Being a tour manager means being a logistics coordinator, accountant, event planner, human resources professional, crisis manager, and counselor. Everything that goes on during the tour - or leading up to it - runs through them. Really, it's one of the most important yet least-discussed jobs in the music business. That’s why Mike wrote a feature article for the March/April 2020 issue of Canadian Musician trying to make sense of tour managers’ responsibilities and share a few of their stories.

One of those interesting and fun conversations for the magazine was with Erika Duffee, the go-to tour manager for Canadian pop-rock star Scott Helman and arena-filling Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi, among others, which we share on today’s episode. You'll hear about the many facets of this odd role along with some great stories from the road and other insights.

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Here's hoping everyone is holding up while holed up. On today's show, we bring you a candid conversation with Erin Benjamin, the president and CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association, discussing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the association's members and wider concert industry in Canada.

Let's be clear: the situation is dire, and there's up-to-date data to prove it; however, the CLMA is working hard by advocating the government to recognize and help the industry through these hardships and has been making inroads. We get into these and other efforts the association is spearheading, including collaborations with fellow music industry stakeholders, and share tips on how anyone listening can take action.

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This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Darren "Young D" Metz and Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce of acclaimed rap duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids join us this week. We chat about how they’re getting through the quarantine and the frustration of a cancelled U.S. tour. Then we get into the making of their new EP, Born Deadly, discussing the influence of Kobe Bryant (whose death inspired the song “Kobe Face”), as well as how they took their anger over the RCMP’s actions against Indigenous protesters in Wet'suwet'en territory, and across Canada, and put it into the raging new track “Cops with Guns Are the Worst!!!”

Plus, influetial and innovative hip-hop producer David Strickland and multi-faceted creator Que Rock talk about their collaborations on Strickland's upcoming collection, Spirit of Hip Hop. Strickland addresses the truly stellar guest list he's assembled for the record - which includes Que - before we touch on some of the themes they cover, how categorization can be counter-productive in hip-hop, and more.

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Former President Barack Obama slammed the Trump administration's coronavirus response as an "an absolute chaotic disaster."

Mr. Obama's comments came Friday night while privately talking to ex-members of his administration. A tape of the conversation was leaked to Yahoo News, which first reported the former president's comments Saturday morning.

He ...

For the second time, a federal judge has issued a restraining order against Kentucky officials who moved to block church services during the coronavirus shutdown.

U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove ruled Friday night in favor of Tabernacle Baptist Church of Nicholasville and against Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's order ...

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the negotiation process for coronavirus relief packages, saying rank-and-file members have been all but shut out of the process.

"It's really hard to understate how devastating this has been, in terms of our legislative and oversight abilities, for an average member of Congress to ...

Two Democratic senators, along with independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, have introduced a bill to give Americans $2,000 checks every month throughout the duration of the coronavirus crisis, as proposals for stimulus payment programs float on Capitol Hill.

Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Ed Markey of Massachusetts teamed ...

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - After fleeing Venezuela along with millions of others amid the country's grueling humanitarian crisis, Misael Cocho made his way by bus to Peru - where he got odd jobs and sent money home monthly to support his mother and his 5-year-old son.

But just after Cocho ...

Saturday's UFC 249 featured postfight interviews in the Octagon, a departure from safety protocols that were announced earlier this week.

"Considering a pandemic, the flower industry has rebounded like crazy. All the floral shops that I know are super busy and sold out."

Those under the age of 40 make up almost 50 per cent of Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 cases, with many cases linked to people drinking together.

In the time of the novel coronavirus, it's anything but normal for one part-time florist as Mother's Day approaches.   

Drive-in theatres are also allowed to open on May 15.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned against any early reopening of economies, noting Canada is still in the emergency phase.

An Edmonton family is expressing frustration because their 12-year-old daughter, who has a rare disorder, cannot access the horse therapy she needs.

A lack of guidance for some non-essential dental treatments is causing concern for hygienists and assistants as clinics reopen in Alberta during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saskatchewan announced nine new COVID-19 cases and five more recoveries on Saturday, bringing its total number of cases to 553 as the province enters week two of its plan to gradually reopen.

Chinese fans of Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons are paying a premium on foreign consoles and finding ways to skirt limits imposed by local regulators on a game that has become both a breakout worldwide hit and political flashpoint.

Tesla Inc sued local authorities in California on Saturday as the electric carmaker pushed to re-open its factory there and Chief Executive Elon Musk threatened to move Tesla's headquarters and future programs from the state to Texas or Nevada.

Three members of the White House coronavirus task force — FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, CDC Director Robert Redfield and NIAID Director Anthony Fauci — are isolating themselves for two weeks.

The meatpacking industry has slowed down due to the coronavirus outbreaks at the plants. Meatpackers warn that it could lead to meat shortages and stores limiting purchases.

The report comes as the government announced all states must now meet federal reporting guidelines. The type of information gathered by states up to now has been inconsistent.

Latinos have been hit especially hard by the coronavirus. A medical group in northern Virginia is stepping up testing for the Latino community.

On the occasion of Mothers Day 2020, many prominent personalities of sports fraternity like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina took to their respective social media accounts and posted heartfelt messages for their mother. The life of a sportsperson is filled with obstacles and a lot of hardship and dedication is required to play the game at the highest level.

Kohli admitted it was not easy in the initial days.

Virat and Anushka have been trying to help the needy as much as they can in these troubled times and apart from donating to the PM-CARES Fund.

Virat and Anushka have been trying to help the needy as much as they can in these troubled times and apart from donating to the PM-CARES Fund.

In Shikhar Dhawan's latest antics on Instagram, he can be seen romancing with his wife Ayesha on song 'Main Teri Mohabbat Mein.' Through the video, he showcased the difference between the first week of quarantine which will leave you in splits.

Six-year-old Yunosuke and four-year-old Koujirou can be seen training on the Swedish and Serbian legends in a viral video.

On the occasion of Mother's Day 2020, Indian captain Virat Kohli wished his mom and mother-in-law (Anushka Sharma's mother) by sharing a couple of adorable pictures on Instagram. The batsman and both his mothers were all smiles in the pics and as a result, the comment second of the post was filled with heartfelt messages.

Vincenzo Spadafora discussed the top flight in Italy, which is looking to return as Germany's Bundesliga prepares to resume on May 16

Gautam Gambhir said that players will have to “live with” the coronavirus for the foreseeable future.

As the Bundesliga prepares to restart on May 16, the former Arsenal midfielder believes the league could have waited before ending the French season

According to Smith's Australia's teammate David Warner, it's him and Indian opener Rohit Sharma who make Smith and Kohli the best batsman by taking the shine of the new ball. The Aussie southpaw made the claim jokingly while talking to Rohit during a live Instagram session.

Sergio Perez has revealed that the financial problems at the former Force India squad were evident on the first day he visited its factory before the 2014 Formula 1 season

The former leg-spinner thanked all the health care workers and others who are going on with their work so that everyone else can stay safe at home.

Tesla Inc sued local authorities in California on Saturday as the electric carmaker pushed to re-open its factory there and Chief Executive Elon Musk threatened to move Tesla's headquarters and future programs from the state to Texas or Nevada.

China's central bank said on Sunday it will step up counter-cyclical adjustments to support the economy and make monetary policy more flexible to fend off financial risks.

They were first women to overwinter in the Arctic Circle without a man. Now Sunniva Sorby and Hilde Fålulm Strøm face a longer stay due to the pandemic.

A review from Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety has found that Cargill did not attempt to engage worker representation as it investigated the circumstances that led to the largest COVID-19 outbreak linked to a single facility in Canada.

B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 15 new coronavirus cases in the province on Saturday, bringing the current total to 2,330.

Provincial health officials will open a second centre to test for COVID-19 in the southern Alberta city of Brooks, as an outbreak connected to a nearby slaughterhouse continues to grow.

The new Bank of England governor’s predictions about a swift bounce-back don’t inspire confidence

Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, is only a few months into the job and already his reputation for sound management of the economy is in danger. Last week he published a scenario for the next two years that amounted to his best guess on the depth of the recession in front of us, and the prospects for a recovery.

The recession would be deep, he said. Most likely the deepest in more than 300 years. It would last for much of the year and cause severe hardship to many, with increases in unemployment not seen since the 1980s.

Volunteer Services Lewisham’s food delivery service is a lifeline to vulnerable people suffering under lockdown

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Brown bread. Baked beans. Tea. And would you happen to have any custard, dear?

Some things stand out in the middle of the prodigiously energetic food-parcel line being run from a community hall in south-east London.

One person was killed after a fire broke out on Saturday at a Moscow hospital treating patients infected with the new coronavirus, the authorities said.

Father Andrei Molchanov, the latest Russian Orthodox priest to die from the novel coronavirus, was buried on Saturday by his heartbroken daughter who said she wished the Moscow church where he served had closed earlier.

China and the United States both supported a draft United Nations Security Council resolution confronting the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday and it was "shocking and regretful" that Washington changed its mind on Friday, a Chinese diplomat said.

Every year for the past 20, Rosa Maria Fuenzalida has visited her mother's grave on Mother's Day without fail in the central Chilean city of Curico.