Artist: The Rural Alberta Advantage
Song: The Little Drummer Boy
Recorded at Lee's Palace, December 16, 2010.
The Rural Alberta Advantage - The Little Drummer BoyFull review to follow — My notes for this set can now be found here. I'm not really one for all of this xmas folderol, but one would have to have a heart three sizes too small not to get something from the band's rollicking take on this carol.
Founded as a blog about one curmudgeon's love affair with the em dash, Mechanical Forest Sound has grown to become a community-based archive of local musical culture. Assuming that "independent music" isn't just boys with guitars and "culture" isn't just some sort of pageant, MFS is an investigation of a wide range of artists, reflecting on concerts as shared experiences, acts of citizenship and a chance to get down — fuzzy photographs and clear-sounding original live recordings a specialty.
Current manifestations of this project include Track Could Bend, a monthly concert series featuring "improvised music and weird rock offshoots", presented in a casual environment.
At one point I wrote full-on concert reviews, and for longer I thought I would catch up and write about shows in the past. But these days, because of, y'know, life, do not expect much in the way of full show reviews — but live recordings with blurbs will be posted as quickly after the fact as is feasible.
Check out my original live recordings from many of the gigs discussed here.
You can also check out full sets uploaded to the Live Music Archive. [not currently active]
N.B.: All recordings should be available & playable. If you come across any broken links, invisible or non-functioning players, etc, please leave a comment and I will tend to it ASAP.
ALSO N.B.: I'm perpetually on the lookout for a new place to stash my MP3's online. If you know of any place that allows a couple gigs of stuff to be openly linked to for streaming, drop me a line!
All comments are welcome, or you can reach me at mechanicalforestsound@gmail.com.
All MP3's on this blog are audience recordings shared as a reminder of the excitement of seeing live music. If you are an artist who doesn't want their music shared in this way, please contact me and I shall remove it forthwith.
If you're so inclined, you can also follow me on Bluesky @mfs-toronto.bsky.social
Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!
Ministry of Phonic Services presents: Back to School Field Trip [debut screening of Otherwise by Mike Filippov] / "Park" 2026-09-22 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [more info]
Triio [Bea Labikova/Jon Kay/Tom Fleming/Danielle Sum/Alex Fournier/Stefan Hegerat] / Pamenar 2026-09-22 (Tuesday). $20. [more info]
Ministry of Phonic Services presents: Back to School Field Trip ["a festival of outdoor experimental sounds and actions"] (feat. HAHAHAHAHAHA / shemona / quivering / Emergency Euphoria) / "Highway" 2026-09-23 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [more info]
Mike DeiCont Trio feat. Eric West & Leland Whitty / Sellers & Newel 2026-09-24 (Thursday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]
The Living Room Sessions #4 (feat. Dorky & Best [Germaine Liu/Steph Chua/Tilman Lewis] / G.Mark Weston & Germaine Liu) / Annette Studios 2026-09-24 (Thursday). $15 or pwyc, all ages. [more info]
ESP Free Jazz Thursdays (feat. Brent Tanemura/Colin Fisher/Andrew Frost/Aidan Miller) / Water to Wine 2026-09-24 (Thursday). $pwyc
CCMC [Cheryl O/John Oswald/Christine Duncan/Mani Mazinani/Gord Monahan] / Array Space 2026-09-24 (Thursday). $pwyc, livestream available [more info]
Karen Ng presents (feat. Karen Ng & Maxwell Stover / Drew Wesely) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-09-24 (Thursday). [more info]
Exit Points #76 (feat. Josh Sparks/Nico Newton/Aranya Khurana/Elysha Vorstenbosch / Sarah Mullins/Ron Johnston/Arianna Rueda/Michael Palumbo/Reagan Patrick Mitchell) / Array Space 2026-09-25 (Friday). $17.52 (early bird), $22.89 (advance), $28.27 (general). [tickets + more info]
Ministry of Phonic Services presents: Back to School Field Trip ["a festival of outdoor experimental sounds and actions"] (feat. SlowPitchSound / Fleshtone Aura & Sandro Perri / Gayle Young & Reinhard Reitzenstein / tête à tête [Philippe Melanson & Matthew Pencer]) / "UFO" 2026-09-25 (Friday). $pwyc. [more info]
Ladyfinger [Diane Roblin & Kayla Milmine] / Sellers and Newel 2026-09-25 (Friday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]
The Ryan Driver Sextet / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-09-25 (Friday) [FB event]
Burn Down The Capital presents (feat. Picastro [Double on Time album release] / Bernice / Granny Smith) / Gloves Up Boxing Gym 2026-09-26 (Saturday). $28.27, all ages. [FB event]
Imaginary North and The AMBiENT PiNG present Ambient Afternoon (feat. Jessica Deutsch / Little Jim / R Grunwald / SIREN) / Society Clubhouse 2026-09-27 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $11.97 (advance), $15 (door), fully accessible + family-friendly. [FB event]
Maggie Keogh/Ryan Driver/Max Donaldson/Blake Howard / Sellers and Newel 2026-09-27 (Sunday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]
Brown Dolly and Friends (feat. Brown Dolly/Michael Palumbo/Laura Gillis/Michelangelo Iaffaldano) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-09-27 (Sunday). $pwyc. [more info]
Soundstreams Encounters: Nagoya Marimbas [featuring Steve Reich’s "Mallet Quartet" and "Nagoya Marimbas", plus works by Ann Southam and Juri Seo (feat. Kairos Percussion Quartet with Aerin Cho) / Hugh's Room 2026-09-29 (Tuesday). $free with reservation. [more info]
Partitions illimitées / Unlimited Scores (feat. Bri Clarke / James Knott / Julie Lassonde / Pursuit Grooves) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-09-30 (Wednesday – early). $pwyc (suggested $10-$20). [more info]
Jane Siberry / Sellers and Newel 2026-09-30 (Wednesday). $35 minimum donation. [more info]
aRrHyThMiA [BridgeofSand/Ryan Kinney/Nilan Perera] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-09-30 (Wednesday). [FB event]
ESP Free Jazz Thursdays (feat. Brent Tanemura/Lauchlin Wood/Brodie West/Jake Bikay/Mateos Labbé-Phelan) / Water to Wine 2026-10-01 (Thursday). $pwyc. [more info]
Imaginary North and The AMBiENT PiNG present (feat. Cloud Circuit / Metric Time Ensemble / biG kNiFE) / Annette Studios 2026-10-01 (Thursday). $12.67 (advance) / $15 (door), all ages. [tickets + more info]
Project Nowhere × Burn Down The Capital presents (feat. Horse Lords / Common Earth Mineral / Stefana Fratila) / The Garrison 2026-10-01 (Thursday). $32.31, 19+. [FB event]
Liquid Architecture: Guitar Night (feat. Lex Feathers / Aranya Khurana / Colin James Gibson / Ryan Kinney) / St. Matthew's Clubhouse 2026-10-03 (Saturday). $10 (cash or e-transfer). [FB event]
Cosmic Homeostasis [album release celebration] (Bea Labikova) / 918 Bathurst 2026-10-04 (Sunday – 4 p.m.). $pwyc. [FB event]
PORTALZ album release concert (feat. Marbyllia [Margaret Maria & Bill Gilliam] / Margaret Maria [solo]) / Array Space 2026-10-04 (Sunday). $30 (includes CD). [FB event]
Steve Reich at 90! (feat. Soindstreams) / Koerner Hall 2026-10-06 (Tuesday). $35-$94.75. [more info]
Track Could Bend #121 (feat. Shawn Will / Benny Liquid [Nü Creature + Zachary George] / Nina Boujee) / Wenona Lodge 2026-10-06 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]
Raybody (Jackie West / Luke Kuplowsky) / Dina's Tavern 2026-10-06 (Tuesday). [more info]
Diane Roblin/Rob Clutton/Mark Zurawinski / Sellers and Newel 2026-10-09 (Friday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]
Funz Mini-tour/Ur Audio-Visual label showcase (feat. Eiyn Sof / lostworldsounds / The Black Funz) / St Matthew's Clubhouse 2026-10-09 (Friday). $pwyc. [FB event]
Severe Exposure Volume 1: Toronto's New Noise Festival (feat. Vomir / Lea Bertucci / Hermit / Mound of of Glass /Professor A / Zilmrah / Rob Michalchuk / Receiving Device / Brigitte Bardon't) / It's OK Studios 2026-10-10 (Saturday). $38.61 (early bird), $43.93 (general admission), 19+. [FB event]
FemBots (Jenny Omnichord) / Burdock Music Hall 2026-10-10 (Saturday). $22.60. [tickets + more info]
Stefin (Output 1:1:1 / Atonal) / Collective Arts 2026-10-10 (Saturday). $17.55. [tickets + more info]
Funz Mini-tour/Ur Audio-Visual label showcase: Sean Travis Ramsay Memorial (feat. Heraclitus Akimbo / Percy Bangs / The Blue Funz) / Sun Room @ 918 Bathurst 2026-10-11 (Sunday). $pwyc. [FB event]
Dorothea Paas (Andre Ethier / Ruby of Thanks) / Dina's Tavern 2026-10-11 (Sunday). $15/pwyc. [more info]
Idée Fixe Records 15 (feat. Jennifer Castle / Isla Craig / Cormac Culkeen with Michael Cloud Duguay / Alex Lukashevsky / Kyla Marlena / Potions / Roy / Joseph Shabason / Bry Webb) / St. Stephen-in-the-Fields 2026-10-13 (Tuesday). $26.93. [tickets + more info]
X Avant XXI: Memory Mannnnn, Night 1: Ghost Grain (feat. Ava Mendoza / Andrew Noseworthy & Grace Scheele) / First Unitarian Church 2026-10-14 (Wednesday). $22.14/$27.29/$33.47. [tickets + more info]
Funz Mini-tour/Ur Audio-Visual label showcase (feat. M. Mucci / Bird City / The Golden Funz) / The Keating Channel Pub & Grill 2026-10-14 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [FB event]
X Avant XXI: Memory Mannnnn, Night 2: Flashback (feat. Sonic Bikes / Bilal Nasser & Ensemble) / First Unitarian Church 2026-10-15 (Thursday). $22.14/$27.29/$33.47. [tickets + more info]
X Avant XXI: Memory Mannnnn, Night 3: Ancient Circuitry (feat. Mani Mazinani's Solar Organ Ensemble / For The Youth: Reilluminated) / First Unitarian Church 2026-10-16 (Friday). $22.14/$27.29/$33.47. [tickets + more info]
Thiante: Spiritual Senegal (feat. Ibrahima Diop / Seydina Ndiaye / Talla Kane) / Trinity-St. Paul's Centre 2026-10-17 (Saturday). $25 (advanced)/$30 (doors), all ages. [FB event]
Experimental Link Series: Strings of Iran (feat. Hossein Behroozinia/Mehdi Rostami/Pooyan Ranaei/Bamdad Fotouhi) / Trinity Presbyterian Church 2026-10-24 (Saturday). $43.63. [tickets + more info]
Soundstreams Encounters: Violins Unbound [works by André Ristic, John Beckwith, Chris Paul Harman, Parisa Sabet, Ana Sokolović] (feat. Judith Fliedl & Roan Ma) / Hugh's Room 2026-11-02 (Monday). $free with reservation. [more info]
Not Dead Yet presents (feat. Weird Nightmare [Hoopla record release shows]) / Osler Records 2026-11-18&19 (Wednesday & Thursday). $24.94, 19+. [tickets + more info]
Mike DeiCont & Dan Fortin / Sellers and Newel 2026-11-25 (Wednesday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]
Marilyn Lerner & Matt Brubeck / Sellers and Newel 2026-11-26 (Thursday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]
Soundstreams Encounters: Orison [a new music theatre work-in-progress featuring the ondes Martenot] (feat. Daniel Áñez & James O’Callaghan) / Hugh's Room 2026-11-30 (Monday). $free with reservation. [more info]
Soundstreams Encounters: Hua ["an immersive audiovisual collaboration"] (feat. Margie Kelk & Alison Yun-Fei Jiang) / Paradise Theatre 2027-04-13 (Monday). $free with reservation. [more info]
2026 Gigs
Tania Gill presents (feat. Victor Bateman/Brodie West/Nico Dann) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-02 (Friday)
The Silt / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-02 (Friday)
Track Could Bend #112 (feat. Duo BEAK / Vividness Trio) / Wenona Lodge 2026-01-06 (Tuesday)
Toronto Improvisors Orchestra / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-11 (Sunday)
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Senior & Newman / Nick Flanagan / Aaron Knight / Azaria / Charter of the Forest) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-11 (Sunday)
ur audio visual presents (feat. Heraclitus Akimbo / Charter of the Forest) / The Sun Room @ 918 Bathurst 2026-01-18 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #113 (feat. OH GEE / Ryan Kinney) / Wenona Lodge 2026-02-03 (Tuesday)
Toronto Improvisers Orchestra / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-02-08 (Sunday)
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman / Destroya / Nick Flanagan / Roya/Marilyn/Ayal / Ayal Senior) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-02-08 (Sunday)
Bad Baby and Mayme Joach (Fan Wu / Colleen Coco Collins) / Burdock Music Hall 2026-02-08 (Sunday)
Music Hosted by Karen Ng (feat. Max Stover/Mateos Labbé-Phelan/Andrew Furlong/Karen Ng) / Wenona Lodge 2026-02-17 (Tuesday)
Rapallo (Marker Starling) / Dina's Tavern 2025-02-21 (Saturday)
Earlobe fundraiser (feat. Many People) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-02-26 (Thursday)
coexisDance #113 (feat. New Chance / Rachana Joshi / Sid Eillers / Brandon Davis / Kayla Milmine / Brendan Swanson / Rowan-Muriel / Joel Lawrence) / Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre 2026-02-28 (Saturday)
Eliza Niemi (Shep. Treasure / Westelaken) / Dina's Tavern 2026-03-01 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #114 (feat. Bill Gilliam / Scallions / Tap slap wind and light) / Wenona Lodge 2026-03-03 (Tuesday)
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Senior & Newman / Lostworldsounds / Nick Flanagan / Nocturnes / Ayal Senior) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-03-08 (Sunday)
International Women's Day (feat. Tania Gill/Aline Homzy/Karen Ng/Brittany Pitt/Mira Riselli) / Sellers & Newel 2026-03-08 (Sunday)
Ben Mike & The Beatles (Down Town) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-03-14 (Saturday)
Cosmic Homeostasis XXXI / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-03-29 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #115 (feat. Brian Abbott & Paul Newman / Ben Mike & Owen Kurtz) / Wenona Lodge 2025-04-07 (Tuesday)
Kurt Newman presents Post-Bluegrass Bluegrass (feat. Isla & The Sorry Brothers) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-04-09 (Thursday)
Sonomadic Improv presents (feat. the clearing / Happy Apple) / Annette Studios 2025-04-12 (Sunday)
Josh Cole: new works for improvising musicians (feat. Aline Homzy/Nick Storring/John Oswald/Owen Kurtz/Josh Cole) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-04-13 (Monday)
Sympathetic String Band & Friends (feat. Sympathetic String Band / Gayle Young) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-04-26 (Sunday)
Not Dead Yet presents (feat. The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis / Yr Knives) / 918 Bathurst 2026-05-02 (Saturday)
Track Could Bend #116 (feat. the rest / Wobbly + John Oswald / Red Trillium) / Wenona Lodge 2026-05-05 (Tuesday)
Holy Oak Family Singers presents: Our Parents' Tapes (feat. Luka Kuplowsky/Tiffany Wu/Isla Craig/Justin Orok/Edwin De Goeij/Fan Wu/Aiden McConnell/Ivy Mairi/Carlyn Bezic/Robin Dann/Ben Gunning/Bram Gielen) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-05-06 (Wednesday)
Potions & Strings (Dun-Dun Man) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-05-06 (Wednesday)
Musica Universalis (feat. C'est la fête Large Ensemble) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-05-08 (Friday)
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman / JOYSHAPE / Ryan Dugre / Nick Flanagan) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-05-10 (Sunday)
Cosmic Homeostasis XXXII / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2026-05-17 (Sunday)]
Playscape Emporium: Paint, Play (feat. Duo Cichorium/Constant Yen/ Rowan Campbell/Charlee Wielgoz/Fahmid Nibesh/Joe Strutt/Mira Martin-Gray) / Array Space 2026-05-21 (Thursday)
Wenderly Park (Colin Fisher / Isla Craig) / Le Monde 2026-05-22 (Friday)
Ministry of Phonic Services presents (feat. Ben Rempel & Justin Gunter / Not the Wind, Not the Flag / Doug Tielli & Mike Gennaro) / Bickford Park 2026-05-24 (Sunday)
Life Drawing (feat. Cosmic Homeostasis) / Riverdale Park 2026-05-31 (Sunday)
Prepare the Ground Festival (feat. William Basinski) / Trinity-St. Paul's Centre 2026-05-31 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #117 (feat. saucering / Colin Fisher/William Hunt/Jack Johnson/Cal Adam) / Wenona Lodge 2025-06-02 (Tuesday)
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior/Nathan Yell/Marilyn Yogarajah / David Sait / Nick Flanagan / Nathan Yell) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-06-14 (Sunday)
Caution Wet Floor Signs / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-06-28 (Sunday)
Andre Ethier (Cows in Rain / Eliza Niemi) / Dina's Tavern 2026-07-05 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #118 (feat. Ubersuck / Mike Gennaro / Wilderness Adventure Ride) / Wenona Lodge 2026-07-07 (Tuesday)
Toronto Improvisers Orchestra / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-12 (Sunday)
Ayal Senior and Friends (feat. Country Phasers / Meggie Remy / Nick Flanagan / Heraclitus Akimbo) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-12 (Sunday)
Rebecca Hennessy's Singer-Songwriter Circle (feat. Rebecca Hennessy/Michael Herring/Felicity Williams/Patrick O'Reilly) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-19 (Sunday)
The Fiver Trois (Isla & The Sorry Brothers) / Dina's Tavern 2025-07-24 (Friday)
Jennifer Castle (Potions) / The Garrison 2025-07-25 (Saturday)
Heraclitus Akimbo (Hoover Party / Del Stephen / Hex-A-Decimal × Leucrocuta) / The Sun Room at 918 Bathurst 2025-07-26 (Sunday)
Kathryn Merriam with Bea Labikova/Raphael Roter/Heather Saumer / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-29 (Wednesday)
The Ryan Driver Sextet With Thom Gill As Ryan Driver / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-31 (Friday)
Track Could Bend #119: An Evening of Graphic Scores co-presented with Public Library (feat. Public Library with Roa Lee and Alison Melville) / Wenona Lodge 2026-08-04 (Tuesday)
Humbucker Music Residency (feat. Humbucker Music / Sandy Ewen) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-07 (Friday)
new works for improvising musicians (feat. Josh Cole/Lina Allemano/John Oswald/Nick Storring/Owen Kurtz) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-10 (Monday)
Joni Void/Liz Hysen/Charles Spearin / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-30 (Sunday)
Cosmic Homeostasis XXXIII / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-30 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #120 (feat. Dave Grenon's Indistinctive Gait w/ Ayesha Lye / Caution Wet Floor Signs) / Wenona Lodge 2026-09-01 (Tuesday)
Equinox and Solstice Residency (feat. Ghostlight) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-09-05 (Saturday)
Ministry of Phonic Services presents: Back to School Field Trip: Dome (feat. Brandon Auger / Ben Grossman / Fahmid Nibesh) / CNE Bandshell 2026-09-17 (Thursday)
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