The Beatles 1st Canadian show 60 years ago today – a near riot

red116

August 22, 1964. Photo by Owen Coppin. (Private collection of the late Red Robinson

Aug 22, 1964 –60 Years ago The Day the Beatles shook Vancouver.

The Fab Four’s first appearance in Canada 60 years ago was cut short because of a near riot

While February 7, 1964 was the day The Beatles crossed the big pond to conquer America, it was on August 22, 1964, the day before the legendary Hollywood Bowl Concert, that The Beatles made their first appearance north of the 49th Parallel. That concert was held outdoors at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, B.C.

The late legendary broadcaster and Disc Jockey Red Robinson who passed away a year ago in 2023 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, had previously introduced the likes of Elvis Presley, Bill Haley and Buddy Holly to the general public. But it was on that night in Vancouver that Red emceed the show that would go down as an unforgettable date in Beatle’s history.

I had the unique opportunity to interview Red 20 years ago in 2004 when he graciously agreed to emcee a show at the PNE featuring Rubber Soul – The Canadian Tribute a band I was managing at the time.

Robinson, then only 27, was at the time the Program Director and DJ at CFUN Radio in Vancouver. “It was a great day,” says Robinson. The concert was held on a football field on the site of the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), built in 1954 for The British Empire and Commonwealth Games. It was during those games that Roger Bannister and John Landy broke the four-minute mile. [Read more…]

Review: EKSAtelecom AI Wireless All-Day 99.9% Noise Canceling Headset

When it comes to tuning in to music or podcasts, let’s be real – most earbuds aren’t exactly a joy, especially if you’re settling in for a long session. And those bulky over-ear headphones? They can turn your ears into saunas and won’t even warn you about what’s happening around you. When making or taking calls, it’s hardly a pleasure for either party, even if you are in your car on your hands-free, due to all the external unwanted noise.

[Read more…]

Aug 22, 1964 –59 Years ago The Day the Beatles shook Vancouver

red116

August 22, 1964. Photo by Owen Coppin. (Private collection of the late Red Robinson

The Fab Four’s first appearance in Canada 60 years ago was cut short because of a near riot

While February 7, 1964 was the day The Beatles crossed the big pond to conquer America, it was on August 22, 1964, the day before the legendary Hollywood Bowl Concert, that The Beatles made their first appearance north of the 49th Parallel. That concert was held outdoors at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, B.C.

The late legendary broadcaster and Disc Jockey Red Robinson who passed away earlier this year was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, had previously introduced the likes of Elvis Presley, Bill Haley and Buddy Holly to the general public. But it was on that night in Vancouver that Red emceed the show that would go down as an unforgettable date in Beatle’s history.

I had the unique opportunity to interview Red  in 2004 when he graciously agreed to emcee a show at the PNE featuring Rubber Soul – The Canadian Tribute a band I was managing at the time.

Robinson, then only 27, was at the time the Program Director and DJ at CFUN Radio in Vancouver. “It was a great day,” says Robinson. The concert was held on a football field on the site of the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), built in 1954 for The British Empire and Commonwealth Games. It was during those games that Roger Bannister and John Landy broke the four-minute mile. [Read more…]

Creative’s Outlier Free Pro headphones a delightful out-of-ear experience

The bone-conduction magic of the Creative Outlier Free Pro is a revolution in sound

Earphones, earbuds or headphones, there’s no shortage of wired or wireless personal devices for enjoying your favourite music or podcasts on the go. These devices are typically designed to be worn in or over the ear.

Enter the Creative Outlier Free Pro, a newcomer on the scene that employs Bone Conduction Technology and is comfortably worn around the head, nestling just outside the ear.

[Read more…]

Need a Bluetooth headset? How about Solare? It’s solar powered

One can never get enough battery out of your Bluetooth headset. And if it’s something that you rely on heavily for more than just listening to podcasts or the odd phone call, it might be seriously worth checking out Solare – the world’s first solar-powered communications headset.

Just announced Dallas-based by Blue Tiger USA , the headset is already turning heads taking home the coveted TWICE 2022 Picks Awards, recognition from CES for the best and most influential consumer technology. It also picked up this year’s CES 2022 Innovation Award.

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Last Minute Wow Gifts for the Holiday Season

Items from places like AcousticSheep, Truly Ergonomic, Cyber Acoustics & Moen make for great gift ideas

If you’re still scrambling trying to find just that right particular gift for this holiday season, here’s a few practical, innovative and extremely useful few gift ideas with a little wow-factor.

SleepPhones

If your loved one likes to listen to his or her favourite tunes or podcasts while drifting off to sleep and standard earbuds are just not practical, SleepPhones by AcousticSheep may be the solution.

This bed-friendly gadget from a cleverly named company are literally headphones in a headband. Nestled between the layers of comfortably fitting fabric is an easily accessible and removable tiny rechargeable wireless Bluetooth module connected to a pair of flat speakers. 

[Read more…]

Sonobo Earbuds: Ground-breaking noise canceling, noise isolating & HD Sound

Sonobo ONE

Whether it’s listening to music, a podcast, people during a Zoom meeting or simply a phone call, you’ve probably found you’ve been spending more time than ever before with buds in your ears. It has become imperative that the earbuds give us the best quality sound possible (while eliminating unwanted noise), be comfortable to wear and still maintain decent battery life.

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Podcasting for Nurturing Young Minds

Kevin Achtzener

A good friend of mine, Kevin Achtzener decided to go back to school to complete an after degree in Education. He thought that getting his students to create their own podcasts would not only show the power of podcasting, but it would be a novel and fun approach to educating his class with new material as part of a Spanish Language Arts curriculum as part of his final year practicum.

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Podcasting 101: Hosting & Interview Techniques – Replay

When I first started podcasting 15 years ago, the most frequently asked question was, ‘What’s a Podcast?” Five years ago, It was, “Why are you doing podcasts? It’s going the way of the radio, video is where it’s at. Today I’m often asked, “What are the benefits of podcasting?” And “How can I get involved? How do I get started?”

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Introducing Hooke Lav: 1st mobile, wireless, wearable Bluetooth microphone – Kickstarter

Sept 22, 2020, NY, New York, USA – Hooke Audio is proud to announce the Hooke Lav, the first truly mobile, wireless, wearable, dual-channel, Bluetooth microphone is now available via KickStarterFINAL CALL OCT 22

The Hooke Lav was designed for professional grade audio with 24 bit/48kHz mono and dual channel D/A recording and 8 GB of onboard storage for continuous, drop-out proof recording situations. With it’s convenient, low-profile clip-on design, the Hooke Lavalier mic can be worn and used seamlessly in Live Streaming situations; such as Music Performances, Interviews, News and Sports Broadcasting, Virtual School Teaching and E-Learning, Fitness Instruction, Gaming and more, and is compatible on all popular social media and streaming platforms like YouTube, Zoom, Skype, Twitch, Facebook and Instagram. The Hooke Lav is compatible with all smartphones, tablets and professional camera equipment;  iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC, Android, Go Pro, DSLR and more. The Hooke Lav from Hooke Audio is now available for pre-order for a limited time on KickStarter at a discounted price.

[Read more…]