[Tewder]

These aren't last-minute decisions, or 'snap your finger and voila' musings. Who knows what Rush's schedule may have been if they'd been hired by the Panams long enough ago? The fact that they were already planning to be on the road may have made it easier for them to appear in Toronto, a 40th anniversary to commemorate to boot!

 

[TOareaFan]

These aren't last-minute decisions, or 'snap your finger and voila' musings. Who knows what Rush's schedule may have been if they'd been hired by the Panams long enough ago? The fact that they were already planning to be on the road may have made it easier for them to appear in Toronto, a 40th anniversary to commemorate to boot!

Sorry but, because of how artists really make their money (touring) yes they are last minute(ish) decisions. No major act that is about to go out on the road is going to build their tour around the PanAm games (or even the Olympics)....the exercise is the opposite it is "ok, we are close enough now that tour dates are set...let's see who the biggest/most popular names are that are available and we can get".

All of this armchair criticism of the entertainment selection is kinda funny.....because not only did the organizers realize that this was something best handled by professionals....they went out and outsourced it to the world's premier tour/booking/promoting company. Live Nation is kinda good at this stuff.

Now, I only used Rush as an example of tour conflicts because they were mentioned and I happened to be in Vegas this past weekend.....did not mean this to be about Rush....but let's ask ourselves......assuming (wrongly IMO) that tour dates could be built around the ceremony....what is the average age of Pan Am athletes (since closings are supposed to be their party)?.....ok, assuming you got the right answer, ask yourselves...how many of them would rather see Rush than Kanye/Pitbull? I know that I would rather see Rush.....but the show is not designed for me......nor should it be.

 

[Tuscani01]

Sorry but, because of how artists really make their money (touring) yes they are last minute(ish) decisions. No major act that is about to go out on the road is going to build their tour around the PanAm games (or even the Olympics)....the exercise is the opposite it is "ok, we are close enough now that tour dates are set...let's see who the biggest/most popular names are that are available and we can get".

All of this armchair criticism of the entertainment selection is kinda funny.....because not only did the organizers realize that this was something best handled by professionals....they went out and outsourced it to the world's premier tour/booking/promoting company. Live Nation is kinda good at this stuff.

Now, I only used Rush as an example of tour conflicts because they were mentioned and I happened to be in Vegas this past weekend.....did not mean this to be about Rush....but let's ask ourselves......assuming (wrongly IMO) that tour dates could be built around the ceremony....what is the average age of Pan Am athletes (since closings are supposed to be their party)?.....ok, assuming you got the right answer, ask yourselves...how many of them would rather see Rush than Kanye/Pitbull? I know that I would rather see Rush.....but the show is not designed for me......nor should it be.

You pretty much summed up my opinion.

All of these armchair critics thinking they could've done better have absolutely no clue how the industry works. Live Nation, who was responsible for putting together the show, is the best at what it does. If they couldn't put together a better lineup, then none of the critics would've been able to pull it off either.

 

[Tewder]

Sorry but, because of how artists really make their money (touring) yes they are last minute(ish) decisions. No major act that is about to go out on the road is going to build their tour around the PanAm games (or even the Olympics)....the exercise is the opposite it is "ok, we are close enough now that tour dates are set...let's see who the biggest/most popular names are that are available and we can get".

So Kanye was just sitting around by the phone waiting for the panam organizers to call? I don't think so. You yourself state that the Live Nation is 'kinda good' at this stuff, I highly doubt they'd be hanging back and waiting until the last minute to book a big act such as this. No, my point stands. Rush announced their tour back in January. They were likely booking arenas and dates in the six months prior to that, which likely wasn't that far off of when Live Nation started tossing around performance ideas.

All of this armchair criticism of the entertainment selection is kinda funny.....because not only did the organizers realize that this was something best handled by professionals....they went out and outsourced it to the world's premier tour/booking/promoting company. Live Nation is kinda good at this stuff.

Live Nation was almost certainly provided with a brief, the parameters chosen by the organizers. There is no way in heck they were given carte-blanche or 'just get the biggest star in the universe'-type directives. Bottom line: a token Can-con component may have been acceptable/logical to the organizers but they failed to understand that people here would have a strong point of view on it.

Now, I only used Rush as an example of tour conflicts because they were mentioned and I happened to be in Vegas this past weekend.....did not mean this to be about Rush....but let's ask ourselves......assuming (wrongly IMO) that tour dates could be built around the ceremony....what is the average age of Pan Am athletes (since closings are supposed to be their party)?.....ok, assuming you got the right answer, ask yourselves...how many of them would rather see Rush than Kanye/Pitbull? I know that I would rather see Rush.....but the show is not designed for me......nor should it be.

Yeah, i'm not insisting on Rush either. They were brought up merely in response to some here who don't feel there were ANY plausible local options to Kanye.... and I don't really have an issue with Kanye as an artist, though I'm not personally a fan of him or his genre. He's popular, I get it. As for Rush specifically though, they are similar to KD Lang in that they sort of transcend chart popularity or age demographic. They have quasi cult status and appeal to a cross section. They are probably just about the only local group act who have achieved such status.

All of these armchair critics thinking they could've done better have absolutely no clue how the industry works. Live Nation, who was responsible for putting together the show, is the best at what it does. If they couldn't put together a better lineup, then none of the critics would've been able to pull it off either.

So there!

 

[TOareaFan]

This will be my last response...clearly we disagree (and that is fine) but just want to clarify

So Kanye was just sitting around by the phone waiting for the panam organizers to call? I don't think so.

That is not what I said at all and I think you know that. Kanye just happens to not be touring at this time......so he is likely someone thta Live Nation had in mind as a "big splash" name and have been talking to him and firmed it up and announced it.

You yourself state that the Live Nation is 'kinda good' at this stuff, I highly doubt they'd be hanging back and waiting until the last minute to book a big act such as this.

Yes they are good at it and probably know long before most who is or isn't touring at points in the future....they would know this for tours they are producing and for the tours that are likely to be competition to their tours.

No, my point stands. Rush announced their tour back in January. They were likely booking arenas and dates in the six months prior to that, which likely wasn't that far off of when Live Nation started tossing around performance ideas.

yes those times look right and the the eastern leg of the Rush tour was, when, early June? They are in the closing days of their tour and are in the SW....how does/would that have made them available? They would have rejigged the dates on an entire North American tour to be in Toronto on the day?

Live Nation was almost certainly provided with a brief, the parameters chosen by the organizers. There is no way in heck they were given carte-blanche or 'just get the biggest star in the universe'-type directives. Bottom line: a token Can-con component may have been acceptable/logical to the organizers but they failed to understand that people here would have a strong point of view on it.

The brief, as I understood it from quite a while ago was to program a celebration of popular music from the Americas. Again, the show was never intended to be a Canadian thing...it is an Americas thing.....last I checked, all of the 3 "names" (and who knows who else will show up) meet that bill.

 

[Forgotten]

On the subject of using Canadian talent to headline the closing ceremonies, we would be remiss to forget about this country's greatest musical export, Fred Penner.

In a land with a rich history spanning multiple centuries of advanced human civilization and culture, to call him this country's greatest music export? When I've never heard of him? It's a twisted and sick joke. Are you his mom? Fred Penner himself? It's called hubris and it's a sin. Given these circumstances, I think it would be a crime if he were involved.

 

[Tewder]

This will be my last response...clearly we disagree (and that is fine) but just want to clarify

Actually I'm sort of coming round to the 'not necessarily local act' point of view. Maybe a two to one ratio might have been a little more palatable... that said, rumours are bounding that Drake will be a surprise show.

yes those times look right and the the eastern leg of the Rush tour was, when, early June? They are in the closing days of their tour and are in the SW....how does/would that have made them available? They would have rejigged the dates on an entire North American tour to be in Toronto on the day?

I thought I read somewhere that they actually have the night of the closing ceremony off, that it falls between their dates. Anyhow, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that they could have flown in to do the gig. It would have been pretty great exposure for them with their anniversary and tour and all.

The brief, as I understood it from quite a while ago was to program a celebration of popular music from the Americas. Again, the show was never intended to be a Canadian thing...it is an Americas thing.....last I checked, all of the 3 "names" (and who knows who else will show up) meet that bill.

You may be right about that, though I think the public can be excused for anticipating that it would be Toronto putting on the show and featuring its talent, it's typically how these things go, i.e. the olympics.

 

[CodeMonkey]

With just five days to go, and Kanye West still set to preform, it's looking like they won't be replacing him. So everyone just get over it. No change.org petition is going to change the minds of the Pan Am Organizers, they already won by selling a million event tickets and the 50,000 to 75,000 signatures will just end up in the official Pan Am shredder in the end.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

With just five days to go, and Kanye West still set to preform, it's looking like they won't be replacing him. So everyone just get over it. No change.org petition is going to change the minds of the Pan Am Organizers, they already won by selling a million event tickets and the 50,000 to 75,000 signatures will just end up in the official Pan Am shredder in the end.

Just sit back and enjoy - the city certainly has earned it. Toronto is a world city - are we really going to go provincial and nitpick on the citizenship of who get to be on, of all things, a closing ceremony?

AoD

 

[SunriseChampion]

Yeah.....I really don't understand what the problem is....and I think Kanye is a dic*head whose music I dislike.

I'm more worried about the eventual dissappearance of the HOV lanes.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Yeah.....I really don't understand what the problem is....and I think Kanye is a dic*head whose music I dislike.

I'm more worried about the eventual dissappearance of the HOV lanes.

Indeed, some folks are all worked up over Kanye because they personally dislike him for whatever reason and then justify their opposition post-hoc using the argument that he isn't a Canadian artist. pfftt.

AoD

 

[TOareaFan]

Indeed, some folks are all worked up over Kanye because they personally dislike him for whatever reason and then justify their opposition post-hoc using the argument that he isn't a Canadian artist. pfftt.

AoD

He's not canadian? but the mayor said...oh, never mind.

 

[wopchop]

I'm kind of glad that it is Kayne. Perhaps he will rush the stage and steal the mic from the politicos during their inevitable long-winded masturbatory speeches.

That would be worth it.

 

[Tuscani01]

Perhaps run up as the Lima 2019 presentation begins?

"Yo Lima, I’m really happy for you…I’ll let you finish. But Toronto had one of the best Pan Am's of all time! One of the best Pan Am's of all time!"

Actually, that would be worth it.

 

[Tewder]

Perhaps the Lima closing ceremony will feature Justin Bieber and Carly Rae?