With concert halls across Canada mostly closed due to COVID-19, some musicians are celebrating the holiday season by offering ticketed streaming events.
Here's a look at some Christmas and New Year's Eve shows, featuring Canadian talent, that will be available to stream:
CHILLY GONZALES
It’s cold outside, but Montreal pop pianist Chilly Gonzales promises to bring the heat with his star-studded concert special “A Very Chilly Christmas," filmed in an empty Parisian theatre. The musician says the show will be “a 2020 makeover to your favourite Christmas specials,” with appearances by Feist, Jarvis Cocker and others. Tickets for the show, which screens three times on Dec. 23, are available through Moment House: https://www.momenthouse.com/chillygonzales
AARON GOODVIN
Alberta country singer Aaron Goodvin rocks around the Christmas tree with his “Lonely Drummer Boy Holiday Show,” a 25-minute concert event recorded in Nashville. Goodvin will do a Zoom video chat with fans after the premiere on Dec. 15. Tickets are on sale through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aaron-goodvin-lonely-drummer-boy-holiday-show-live-zoom-video-chat-tickets-131959108245
THE TENORS
Canada’s unabashed Christmas connoisseurs gather remotely for a yuletide celebration. Beamed from their homes in Vancouver, Toronto and West Dover, Vt., the vocal trio perform a selection of festive songs, respond to fan questions previously sent via social media and partake in some silly holiday antics, including a costume gag they’re calling “Virtual Kris Kringle.” The pre-recorded show will be presented in two slightly different versions showing at 3 p.m. EST on Dec. 20 and 7 p.m. EST on Dec. 22. Tickets are available through Sessions Live: https://sessionslive.com/TheTenors/tickets
THE HURON CAROLE
Fundraiser and variety show the Huron Carole typically traverses the country throughout December to raise money for local food banks and social services. But this year the concert, organized by Saskatchewan actor and musician Tom Jackson, is going virtual with a taped showcase of independent artists including Tom McKillip, Darryl Havers, and Kirby Barber. The event rolls out by city until Dec. 20, with the proceeds going to a local cause. For a list of dates and tickets visit the Huron Carole website: https://huroncarole.ca/
DWAYNE GRETZKY
Toronto’s industrious cover band is sending off 2020 with a bang that’ll be heard from coast-to-coast on New Year’s Eve. Starting at 10:15 p.m. EST and running until 3 a.m., the curators of classic rock and Top 40 hits will pop the champagne on 2021 in each time zone. Fans can help chart the course for the night by voting for songs they want to hear Dwayne Gretzky perform live. Best of all, the show is streaming for free: https://youtu.be/fud3AdMbKPo
RUSSELL PETERS & FRIENDS
If comedy is more your flavour, Russell Peters will bring together some of his stand-up buds, including Jason Collings, Crystal Marie Denha and Jimmy Shubert, for a New Year’s Eve pay-per-view event filled with laughs. Tickets are on sale through On Location Live: https://www.onlocationlive.com/product/russell-peters-friends
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2020.
David Friend, The Canadian Press
