Artist: Dr. Ew
Song: Oh Human History
Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 31, 2011.
Dr. Ew - Oh Human HistoryFull review to follow. Bringing a bulked-up band (including Tranzac mainstay Bobby Wiseman) and some rocked-up arrangements to his New Year's Eve show, Drew Smith shocked some folks looking for genteel pop songs. "Judas!" cried one. Smith hardly looked up as he muttered under his breath, "I don't believe you." Then the band played fucking loud.
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 Twitter: @TowerofBabbling
Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!
Devin Gray (Aidan McConnell/Mateos Labbé-Phelan/%%30%30) / Wenona Lodge 2024-04-16 (Tuesday). $pwyc, notaflof. [more info]
Labyrinth Ontario's Annual Fundraiser (feat. Begüm Boyancı/Burak Ekmekçi/Selmanpak Ayduz / Naomi McCarroll-Butler & Sadaf Amini) / 918 Bathurst 2024-04-18 (Thursday) [FB event]
Poncili Creacion with Karen Ng and Philippe Melanson [puppetry-based performance art] (Nubuo Kubota) / The Music Gallery 2024-04-19 (Friday). $10-$20 PWYCA [Pay What You Can Afford]. [more info]
Marker Starling (Elrichman / Nutrients) / The Baby G 2024-04-19 (Friday). $25.03, 19+. [FB event]
Cooked Raw presents (feat. Only God Forgives/Zuto/Lavoro/Edmund Stay) / Monarch Tavern 2024-04-19 (Friday). $20, 19+. [FB event]
Tranzac Fundraiser I (feat. Sandro Perri & Friends / Masahiro Takahashi / Anne Bourne) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-04-20 (Saturday). $20 in advance, $25 at the door. [FB event]
Poncili Creacion with Karen Ng and Philippe Melanson [puppetry-based performance art] (Brian Ruryk) / The Music Gallery 2024-04-20 (Saturday). $10-$20 PWYCA [Pay What You Can Afford]. [more info]
CLASS & The Oscillitarium Present: Green’n Out (feat. Hobby / Roy [Spoons For The World record release!] / Animatist / Biblical) / The Garrison 2024-04-20 (Saturday). $20, 19+. [FB event]
catl. (The Kewpie Dolls) / The Dakota Tavern 2024-04-20 (Saturday). $19.56, 19+. [FB event]
BODEGA (Notaband / SAMWOY) / The Garrison 2024-04-21 (Sunday). $25.03, 19+. [FB event]
Wenderly Park [album release celebration!] (Friends of Wenderly Park feat. Marilyn Yogarajah/Bea Labikova/Allison Cameron/Mike Lynn/Jason Doell) / The Sun Room at 918 Bathurst 2024-04-23 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]
Shakespeare's Birthday (feat. Sweet Session [Randi Helmers/Rob Clutton]) / Sellers & Newel 2024-04-23 (Tuesday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]
Lipliners 4th Wednesday of the month residency (feat. Ronley Teper & The Lipliners) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-04-24 (Wednesday) [FB event]
Moon King [Roses album release party] (Lee Paradise) / Monarch Tavern 2024-04-25 (Thursday). $19.56, 19+. [FB event]
Joe's 50th Birthday (feat. Eucalyptus / Isla Craig + band / Colin Fisher) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-04-25 (Thursday). $pwyc/$15 (or more), notaflof. [FB event]
All-Set! Presents (feat. Molehill) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-04-26 (Friday – early). $pwyc. [more info]
Exit Points 48 (feat. bridge of sand/Isaiah Farahbakhsh/Sohrab Malekzadeh/Mira Martin-Gray/Brian Abbott / shn shn/Rakkatak/Bijan Sepanji/Ronley Teper/Michael Palumbo / Switchemups!) / Array Space 2024-04-26 (Friday). $20 advance, $25 door. [FB event]
Dan Pitt Quintet [Naomi McCarroll-Butler/Patrick Smith/Alex Fournier/Nick Fraser/Dan Pitt] / The Rex 2024-04-28 (Sunday) [FB event]
Happy Sundays (feat. Sunglaciers / Alex Fernz / Uh Huh) / The Baby G 2024-04-28 (Sunday). $free, 19+. [FB event]
Jon McKiel (Louie Short) / The Baby G 2024-04-29 (Monday). $29.98. [FB event]
Dan Pitt Quintet [Naomi McCarroll-Butler/Patrick Smith/Alex Fournier/Nick Fraser/Dan Pitt] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-04-29 (Monday) [FB event]
Westelaken / Bar Orwell 2024-05-08 (Wednesday)
Track Could Bend #91 (feat. TH6Ø [debut live performance!] / Olivia Shortt / Brian Abbott) / Wenona Lodge 2024-05-07 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]
ChamberDestroy [premieres of works by Nicole Lizee and Yaz Lancaster alongside pieces by Louis Andriessen and Julius Eastman] (feat. Ensemble Paramirabo & Thin Edge New Music Collective) / The Music Gallery 2024-05-07 (Tuesday). $tba. [more info]
People places records presents (feat. Yaz Lancaster [solo] / Yaz Lancaster/Andrew Noseworthy/Sara Constant) / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2024-05-08 (Wednesday). $22.89. [FB event]
CMC Presents (feat. tUkU x bUdi) / Canadian Music Centre 2024-05-09 (Thursday). $15 Advance, $20 at the door; CMC Members and Arts Workers: $12 Advance, $15 at the door; Students. $10 anytime. [more info]
What Is: Spirituality (As Connection) [vibrotactile sound installation, ASMR and hypnosis + neurological-centered, psychoacoustic performance] (feat. Amma Ateria / Erin Gee / Leon Louder) / The Music Gallery 2024-05-09 (Thursday). $10-20 PWYCA [Pay What You Can Afford], all ages. [more info]
Beams [Requiem for a Planet album release show] (Pelican Movement / Zinnia) / The Garrison 2024-05-09 (Thursday). $18.86, 19+. [FB event]
What Is: Spirituality (As Laughter) – Sound Bath (feat. Laraaji & Arji OceAnanda / New Chance Peaceful Mind) / The Music Gallery 2024-05-10 (Friday). $10-20 PWYCA [Pay What You Can Afford], all ages. [more info]
Batuki Music Society presents (feat. Okavango African Orchestra) / Hugh's Room 2024-05-10 (Friday). $32.73. [FB event]
Welcome to Hipsville (feat. Ichi-Bons / The Kewpie Dolls / The Slow Drags / Fuzz Vultures / Thee Rogue Telstars) / Owl's Club 2024-05-11 (Saturday). $25. [FB event]
What Is: Spirituality (As Sharing) ["The beloved album 10 Ragas to a Disco Beat is reimagined"] (feat. Gurpreet Chana / Granny Smith / Anuja Panditrao / Marilyn Yogarajah / David Psutka / Nilan Perera / Hardeep Chana / Naomi McCarroll-Butler / Araz Salek / Peter Rahul / Enzo Sun / Lian McMillan / Rajvi Dedhia / Bhavajan Kumar / Dainty Smith) / The Music Gallery 2024-05-11 (Saturday). $15-25 PWYCA [Pay What You Can Afford], all ages. [more info]
Dun-Dun Band [Pita Parka Pt. I: Xam Egdub LP release show!] (Allison Cameron/Mira Martin-Gray/Josh Cole) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-05-16 (Thursday). $25. [FB event]
Opa Yallah / Burdock Music Hall 2024-05-18 (Saturday). $15. [FB event]
Batuki Music Society presents (feat. Zale Seck) / Alliance Française Toronto – Spadina Theatre 2024-05-25 (Saturday). $18. [info/tickets]
Lipliners 4th Wednesday of the month residency (feat. Ronley Teper & The Lipliners) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-05-29 (Wednesday) [FB event]
Julie Doiron (Carson McHone) / Monarch Tavern 2024-06-06 (Thursday). $31.17, 19+. [FB event]
Freesound presents Vortex Temporum [works by Gérard Grisey and Wesley Shen] (feat. Freesound Ensemble) / Array Space 2024-06-20&21 (Thursday & Friday) [FB event]
Lipliners 4th Wednesday of the month residency (feat. Ronley Teper & The Lipliners) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-26 (Wednesday) [FB event]
Etran de L'Aïr / Longboat Hall 2024-07-07 (Sunday). $30.52, 19+. [FB event]
2024 Gigs
Track Could Bend #87 (feat. SOUP/ Panties / battle milk) / Wenona Lodge 2024-01-02 (Tuesday)
Swanherds [rebecca bruton solo] (Kurt Newman) / 918 Bathurst – The Sun Room 2024-01-23 (Tuesday)
Track Could Bend #88 (feat. Écureuil / Garden of Magic) / Wenona Lodge 2024-02-06 (Tuesday)
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman / Eiyn Sof / Colin Fisher / Nick Flanagan) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-02-11 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #89 (feat. mutepack / Piers Oolvai) / Wenona Lodge 2022-03-05 (Tuesday)
Women From Space Festival: Night 2 (feat. Grace Scheele / MOCH / Mali Obomsawin) / 918 Bathurst 2024-03-09 (Saturday)
Women From Space Festival: Night 3 (feat. Anh Phung/chiquitamagic/Emjay Wright / Val Jeanty & Nickeshia Garrick / Matana Roberts/Germaine Liu/Nicole Rampersaud) / 918 Bathurst 2024-03-10 (Sunday)
Faster Presents: Juice?$#%* (feat. Happy Apple / Brian Abbott & Ryan Kinney / Andrew Kay/Kayla Milmine/Bob Vespaziani / Liz Lima/Brodie West/Andrew Kay/Paul Newman) / Gerrard Art Space 2024-03-23 (Saturday)
Ryan Driver’s Big 5-0 (feat. The Ryan Driver Sextet + guests) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-03-30 (Saturday)
Cosmic Homeostasis XXIII / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-03-31 (Sunday)
Gabe Girard presents (feat. Zoë / Molehill / Heraclius Akimbo/Gabe Girard/mkl32) / Bar Orwell 2024-03-31 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #90 (feat. Voidfemmes & Erin Corbett / Allison Cameron & Stephen Parkinson) / Wenona Lodge 2024-04-02 (Tuesday)
Eclipse Drone 2024: A Cosmic Homeostasis Community Event (feat. Cosmic Homeostasis) / Christie Pits 2022-04-08 (Monday)
Dun-Dun Land: Slight Return (feat. Dun-Dun Band) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-04-09 (Tuesday)
Josh Cole Presents (feat. Rob Clutton/Josh Cole/Nick Fraser/John Oswald wsg Colin Fisher) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-04-09 (Tuesday)
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Tzevi Sherman / Marilyn Yogarajah & Co. / Nick Flanagan / Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-04-14 (Sunday)
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