Legendary singer returns to stage after 15-year absence from limelight

TORONTO - After a series of "rehearsal shows" in eastern Canada, legendary singer/poet Leonard Cohen is officially kicking off his world tour in Toronto.

The reclusive artist, who was ordained a Buddhist monk during his 15-year absence from the limelight, took the stage Friday night, getting waves of applause from roughly 3,200 fans who filled the Sony Centre.

The Canadian icon opened with a brief offer of thanks before launching into his 1984 serenade, "Dance Me To The End Of Love," clutching a mic with two hands and filling it with his rich baritone.

Although the Toronto show is being dubbed his official return to the stage, Cohen has been performing since May, warming up his vocals at smaller venues throughout eastern Canada.

The 73-year-old Montreal native has three more shows set for Toronto.

He'll then head to Ireland, Britain and Europe to complete a three-month tour that will have him perform 42 soldout shows in 14 countries.

Cohen's much-publicized financial problems are said to be behind his return to the concert circuit.

Other appearances in Canada include three shows in Montreal later this month, where Cohen will be honoured with a tribute at the Montreal Jazz Festival.

News from �The Canadian Press, 2008

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Samartzis and CD-R

   
Artist: Samartzis and CD-R

   Genre(s): 
Rock
   

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Discography:


   
 Aquarelle

   Year: 2006   
Tracks: 3

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Narnia film-maker keeps promise to wife

Narnia film-maker Andrew Adamson is keeping a promise to his wife and returning to live in Auckland.

Over the past seven years Adamson, 41, has chalked up one of the greatest box-office batting averages of any director in Hollywood - beating even Steven Spielberg.

Now he is handing over the third movie in Disney's Narnia franchise, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader to veteran filmmaker Michael Apted, known for Coal Miner's Daughter and Gorillas in the Mist.

Adamson years ago promised his wife that they come home to Auckland, where he was born, when their eldest daughter reached school age, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported.

Isabel turns 5 next month.

So in a few weeks - after Adamson has finished his publicity responsibilities on Caspian, his second Narnia film, and the couple and their daughters Isabel and Sylvie have spent some time in Tuscany winding down - they will move home.

And back in Auckland, Adamson says he will begin the process of unhooking his brain from the Hollywood machine.

"I may never work again," laughs Adamson, sitting on a high floor in a hotel suite overlooking New York.

His feature debut, which he co-directed, was an unassuming animated film known as Shrek, which pulled in a relatively measly $US484 million ($NZ642 million) around the world.

He followed that by co-directing Shrek 2 ($US920 million) and then single-handedly helming the live-action triumph The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ($US745 million).

And most recently, he premiered in New York the first Narnia sequel, Prince Caspian.

In Prince Caspian, the four Pevensie children from the first Narnia adventure find themselves once again plucked out of wartime England and parachuted into an enchanted world of lush landscapes and talking animals.

But though the children have only been away from Narnia for one year of their lives, they return to the kingdom at a point in time 1300 years after their departure.

In the interim, the Narnians have been hounded out of their homes and their land has been all but destroyed.

For Adamson, returning home ties in with his own childhood, when his parents and three siblings moved to Papua New Guinea.

He was 11 years old and his father's two-year university post turned into seven years.

"We all loved it," he said. "I had a very free upbringing. At 13 years old, I'd jump on my motorcycle and ride off into the bush."

But PNG has changed, which helped him grasp what a devastated Narnia would mean to the Pevensies.

"The high school I went to doesn't exist any more," he said. "Now there's curfews, political instability, other problems."

Prince Caspian opens with a thrilling sequence involving the attempted assassination of the title character, the young leader of the Telmarines, by his corrupt uncle, King Miraz, who has designs on the kingdom.

When Caspian escapes and is given shelter by the Narnians, Miraz incites a war that he hopes will finish them off, by falsely reporting that they have kidnapped Caspian.

"I think there's a lot of good stories in fear," said Adamson.

"Whether it's politically advantageous to create that sense of fear, wherever it's coming from, I've found there are places you can get away from it," he said, laughing.

Back in one of those places he will continue his contact with the Narnia franchise as a producer, but he'd really like to let go and work on something costing less than $US100 million.

"It's hard to be experimental when your days are costing so much. You can't afford to try things out and make mistakes," he said.

"I want a different kind of challenge. And I'd love to do something I could shoot in eight weeks as opposed to eight months."

He told New York Magazine:

"I've been overlapping films since the first Shrek. I've been telling my wife I've been going to take a year off since then.

But largely, I want to get back to that feeling of the day I first left high school and realised I didn't have any homework, and I just had a clear head".

And he recaptured some of this feeling when shooting a "gorgeous, primordial lake with waterfalls" in one Caspian scene, near Haast.

"That was my favorite day of shooting.

"I was operating one of the motors in our raft with my right hand and the radio control with the kids' boat to help them steer.

"And I was directing. It was like I was a student again, student filmmaking with just 20 of us making a film."

- NZPA





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A Blast from the Past: 25 years and Counting

JEKYLL ISLAND PRESENTS - BEACH MUSIC FESTIVAL '08

JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga., June 17 -- Get ready for the
excitement! Jekyll Island Beach Music Fest '08 takes place August 15-16.
Don't miss out on the big news this year; Celebrating 25 years of fun in
the sun, Jekyll Island is bringing back an old tradition with a FREE
concert on the beach Saturday afternoon. If you love beach music, frat
rock, R & B, and shag music this concert is just for you. The concert kicks
off with the Rickey Godfrey Band at 12PM, followed by Second Chance at
2:30PM, and concludes with headliners the Swinging Medallions at 4:30PM.
Everyone is invited to this free party on the beach while listening to live
performances complete with Corona beer and delicious food from various
vendors.

However, if sitting in the shade is more of your idea of fun, contact
the Jekyll Island Visitor Information Center and sign up to be a Beach
Concert VIP. VIP guests receive a free lunch catered by Straton Hall
Caterers, snacks, desserts, soft drinks, and beer while relaxing under the
VIP tent during the Saturday afternoon Beach Concert. Tickets are $50 and
sell quickly, so purchase yours soon.

To complete this rockin' weekend, guests can enjoy Friday and Saturday
evening concerts featuring the Swinging Medallions at the Jekyll Island
Convention Center's Atlantic Hall. In addition, golfers can start their
weekend early with the annual Beach Music Festival Golf Tournament Friday
morning. Tickets for the evening concerts and registration forms for the
Golf Tournament can be found online at
http://www.jekyllisland.com/beachmusicfestival .

As a special bonus for shag club members, Red Bug Motors is also
hosting a Thursday night Early Bird Party at the Jekyll Oceanfront Clarion
Resort. Shag club members, contact the Jekyll Island Visitor Information
Center to reserve your tickets and for $5 per person come enjoy a pool-side
cook-out and shagging to the great sounds of DJ Paul Spaulding.

So join your friends on Jekyll Island, August 15-16 and shag to great
Beach Music all weekend. For more details visit
http://www.jekyllisland.com/beachmusicfestival or contact the Jekyll Island
Visitor Information Center at (912) 635-3636 or 1-877-4JEKYLL.

About Jekyll Island

Jekyll Island is a barrier island on Georgia's coast - midway between
Jacksonville, Fla., and Savannah, Ga. Accessible by car just minutes from
I-95, Jekyll Island offers a variety of amenities, including 10 miles of
beach, four golf courses, a 250-acre Historic Landmark District, water
park, tennis center, an array of lodging options including hotels, cottages
and campgrounds. Owned by the State of Georgia, and managed by the Jekyll
Island State Park Authority, Jekyll Island has had development limited to
just 35 percent of its available land area. This unique aspect of Jekyll
Island serves to preserve the critical barrier island ecosystem, as well as
provides guests with a unique escape from the crowds and complications of
other beach resort destinations. Please visit http://www.jekyllisland.com for more
information or call 1-877-4JEKYLL.

About the Jekyll Island Foundation

The Jekyll Island Foundation is a tax exempt, public, non-profit that
offers participatory opportunities in planned giving, private donation,
legislative education, corporate support, and philanthropic foundation
support. The Foundation serves to raise, receive, manage and disburse funds
for the stewardship of the historic and natural resources of Jekyll Island.
This stewardship includes preservation and improvement of historic sites,
conservation of the undeveloped portion of the island and development and
improvement of amenities for visitors to the island. The Jekyll Island
Foundation's current project is a major capital campaign to help fund the
construction of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Activities include the
Georgia Sea Turtle Center "Walkway to Wonder" program, where personalized
bricks can be purchased for $50 and placed permanently in the walkway
outside the Center. For additional information on the Jekyll Island
Foundation or to learn more about the "Walkway to Wonder" commemorative
brick program, please visit http://www.JekyllIslandFoundation.org or call (912)
635-4402. The Foundation office is located in Villa Ospo at 381 Riverview
Drive, Jekyll Island, Ga., 31527.




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New Speculation About Newman's Health

Latest: Speculation about movie veteran Paul Newman's health has reached a new high following a the publication of a photograph of the gaunt star and fresh reports he's battling lung cancer. Tabloid reports earlier this year suggested the beloved star and humanitarian had just six months to live and was under hospital supervision, but the actor laughed off the rumours, insisting his medical crisis was nothing more than treatment of athlete's foot "and hair loss". But now a new Los Angeles Times article reports the 83-year-old has been diagnosed with "terminal lung cancer" at New York's Sloan-Kettering Center, where Newman is currently receiving outpatient treatment. The latest report comes just days after lifestyle queen Martha Stewart posted a recent photograph of herself and Newman on her website. In the shot, the actor appears frail and pale. Last month , the actor pulled out of plans to direct the stage production for Of Mice and Men at the Westport Country Playhouse in Connecticut. He has refused to comment on the latest reports about his failing health.


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Candie Hank

   
Artist: Candie Hank

   Genre(s): 
Electronic
   

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Discography:


   
 A Fistful Of Sweets

   Year: 2005   
Tracks: 15

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LiveDaily News Break, April 10: Eagles, U2, Prince and more

Fastball

   
Artist: Fastball

   Genre(s): 
Rock
   Punk
   

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Discography:


   
 Keep Your Wig On

   Year: 2004   
Tracks: 12


   
 The Harsh Light Of Day

   Year: 2000   
Tracks: 12


   
 All The Pain Money Can Buy

   Year: 1998   
Tracks: 13

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Although it's tantalizing to clod the Austin, Texas triplet Fastball (Miles Zuniga on guitar and vocals, Tony Scalzo on bass and vocals, and Joe Shuffield on drums) in with all the bands that sound similar to the Wallflowers, they're an exception. The triplet originally called themselves Magneto U.S.A. and became popular in the Texas region. After sign language with Hollywood Records, they changed their name to Fastball, and presently later released their 1996 debut Make Your Mama Proud. The album wasn't the immense breakthrough they hoped for, only showed they were a lot with potency. By the time their second album, All the Pain Money Can Buy, was released in early '98, the grouping had improved their sound by incorporating more than pop hooks into their songs, with more than varied (and life-threatening) topic topic and lyrics. The Harsh Light of Day arrived in fall 2000. After four-spot age, a c. H. Best of retrospective (2002's Painting the Corners: The Best of Fastball) and a label switching, Fastball returned with their strongest record to date, 2004's Keep Your Wig On, for Rykodisc.