It’s June. It’s summer. We’re finally here.
While the first couple months of the year always come with a “how is it already…” question, reaching this point of the year is where that completely stops and we just start reveling in the fact that it’s patio weather and there is plenty to do all the time because it’s not raining/snowing non-stop wherever you live.
Except for maybe St. John’s, where it could be doing both, at the same time, right now.
Even with a higher number of evenings out and weekends spent at the cottage or sipping beverages in the backyard, we still want to make sure you know the entertainment options coming your way in the next 30 days just so you’re well informed when making your choices.
NBA Finals (Starts June 2)
It’s a rematch of last year’s Finals, but also a completely different series, as LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers enter at full health this time around after winning two from the Golden State Warriors last season without Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. Additionally, Steph Curry & Co. are looking to close out the best season in NBA history by adding a second straight title to their historic 73-win season.
Musical Offerings (Various Dates)
While a lot of artists are just dropping stuff unexpectedly these days, there are still some bands and performers that keep things on a schedule and have release dates. Some of those types delivering new music for your ears this month include veterans Paul Simon and Neil Young, Tegan & Sara, Nick Jonas, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Iggy Azalea.
Reading Material (Various Dates)
Sunny weekends are made for a hammock, a glass of lemonade or iced tea and a good book. In addition to established authors like Stephen King, Nora Roberts and Janet Evanovich adding to their personal bibliographies this month, James Patterson drops an Alex Cross “Bookshot,” a read it in a couple hours mini-book of sorts, and Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club 2 graphic novel arrives.
Movies, Week 1 (June 3)
The first Friday in June offers a little something for everyone with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows bringing back the “heroes in a half shell,” Adam Samberg’s Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, a send-up of douchey popstars, and You Before Me, the adaptation of the book of the same name that should be one of the best tearjerkers of the year.
UFC Action (June 4 and June 18)
This weekend, the UFC heads to The Forum in Inglewood, California for UFC 199, a pay-per-view event with a loaded main card headlined by championship rematches in the middleweight and bantamweight divisions that should be outstanding. Two weeks later, the Octagon comes to Canada for the first time in 2016 with the inaugural event in our nation’s capital on June 18, headlined by Canadian welterweight Rory MacDonald taking on surging contender Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
Movies. Week 2 (June 10)
Friday No. 2 offers great variety as well with the big screen adaptation of the wildly popular online role-playing game Warcraft arriving in all its CGI goodness, plus The Conjouring 2 and Now You See Me 2, which adds Daniel Radcliffe to its collection of magicians.
Streaming on Netflix (Various Dates)
June means a return to Litchfield with Piper, Alex, Red and the rest of the crew from Orange is the New Black. It also means Season 6 of Pretty Little Liars, the addition of two Matt Damon movies – Good Will Hunting and The Martian – and the debut of Voltron: Legendary Defender.
Movies, Week 3 (June 17)
The lead offering for this week is Central Intelligence, which looks like another fairly bad Kevin Hart buddy action-comedy, but it puts the pint-sized comic alongside Dwayne Johnson and his movies always make gobs of cash, so this probably will too. Also opening on the third Friday of June is Finding Dory, the 13-years-later sequel to Finding Nemo.
Concert Options (Various Dates)
Much like the album options, your live music choices are broad this months as well, with Meat Loaf, Garth Brooks, Justin Bieber and City and Colour all making their way across Canada. Florence and The Machine and Ellie Goulding are also playing some dates in various cities, but the most intriguing concert date is Lauryn Hill, who plays the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver on June 26.
Movies, Week 4 (June 24)
The month in movies closes out with Blake Lively battling sharks in The Shallows and Matthew McConaughey in a Civil War true story called Free State of Jones. It also features the blockbuster of the month as Independence Day: Resurgence crashes into theatres as well. The original was a massive success, so it will be interesting to see if this 20-years-later sequel can have the same impact.
