Twenty years after Toronto newsroom hacks stormed the stage to take part in the first Newzapalooza battle of the media bands, the stage is set for a special live karaoke edition of the media social event of the year (if we must say so ourselves), featuring The Approximators, a merry band poised to back you, no matter the level of your chops.
Save this date: Friday, Nov. 8, 2024 at Rivoli Toronto. A benefit for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, as always. It’s for the kids!
Hey all you Newza kiddies, it is with heavy hearts that the Newzapalooza organizing committee announces our attempts to emerge from a two-year COVID hangover for a return to our usual November show proved a bit premature. The challenges of reconvening and creating new media bands left us with not enough confirmed entries to make a go of it. Thus, the show we scheduled for Nov. 4, 2022 at The Opera House is officially cancelled. Hats off to Athena and The Opera House for being sooooo understanding.
That said, after 15 great years, we are not done, and hopeful that will be able to bring the battle of the media bands back to the stage.
With that in mind, we welcome input, encourage media bands to get together and turn it to eleven, and ask you to stay tuned for future news.
Give a holler at rankinjim@icloud.com.
Band, hundreds of patrons and supporters raise $10,000
for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada
TORONTO — Nov. 4, 2019 — Conrad Black Sabbath are four-time Newzapalooza champs after a stunning original rock/rap opera Friday night before a packed house at The Opera House. The band, stacked with talent from the National Post and its diaspora, edged out last year’s champs, The GIFS Estate from the CBC, The Conflicts of Interest, also from the CBC, and the Toronto Star’s Holy Joe & The Principles.
The winning band — comprised of Kagan McLeod, Lindsay Spindler, Jon Dekel, Jon Rivait and Sarah Boesveld on vocals, Brice Hall on keys, Drew Hasselback and Ron Wadden on guitars, Stewart Bell on bass and Jeff Semple on drums, and some spooky special guests — took home the coveted Jonathan Jenkins Memorial Trophy and bragging rights for another year.
The real winners are the children and youth who will benefit from the $10,000 raised for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, which provides scholarships and supports for vulnerable young people who have been taken into the care of children’s aid societies. Since its inception in 2004, Newzapalooza is just shy of raising $200,000 for the foundation, all thanks to our bands, celebrity hosts and judges, patrons and sponsors.
Thanks this year to our host Siri Agrell, journalistic trouble-maker and executive director of OneEleven, and to our most excellent panel of celeb judges made up of CBC’s Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe, Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission Renu Mandhane, Slate’s chief music critic Carl Wilson and John Tory, mayor of Toronto.
Special thanks to this year’s list of sponsors, which included The Opera House, Long & McQuade Musical Instruments, Toronto Star, Toronto Raptors, Torq, Left Field Brewery, Bandit Brewery and One Academy. Thanks to Cameron Tulk for whipping up the design for this year’s ticket, and to Brent Jolly for his support through the Canadian Association of Journalists.
Lastly, all of us on the volunteer planning committee — Sarah Boesveld, Moe Doiron, Robyn Doolittle, Rob & Natasha Granatstein, Lauren Pelley, Jim Rankin, Graeme Roy, Michelle Shephard and Tanya Talaga — thank everyone who turned out for a terrific cause, and for 15 great years. See you next November!
www.newzapalooza.ca ~ @Newzapalooza ~ Facebook
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The Media Event of the Year ™ celebrates 15 years
Show set for Friday, Nov. 1, all for a good cause, the
Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada.
TORONTO — It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since Newzapalooza burst out of the newsrooms of Toronto, like ink-stained hacks sprung from cages on a last chance power deadline (sorry, Bruce). For the uninitiated, the annual event — cooked up by the late, great newsman Jonathan Jenkins — gives media types a chance to show off their musical chops, or lack thereof, on the big stage.
On Friday, Nov. 1, 2019, at The Opera House, 735 Queen St. E., four bands made up of hacks from the various media outlets will take to the stage to raise money for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada in our 15th anniversary show.
Over the years, Newzapalooza patrons and awesome sponsors have raised more than $180,000 for the foundation, which provides scholarships and supports for vulnerable young people who have been taken into the care of children’s aid societies.
We’re delighted to have Siri Agrell, journalistic trouble-maker and executive director of OneEleven, as this year’s host. Our most excellent panel of celeb judges includes CBC’s Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe, Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission Renu Mandhane, Slate’s chief music critic Carl Wilson and, drumroll please, John Tory, mayor of Toronto!
Special thanks to this year’s growing list of sponsors, which includes The Opera House, Long & McQuade Musical Instruments, Toronto Star, Toronto Raptors, Torq, Left Field Brewery, Bandit Brewery and One Academy. There will be promotional draws for cool stuff the night of.
Doors and the bar open at 7 p.m., and the show will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 ($15 for students) and are available here, at the door and from members of the media bands taking part. The Opera House is a kid-friendly venue, but minors must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information, visit www.newzapalooza.ca, like us on Facebook and follow @Newzapalooza on Twitter.
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Hello kiddies. Yes, Newzapalooza is finally offering tickets for sale online. Get ’em here. Of course, physical tickets will be available at the door the night of, and from band members. Stay tuned here and on Twitter for more details as we prep for the big night. Remember, the show is set for Friday, Nov. 1 at The Opera House. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8.
That’s right, kiddies. Newzapalooza, Canada’s longstanding Media Event of the Year ™, is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 1, 2019 at Toronto’s The Opera House. Save the date, and stay tuned to this space and on Twitter @Newzapalooza for details of this year’s line-up and celebrity emcee and judges.
Thousands raised for a great charity at The Media Event of the Year ™
TORONTO — Newzapalooza has never seen anything quite like it before in all of its 14 years. As the final notes of this year’s competition reverberated around The Opera House Friday night, our panel of learned celebrity judges huddled for a spirited debate on just who deserved to go home with the coveted Jonathan Jenkins Memorial Trophy.
In a process more complicated that the US electoral college system and rivalling the papal enclave, the judges struggled mightily but in the end, The CBC’s The Spliffs Estate ranked slightly higher than CTV’s Highway to Bell, which was in turn closely trailed by third place Death Hoax, a hybrid media outlet four-piece ensemble that rocked the house.
All of the bands entertained this year, and after a lot of loud, loud, loud fun, the night was capped off by a loving, all-strings set by a special musical guest act, fronted by Andrew Cash and featuring his son Sam. Thank you Andrew, co-founder of the Urban Worker Project and singer/songwriter extraordinaire.
Thanks to the bands and fabulous Newza patrons, thousands of dollars more were raised for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, adding to the $180,000 tallied up for the charity since 2004.
Huge thanks to Lana Gay of Indie 88, this year’s host, and celebrity judging panel, which included CBC’s Amanda Parris, Toronto city councillor Paula Fletcher, singer/songwriter Donovan Woods and q host Tom Power. Heaps of thanks to this year’s sponsors, including The Opera House, Long & McQuade Musical Instruments, Nikon Canada, Toronto Star, CBC’s The Currentand the Toronto Raptors.
Thank you, also, to Adam Miller, Sandro Contenta, Geoff Ewart, Brent Jolly and Patty Winsa for manning the door. Patty also designed this year’s ticket. Thanks also to the foundation and its volunteers. Andrew Lahodynskyj was our fab volunteer shooter.
Lastly, all of us on the volunteer planning committee — Sarah Boesveld, Robyn Doolittle, Rob & Natasha Granatstein, Lauren Pelley, Jim Rankin, Graeme Roy, Michelle Shephard and Tanya Talaga — thank everyone who turned out for a terrific cause. See you next November!
www.newzapalooza.ca~ @Newzapalooza~ Facebook
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Newzapalooza, 14 years of never a buck a beer
Hacks about to rock for a good cause at The Media Event of the Year ™
TORONTO — Newzapalooza burst out of the newsrooms of Toronto in 2004 like a bat out of hell on a very tight deadline. Founded by the late, great newsman Jonathan Jenkins, the idea was simple — harness the innate competitiveness of local reporters, editors and other media workers and marry it to their undying belief that they can, in fact, do it better themselves. The result: instant rock bands, itching to square off against their rivals.
On Friday, Nov. 2, 2018, at The Opera House, 735 Queen St. E., five bands made up of hacks from the various media outlets will take to the stage to raise money for theChildren’s Aid Foundation of Canada.
The event has raised more than $180,000 for the foundation, which provides scholarships and supports for vulnerable young people who have been taken into the care of children’s aid societies.
We’re delighted to say Lana Gay of Indie 88 is this year’s host. This year’s panel of celebrity judges includes CBC’s Amanda Parris, freshly re-elected Toronto city councillor Paula Fletcher, singer/songwriter Donovan Woods and q host Tom Power. As well, Andrew Cash — former MP for Toronto’s Davenport riding, co-founder of the Urban Worker Project and singer/songwriter extraordinaire — is this year’s special musical guest.
Special thanks to this year’s growing list of sponsors, which includes The Opera House, Long & McQuade Musical Instruments, Nikon Canada, Toronto Star, CBC’s The Current and the Toronto Raptors. There will be promotional draws for cool stuff the night of.
Doors and the bar open at 7 p.m., and the show will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and are available at the door or from members of the media bands taking part. The Opera House is a kid-friendly venue, but minors must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information, visit www.newzapalooza.ca, like us on Facebookand follow @Newzapaloozaon Twitter.
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That’s right, kiddies, Newzapalooza is back for another year, scheduled for Friday, Nov. 2, 2018 at The Opera House, 735 Queen St. E. Doors open at 7 pm, show starts at 8 pm. Tickets are $25 and available at the door. A benefit for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada. Save the date. It’s time to get the band back together!
TORONTO, Nov. 5 2017 — Conrad Black Sabbath, a band birthed out of The National Post newsroom, obliterated fake news, alternative facts and the competition at Newzapalooza Friday night at The Opera House. In attendance at The Media Event of The Year ™ were Iron Man, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and hundreds of hacks and hangers-on who helped raise money for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada.
The dust is still settling as we type but our bean counters tell us we, thanks to fans and sponsors, raised around $13,000, bringing the total amount raised over the event’s 13 years to $180,000. The foundation works with over 50 child welfare agencies, providing support and scholarships for vulnerable young people.
A round of thanks to our co-hosts Robyn Doolittle and Michelle Shephard, and judges Dave Bidini, Raina Douris, Lana Gay and Anne-Marie Mediwake.
Closing out the night, honourary Newzapalooza co-chair Maizey Westaway — daughter of the late Jonathan Jenkins, who co-founded the event — presented Sarah Boesveld of Conrad Black Sabbath, once more, with the big trophy named after her dad, while brother Dexter watched on. It was the band’s third win in a row, for a cinematic set capped off with a rendition of Iron Man, complete with, um Iron Man, and plenty of theatre. CTV’s Highway to Bell, including anchor Lisa LaFlamme, and The Huffingtones, with stupendous performances by both, made it a very close call for the judges. Thank you to all seven media bands that competed this year. You were great.
Special thanks to this year’s sponsors, especially long-standing support from Long & McQuade Musical Instruments and The Opera House and its terrific staff, including manager Athena Ellinas-Towers. Ace Awards donated the coveted trophy. Kudos to Nikon Canada, Ace Awards, Torq Ride, Rogers and the Toronto Star for the draw prizes.
Thank you, also, to Annie Arnone, Ainsley Cruickshank, Victoria Gibson, Alanna Rizza, David Rider and Patty Winsa for volunteering their time Friday to help with the show. Brian Hughes once again designed our tickets, and for that we are grateful. Thanks also to Jess Brayne of the foundation and her volunteers.
Lastly, all of us on the volunteer planning committee — Sarah Boesveld, Robyn Doolittle, Rob & Natasha Granatstein, Lauren Pelley, Jim Rankin, Graeme Roy, Michelle Shephard and Tanya Talaga — thank everyone who turned out for a terrific cause. See you next November!