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Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
YASSiN & Sean Terrio Bring Genre-Bending Sound to Sound of Music Festival
From June 12 to 15, 2025, Burlington will be host to the annual Sound of Music (SOM) festival once again. The festival has a long history; it began back in 1980 rather more humbly than its current form, as a marching band parade. Since then, scores of musicians, from big names to local musicians, have graced SOM's stages. On June 15, local artists YASSiN and Sean Terrio will join those ranks, performing on the TD Main Stage at 2:30 p.m. Zack Yassin and Sean Terrio have been releasing music since 2020. They met each other a year earlier by pure coincidence. '[We met at] a local venue in Oakville called the Moonshine Cafe,' Yassin said. 'Sean happened to be singing at an open mic for the very first time, and I happened to be going to see this venue to check out the open mic for the very first time.' 'When I walked in, Sean was singing, and I was like, I have to work with this guy,' Yassin continued. 'Before that, I was writing, producing, and managing a bunch of different artists, whether it was hip-hop artists, country artists, or pop singers. And I finally decided that I wanted to be an artist myself. Then I met Sean, and I had a few songs I knew his voice would sound perfect on, and we started working together.' Terrio said that before taking the stage that night, he had never performed publicly. 'It was really just on a whim,' Terrio said. 'I knew I could kind of sing, and I wanted to at least go to one open mic in my life. I definitely come from a pretty musical family, and I have some musical friends, but ultimately, I was really inexperienced and kind of raw.' Terrio said that he had done 20 years of 'quiet dreaming' before stepping on stage, and that he had to develop the more outgoing side of himself before embarking on this new career. The result of that development, and partnering with Yassin, is a sound that doesn't fit into any one genre. Their sound is soulful and bright, with hints of pop, blues, R&B, and even country. Yassin said that playing SOM for the first time is an exciting prospect. 'I spent my whole life going to the Sound of Music Festival, seeing The Trews, Walk Off the Earth, and so many other artists there,' Yassin said. 'So I'm extremely pumped to be playing it.' The duo put out their debut album Just Try in October of last year. Yassin said the streaming numbers for the album have been a 'slow burn,' but that they have been growing every day. 'We're pretty confident that in time it'll get like the respect that we think it deserves, and people will love it the way we love it, because we really slaved over that thing and worked crazy hard on it,' Yassin said. Yassin hopes that events like SOM will help get the word out about the album even more. The duo operates as independent artists and spoke about the benefits of not being signed to a major label. 'It's like people are more interested in our brand over our music, which we completely understand, we want to be entertainers,' Yassin said. 'But with music labels, a lot of the time we've had the experience of like, 'Okay, we'll sign you, but let's change everything about you,' and we don't like that. And I'm a very hands-on person in every aspect of the business.' Yassin said that to him, a label deal is an easy way out. 'It's just a fast pass to what you hope is something grand,' Yassin said. 'But now that's not even guaranteed with labels. So you might as well build your own team and be your own label.' Terrio said that signing with a label would feel like settling at this point. He also said that there are many skills that he wouldn't have learned had he not been forced to as a result of working independently. As YASSiN and Sean Terrio, the two often post comedic videos to their social media pages, many featuring Terrio performing impressions of public figures and celebrities. Yassin spoke about the genesis of this content. 'We're 31 and 30, we're not TikTok people,' Yassin said. 'But as independent artists, we're like, 'We need to figure this out to market the album.' And as we were trying to figure it out, we saw all these other things that other artists are doing on TikTok, like singing your song in your car and stuff like that, but it wasn't working for us. And we finally just said, 'Let's do something that just makes us laugh.'' 'It felt like we were forced, out of necessity, to get ourselves out there more,' Yassin continued. 'And then we realized, 'Oh, we actually love comedy,' and people seem to like it as well.' Yassin said that he and Terrio have always shared a similar sense of humour, so it was very natural for them to be funny on camera and in front of audiences. 'It's so nice not having to force a different online persona to get views,' Yassin said. 'It's literally just us, which we're grateful for.' Terrio said that his family moved around frequently in his youth, and developed ways to entertain himself in between making friends, one of which was impressions. YASSiN and Sean Terrio will be performing at Mills Hardware in Hamilton on June 6, as well as at the Sound of Music festival on June 15. Click here to find links to their music and social media pages. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Daily Record
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Outlander fans spot 'hidden gem' Easter egg in show that's 'mind blowing'
Outlander fans have been left in awe by the link Outlander enthusiasts were utterly astonished upon stumbling upon an Easter egg within the show, sparking quite the buzz, reports the Express. This particular Easter egg made its sneaky appearance in the fourth episode of season three, dubbed Of Lost Things, just as the episode was reaching its emotional climax. Here we saw Jamie Fraser (portrayed by Sam Heughan) bidding a heartfelt adieu to his clandestine progeny, William Ransom (played by Clark Butler), as he departed Helwater for good. As Jamie was seen shedding tears while departing on horseback, an evocative rendition of Bob Dylan's A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall by Walk Off the Earth resonated in the background. A Reddit user couldn't help but share their discovery that the Dylan song mirrored a question-and-answer style derived from the English ballad 'Lord Randall. '. The Redditor explained: "Now, the Dylan version doesn't mention the name Randall at all - which means you'd only spot the connection if you already knew the ballad, or looked up the origins of the song, like I did. That's what makes this such a hidden gem of an Easter Egg!" They went on to theorise about the intentionality behind the choice of song during a moment when the surname Randall (belonging to Frank, Black Jack AND Claire) is significantly prominent throughout the series: "The use of that specific song, at that specific moment, in a show where the name Randall (Frank, Black Jack AND Claire) is so thematically central? There's just no way that's accidental [sic]." Furthermore, the Redditor under the handle Pungiaan pointed out that the song speaks of a "blue-eyed son", which could be an implicit reference to Jamie's son William and his piercing blue eyes. Lyrics mentioning a man "wounded in love" and another "wounded with hatred" were highlighted by the user as potential subtle hints towards the characters of Jamie and the notorious Captain 'Black Jack' Randall, portrayed by Tobias Menzies. They concluded: "I'm honestly in awe of how layered this is. It's the kind of detail you'd only catch if you dig a little - but once you do, it hits you like a brick." A second user commented underneath: "These types of Easter Eggs are scattered throughout every season. Also, I'm now going to have to listen to both versions." A third person said: "Thanks for calling attention to this detail and now it makes me want to find Easter eggs too. I appreciate your thoughtful analysis." Someone else expressed their amazement with "Thank you! Mind officially blown" while another enthused: "Omg, this is wonderful! I would've never noticed it unless someone pointed it out, and you did it amazingly! Thank you, I love this! [sic]." Citing writer Toni Graphia from the Making of Outlander book, an additional user shared a quote: "Before I even started writing 'Of Lost Things,' I had the Bob Dylan song in my head because, to me, the song is about fatherhood, whether it's about individual fatherhood or fatherhood of a country. So I played it on a loop when I was writing." Despite choosing Walk Off the Earth's version over Bob Dylan's original due to cost, Graphia found that it deeply resonated, saying: "When I heard that one, I knew that was the one, because it's a duo of a male and female singing the two parts, and I thought, Ah, that's Claire and Jamie. That's the male and female perspectives that we kept cutting to in the show. "I wrote it for the montage at the end because I thought, Everybody's losing something. Claire is losing hope to find Jamie. Jamie's losing his son. Roger's losing Brianna."
Hamilton Spectator
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Go-to summer festivals in the Hamilton area this year
With summer on the way, now is the perfect time to plan out what to do during the warmest time of the year. There are plenty of festivals to attend in Hamilton, whether you're interested in music, beer or comics. Here is what you can look forward to: Country fans can enjoy a weekend of performances, a bonfire, the R2i TuneUp Conference and the 13th annual awards ceremony at the Country Music Association of Ontario Festival and Awards. Jason McCoy, from the Road Hammers and Pure Country Radio, will host various acts, such as Andrew Hyatt, Sacha and Nations. Tickets range from $40 to $199. For more information, go to . The show will be held at The Music Hall ( 24 Main St. W. ) on Friday, May 1, and The Textile Building ( 10 George St. ) on Saturday, May 2. Awards will be presented on the festival's last day at The Music Hall. Walk Off the Earth plays at Burlington's Sound of Music Festival in 2017. The Hamilton Arts Council is hosting a week of art in June, featuring local artist performances and art showcases at venues around the city, including The Cotton Factory. There will be different exhibits, including a sound and video installation to explore Hamilton's industrial noise and a two-hour Caribbean-jazz-gospel-themed concert. For more details, go to . The annual free children's art festival is back in Gage Park ( 1000 Main St. E. ) in early June. The festival will feature workshops from local dancers, music and poets. For more details, go to . Big Wreck, David Wilcox and Junkhouse are a few of the artists set to perform at this year's Sound of Music Festival in Burlington's Spencer Smith Park ( 1400 Lakeshore Rd. ). The festival is free and will include a parade of marching bands, floats, performers and vintage cars on Saturday. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own folding chairs since bleachers will not be available this year. For more details on the festival, go to . Hamilton will host Ontario's biggest francophone festival for a weekend in the Gage Park bandshell at 1000 Main St. E. The event will include francophone concerts and family activities. For more details, go to . Lead dancer Christine Restoule of Dokis First Nation dances with others in the ring during the Soaring Spirit Pow Wow in 2023 at Battlefield Park. The Indigenous festival will have its 28th annual event in Battlefield Park in Stoney Creek to celebrate National Indigenous People's Day. Over three days, there will be workshops, ceremonies, live entertainment and the Native Arts, Craft, Trade and Food Show. There will also be sunrise ceremonies, drumming, dancing, music and art. For more details, go to . The Brott Music Festival is back for its 38th season, kicking off with a red carpet and music from the National Academy Orchestra of Canada before a Romeo and Juliet ballet performance, an immersive Beethoven symphony performance and Christmas musical show. Tickets are available for all performances at . This free festival is perfect for family and friends, full of music, entertainment, art and food. The festival will be held at Gage Park in Hamilton. For more details, go to . Matthew Good and His Band, Terra Lightfoot and Down With Webster will perform at the Pier 4 Park ( 64 Leander Dr. ) festival. Attendees will have access to hundreds of craft beers, ciders and cocktails. Tickets are $111 for the whole weekend, or $67 for each day. For more details, go to . Thirty food trucks will serve food from around the country at this free food truck festival in Gage Park ( 1000 Main St. E. ) in Hamilton. There will also be free children's games, tribute bands, cold beer and eating challenges. For more details, go to . Space Forain entertains attendees at Gage Park in 2018 during the opening night of FrancoFEST. This arts festival covers everything from live comedy to theatre to dance and film. There will be more than 350 performances. Tickets are $14 with the purchase of a $4 Fringe Benefits Button. Go to for more details. The Fiesta Extravaganza is the biggest Filipino celebration in Hamilton with a weekend of entertainment, cultural performances, celebrity guests and food. The festival will take place in Bayfront Park at 200 Harbour Front Dr. For more details, go to . This free festival, to be held at Gage Park in Hamilton, will feature live music, art, food and activities. The full lineup list will be released in mid-June. For more up-to-date information, go to . Heather Edgington, left, and Sharon Cate dance to the music of Ginger St. James at It's Your Festival in Gage Park in 2019. Enjoy different food, explore vendors and watch lion dancers in Bayfront Park ( 200 Harbour Front Dr. ) at this annual Asian culture celebration festival. For more information on the event, go to . The rib and beer fest will be held at CF Lime Ridge Mall ( 999 Upper Wentworth St. ) for $2 admission. Children under five years old are free. Hours are 4 to 11 p.m. on Friday, 12 to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 12 to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The festival will feature live music, including tributes to The Tragically Hip and AC/DC. For more information on the festival, go to . The festival will be return to Hamilton's Pier 4 Park in August. This year's theme is Reclamation, Unity and Healing. For up-to-date information, go to . Downtown Stoney Creek will showcase music, performances, food and drinks for this free two-day country music festival. The festival will happen along King Street East. For details on the festival, go to . Celebrate Latin culture at another free festival in Gage Park. Attendees can enjoy music, food, culture and activities. Visit for more details. The Dundas Cactus Festival will celebrate its 50th annual event along and off of King Street West. There will be music from four stages, family fun zones, pro-wrestling shows and BMX shows. You can also pop by the mobile video game trailer to play in a climate-controlled setting with up to 16 players. See for full details. The Peach Festival features an arts and craft section, amusement rides, vendors, a food court and live music. Grab a peach-filled pie, crepe, cobbler or sundae at Winona Park ( 1328 Barton St., Stoney Creek ). Go to for more details. The James Street North annual arts and music festival will return with performances, fashion and food. This year will be the Sonic Unyon festival's 17th year running. For more up-to-date information on the festival, go to . For lovers of superheroes, sci-fi, fantasy and pop culture, Hamilton Comic Con will offer exhibitors, comic books, movie cars, cosplay contest, celebrity guests and photo opportunities at The Hamilton Convention Centre at 1 Summers Lane . For up-to-date information on tickets prices and celebrity attendees, go . Cheyenne Bholla is a reporter at The Hamilton Spectator. cbholla@
Vancouver Sun
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Bad Religion, Tom Morello, July Talk, 98 Degrees electrify KDays Music Fest July 18-27
The multi-night candyfloss juggernaut of KDays Music Fest has unleashed its headliners, including L.A. punk legends Bad Religion opening night, Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave's Tom Morello July 19, Edmonton-spawned indie superstars July Talk (good month for this!) and Christmas-loving L.A. vocal quartet 98 Degrees dropping in as the festival finale. Article content Article content There's a concert 8:30-10 p.m. every night during KDays' 10-day July 18-27 run — with a wider range of music than mere rock and roll, mind you. Article content Article content July 22, for example, the 'crown prince of Bhangra' Jazzy B plays the main stage near Gate 2 at the Edmonton EXPO Centre & Exhibition Grounds South Entrance where all the big shows will shine. Article content For country fans, Ontario-Alberta border hopper and singer-songwriter Jade Eagleson has a show July 24, opened up by Drew Gregory. Article content July Talk aside, it's a boys-heavy headliner lineup, though Tea G opens for 98 Degrees July 27, Vissia warming up for Toronto's grungy drum and bass USS July 20, both locals. Article content Sarah Blackwood, aka Sarah Sin, is also a strong voice in the folk-pop weirdness of Walk Off the Earth, headlining Friday, July 25 with opener Gabriella Bee of TikTok fame. Article content (Side note: if you haven't seen the blockbuster Sinners yet, July Talk Edmonton ex-pat Peter Dremanis has a terrific singing role in the critically-lauded musical horror film.) Article content Article content The concerts are split into tiers — general admission and the Front & Centre Fan Zone up front. Article content Article content You can slip into GA with your KDays park admission, the premium positioning costing extra, though these tickets also get you onto the midway so you can hop on rides and watch the nightly fireworks. Article content July Talk $50 Article content Jazzy B $60 Article content Marianas Trench $60 Article content Jade Eagleson $50 Article content Walk Off the Earth $50 Article content G-Eazy $70 Article content 98 Degrees $60 Article content The midway is open noon – midnight daily, $15 adult admission, $10 kids and seniors, with a $29.99 10-day pass and other options (plus way more info) at Article content
