Latest news with #DownWithWebster
CBC
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Pup is about to take Canadian pop-punk to the next level
Social Sharing Pup's new album, Who Will Look After The Dogs, is the cherry on top of an already great week for Canadian pop-punk. Released today, it comes on the heels of a national revelation that our new prime minister is a certified Down With Webster fan — and about a month after Sum 41's last live performance ever at the 2025 Juno Awards. But will this renewed interest in Canada's contributions to the genre be a blip, or the start of a new wave? Today on Commotion, culture writer Niko Stratis, rapper/author Rollie Pemberton and music journalist Emilie Hanskamp join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss the new album from Toronto punk band Pup, the resurgence of early 2000s Canadian pop-punk, and the joy of seeing Prime Minister Mark Carney get down with Down With Webster. We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player. WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube: Elamin: Emilie, Pup are one of those bands that seem to get more and more popular with each record. Next week they head out on this big European tour. They're gonna be playing five homecoming shows in Toronto in July. You're a long-time Pup fan. What got you into them? Emilie: Well, I'm from Montreal. I moved here about nine-ish years ago and had my own insular scene thing going on here. I didn't know who Pup was…. And at a time — I mean, still we're dealing with a problem where you kind of try to divorce yourself from your inner Canadiana — and I was introduced to this hyper-local, super popular, beloved band, went to a show, almost got absolutely annihilated in the pit and fell in love with them. Fell in love with the self-deprecation, the self awareness, that sharpness of that self awareness. And I think we'll talk about their evolution a little later, but they haven't changed in that way, which is why I've stayed with them. They're about my age, mid-30s, and we've evolved kind of together in this really comforting and cathartic way. I just admire and love that they've stayed true to that, through and through. Elamin: Two things. One, people from Montreal never miss an opportunity to let you know that they're from Montreal, and I just want to admire the dedication to that. Emilie: I promise it's not the only time it's going to happen. Elamin: And two, you know who does not try to divorce themselves from their inner Canadiana is Niko Stratis. I think she has a Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald tattoo on her body. Is that correct? Niko: It's a full back piece, yeah. You see the ship slowly sink down. Elamin: This is a derailment, and I'm gonna get back to Pup. OK, so the band has been at it for over a decade. They've built this incredibly loyal following, and they have this really high-energy music. After hearing this new record, how would you say they've evolved, Niko? Niko: Well, I'm from the Yukon. I feel like we're just going around and talking about where we're from. Elamin: Sure are. Niko: But you know, I was a punk rock kid and I grew up with what we would consider to be a Southern California skate-punk style. And when I was kid, I never expected this music would grow up with me…. And to my surprise in my adult years, it has kind of happened, and Pup is one of those bands that is really doing that, right? They are evolving not just sonically but also in their songwriting, how they are approaching talking about mental health, and the self-deprecating and all that. Even that sort of evolves as you get older and as you have a deeper understanding of yourself. You don't really grow old in punk rock; that was never supposed to be a thing. So it is interesting now to be old and be like, "Oh, this music can still be for me." Even though it is still very youthful. It is still very loud and fast and angry. We can still be loud and fast and angry, and be older and still have concerns and worries. It is a really beautiful, fun thing. Like, it is both sad and also about Olive Garden. Elamin: Rollie, I mentioned that the Pup are playing those five shows in Toronto this summer. You are opening one of them, you're opening July 18 at Danforth Music Hall. Let's talk about the fact that they have used their shows quite often as platforms to go, "Hey, you've got to meet our friend and listen to them because they mean something to us." Talk to me about the importance of Pup in the larger Canadian music ecosystem. Rollie: Pup, they're one of those bands that at first you start seeing them blowing up, and you're like, "Wow, I'm surprised that they're Canadian." They're just popping, and I really appreciate the connection they've cultivated with their audience. They've been grinding, and you feel like they're progressively getting bigger and bigger. They keep tying into that emotional connection with their fans, and I feel like they are just best practices for a band in 2025. I feel like they use their platform probably better than most bands out there. They're putting up the trans flag, having really diverse artists opening for them…. They don't have to do any of that. That's something that I just really want to point out: they make a conscious decision to platform other people themselves. And I think it's a really special thing.
CBC
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Down With Webster's YouTube views soar 500% after Mark Carney's dancing goes viral
Social Sharing Toronto rap-pop-rock band Down With Webster received a major boost after Prime Minister Mark Carney's win on April 28, with the group's YouTube daily view count increasing by more than 500 per cent after Carney danced to their 2010 song Whoa Is Me. WATCH | Mark Carney dances to Down With Webster: The group's daily YouTube viewer count was 5,949 on April 27 and by April 28, when they performed at the Liberal party's victory party, the daily count had soared to 35,816 viewers, according to data from Soundcharts. Several YouTube users took to the comment section for Whoa Is Me to share that the newly elected prime minister is who prompted them to check out the band. "Canadian here. I've never heard of this song before. I like it (A LOT)," wrote @joananne7802. "I saw a clip of our new Prime Minister rocking out to this, so that is how I landed here." WATCH | The official music video for Whoa Is Me by Down With Webster: "Thanks Carney for leading me to a new good song I never knew before," commented @JessicaD. After going viral while wearing a piece of the band's merch, a red hoodie with its logo, the band shared that they were making it available on its website. "Due to popular demand, we're making our 'Team Canada Jersey' available in the web store," they wrote. "It doesn't matter what party you choose, as long as you choose to party!" Carney also played the band's song Time To Win at his rallies, and Down With Webster posted about his use of the track on Instagram on March 9, writing, "Great campaign song choice. Also throwing up the W like an absolute legend." In the comments section for Time To Win, several users also shared that they listened to that song because of Carney. "Who's here after Mark Carney won the election & saw him busting it down to this song?" commented @bapeater. "This being the current Canadian PM's fav [sic] song was unexpected but cool af," commented @Hooy-H00y. WATCH | The official music video for Time To Win by Down With Webster: The band's bassist, Tyler Armes, shared on CBC's Commotion that Carney has been a big fan of Down With Webster for years. "I know that over a decade ago when we were first starting to tour, I remember reading press that somebody in politics was a big fan…. So apparently he came to see a show and was watching the opening band, and wanted to know what all the commotion was about and why they were all sticking around for whoever was on after, and that was us," he told Commotion host Elamin Abdelmahmoud. "So the way that I know that he's a die-hard fan is because the correspondence we had prior to showing up, the list of songs they wanted us to play, there were some deep cuts on there," he continued. "And it was clear that he was super involved in that process." Armes added that he was "super impressed with his timing and his delivery" after Carney rapped to them backstage. "I want to know what else he listens to because if you like our band, you like a lot of music, because our band is such a mashup of so many genres," he said. WATCH | Tyler Armes talks about Mark Carney and Down With Webster on Commotion:
CBC
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
The inside story of Down With Webster's Liberal victory party performance
Social Sharing The Canadian rap-rock band Down With Webster played the Liberals' victory party on Monday night — because, as it turns out, Prime Minister Mark Carney is genuinely a big fan of the group. Down With Webster was an active part of the Canadian music scene from the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s, and they returned to the stage last year to embark on a reunion tour. Their song Time To Win was featured at Carney's rallies throughout the campaign. Today on Commotion, host Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks with band member Tyler Armes about rapping with the prime minister backstage, and what you can tell about a person based on the music they know by heart. We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player. WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube: Tyler: So really what happened was last week sometime, Mr. Carney got in touch with us and asked if we could leave the date open to come and perform. And then we found out a few days later we were going to, in fact, come and perform. And, you know, being the nice Canadians that we are, you don't show up without a gift. So I called my buddy that makes hoodies and I'm like, "We need hoodies, like, immediately." He's like, "They're going to be very expensive to rush them in two days." And I was like, "It's worth it, no problem." He made a medium, large and an XL. One of them got totally ruined in the process — the dye ran all over it. So when the package showed up in Ottawa, he's like, "Good news, bad news. They're there in Ottawa. You only have two, and hopefully one of them fits the prime minister." Well, I'm wearing the larger one that does not fit the prime minister. And then, yeah, Mark has the other one. Elamin: Well, you know what? It seems like it worked out OK. Tyler: Yeah, I did some googling. I was like, he's 5'9". He looks like he's in shape. Apparently he runs a lot, so I'm like, the medium, it's going to work. Elamin: I hear that you met Mark Carney for the first time in the green room on Monday night before you guys performed. How do you know that he's a real fan, and this didn't come together because some campaign staffer Googled "a song about winning from someone who's Canadian"? Tyler: Totally, good question. I know that over a decade ago when we were first starting to tour, I remember reading press that somebody in politics was a big fan…. So apparently he came to see a show and was watching the opening band, and wanted to know what all the commotion was about and why they were all sticking around for whoever was on after, and that was us. So the way that I know that he's a die-hard fan is because the correspondence we had prior to showing up, the list of songs they wanted us to play, there were some deep cuts on there. And it was clear that he was super involved in that process. And then, obviously, there's a video we posted backstage where he's rapping word for word, bar for bar with the band, and he's not missing any of them. Like, this is something that he listens to in the car to get pumped up, listens to at rallies — it's a very sincere thing, which really made the choice for us so obvious. Obviously, so humbling to be called upon by your country and to perform at something like this. It's not something that we ever thought was going to happen with these songs we made when we were kids in my dad's garage, but it was a no-brainer. It wasn't just a record label trying to insert their artist for press, and it wasn't a flavour-of-the-week thing. It was a real connection that he had to us. Carney dances to Down With Webster after election win 2 days ago Duration 1:06 Elamin: Tyler, everything that you just said is truly extraordinary. And I want to dwell on like eight different things that you just mentioned. First of all, the notion that you would tell me that Mark Carney, in the middle of running a national campaign to be the next prime minister, took, I don't know, two and a half to three minutes, I assume, to say, "Hey, when Webster shows up, I want them to hit Parade Music. I would like to hear the words, 'I've never been in love, I've only been in clubs,' at my victory party." That's extraordinary to me. But also can I just say, what's not lost on me is he would have been listening to Time to Win Vol. 1 during the financial crisis, when he was the governor of the Bank of Canada. Tyler: Yeah, that part, it's a testament to music. And you know what? You can think you know where your music's going to end up, but when you release it into the world, it's going to have a life of its own. And it's wonderful. It's amazing. Elamin: What was it like having Mark Carney rap the band's words back to you when you guys were backstage? Tyler: I was just super impressed with his timing and his delivery. I want to know what else he listens to because if you like our band, you like a lot of music, because our band is such a mashup of so many genres. But it was so cool. I wanted to stay longer and do it for 15 more minutes, but he had secret service with him and more important things to do.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Down With Webster band on a high after PM Carney's victory dance
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's election night celebration has unexpectedly revived interest in rap-rock band Down With Webster , with their streams jumping 96% after he danced to their music in a viral moment. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack Nuclear Power! How India and Pakistan's arsenals stack up Does America have a plan to capture Pakistan's nuclear weapons? Airspace blockade: India plots a flight path to skip Pakistan The now-famous clip shows Carney wearing a custom red hoodie with "PM 24" – marking his place as Canada's 24th prime minister – while enthusiastically mouthing the lyrics to Whoa Is Me . The moment, captured during Liberal Party celebrations, quickly spread across social media, driving renewed attention to the Toronto band. Also read: Canada elections 2025 results: Mark Carney-led Liberals expected to register majority win, claims new polls Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Never Throw Away the Water After Boiling Eggs - The Reason is Genius! Tips and Tricks Undo Spotify streams after election Spotify data shows streams of Time To Win , the band's unofficial campaign anthem played at Carney's rallies, surged nearly double in the week following the April 28 election. Down With Webster's overall catalog also saw an 82% increase in plays. Live Events The Prime Minister, a longtime fan, had invited the band to perform at his election night party, where they played a short set including Your Man and Rich Girl$ . Bassist Tyler Armes called it a "dream come true," noting Carney wore their gifted hoodie during his victory speech. The band leaned into their sudden spotlight with a unifying Instagram post: "We love you no matter what party you choose, as long as you choose to party!" – a message that resonated after a divisive campaign. Also read: Canada's new First Lady isn't here for the title Music industry analysts compare the effect to past "leader boosts," where political figures have inadvertently propelled artists into the mainstream. For Down With Webster, whose last major tour was in 2017, Carney's endorsement may mark an unexpected second wind. The phenomenon highlights how politics and pop culture increasingly intersect, with viral moments capable of reshaping careers overnight. As streams continue climbing, one thing is clear: in today's attention economy, even prime ministers can be powerful tastemakers.
Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Watch: Canada PM Carney's dance moves go viral after election win
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's dance moves are going viral after his Liberal Party clinched a dramatic federal election win. In a widely shared clip, Carney is seen rapping and dancing to Canadian band Down With Webster's track 'Whoa Is Me.' While he dances, Carney is seen wearing a red hoodie that has the Canadian flag and 'PM' written over it. The back reads 'M. Carney' and '24,' marking him as Canada's 24th prime minister. The viral clip has boosted streams of the rap rock band's music by 96% on Spotify in Canada. 'Time To Win' — used as an unofficial anthem during the campaign — led the spike, Spotify confirmed, as reported by CTV News. 'We love you no matter what party you choose, as long as you choose to party!' Down With Webster posted on Instagram, referencing the divisive election and Carney's dance. The election win Canada would 'never ever' be owned by America, Carney declared after the win. 'Our old relationship with the United States, which had brought prosperity to Canada, is over.' The viral clip of the Canadian PM dancing has reportedly boosted streams of the Canadian band 'Down With Webster' on Spotify in Canada. (Photo: The Canadian Press via AP) Despite falling short of a majority, the Liberals are expected to govern with support from smaller parties. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, however, lost his seat and stepped down after a historic defeat. Carney, returning for a second term, framed his win as part of a broader mission: 'To lead the path of democracy and freedom… and because we are Canadian, to do so with compassion and generosity.' With a PhD in Economics and a distinguished education from both Harvard and Oxford, Carney's background is expected to guide Canada through this diplomatic pivot.
