When there is a live music event, we often refer to it as a “gig.” Why? I’ve heard several explanations, and here’s the most recent, which comes from the musical history of New Orleans.

It begins with a term used in illegal lotteries, which moved to horse racing. A two-number betting combination was known as a “saddle,” while a three-number combo was called a “gig,” after a type of horse-drawn cart. When musicians were paid for a show, they got paid with whatever was left over after the venue took its cut. This was dicey because a club may or may not pay.

Getting money at the end of the night was like a “gig” bet at the track. You might or might not get paid. Therefore, playing a club show also became known as a “gig.”

Sidebar: The term “gig” may also refer to a show played using a horse-drawn cart as a stage that would be hauled from place to place.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

We all know how difficult it can be to get tickets to a big concert. You do everything right, but the gig is sold out within seconds of going on sale. It’s so frustrating. Maybe, then, it’s time for a different approach.

In the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo is a shrine that’s more than a thousand years old. It is called Fukutoku, a calm place in the midst of a very busy part of the city. But this Shinto shrine is visited for a very specific purpose. Like other such shrines, people come to ask for kami—good fortune and good health—from the Shinto gods.

But Fukutoku attracts people with a very special wish: The ability to get concert tickets. Superfans from all over Japan visit the shrine and pray that they’ll have luck getting to a show by their favourite artist.

Does it work? Fukutoku believers say “yes.”

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Skiantos was one of the first wave of punk bands in the 1970s. They were formed in 1975, but decided that they weren’t as angry as some of their peers, so comedy—the kind that draws from Futurism and Dadaism—became a driving part of their whole existence.

When it came to their music, it wasn’t exactly what you’d call polished or professional, but that was the point. The rawness, the out-of-tune vocals, and the weird lyrics were all designed to provoke the audience. Sometimes, for added effect, they’d throw vegetables into the crowd

Their most infamous gig was at the Bologna Rock Festival on April 2, 1979. For their set, they brought out a kitchen, a table, a TV, and a fridge. They boiled some spaghetti, sat down, ate it, and left, without playing a single note. It was…baffling.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

We’ve been brought up on TV crime shows and police procedurals. In about 45 minutes, a crime is committed, evidence is gathered, suspects are identified and arrested, sent to trial, and either convicted or acquitted. In real life, though, it doesn’t work that way.

When we learn of a horrific crime, it occupies the news cycle for days, weeks, and even months as the case plays out. But then, inevitably, something else comes along, and we move on before the story of that crime is complete.

Has the case gone cold? Did anyone ever get arrested? Was there a conviction? If so, what happened at the trial? Did anyone go to jail? And if someone is in prison, what’s their status?

In short, was justice served? Much of the time, we don’t know because no one ever follows up. And if they do, these new details get lost in the constant deluge of information that comes at us every day.

This is episode 67 of Uncharted: Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry. Over the life of this show, we’ve talked about dozens of cases, most of which have been resolved. But some of these tales just keep on going.

Time for some updates, resolutions, and conclusions to some very infamous crimes from the world of music.

In addition to the  podcasts, you can hear Uncharted on these Corus radio stations (all times local):

• Toronto: AM 640 (4-5am)
• London: 980 CFPL (4-5am)
• Vancouver: 730 CKNW (1-2am)
• Edmonton: 630 CHED (1-2am)
• Calgary: QR77 (770 AM) (1-2am)
• Winnipeg: 680 CJOB (1-2am)

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Aerial images taken from Premier Doug Ford’s annual community barbeque were colour corrected to adjust an “orange hue,” the government claims, after union organizers accused the Progressive Conservative party of doctoring photographs to make protesters appear like supporters.

Ford Fest, a yearly event thrown by the Ford family and the Progressive Conservative Party, attracted thousands of people to Thompson Memorial park in Scarborough including supporters, curious onlookers and hundreds of demonstrators looking to make a point.

Roughly 850 public service workers, representing 4,000 workers in the vulnerable services sector who have been on strike for four weeks, planned to disrupt the event by making their purple shirts with the words “worth fighting for” visible to the premier.

The Progressive Conservative party, however, appeared to be prepared for the unrest.

Dozens of police officers, including a heavily-armed Toronto Police unit, the Toronto Police Mounted Unit, public order office and a phalanx of OPP officers flooded the park and formed a protective ring around the main stage where Ford was to speak.

The OPP, which is responsible for the premier’s protection, refused to provide the reason for the heavy policing presence and said the force “cannot divulge operational information.”

Despite the fortress, a stream of purple-clad protesters strolled past the PC party registration area and crowded the area in front of the main stage armed with flags and whistles ready to upstage the premier.

Moments later, the family-friendly barbeque was upended by an anti-government protest.

After Ford was introduced by Scarborough MPP David Smith, protesters drowned out the premier with a chorus of chants that continued throughout Ford’s speech.

The scene came after weeks of negative headlines, including the government’s decision to purchase and sell a $28.9 million government jet for the premier’s use, and polling that put Ford’s approval rating at 21 per cent.

“It’s obviously not helpful,” said IPSOS President Darrell Bricker. “You’d rather have people cheering and applauding at an event that you’ve put on.”

Later that evening, PC MPPs received a Dropbox link with images from the event to be posted to their social media accounts.

At least two MPPs, including Attorney General Doug Downey, posted pictures showing what looked like a sea of supporters all dressed in blue which, upon closer inspection, appeared to be altered to remove the purple coloured shirts worn by protesters.

“It looked like the purple had been removed and had been replaced with the light blue that the Ford Nation volunteers had been wearing,” said OPSEU President JP Hornick.

“We were kind of stunned by that because anybody who was there could clearly see that that photo was not an accurate depiction of what the crowd looked like.”

While the Premier’s Office denied doctoring the image, they acknowledged it was colour corrected.

“Photos from Ford Fest, including the aerial shot posted by two MPPs, had default saturation applied to correct an orange hue,” the office said in a statement.

“This type of colour correction is standard and routine practice. The images were not otherwise edited or altered in any way.”

The union questioned the statement and pointed to several rainbow-coloured OPSEU flags – visible in other photographs of Ford Fest – which appeared to have been edited out.

“I can’t speak to any nefarious intent, but for a government that is trailing in the polls that is a pretty desperate look to erase the flags from the photos and adjust the colours of the shirts so that they appear to be your supporters,” Hornick said.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

There has been a concerted effort on the part of phone manufacturers to move people away from wired headphones to wireless earbuds. When was the last time you saw a phone with a headphone jack? People seem to have had enough of this.

There’s a growing resurgence in the use of wired headphones. Why? A couple of reasons.

First, using wired headphones is a kind of statement against everything being digital. Practical, time-tested tech is winning over technology that’s constantly being updated, often with mixed results. Another reason could be the audio limitations of Bluetooth. If you want to listen to songs in their full resolution, you can’t with Bluetooth because the bandwidth is too narrow. The only way to hear the full glory of a digital song file is with a wired connection.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A water supply alert for the city of Edmonton, issued Sunday after days of heavy rainfall, has been lifted.

An advisory late Monday says residents of the Alberta capital can return to their normal routines as the area’s stormwater system has stabilized.

Days of downpours in and around the city put pressure on multiple stormwater systems, bringing about the risk of flooding and sewer backups.

Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack and the city’s utility provider Epcor had asked residents to keep their water use to a minimum.

Epcor spokesman Martin Kennedy said the company had responded to more than 600 calls, many of them for flooding and sewer backups.

Environment Canada says 104 millimetres of rain fell in the city over three days, and that while the weather is expected to improve, more rain is in the forecast for later this week.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Several Ontario First Nations are set to become owners of a new nuclear reactor after striking a commercial partnership with the federal and provincial governments.

Ottawa and Ontario are providing loan guarantees of $700 million to the seven Williams Treaties First Nations east of Toronto that will turn into equity for one of the four small modular reactors that are being built at the Darlington New Nuclear Project in Bowmanville, Ont., by Ontario Power Generation.

Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce says this is the first equity partnership with First Nations in a nuclear reactor in Canada.

He says the investment will result in a minority stake for the First Nations in the facility and will help with economic reconciliation.

The Williams Treaties First Nations consist of Indigenous communities near Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe: Alderville First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, Hiawatha First Nation, Scugog Island First Nation, Chippewas of Beausoleil First Nation, Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation and the Chippewas of Rama First Nation.

The official announcement is set to come Tuesday morning.

The Chiefs of the Williams Treaties First Nations are calling the deal a “historic step forward.”

“Through this investment, we are not only creating opportunities for our own communities – we are helping advance a project that will play an important role in meeting Ontario and Canada’s growing energy needs,” The chiefs said in a statement.

“This investment demonstrates what is possible when First Nations are able to participate meaningfully in projects taking place within their territories, not only as rights holders, but as investors, partners, and participants in the long-term success of the project.”

The first of four small modular reactors is under construction at the Darlington power plant.

“After breaking ground on the first SMR in the G7, our government is taking another historic step, helping to bring First Nations in as full partners in this once-in-a-generation project,” Lecce said in a statement.

The four small modular reactors are expected to cost $21 billion. The first reactor is scheduled to be completed by 2030.

Once in operation, the small modular reactors will produce 1,200 megawatts of power, which is enough to keep the lights on at 1.2 million homes.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Tennis Canada plans to build a new centre-court stadium with a retractable roof in Montreal as part of a major modernization of its facilities at Jarry Park, saying the project is necessary to keep pace with rising standards on the professional tours.

The organization made the announcement Tuesday after conducting a year-long feasibility study examining options for the long-term future of the National Bank Open in Montreal.

The proposed project would include increasing the venue’s capacity to approximately 15,000 seats — the aging IGA Stadium holds 11,991 — while adding up to four practice courts and a match court, according to National Bank Open tournament director Valérie Tétreault.

“It was a very important step,” Tétreault said in an interview. “We’re feeling like we’re really falling behind and that’s what we’re also told by both the ATP and the WTA. So that puts, of course, extra pressure on us.”

Tétreault said the study considered three scenarios: renovating the existing IGA Stadium, building a new stadium within Jarry Park or relocating the tournament site elsewhere in the city. The last possibility was quickly ruled out due to cost, she said, while the difference between the other two was “negligible.”

The next steps include determining the construction timeline, estimated costs and how the project will be funded, Tennis Canada said. The organization added that it has already begun discussions with all three levels of government about potential funding.

“Conversations are going well, we’re feeling like everybody is recognizing the importance of the event in terms of the economic impact it creates, but also in terms of the sporting, the social impact it creates,” Tétreault said. “We’re feeling like everybody is mobilized and engaged and wants to help us find a solution.

“Tennis Canada is willing, of course, to participate in the financing model that we’ll put in place for the project. But we will need the help also of the three levels of government.”

Tennis Canada is targeting the site of an existing baseball field west of the practice courts for the new venue, allowing the tournament to continue at its current facility during construction. The stadium would be a three-season venue, with winterized facilities surrounding a non-winterized court.

The need for a roof over centre court has been a recurring topic for years, with rainy weather often derailing match schedules at the National Bank Open, held annually in late July and early August.

Tétreault has also stated that Montreal’s facilities sit “pretty much at the bottom of the list” among 1000-level tournaments, one tier below the four Grand Slams.

The Cincinnati Open — which takes place immediately after the National Bank Open — is one of several top-tier events that have made significant investments in recent years, undergoing a US$260-million redevelopment before the 2025 tournament.

Montreal’s centre court, meanwhile, last underwent major renovations in 1996 and the venue’s south end dates back to 1969, a remnant from the Montreal Expos’ Jarry Park baseball stadium.

Tétreault said Toronto, which alternates the men’s and women’s tournaments with Montreal each year, faces less pressure to modernize because Sobeys Stadium was built in 2004 and rain has historically been less disruptive there.

The ATP and WTA haven’t issued an ultimatum to keep the tournament in Montreal, Tétreault said, but both tours have requested an action plan outlining how the facilities will be modernized.

“They want to be reassured in a way that this is something that is a priority for us, that we’re looking at it and that we’re looking for solutions,” she said. “Even this year in the planning of the 2026 tournament, it’s the first time that I am asked to do monthly check-ins with the ATP.

“This was never necessarily the case before, but they want to know how we’re progressing with the work that we’re doing to modernize our facility.”

Tétreault also noted that the National Bank Open does not meet the standard number of practice courts and requires ATP approval to use extra courts at nearby Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard.

Tennis Canada signed a 30-year agreement with the ATP and WTA in 2022 as part of negotiations surrounding the tournament’s expansion into a 12-day event, but Tétreault said organizers still need to meet evolving standards set by the professional tours.

“Right now they are seeing a gap, of course, because we know that we’re not necessarily meeting certain standards,” she said.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada is expected to visit a multicultural neighbourhood Tuesday morning that was struck by a shooting that killed a police officer, a civilian and the suspect.

Quebec’s police watchdog is investigating Monday’s shooting, while Quebec provincial police have launched a parallel criminal probe.

Montreal police Chief Fady Dagher says officers were met with gunfire after responding to a 911 call about a person with a gun at a Hilton hotel in the Côte-des-Neiges district.

Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, a 34-year-old who had been with Montreal police since 2021, was killed.

Dagher says the suspect and a civilian were also killed in the ensuing gunfire, while a second police officer was injured.

Police have not identified the suspect or given a motive for the shooting, but say a long gun was seized.

Several city blocks were cordoned off during the shooting, and residents were to shelter in place due to the presence of an armed and dangerous suspect.

© 2026 The Canadian Press