BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN LIVE AT ROGERS CENTRE IN TORONTO

Bruce Springsteen in Toronto - August 2012

Still lookin' good!  Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen played Rogers Centre last night to an audience of 40k Fans.  The Rock Legend brought his 16-piece E Street Band along with him, opening the night with a Medley of Summer Hits, including my personal favourite Hungry Heart, which had the Crowd singing along in unison.

Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven Reader Sari was one of the lucky Fans who got up-close and personal with Springsteen as he made his way out to the edge of an Auxiliary stage and she happened to be right there when it all went down! "He was amazing! He played for 3.5 hours!", she tells me. Just look at that  one Fan gazing lovingly at her Idol from the edge of the stage, channeling her best pre-Friends era Courteney Cox!

The Boss is off to Moncton, New Brunswick next tomorrow night, playing Magnetic Hill.

(Photo credit: Sari Colt)

NELLY FURTADO AND P!NK TO RELEASE GREATEST HITS

Mark your Calendars, Mavenati! November 16th, traditionally a big day for Album releases, will be an exciting day for Music Lovers. Both P!nk and Nelly Furtado have announced that they are releasing Greatest Hits collections on this date.

Furtado who first surfaced November 2000 with debut album Whoa, Nelly!, will be releasing The Best of Nelly Furtado from Geffen Records/Universal Music, which will feature new tracks Night is Young and Girlfriend, both produced by Salaam Remi (Amy Winehouse). It's been a while since we've heard new English material from Furtado, so expectations are high.  Night is Young premiered on BBC Radio this past weekend; you can preview a live version of it here.

P!nk - Raise Your Glass Single Artwork

Another Pop Legend P!nk continues professing her love for exclamation marks with her Greatest Hits package, Greatest Hits.... So Far! from Sony Music. The collection will feature two new tracks including new single Raise Your Glass, which will be sent to radio later today. I'll feature the track as soon as it becomes available.  In the video for the track, it is said that she will be marrying a Gay couple.  Always stirring the pot, that P!nk!

Oh yes, and Rihanna's new studio effort LOUD! will be out that same day, as will the Soundtrack to Burlesque (aka Glitter 2010)! Although not my thing, Rascal Flatts, Bruce Springsteen and Norah Jones are also heavy hitters with releases that day. Start putting aside some of that pocket change!

(Photo credit: Sony Music/NellyFurtado.com)

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN DOCUMENTARY TO SCREEN AT TIFF

As a kid growing up in the '80s, it was impossible to avoid the influence of Bruce Springsteen. His Born in the U.S.A. album was one of my first vinyl records, although really I would only play three tracks off that album over and over: Glory Days, I'm on Fire and of course the title track.

Springsteen to me was one of my first realizations of what it meant for a man to be perceived as Masculine and sexy.  I would watch videos of women fawning over him, including that star-making video with a young starstruck Courteney Cox.  Tabloid reports of him being involved ith Patti Scialfa from E Street Band - while married - was one of my earliest recollections of what Adultery is and I remember being confused why a husband would fall in love with another woman when he had a wife. 

Filmmaker Thom Zimny will be bringing The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town to this year's TIFF.  It is scheduled to screen on Tuesday, September 14, 2010.  The documentary contains never-seen-before footage and archives compiled  between 1976 and 1978 as Springstreen was recording  Darkness on the Edge of Town following his massively successful Born to Run album.  During that period, he was under great pressure to record a successful follow-up and also undergoing legal battles.  It is rumoured that Springsteen himself will be in attendance.  We'll soon see...