Monday Roundup #59

Someday this space might be mostly concert listings again, but for now Monday roundups might include a romp through the MFS archives, some bandcamp suggestions, nods to a few livestreams, and sundry community notes (email me if you have anything that needs broadcast in the latter category!).

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Community notes:

• It feels like live music is picking up steam. I've done some internal re-organization in my setup here to dedicate more space to show listings (the "shows announced" and "shows this week" sections will make their return — and the listings are now also back in the blog's sidebar) but the listings will be for now less comprehensive than they were pre-pandemic as I try and find a rhythm of digging around/keeping track of shows that works with my schedule.

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Livestream nation:

• Track Could Bend is back on Tuesday, with Zoë and Jonathan Pappo playing sets separately and together. They'll go live on Tuesday (March 1st), starting right here — and you can catch a preview of everything as well right now:

• Chris Pruden celebrates Suns, a set of solo piano improvisations and compositions being released on Elastic Recordings, with an album release concert being livestreamed from the CMC on Saturday (March 5th). Yunjin Claire Lee opens the night.

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Concert announcements:

Alex Lukashevsky/Luka Kuplowsky / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2022-03-08 (Tuesday – early!). $pwyc.

Carl Didur / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2022-03-08 (Tuesday). $pwyc.

Audiopollination (feat. Mickle32/ Thispatcher / Paul Newman/ Sarah Alba/Allison Cameron/ Elizabeth Lima / KARLA [Yunjin Claire Lee/Roni Newman]) / Array Space 2022-03-11 (Friday). $10 or PWYC [will also be livestreamed!]. [FB event]

Ladyfinger [Kayla Milmine/Diane Roblin] / The Emmet Ray 2022-03-15 (Saturday). 4:30 set. [FB event]

Batuki Music Society presents: Tribute to Jewel Ackah, King of Highlife (feat. The Butterfly Band) / Supermarket 2022-03-15 (Saturday). $15 advance.

Burn Down The Capital presents (feat. Picastro / Fortunato Durutti Marinetti) [double album release!] / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2022-03-26 (Saturday). $15 +fees, 19+. [FB event]

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Shows this week:

Pukeylips / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2022-03-01 (Tuesday). $pwyc, no advance tickets. (Tranzac reopening event. "Pukeylips is a new band including members of Toronto's own Eucalyptus plus special guests. The members are Naomi McCarroll-Butler, Ryan Driver, Blake Howard, Kurt Newman, Mike Smith, Nick Fraser, and Brodie West. Pukeylips plays the music of Eucalyptus but in an entirely original way, a way that only Pukeylips can.") [more info]

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Bandcamp corner:

• Bandcamp Friday is back this week (March 4th), so get your list ready and support some folks. I'm gonna be grabbing the new Eric Chenaux, plus making a whirl through the new Rat-drifting releases.

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It happened this week...

• ...on February 28, 2013 at Holy Oak Café ("Tin Angel Mini-Fest").

Devon Sproule - Colours

• ...on March 1, 2013 at The White House.

DAS RAD - Hunter

[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.]

Monday Roundup #58

Someday this space might be mostly concert listings again, but for now Monday roundups might include a romp through the MFS archives, some bandcamp suggestions, nods to a few livestreams, and sundry community notes (email me if you have anything that needs broadcast in the latter category!).

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Community notes:

• Big news from The Tranzac this week, not only with announcements regarding their long-awaited reopening (including a couple ace shows listed below) but also announcing the hiring of Matthew Fava as their new (and first) Executive Director. Full disclosure: Matthew is a friend and a bandmate, but I'm super-pleased that my favourite spot in town will be stewarded by someone who cares deeply about fostering community (and who has also sat in the Southern Cross making weird blippy noises).

• Meanwhile, with the acceleration of Ontario's reopening plans, gigs are happening, and happening at full capacity in venues that feel comfortable with that. Just a reminder that it's okay to be someone who wants to get out and go to gigs, and it's okay to be someone who still feels a little trepadacious. If the improving trends hold, it looks like there'll be an increasing number of listings in this space once again.

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Video hits:

• A nicely-executed — and eminently instagrammable — new video from Omhouse:

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Livestream nation:

• Kudos to Exit Points on reaching their second anniversary, which will be celebrated on their monthly livestream Wednesday (February 23rd) with two sets by Eden Grey/Marc-Alexandre Chan/Kabelsalat/James Bailey and Yang Chen/Maysun/Thispatcher as well as the usual regroupings and open-call performers.

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Concert listings:

• The Ryan Driver Quintet / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2022-02-25 (Friday). $11.62, advance tickets available. [FB event]

• Pukeylips / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2022-03-01 (Tuesday). $pwyc, no advance tickets. (Tranzac reopening event. "Pukeylips is a new band including members of Toronto's own Eucalyptus plus special guests. The members are Naomi McCarroll-Butler, Ryan Driver, Blake Howard, Kurt Newman, Mike Smith, Nick Fraser, and Brodie West. Pukeylips plays the music of Eucalyptus but in an entirely original way, a way that only Pukeylips can.") [more info]

• We Are Time showcase (fea. Chandra / New Chance / Motorists) / The Tranzac Main Hall 2022-03-05 (Saturday). $16.93. (also free/PWYC livestream on The Tranzac's YouTube channel) [FB event]

• HAPPY SUNDAYS (feat. Blonde Elvis / Rapport / PONY) / The Baby G 2022-03-13 (Sunday). $free, 19+. [FB event]

• HAPPY SUNDAYS (feat. Seulement / Luge / LAL) / The Baby G 2022-03-27 (Sunday). $free, 19+. [FB event]

• Shabason, Krgovich & Harris (Bernice / Jaunt) / Longboat Hall 2021-05-27 (Friday) [rescheduled, new venue]. $18.35. [FB event]

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In the mix:

• New drone mix! Astral Winter sounds for a a soft long weekend afternoon. Sourced from a folder of New Age albums I'd downloaded years ago and set aside, plus some more recent fellow travellers. Music by Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Luka Kuplowsky, x.y.r., Barry Cleveland, Ray Lynch, Erik Wøllo, agate, Carincur, BRR, Kevin Braheny, anthéne, and Jonn Serrie.

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From the archives/in memoriam:

Like many this week I was struck with shock and sadness at the sudden passing of Dallas Good. At the heart of The Sadies' twang-rock extravaganza, he was always an uncanny combination of showman and craftsman — and for all that, seemingly always willing to step back and work as a sideman for the parade of musicians eager for The Sadies' collaborative spark. I recall him gracing the stage with so many musicians, including Neko Case, Jon Langford, Andre Williams, Robyn Hitchcock and — unexpectedly — Margaret Atwood. (And that's not even mentioning the very special guests you might see stepping onstage at a Sadies show!) Digging through the archives, here's a sampling of sounds — may his music be remembered.

• Recorded at The Horseshoe Tavern, November 19, 2009.

The Sadies - The Introduction / Leave Me Alone

• Recorded at The Horseshoe Tavern, November 19, 2009.

Andre Williams and The Sadies - Car With the Star

• Recorded at Harbourfront Centre, July 1, 2010.

The Sadies - Gloria [medley]

• Recorded at The Dakota Tavern (September residency – Week 3), September 19, 2013.

Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet - Good Cop Bad Cop / Reid's Situation / Off Our Back Conrad Black

• Recorded at Adelaide Hall ("Jason Collett's Basement Revue"), December 19, 2013.

Margaret Atwood & The Sadies - The Animals Reject Their Names and Things Return to Their Origins

• Recorded at The Drake Underground, September 13, 2015.

Robyn Hitchcock & The Sadies - Lucifer Sam

• Recorded at Toronto Reference Library, April 16, 2011.

The Sadies - Sunset to Dawn

Monday Roundup #57

Someday this space might be mostly concert listings again, but for now Monday roundups might include a romp through the MFS archives, some bandcamp suggestions, nods to a few livestreams, and sundry community notes (email me if you have anything that needs broadcast in the latter category!).

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Bring me my cake!

• This blog is, improbably, now entering its teenage years. How strange! I don't have any sort of celebration in mind, so I will, once again, just link to this first-ever post and leave it at that.

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Livestream nation:

[I missed out on posting these when they went live, but one saving grace of this era is the increased chance of catching something that happened last week.]

• Batuki Music Society continues to present excellent music in its Karibuni Africa Virtual Series, including this duo of kora griots Sadio Sissokho and Diely Mori Tounkara:

• Another excellent livestreamed set from The Tranzac (their technical capacity has really stepped up with these!) featuring Ryan Driver and his whistling, plinking Titillators playing a set of mostly new material:

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Concert listings:

• Shabason, Krgovich & Harris / Bernice / Jaunt / Eliza Niemi / Paradise Theatre 2022-02-19 (Saturday). $15, 19+. [FB event]

• Marker Starling / Dorothea Paas / Ejji Smith / Monarch Tavern 2022-02-19 (Saturday). $13.78, 19+. [FB event]

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Bandcamp corner:

• Luka Kuplowsky has integrated the zen minimalism that he found in setting the poems of Ryōkan to music in this "meditation collection" arranged for Yamaha PSR-36 and voice, taking stock of moments of engagement with the small details of day-to-day life. Wonderful stuff.

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It happened this week...

• ...on February 20, 2015, at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Somewhere There Creative Music Festival – Show 1).

Riverrun - Full and Empty Barrel

Transcombobulation - Third Transcombobulation

[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.]

Monday Roundup #56

Someday this space might be mostly concert listings again, but for now Monday roundups might include a romp through the MFS archives, some bandcamp suggestions, nods to a few livestreams, and sundry community notes (email me if you have anything that needs broadcast in the latter category!).

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Community notes:

• Congratulations to Naomi McCarroll-Butler, who has been selected as the 2022 Immersive Artist-in-Residence at the Toronto Jazz Festival. "Over the course of the residency, Naomi will be creating an instrumental suite of music for a 15-piece ensemble of improvisers playing various horns, strings, synthesizers and percussion." And from what I have heard, it should be a very impressive group. Stay tuned for further details!

• Anyone interested in digging into arts governance should take note of a call from Array Music for volunteer board directors, and help steer a vital community spot.

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Livestream nation:

• Speaking of Array Space, they will once again be presenting Audiopollination, returning this Friday (February 11th) with a free livestreamed collaboration between Jessica Houghton (movement) & Rob Clutton (bass).

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Concert listings:

• Batuki Music Society presents: Adama Daou / Alliance Française de Toronto 2022-02-19 (Saturday). $20 advance only / No door sales. [FB event]

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It happened this week...

• ...on February 8, 2020 at Array Space (Audiopollination 80).

Future Proof - [third piece]

[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.]