In Canada: BTS’ J-Hope & RM Attend Drake’s Toronto Concert; Neil Peart Doc Premiering at TIFF

BTS are already enjoying Toronto’s concert scene.

J-Hope and RM, two members of the globally successful K-pop group, enjoyed a night out on Wednesday night (Aug. 12), attending a blockbuster summer concert in Toronto: Chris Brown and Usher’s second and final night at Rogers Stadium as part of their R&B Tour: Raymond & Brown.

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The K-pop singers were seen dancing along and getting hyped to many of the iconic tracks that make up the R&B legends’ hit-filled setlist, including Usher’s 2000s classic “Yeah” and Brown’s “Look At Me Now,” to which J-Hope posted a story of the pair lip syncing. They also met Brown and Usher backstage, who both shared photos with the BTS members on Instagram.

The visit has caused split reactions among BTS fans, many of whom are criticizing the members for attending the shows given Brown’s history of legal issues, notably his infamous 2008 felony arrest for assaulting Rihanna. “That’s disappointing,” reads one comment with over 7,000 likes, while another user voiced their disbelief that J-Hope and RM attended the show, garnering over 3,000 likes.

Recently, the R&B Tour was almost in jeopardy after Brown was arrested in London, England in May in connection to a 2023 bottle throwing incident. While he was initially denied bail until his June 13 hearing, he was released early in May and later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of affray in July. Brown has also recently tried to stop a bid to prevent his former housekeeper Maria Avila from using the revenue from this current tour to settle a $13 million judgement that she won after being violently attacked by the singer’s dog. On Friday, Brown  filed a new notice  asking for the case to be retried, arguing that a mention of his 2008 felony unfairly influenced the “excessive” $13 million verdict

After getting a quick taste of Toronto’s energy, BTS are gearing up to make their  grand return  to the Canadian stage for the first time in almost a decade, playing two nights at Rogers Stadium on Aug. 22-23. It’s their first time playing a stadium in Canada and returning to the country following their inaugural Canadian shows in Hamilton in 2018.

Toronto city council approved a temporary motion to rename the stretch of Yonge Street that runs from North York Boulevard to Finch Avenue to BTS Boulevard for a month, starting on Aug. 21, the eve of the first concert. Toronto will host its Korean Festival at Mel Lastman Square, the largest Korean cultural event in the country, on the same weekend as BTS’ two shows.

Read more  here . —  Stefano Rebuli

Toronto International Film Festival to Premiere New Documentary on Neil Peart of Rush in 2026

TIFF is celebrating a Canadian rock music legend. The Toronto International Film Festival has released its full programming, revealing that it will host the  world premiere of the forthcoming documentary   Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple . The 106-minute film gathers Peart’s Rush bandmates Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, plus other famed drummers like Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, The Police’s Stewart Copeland and Tool’s Danny Carey, all of whom honour the late musician’s life, legacy, upbringing and illustrious career as part of one of the biggest Canadian bands of all-time.

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“That Peart’s parts are so challenging even for such revered players says a lot about the ingenuity and dexterity he brought to Rush’s music,” TIFF programmer Jason Anderson writes of the film. “The performances also become one of several means of commemorating a man who — as Dunn’s film reveals — was equally complex. The remembrances and anecdotes of the musicians and other intimates help fill out the portrait that Dunn creates via archival interviews and other footage.”

The Canadian film is hitting the big screen for the first time on Sept. 16 at 9 pm at the Princess of Wales Theatre, before receiving additional screenings on Sept. 17 and 19, giving festival attendees a chance to catch the film in between the other 292 titles playing across the festival’s ten days. The documentary will receive a wide release on CBC the following week, on Sept. 23.

The premiere marks the latest meaningful homage to an integral member of one of Canada’s biggest rock bands, which continues to celebrate a milestone 50th anniversary this year. Rush just finished  their homecoming stop  on their Fifty Something  reunion and anniversary tour  in Toronto, and announced that all four of its blockbuster concerts in the city  would be recorded  for a concert film.

K-pop global superstar and member of BLACKPINK, LISA will also give fans a rare look into the behind-the-scenes of her career in  Always Lalisa . An intimate documentary tracing her journey as an artist, the Sue Kim-directed film will make its world premiere at the festival.

TIFF runs from Sept. 10 to 20 and features an array of music-related films  — from a documentary about K-pop superstar LISA to a film following an Our Lady Peace superfan to a feature documentary exploring three aspiring Indigenous hip-hop artists.

Read a full list  here . —  Stefano Rebuli & Heather Taylor-Singh

Music Streaming Growth Slows in Quebec: Report

Streaming music isn’t growing at the same rate it once was in Quebec.

A new report from the  Observatory of Culture and Communications of the Queb...

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