Special event; MFS Listening Station

Here's a unique offering that's worthy of a post of its own here. Thanks to the folks at Long Winter, I am presenting a listening station at this month's event at the Gladstone Hotel, which is also part of an extended Myseum exhibition entitled "Toronto's Musical Undergrounds" (a "multi-room visual tour of select moments in Toronto’s alt-music history: subcultures, milieu, and happenings from 1970s to the present").

There are some other really cool bits to check out, including installations by Alicia Nauta and Roxanne Ignatius, photos by Colin Medley, a room celebrating Will Munro and Vazaleen (get ready to dance to some Hidden Cameras!) and hip-hop history from The Masterplan Show's archive.

The listening station has seventy-five tapes on hand, showing off my archives in a "rough draft" format that isn't often seen here, with unedited warts-and-all recordings from 2009 to 2016. All the music at the listening station is from venues that no longer exist, giving a chance to reflect on shifting spaces and to wonder what's going to replace them in this ever-more-unaffordable city. There's also a visual element, designed to give sense of the size of the MFS archive.

You can see all of this as part of Friday night's Long Winter event, but if you'd like to soak it in with less attendant hullabaloo the exhibition is open for the next three days:

• Where: The Gladstone Hotel, 2nd Floor
• When: Thursday, January 4th to Saturday, January 6th, noon to 5 p.m. (plus during Long Winter)
• How much: Free! (And all-ages and open to the whole family!)

To further celebrate this special event, I'm holding a "listening station salon" on Saturday afternoon, 2 to 5 p.m. where we can hang out and chat about the archive and disappearing venues and whatever else. Plus, to complete the circle, there will be a live set from Allison Cameron, a recording of which will then become the latest part of the archive. And best of all, visitors will be invited to take one of the exhibit's tapes home with them! This is free/PWYC, all ages, family-friendly and all are invited. Facebook event is here.

Visual realization and installation facilitated by Hilary Martin. Very special thanks to The Dupe Shop.