Last year The Centre reintroduced OnStage concerts in which the audience sits on stage, cabaret style, with the artist.  We enjoyed incredible talent over the season including Canadian singer/songwriter Ron Sexsmith and multi-platinum selling artist Joan Osborne.  Audiences loved the experience of sharing the stage with some of today’s most celebrated songwriters and hearing their personal stories and so we’re pleased to bring you more of these exciting concerts in the fall.
We’ll kick things off on September 11 with Rich Robinson who is perhaps best known as the guitarist, songwriter and founder of the celebrated American band The Black Crowes.  A few years after the band’s hiatus in 2001, Rich launched his solo career with the album Paper (2004) which was hailed by Paste Magazine as having the “…complexity and originality that transformed the Black Crowes into a band that mattered. Paper is filled with beautiful melodies and harmonies, creative guitar work, fitting instrumentation and, most of all, excellent songwriting.”
Robinson’s third solo album, The Ceaseless Sight, released today (June 3) represents Rich’s maturation as a songwriter, vocalist and solo artist and is well worth a listen.  Rich speaks to Pollstar about the album, his influences and playing with Jimmy Page. READ NOW
Just a few weeks later on Monday, September 29, Owen Pallett (pictured above) will take the stage.  Pallett, who you may recognize as a touring member from Arcade Fire (synths/viola), was recently a highlight at Canadian Music Week earning Now Magazine’s Critic’s Pick with a perfect NNNN rating for his CD release show at Danforth Music Hall.  Critic Sarah Greene said “The group’s sound is so massive and sophisticated now, that the quieter moments at the beginnings of songs – with just violin and voice – were often the most poignant.”
Pallett’s album In Conflict is an impressively composed work of art that crosses genres, blurring the lines between classical and pop.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise as the album comes after years of Owen’s collaborative work with groups and artists as varied as The National Ballet of Canada and London’s Barbican to Taylor Swift and Robbie Williams. Pallett also earned an Oscar-nomination for his work on Spike Jones’ Her.
There really is nothing better than Pallett’s live show however. You will want to see with your own eyes how he weaves synth and violin into a powerful sonic work of art, overlaying it with thoughtful lyrics sung to beautifully crafted and often haunting melodies. WATCH NOW
These two talented and unique artists are just the beginning of our OnStage offerings for 2014-15. Look for more OnStage announcements in the coming weeks.