Recording: Ronley Teper & The Lipliners

Artist: Ronley Teper & The Lipliners

Song: Just Show Up

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 30, 2025.

Ronley Teper & The Lipliners - Just Show Up

It had been too long since I had seen The Lipliners in action, and a delight to see the band out in full force — nine deep behind the wonderful and ebullient Ronley Teper leading a night of her joyful chaos music. If one were going to make a movie or comic book about this crew, they might be portrayed as a band of easygoing cut-throat pirates, eager to see what fuss is going to happen next after signing up to sail with a Captain who's intent on leading them into unknown waters. Blasting through some classics and a few new ones, the tunes merged together, somewhere between a suite and an elegant mess, with moments of invention on the fly as everyone pedaled faster to keep the wobbling to a minimum.

Speaking of new tunes, the song in question here hit me right where I live. People conversing with me about my propensity of going to gigs might have heard me say that showing up is the most important thing anyone can do — and this one, still feeling like a newborn calf finding its wobbly stride — has harnessed the same feeling. Whether for our musical community, for friends, love, family or whatever you want to be present to, in a time where screens and streams and feeds give us a easy-but-alienating sense of pseudo-interaction, being out there, just showing up, makes so many things plausible. If I ever get hit by a comet or suffer some similar unfortunate demise, please get Ronley to come and sing this one at the party for me at The Tranzac.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[Ronley Teper & The Lipliners are back at The Tranzac on Tuesday (January 27th).]

Recording: The Ryan Driver Quintet

Artist: The Ryan Driver Quintet

Song: Feeling Good [composed by Anthony Newley & Leslie Bricusse]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 23, 2025.

The Ryan Driver Quintet - Feeling Good

It's a fascinating phenomenon: Ryan Driver's longstanding standards quartet/sextet is a wonderful thing to behold, and a lot of that is owing to the near-telepathic bond that the members share as they explore the standards with languid intensity. But being embedded in the music community that they are, when the call goes out for reinforcements, there are some very special guests that can step into this very particular mindset. This pre-xmas night of the residence saw Driver and bassist Rob Clutton on stage, but they were joined by frequent guest Blake Howard (covering for Nick Fraser on drums) as well as Karen Ng (filling in on sax) and Thom Gill (on synth, filling in the spaces that might usually be taken up by vibes or guitar). Gill was (as always!) a delight here, sometimes choosing the most counterintuitive sounds that somehow fit into the tunes quite perfectly. The setlist took the usual amble through Ryan Driver's collection of "standards", moving from Donovan to Noël Coward, along with this Nina Simone sizzler.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[The next instalment of the residency (Friday, January 30th), is a special occasion, celebrating the release of Moon, an album recorded in live performance last year (and sure to be a vital document of of one of the city's great bands).]

Recording: Ballyk/Davis/Elrod/Hunt/Ng

Artist: Mark Ballyk/Brandon Davis/Kayla Elrod/Will Hunt/Karen Ng

Song: [1st set excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng presents), December 23, 2025.

Mark Ballyk/Brandon Davis/Kayla Elrod/Will Hunt/Karen Ng - [1st set excerpt]

Some very cool improvisations with some Berlin-based guests, including Toronto expat percussionist Mark Ballyk. Brandon Davis (double bass), Will Hunt (keybs), and Karen Ng (sax) represented the local side, while it was Kayla Elrod who surprised the most. Her bespoke rig featured Freddy Krueger-esque "fingernails" each with a contact mic (and each with its own channel on the mixer from her spaghetti bundle of cables) that could be run over any surface, creating mostly-crinkly texture sounds. Carpet, walls, windows and Ballyk's drumkit were in in play for tapping and scratching. That didn't lead to indiscriminate noise, however, as there were some some excellent mellow passages over these two sets.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

Monday Roundup #262

Community notes:

• Thanks to last week's Snowy Good Times, the screening of Luka Kuplowsky's Cluttertones documentary/performance film Memory of Light has been rescheduled to Wednesday January 28th. (Innis Town Hall, free)

• The deadline for the next round of applications for the Tranzac’s performance residency program has been extended to this Friday (January 23rd).

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Concert announcements:

Nick Fraser presents (feat. Nick Fraser's Special Topics [Nick Fraser/Kae Murphy/Max Stover/Josh Cole] / Kae Murphy [solo]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-27 (Tuesday) [more info]

Brandon Davis's Stations Quartet [Brandon Davis/Patrick O'Reilly/Luan Phung/Germaine Liu] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-28 (Wednesday) [more info]

Karen Ng presents (feat. Double Teams [Ryan Driver/Karen Ng/Aidan McConnell/Philippe Melanson) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-29 (Thursday)

All-Set! Presents (feat. Molehill) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-30 (Friday – early) [more info]

Exit Points #67 (feat. cheryl o/Annie Elgie/Shaunt Raffi/Casey Sokol/Michael Palumbo / W L C/Sonia Leung/Danielle Sum/Alexia Monize/Angelica Zavala) / Array Space 2026-01-30 (Friday). $22.89 advance, $28.27 general admission. [tickets + more info]

Axiomatic Heresy [Jonathan Kay/Nick Fraser/Alex Fournier with special guests Kayla Milmine/Andrew Kay/Reagan Mitchell] / The Emmet Ray 2026-02-01 (Sunday – 5 p.m.). $15. [more info]

Track Could Bend #113 (feat. OH GEE [Marilyn Yogarajah/Rob Campbell] / Ryan Kinney) / Wenona Lodge 2026-02-03 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Not Dead Yet presents (feat. Milkweed) / BSMT254 2026-03-31 (Tuesday). $24.94, 19+. [tickets + more info]

Not Dead Yet presents (feat. The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis) / 918 Bathurst 2026-05-02 (Saturday). $37.10. [tickets + more info]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

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Shows this week:

Soundstreams Encounters: Transoceanic ["works from diasporic composers Corie Rose Soumah, Kotoka Suzuki, and Anthony Tan reimagine sound and light through science-fiction visions that decenter Eurocentric narratives of progress"] (feat. Soundstreams) / Hugh's Room 2026-01-19 (Monday). $free with reservation. [more info]

Partitions illimitées/Unlimited scores (feat. Heather Saumer/Michael Palumbo/Christopher Petersen) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-20 (Tuesday – early). $pwyc, suggested $10-$20. [more info]

Agnes [Bea Labikova/Mira Martin-Gray/Doug Tielli/Kevin Turcotte/Mark Zurawinski/Rob Clutton] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-20 (Tuesday) [more info]

CMC Presents: Imagined Spaces (feat. Dame Cook / Sergei Kofman) / Canadian Music Centre 2026-01-22 (Thursday). $15 Advance / $20 at the door (General Admission), $12 Advance / $15 at the door (CMC Members and Arts Workers), $10 (students). [more info]

Handcrafted Music (feat. David Benitez/Arie Verheul van de Ven/Yoshi Maclear Wall/Martin van de Ven) / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2026-01-22 (Thursday) [more info]

Kurt Newman presents: Country Music for Cold Weather People (feat. Kurt Newman & Motel Time Again) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-22 (Thursday) [more info]

Tim Posgate Trio [Tim Posgate/Aline Homzy/Aidan McConnell] / The Rex 2026-01-23 (Friday – 5 p.m.). $pwyc. [FB event]

Experimental Link (feat. Sard / Raf Reza / Dastgâmachine) / BSMT 254 2026-01-23 (Friday). $22.60 (early bird)/$28.25 (1st release)/$33.90 (general admission), 19+. [FB event]

Diane Roblin's Life Force [Diane Roblin/George Koller/Tim Shia/Colleen Allen/John Johnson/Kevin Turcotte] / The Rex 2026-01-24 (Saturday – 5 p.m). $pwyc. [more info]

Winter's Delight: Musical Merriment with Good Company (feat. The Musicians of the Egg) / St. Thomas's Anglican Church 2026-01-24 (Saturday). $30 (General Admission), $20 (Students, Arts Worker), $10 Children. [FB event]

The Action Committee Orchestra [Maggie Keogh/Sara May/Maxwell Stover/Ben Rositsan/Keon Narinesingh/Max Donaldson/Regan Mowery] / Sellers & Newel 2025-01-24 (Saturday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]

Liquid Architecture presents Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [live silent movie score] (feat. ARRC [Ambrose Pottie/Rod Campbell/Ryan Kinney/Colin James Gibson]) / St. Matthew’s Clubhouse 2026-01-24 (Saturday). $10 (cash or e-transfer). [FB event]

40 years on (feat. Queen Mab [Lori Freedman & Marilyn Lerner]) / Canadian Music Centre 2026-01-24 (Saturday). $22.63 advance/$20 door. [tickets + more info]

people | places | records Residency (feat. Cristina Lord / Nick Norton) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-24 (Saturday) [FB event]

Imaginary North and The AMBiENT PiNG present Ambient Afternoon (feat. Kilometre Club / Heart Map Ambient Ensemble / Daena Delam) / Society Clubhouse 2026-01-25 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $10 at the door, NOTAFLOF. fully accessible and family friendly. [FB event]

Global Sunday (feat. Donné Roberts) / The Rex 2026-01-25 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $pwyc. [more info]

University of Toronto New Music Festival: Simple Beginnings (feat. minMAX Electroacoustic Orchestra) / Walter Hall 2025-01-25 (Sunday). $free. [more info]

Sympathetic String Band & Friends (feat. Sympathetic String Band / Potions performing as The Sympathetic Wind Band) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-25 (Sunday – early) [more info]

Cacophony (feat. ro × cellsync / erin corbett × transient) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-25 (Sunday) [more info]

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It happened this week...

• ...on January 22, 2010 at The Garrison (Out of This Spark 3rd Anniversary Party).

OOTS Family Band (feat. Jenny Omnichord) - unknown

• ...on January 23, 2010 at The Music Gallery.

The Necks - excerpt from an improvisation (second set)

[Do remember that you can click on the tags below to go back and find the original posts (and often, more stuff) from these artists.]

Recording: Agnes

Artist: Agnes

Songs: Sjawm [excerpt] [composer: Rob Clutton] + [set 2 improvisation excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 16, 2025.

Agnes - Sjawm [excerpt]

Agnes - [set 2 improvisation excerpt]

I last saw this group in their proof-of-concept phase, before they had a name or a Tranzac residency. The formalized unit brings together Mark Zurawinski (percussion), Rob Clutton (double bass), Mira Martin-Gray (guitar, electronics), Kevin Turcotte (trumpet, flugelhorn), and Doug Tielli (trombone, saw) (as well as saxophonist Bea Labikova, absent on this night), exploring both members' compositions as well as abstract improvisational space. At times channeling the sounds of rustling detritus, with everyone scraping, twisting and boinging, the group moved through some wide-ranging dynamics, from quietly-brushed cymbals to organized horn-riffs, often held together by Rob Clutton's bass and Mira Martin-Gray's prepared guitar and electronic noise.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[Agnes will be back at The Tranzac next Tuesday (January 20th).]

Recording: Beverly Glenn-Copeland with Elizabeth Copeland

Artist: Beverly Glenn-Copeland with Elizabeth Copeland

Song: In The Image

Recorded at East End United Church (Burn Down the Capital, Venus Fest and The Music Gallery present), December 13, 2025.

Beverly Glenn-Copeland with Elizabeth Copeland - In The Image

An interesting difference in vibes between this and the last time I saw Beverly Glenn-Copeland. At that show, there was a sense of re-discovery in the air — from audience and performer — as BGC spoke about realizing that the audience for his music that wasn't there when his celebrated albums were made had arrived a generation later; by now, in a packed church, there was a sense of an icon being celebrated. Looking frailer but still in excellent voice, this was a show about joy and celebration, the energy again being sent and received in both directions (indeed, the hall was left fully lit for the full set for the performers to see the audience with whom they were sharing space.)

This was a more stripped-back show, with musical accompaniment mostly limited to Alex Samaras' piano, voice and cheerleading. (Openers Topanga came out to add their voices, and to close things out, as heard here, a whole choir made their way on stage.) Moving beyond "the hits", Glenn-Copeland (along with Elizabeth Copeland, who added complementary vocals and shared some eco-poetry songs when Glenn-Copeland needed a mid-set break) brought out music from the breadth of their career, including the "lost years" they were crafting empathy-raising youth musical theatre shows. That could have made this feel like the corniest glee club meeting imaginable; instead it was fully rousing and affecting. Sometimes you just have to be direct with the cris de coeur.

Recording: Topanga

Artist: Topanga

Song: River Song

Recorded at East End United Church (Burn Down the Capital, Venus Fest and The Music Gallery present), December 13, 2025.

Topanga - River Song

Making their Toronto debut to a packed church, this St. John’s-based trio is a joint effort between singer-songwriters Katie Baggs, Carole Bestvater, and Valmy. Having met the evening's headliners at the Lawnya Vawnya festival, they were specially invited to join Beverly Glenn-Copeland and Elizabeth Copeland on a cross-country jaunt. As this song (an ecological musing sung from the river's point of view) makes clear, they're definitely sympathetic souls. Throughout the set of folk/country numbers, the trio traded off instruments and vocal leads but always found a path back to letting their voices join together in something more than the sum of the parts.

Recording: Kamra

Artist: Kamra

Song: Absolute Ardor

Recorded at East End United Church (Burn Down the Capital, Venus Fest and The Music Gallery present), December 13, 2025.

Kamra - Absolute Ardor

It's a joy to see an opening act that is clearly thrilled to be sharing a bill with their heroes as much as Kamra Abdul-Hakim, fronting their namesake band, was on this night. With shared concerns around emotional care and nurturing (as well as some poetically-declaimed vocals), there was a natural overlap. Backed by people|places|records' Andrew Noseworthy and some associated locals, this filled up the big church with some poignant resonances.

Monday Roundup #261

Community notes:

• Exciting movie night! Luka Kuplowsky will be presenting Memory of Light, his study of The Cluttertones, "part observational documentary and part experimental-concert film", on Thursday evening (January 15th) at Innis Town Hall.

• On Sunday, February 22nd, The Punk Talks Series presents an afternoon with Mickey Skin and Linda Lee (of Canada's first all-female punk band, the Curse), and Cleave Anderson (who has been the drummer of a number of early Toronto and Hamilton punk bands, including the Battered Wives, Viletones, and Forgotten Rebels). Moderated by Liz Worth (author of Treat Me Like Dirt: An Oral History of Punk in Toronto and Beyond), tickets are $10 ("includes refreshments", and a post-event sildscreening workshop).

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Concert announcements:

Agnes [Bea Labikova/Mira Martin-Gray/Doug Tielli/Kevin Turcotte/Mark Zurawinski/Rob Clutton] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-20 (Tuesday) [more info]

Experimental Link (feat. Sard / Raf Reza / Dastgâmachine) / BSMT 254 2026-01-23 (Friday). $22.60 (early bird)/$28.25 (1st release)/$33.90 (general admission), 19+. [FB event]

people | places | records Residency (feat. Cristina Lord / Nick Norton) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-24 (Saturday) [FB event]

Imaginary North and The Ambient PiNG present Ambient Afternoon (feat. Kilometre Club / Heart Map Ambient Ensemble / Daena Delam) / Society Clubhouse 2026-01-25 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $10, all ages/family friendly [more info]

Discoveries Vol.8 with Musical Host Batuki Music (feat. Nii Osabu / Dipo / Sintayehu “Mimi” Zenebe & Abebe Fikade / David J. / Ruth Mathiang / Ṣẹwà) / Hugh's Room 2026-01-29 (Thursday). $21.82. [FB event]

The Ryan Driver Sextet [Moon CD release] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-30 (Friday) [FB event]

The Cross Sea [album release] (Praises / Isla Craig / Catholic Wilt) / The Baby G 2026-02-20 (Friday). $21.53, 19+. [FB event]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

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Shows this week:

Toronto Electronic Music Open Mic (feat. Ben Green / Gruve Collective / Ross Edmonds / LoHeadroom / Caspar Project / Antibes / fame diet / Inchoate / Extinction On Schedule / Giant Floating Head) / Handlebar 2026-01-12 (Monday) [more info]

Mike DeiCont Trio [Mike DeiCont/Eric West/Leland Whitty] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-12 (Monday) [more info]

mdbm [Michael White/Maggie Keogh/Don Rooke/Blake Howard] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-14 (Wednesday) [more info]

Labyrinth Ontario presents Makam Nights (feat. Alejandro Franco Briones & Mehrdad Jafari Raad) / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2026-01-15 (Thursday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Mehdi Rostami / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-16 (Friday – early) [more info]

Long Winter 14.3 (feat. liz uninvited [album release] / Kai Samuels / bridge of sand. / 999ADJ) / It's OK* Studios 2026-01-16 (Friday). $PWYC ($20 advance tickets skip the line). [more info]

Ministry of Phonic Services presents BPM (Big Percussion Meeting) (feat. Aiyun Huang / David Schotzko / Germaine Liu / Joe Sorbara / Mark Zurawinski / Mira Martin-Gray) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-16 (Friday). $pwyc

A Soulful Wintry Evening With Kurdish Kamāncha (feat. Shahriyar Jamshidi) / Burdock Music Hall 2026-01-17 (Saturday). $22.60 advance/$30 door. [FB event]

Our Full Selves (feat. ROSINX) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-17 (Saturday) [more info]

ur audio visual presents (feat. Heraclitus Akimbo [concert and lecture celebrating the release of I know what I have experienced and I know what it has meant to me, an album of music for solo lap steel guitar] / Charter of the Forest [Isla Craig/Karsten Stryker/Kurt Newman/Pete Johnston/Blake Howard]) / The Sun Room @ 918 Bathurst 2026-01-18 (Sunday – 4 p.m.). $pwyc. [FB event]

Sonomadic Improv Presents: Singing with Freedom (Ayelet Rose Gottlieb [workshop] / K2 [Jonathan Kay & Kayla Milmine] / "Open Jam") / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2026-01-18 (Sunday). $PWYC, snacks included. [FB event]

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It happened this week...

• ...on January 13, 2019 at Array Space (Somewhere There Presents: Paul Newman at 55).

Paul Newman & Brian Abbott - Toad Cricket Lear [part 1]

• ...on January 16, 2019 at Burdock Music Hall.

Cluttertones - Leeways Part 4 + 5

• ...on January 17, 2019 at The Canadian Music Centre (Riparian Acoustics/CMC Presents).

Alex Samaras - Everybody Says Don't

[Do remember that you can click on the tags below to go back and find the original posts (and often, more stuff) from these artists.]

Recording: mdbm

Artist: mdbm

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 10, 2025.

mdbm - unknown

Presenting the sort of experimental, drifting take on folk that you would have once heard at the Holy Oak, this quartet is working out their sounds in the course of a Tranzac residency. Featuring Michael White (trumpet), Maggie Keogh (vocals), Don Rooke (guitar, lap steel) and Blake Howard (percussion), the group moved from abstract, soundtrack-y pieces to more song-like forms (as heard here).

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

[mdbm will be back in the Southern Cross on Wednesday (January 14th).]

Recording: Clutton/Cole/O'Reilly/Howard

Artist: Rob Clutton/Josh Cole/Patrick O'Reilly/Blake Howard

Songs: [set 1 excerpt] + This is what happens inside a room [edited excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Brodie West presents), December 10, 2025.

Rob Clutton/Josh Cole/Patrick O'Reilly/Blake Howard - [set 1 excerpt]

Rob Clutton/Josh Cole/Patrick O'Reilly/Blake Howard - This is what happens inside a room [edited excerpt]

Slated as an evening with Brodie West's Double Basses Quintet, the last-minute absence of the host shifted the terrain somewhat. Without West's saxophone (and the compositions for the group he's been working up), this turned into a chance for the remaining musicians to expand their zones a bit and improvise. There were still two double basses, giving Rob Clutton and Josh Cole a chance to work off each other, and some extra space for Patrick O'Reilly to explore the textures generated by his guitar and pedals. There was also one other substitution, as Blake Howard was sitting in for Nick Fraser and adding his genial chaos to the proceedings. The longer excerpt here contains an impromptu monologue from Howard, giving a darkly-comedic franework for the musicians to work around. (Or it's possible that Howard has indeed been trapped in the Southern Cross for the past forty million years and needs our assistance.)

Recording: Bitchin Bajas

Artist: Bitchin Bajas

Song: Keiji Dreams

Recorded at Monarch Tavern, December 7, 2025.

Bitchin Bajas - Keiji Dreams

This Chicago trio returned to town promoting the recent Inland See album, and indeed tackled all four of its pieces in their set. With the stage heaped with gear like a mad scientist's analog synth laboratory, the group let the music do the talking, eschewing banter (and, by and large, stage lighting) as they moved from more meditative soundscapes to some Switched On groovers.

Recording: Fortunato Durutti Marinetti

Artist: Fortunato Durutti Marinetti

Song: The Movie of Your Life

Recorded at Monarch Tavern, December 7, 2025.

Fortunato Durutti Marinetti - The Movie of Your Life

Given a largely attentive crowd while opening things up for touring headliners Bitchin Bajas, Daniel Colussi brought a contained set that leaned more on his lyrics and inflections than sonic propulsion. Backed only by Brandon Gibson-DeGroote on violin, Colussi let the words and images rush out, essaying some tunes from his last couple albums.

[Fortunato Durutti Marinetti will be back at the Monarch, opening for Fuses this Saturday (January 10th).]

Monday Roundup #260

Community notes:

• The Tranzac "is inviting artists, groups, curators, ensembles and organizations to apply to our performance residency for April - September 2026." Details are here and I note there's a Zoom info session later today. Deadline to apply is January 16th.

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Concert announcements:

Mike DeiCont Trio [Mike DeiCont/Eric West/Leland Whitty] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-12 (Monday) [more info]

mdbm [Michael White/Maggie Keogh/Don Rooke/Blake Howard] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-14 (Wednesday) [more info]

Mehdi Rostami / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-16 (Friday – early) [more info]

Long Winter 14.3 (feat. liz uninvited [album release] / Kai Samuels / bridge of sand. / 999ADJ) / It's OK* Studios 2026-01-16 (Friday). $PWYC ($20 advance tickets skip the line). [more info]

Ministry of Phonic Services presents BPM (Big Percussion Meeting) (feat. Aiyun Huang / David Schotzko / Germaine Liu / Joe Sorbara / Mark Zurawinski / Mira Martin-Gray) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-16 (Friday). $pwyc

University of Toronto New Music Festival: Simple Beginnings (feat. minMAX Electroacoustic Orchestra) / Walter Hall 2025-01-25 (Sunday). $free. [more info]

University of Toronto New Music Festival (feat. DOG Ensemble and Jazz Faculty) / Walter Hall 2025-02-01 (Sunday – 2:00 p.m.). $free. [more info]

University of Toronto New Music Festival: Vis a Vis [music of Vivian Fung and Morton Feldman] (feat. U of T Percussion Ensemble) / Walter Hall 2025-02-02 (Monday). $free. [more info]

Ellwood Epps/Nick Fraser/Rob Clutton/Jonny Luke / Sellers & Newel 2025-02-18 (Wednesday). $25 minimum donation. [more info]

Aline Homzy's Manouche Trio [Aline Homzy/Jonathan Meyer/Julien Bradley-Combs] / Sellers & Newel 2025-02-27 (Friday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]

Caylie Staples & Matt Brubeck / Sellers & Newel 2025-03-10 (Tuesday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]

Thursdays at Noon (feat. Eve Egoyan) / Walter Hall 2026-03-12 (Thursday – noon). $free. [more info]

Ladyfinger [Diane Roblin & Kayla Milmine] / Sellers & Newel 2025-03-14 (Saturday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]

Rob Clutton & Josh Cole / Sellers & Newel 2025-03-25 (Wednesday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

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Shows this week:

The Cluttertones [Rob Clutton/Lina Allemano/Tim Posgate/Ryan Driver] / Sellers & Newel 2025-01-06 (Tuesday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]

Track Could Bend #112 (feat. Duo BEAK [Bea Labikova & Kayla Milmine] / Vividness Trio / Wenona Lodge 2026-01-06 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Peripheral Vision (Patrick O'Reilly/Brodie West) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-06 (Tuesday) [more info]

The Next Set (feat. Ruby Roussain/Aidan McConnell/Michael Davidson/Dan Fortin) / The Emmet Ray 2026-01-07 (Wednesday – 6:30 p.m.). $12. [FB event]

Titanium Riot [Lina Allemano/Ryan Driver/Rob Clutton/Nick Fraser] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-07 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Southern Balkans co-labs on Saxophone Concert #4: Greek Music Trio (feat. Dimitra Kahrimanidis/Ariane Morin/Naghmeh Farahmand) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-08 (Thursday) [more info]

Marcus Celia & Band (Justin Orok) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-09 (Friday – early). $pwyc. [more info]

Audiopollination (feat. Matt Collins / Julie Lassonde / Blake Howard / the not michael lynns) / Array Space 2026-01-09 (Friday). $notaflof. [more info]

Musica Universalis (feat. C'est la fête) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-09 (Friday) [more info]

Fuses (Roy / Fortunato Durutti Marinetti) / Monarch Tavern 2026-01-10 (Saturday). $17.50, 19+. [tickets + more info]

Cool New Instruments Night! #7 (feat. Brian Su / Naomi Sky / Brian Abbott / Benjamin Lappalainen / Dann Toliver / Michael Palumbo) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-10 (Saturday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Senior & Newman / Aaron Knight / Charter of the Forest / Nick Flanagan / OOP) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-11 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.) [FB event]

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It happened this week...

• ...on January 6, 2017 at The Gladstone Hotel's Ballroom (Long Winter 5.2).

HanHan - Tawa

• ...on January 7, 2017 at The Garrison.

The Sadies - God Bless The Infidels

[Do remember that you can click on the tags below to go back and find the original posts (and often, more stuff) from these artists.]

Recording: Michael Palumbo

Artist: Michael Palumbo

Song: Vincent (Starry Starry Night) [Don McLean cover]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #111), December 2, 2025.

Michael Palumbo - Vincent (Starry Starry Night)

"Experimental music" is not a genre but rather a state of mind. For modular wizard and electroacoustician Michael Palumbo, improvisation and collaboration are core elements of his practice — so to become vulnerable with just songs and voice, a mic and a guitar were a step into different territory, the sort of experiment that generates productive nervousness. His repertoire in this set ranged from a couple traditional numbers and hewed towards folky material, but did pull in an eclectic set of influences including Chad VanGaalen and Thom Yorke.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[Track Could Bend returns to Wenona on Tuesday (January 6th) with sets from Duo BEAK (Bea Labikova and Kayla Milmine) and Vividness Trio (Laura Gillis, Lorne Shapiro, Hildegard von Bingo). A sweet way to start the year if you've been resolving to get out to more shows!]