The Entertainer

Thoughts on the state of culture and a very special announcement

I’ve found myself hungry for counterculture of late. And no, I don’t mean I’ve been “doing my own research” (the only digging I’ve been doing is delving into dub reggae producer Adrian Sherwood’s back catalogue). It has become vanishingly rare to see art and ideas that go against the flow actually make it unscathed through the punishing filter of social media.

Even the great artists among us have been rendered formulaic by the stifling rules of engagement dictated by the app companies. My coming of age during the last vapours of counterculture in the late nineties and early aughts feel more far removed with each day that goes by. There’s been a corporate-guided homogenization and mass deadening of culture that’s been accelerating over the last couple decades.

If you talk to me in person, you’re likely to hear me lament the state of discourse on our various screens. The greatest young minds of today’s generation have been kept busy, vainly trying to be heard through the noise flooding our feeds by any means necessary. I always loved watching YouTube clips of those old debate TV shows where James Baldwin or Malcolm X would draw from their persuasive intelligence to demonstrate the dignity and humanity of African-Americans back in the ‘60s.

I wondered why there wasn’t stuff like this on TV anymore. Would our culture ever redevelop an appetite for serious intellectual conversations over the national airwaves again? I felt hopeful while watching this lovely interview between Nick Cave and Stephen Colbert recently. It’s one of the most thoughtful public discussions I’ve seen in a really long time:

It feels almost like an accident that it was allowed to be shown to such a large audience. An aging musician from Australia was invited to have a conversation on national TV to promote his group’s 18th album and discuss his artistry. I noticed during the press run for my album this year, media outlets were less interested in direct conversations about music, always searching for a “hook” or an “angle.” The outlets are incentivized to do what is most likely to get clicks in our increasingly gamified online landscape. It was as if they hoped to uncover controversial subjects solely to drive engagement. Suddenly, more than ever, the art felt like it wasn’t enough.

So I was heartened to watch such a meaningful conversation be broadcasted to the masses. I was impressed by the respectful, erudite Colbert spinning off a lyric from Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne” from memory as well as the patience and empathy he had for his subject. This approach is in sharp contrast to most of the talk-oriented programming we see on social media and podcasts, designed purely to grab your attention in short bursts.

I spend much of my day scrolling past uninformed pundits with no credibility yelling over each other. There is so much anger flowing all around the web that it makes a conversation like the one with Nick Cave on Colbert, where they examine the joyful power of grief, stand out like a glowing ember in a snuffed fire.

Which leads me to a project that I’m announcing today. It’s called The Entertainer with Cadence Weapon. I’ll interview artists and anyone who earns their keep by entertaining, delving into the personal histories that inspire us to perform for each other. A no-holds-barred conversation about the realities of creativity, I’ll ask each guest about their philosophy for entertaining, what inspires their projects and where they see their medium going in the future.

The talk show will be recorded in front of a live studio audience at Standard Time in Toronto on Thursdays this October with an outstanding array of guests:

October 3 - Debby Friday, followed by b2b DJ set by Brendan Canning (Broken Social Scene) and Cadence Weapon

October 10 - Jacques Greene, followed by b2b DJ set by Jacques Greene and Cadence Weapon

October 17 - Owen Pallett, followed by b2b DJ set by Jeremy Greenspan (Junior Boys) and Cadence Weapon

October 24 - Lido Pimienta, followed by b2b DJ set by Automaticamore (Diana Chan McNally) and Cadence Weapon

This has been in the works for quite some time and I couldn’t be more excited about it all. I hope you’ll be able to join us, these are going to be seriously special evenings. And you can get the whole package at a discount here until October 3rd.

---

In case you missed it, I’m going on tour this November:

November 6 - Winnipeg, MB (Sidestage)**
November 7 - Regina, SK (The Exchange)**
November 8 - Saskatoon, SK (Amigos)**
November 9 - Edmonton, AB (Starlite Room: Temple Bar)** with Tea Fannie
November 10 - Calgary, AB (Commonwealth)** with Tea Fannie
November 12 - Vancouver, BC (Fox Cabaret)**

** with Super Duty Tough Work

---

The deluxe version of Rollercoaster is out on October 3rd. Check out the first single “Wormhole” produced by Nick Hook and Salva on all platforms.

---

You can find me updating my playlists or hanging on Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to my music on Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp and you can get Cadence Weapon merchandise here. Read my monthly column in Hazlitt. Pick up your copy of Bedroom Rapper here and please rate it on Goodreads.