Take a look at 2019.

Sporting Event of 2019

Forge FC outplay Olimpia for a 1-0 win in the first leg of the CONCACAF quaterfinals.

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Breakthrough Artist* of 2019 : Katy Guillen and the Girls**

I saw Katy G and the Girls a couple times at Stanley’s; both shows were excellent. Three piece groups let you hear every musician in a way that a 5+ piece band doesn’t. Check out:Woke Up in Spain for a great riff, Funny Place for your acoustic fix, and Don’t Need Anyone to hear drums and a fuzzy guitar solo.

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Best / Worst Movies of 2019: Western Stars / Blinded by the Light (respectively)

Blinded by the Light was so rough I couldn’t even make it through to the end.
Western Stars premiered at TIFF, if that isn’t enough for you snobs… well…

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Book of 2019: How to do Nothing, by Jenny Odell

I really liked 80% of this book. 15% was wading through mud. 5% was Captain Obvious material. But, that 80% made it more than worth it.

Runner up: BSL’s Transport Phenomena

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Show of 2019: Drive-By Truckers at Lee’s Palace, 4th of July Show

Read all about it: https://ellsworthbell.com/2019/07/10/dbt-july-4-2019/

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Best of the Swipe File 2019

This version of Promised Land makes shooting stars appear.
Long exposures of starlings.
A reminder from Austin Kleon.

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*A breakthrough artist is any group who managed to break through Bruce Springsteen’s wall of sound and into my heavy rotation.

* *Katy Guillen and the Girls broke up in 2018. Guillen and drummer Stephanie Williams are current working together as Katy Guillen and the Drive.

Food for thought: https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail