Hi Fi music festival toronto

New Toronto music fest embroiled in controversy

Toronto's Hi-Fi Musical Adventure was supposed to make its debut this year by bringing together more than 60 bands across five local venues. The weekend-long music festival, however, scheduled for March 10 to 12, isn't going off as planned.

Chart Attack reports that festival co-organizer Anthony Dell'Orso publicly posted a disparaging status about pop music star Kesha on Facebook. After his remarks were re-posted to a private Facebook group, he allegedly started sending "harassing messages" two Toronto women. The situation intensified from there.

Eventually, according to Chart Attack, two bands and two venues - The Silver Dollar and The Old Laurel - pulled out of the Kensington Market-area fest. And later, Dell'Orso backed out too.

Yet, despite this controversy, some of the shows will go on next weekend, albeit without the Hi-Fi name, says festival co-organizer Amanda Langton via email.

In an optimistic public statement on Facebook, she writes:

"You've no doubt heard about the goings on surrounding the festival and yes, the festival as it was is done. Anthony has stepped away."

"These bands will play, however. I've taken on the shows at Vinyl and Handlebar and they will happen as booked under my name. Supermarket will happen, as will Silver Dollar and Old Laurel."

Dell'Orso has since apologized in a lengthy statement to Billboard.


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