andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

Where do Toronto Film Fest buffs, WWE RAW fanatics, free concert goers, and Maple Leaf hopefuls converge at 11:59PM on a Monday? Why Future Shop at Yonge and Dundas in down town Toronto for the midnight release of EA Sports’ NHL 10, hosted by Xbox Canada of course!

AndPOP was in tow to witness the launch of what may very well be this year’s best hockey title. In a town that loves their hockey hundreds lined up early, a pick-up street hockey game was going on across the street, and anticipation was high for the clock to strike midnight. READ MORE »

Fugitive Ryan Jenkins was found hanged in a hotel in Hope, B.C. early this morning, according to CBC News. Jenkins, a former reality-TV contestant on Megan Wants a Millionaire, was on the run from murder charges for killing his ex-wife swimsuit model Jasmine Fiore in the United States earlier this month.

Fiore’s mutilated body was found stuffed in a garbage bin in a park outside Los Angeles on Aug. 15 and was only identifiable by serial numbers on her breast implants.

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The now-infamous cast of Eclipse, the Twilight sequel have been spotted throughout Vancouver where the third installment of the series is currently filming. It will be a prime time for some snooping too, as rumours have been flying about romances between a number of duos on the set.

Lead actors Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson arrived just days ago, Stewart still clad with a mullet from her title role in the Joan Jett biopic Runaways. They were sited a few nights ago getting cozy at a Kings of Leon concert in Vancouver Aug. 15, with photos of them practically making out appearing on RadarOnline.com and Just Jared. This comes after the two attended Comic-Con, an international and now celebrity hot spot comic book convention in San Diego, where they were practically joined at the hip according to the Los Angeles Times.

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As Spears makes her way across Canada with her Circus tour, there is only one trick that can make Britney disappear from the stage; the smell of smoke.

It seems that during her show at Vancouver’s General Motors Place last week, Spears stormed off stage because the air was too smoky, according to chartattack.com. The brief pause in Spears’ set was approximately 15-20 minutes in length after which she returned to finish the show.

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Thursday, Vancouver punk icons D.O.A. performed at the Horsehoe Tavern, and made their views on Canadian politics crystal clear.

According to the review on chartattack.com, frontman Joey Shithead was in favour of president-elect Barack Obama (“it’s about time”), and called Prime Minster Stephen Harper a “fuckin’ asshole.”

Otherwise, it was business as usual, with slamdancing, moshing, and favourite tracks to honour the band’s 30 years on the road.

Oasis is extending their stay in Canada this fall with three other performances.

The band is scheduled to headling the Virgin Festival in Toronto in September. Now, pairing up with Ryan Adams, the band will play Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary in August, just before the festival.

According to their web site, advance tickets to the special shows can be purchased at ticketmaster using the password OASISINET.

Oasis will play in Seattle before flying North. It will be their first live performance together in over two years.

George Stroumboulopoulos is taking his “Hour” to the West coast.

From Monday to Thursday next week, Stroumboulopoulos will air live from The Roundhouse in Yaletown, Vancouver. Rocker Matt Good, former-Miss Canada Nazanin Afshin-Jam, and wildlife painter Robert Bateman are among the guests who will chat with him on these special dates.

Stroumboulopoulos will follow up his trip to the West with a Holiday Musical Special, airing Christmas Eve. Paul Potts (winner of “Britain’s Got Talent”), Jully Black, crooner George Canyon, Diana Krall and Elvis Costello will all perform their unique versions of seasonal tunes. More fantastic guests are yet to be confirmed.

The Hour airs weeknights at 11 p.m. on CBC Television, 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBC Newsworld.

Vancouver-based band Hedley performed yesterday at the University of British Columbia.

Their home turf concert is part of the MTV The Leak Live tour, a series of free concerts across Canada promoting Hedley’s upcoming album, “Famous Last Words,” which will be released October 30. For those unable to attend, their first single, “She’s So Sorry,” can be heard on Hedley’s official MySpace page.

“Famous Last Words” is Hedley’s sophomore offering, following their 2005 self-titled album which earned the band platinum status, five hit singles, two Juno nominations, and the Much Music Video Award for Best Pop Video.

Charismatic and nudity-prone frontman Jacob Hoggard is confident about the new album, which was produced by former Treble Charger frontman Greig Nori. As Hoggard told MTV, “The main difference between this album and the last, was the amount of blood, sweat and tears that we put into this recording.”

Check out the rest of Hedley’s free tour at these locations:

Tomorrow: The SAIT Hangar in Calgary, AB at 12 p.m.
Friday: The UWO Talbot Bowl in London, ON at 7:30 p.m.
October 2: The Dalhousie Quad in Halifax, NS at 7 p.m.
October 4: The Concordia Loyola Downtown Campus in Montreal, QC at 5 p.m.
October 11: The Masonic Temple in Toronto, ON at 5 p.m.