni Kriger moved from Israel to Toronto in 2016, he combined his two passions: music and nursing The post “I’ve seen people dancing on their balconies”: This nurse and saxophonist plays outdoor concerts for locked-down seniors’ homes appeared first on Toronto Life ..read more

Even the world-famous pianist Angela Hewitt is flying in to play a show—and quarantining for two weeks first The post “People have been in tears at our shows because they miss live music”: How the Royal Conservatory is forging ahead with in-person concerts this fall appeared first on Toronto Life ..read more

Our Six in the Six interview with the owner of the east end's best known Caribbean restaurant, now a hip-hop landmark The post Q&A: Edward Pottinger, owner of The Real Jerk, where Drake and Rihanna shot their new music video appeared first on Toronto Life ..read more

What do in Toronto during the holidays The post An all-star cover concert, a Skittles pawn shop and six other things this to do this holiday season appeared first on Toronto Life ..read more

What to do in Toronto during the week of December 14 The post An acrobatic apocalyptic spectacle, a Joanna Newsom show and six other things to do this week appeared first on Toronto Life ..read more