As a music writer, I often feel like its ‘my job’ to watch the #Junos and then write about them.. and each year I try to do that, try to give the ‘new kids’ the benefit of the doubt and try to not be critical of the production and entertainment factor.. and each year I fail.. tonight is the worst I’ve seen yet. Look up #junos on Twitter and follow what others are saying and you’d think it was the greatest awards show in the world.. except for the odd few who voice a true opinion and call it like it is… boring. Out of tune performers. Shawn Mendez (who’s up for a pile of awards and is ‘hot’ this year), looking bored out of his mind, and the winners thanking managers, publicists, agents, radio stations for their success and chart topping tunes and sales and ‘oh yeah the fans’ oops..
Then there is Justin Bieber who early last week issued a statement on his Facebook page that he’s no longer doing meet and greets as fans are basically stealing his psychic energy (wtf) and who wins Fan Choice Award tonight after getting 3 million votes online – and who chose to attend the iHeart Awards in the USA tonight instead of the Junos.. and who videotaped his acceptance speech.. basically saying ‘thanks’ and then laughing, and getting up to leave. He got booed by the live crowd.
Too many nondescript performers who’s rehashed Top 40 tunes most of us are still wondering how they got as much radio play as they did.. a bright spot was seeing Bryan Adams performing a real rock song with audience participation. And seeing Nickelback giving a Canadian Music Hall of Fame award to Burton Cummings, as well as seeing Avril and Chad back together (at least for the Junos – say all tweets in the timeline).
Jann Arden is also a bright spot as one of the hosts, but whoever writes the content should go back to writing school.. boring lame jokes, and this business of trying to be ‘hip’ and current to keep up with the youth of the performers and award recipients by doing selfies on stage and talking about Hashtags and Twitter is just too over the top lame. We all know what twitter is.. if you’re speaking to the youth they’re miles ahead of you, doing Scopes of the best bits of the performances, creating their own hashtags and tying into the trending without being told.. and if Bieber’s 3 million votes are any indication, the tweens and teens are already following The Weekend and every other performer.. no need to bash us with everyone’s twitter @ name and random tweets from media publications on the screen bottom every 5 minutes, thanks..
Too many lame bands, terrible songwriting, even worse live performances.. Canadians don’t seem to expect much AND WE SURE DONT GET MUCH IN RETURN! I changed the channel and finished the night watching the ACMA (academy of country music awards) where I was able to catch Dolly Parton, Keith Urban, and a host of artists who are truly artists.. and I dont even like country that much.
One can hope for more next year.. one can only hope.