Artist: Michael Davidson
Song: The Search [composer: David Friedman]
Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ghostgirl residency), May 14, 2024.
A surprise opening set at this first instalment of Aline Homzy's Ghostgirl residency saw Michael Davidson in solo mode — and also in a reflective frame of mind. Playing some of his older compositions, as well as influential pieces like this, was a pleasing glimpse into what-makes-you-tick territory.
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!
Mike DeiCont Trio [Mike DeiCont/Eric West/Leland Whitty] / The Rex 2024-06-30&2024-07-01 (Sunday & Monday). $20. [FB event]
Track Could Bend #93 (feat. Without a Single Green Feather [Sam Laramee/Ezra Schell/Patrick O’Reilly] / Kristina Warren & Karen Ng) / Wenona Lodge 2024-07-02 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]
Peripheral Vision (Tania Gill Trio [Tania Gill/Lina Allemano/Rob Clutton]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-02 (Tuesday)
The Knot [Tilman Lewis & Nick Storring] (Germaine Liu & Mark Zurawinski) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-03 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [FB event]
Slutcode (Jazz Dads / Hex-A-Decimal) / See-Scape 2024-07-04 (Thursday). $10/pwyc. [FB event]
Tania Gill presents (feat. Doug Tielli/Tania Gill/Rob Clutton) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-05 (Friday – early). $pwyc.
A-Minor presents (feat. Psychic Weapons / Artificial Light / Timehole) / Sneaky Dee's 2024-07-05 (Friday). $16.48, 19+. [FB event]
MINTCHEV5 feat. Mark Hundevad & Colin Fisher / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-06 (Saturday). $pwyc.
Modern Roots Jazz Americana Summer Series (feat. Jacob's Cattle [Roy Patterson/Mike Ekhert/Aline Homzy/Andrew Downing]) / Hirut Café 2024-07-07 (Sunday). $20, dining available. [more info]
Etran de L'Aïr / Longboat Hall 2024-07-07 (Sunday). $30.52, 19+. [FB event]
Monk's Music presents (feat. Adjacent Spheres) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-07 (Sunday). $pwyc
Ghostgirl Residency (feat. Devon Henderson/Aidan McConnell/Michael Davidson/Steven Noronha/Aline Homzy) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-09 (Tuesday – early)
Lina Allemano Four / Hirut Café 2024-07-13 (Saturday). $20. [FB event]
Freesound Presents: Mostly Open Scores (feat. Andrew Noseworthy/Amahl Arulanandam/Matti Pulkki/Michael Murphy/Wesley Shen)/ Society Clubhouse 2024-07-13 (Saturday). $17.31. [FB event]
Ayal Senior and Friends presents (feat. Nick Flanagan / Jane Inc / You're Steel on My Mind [Joe Strutt & Kurt Newman]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-14 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.). $pwyc. [FB event]
Modern Roots Jazz Americana Summer Series (feat. Aline Homzy's NDG [Aline Homzy/Michael Davidson/Spencer Cole/Jon Maharaj]) / Hirut Café 2024-07-14 (Sunday). $20, dining available. [more info]
Labyrinth Ontario presents: Makam Nights (feat. Anas Raslan / Majd Sukar) / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2024-07-18 (Thursday) [FB event]
Burn Down The Capital presents (feat. Lucas Abela / Brian Ruryk / Deprivation Tactics / Mira Martin-Gray) / See-Scape 2024-07-24 (Wednesday). $17.52 advance/$20 door, 19+. [FB event]
Greg Freeman (Westelaken) / The Baby G 2024-07-24 (Wednesday). $28.40, 19+. [FB event]
Mountain Movers (Stonegrass [Jay Anderson/Matthew "Doc" Dunn] / Emily Robb) / Monarch Tavern 2024-07-25 (Thursday). $17.50, 19+. [FB event]
Modern Roots Jazz Americana Summer Series (feat. Bloom [Dan Rooke/Kevin Breit/Dave Piltch]) / Hirut Café 2024-07-28 (Sunday). $20, dining available. [more info]
Beams (Summer Like The Season / Essie Watts) / Monarch Tavern 2024-08-02 (Friday). $15, 19+. [FB event]
Modern Roots Jazz Americana Summer Series (feat. Utopia Ontario [Andrew Downing/Kevin Turcotte/Justin Orock/Ian McGimsey/Maggie Keogh]) / Hirut Café 2024-08-04 (Sunday). $20, dining available. [more info]
Ducks Ltd. / Longboat Hall 2024-08-22 (Thursday). $29.10, 19+. [FB event]
Dave Bidini / Sellers & Newel 2024-08-11 (Wednesday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]
Burn Down The Capital presents (feat. Still House Plants / Only God Forgives) / Standard Time 2024-09-26 (Thursday). $22.89, all ages. [FB event]
Small World Music presents (feat. Saami Brothers Qawwali) / The Creative School Chrysalis (Toronto Metropolitan University Theatre) 2024-05-18 2024-10-19 (Saturday) [rescheduled!]. $33.28-$86.53. [FB event]
Stranger Still [Pete Johnston/Rob Clutton/Mim Adams/Randi Helmers] / Sellers & Newel 2024-10-20 (Sunday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]
2024 Gigs
Track Could Bend #87 (feat. SOUP/ Panties / battle milk) / Wenona Lodge 2024-01-02 (Tuesday)
Swanherds [rebecca bruton solo] (Kurt Newman) / 918 Bathurst – The Sun Room 2024-01-23 (Tuesday)
Track Could Bend #88 (feat. Écureuil / Garden of Magic) / Wenona Lodge 2024-02-06 (Tuesday)
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman / Eiyn Sof / Colin Fisher / Nick Flanagan) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-02-11 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #89 (feat. mutepack / Piers Oolvai) / Wenona Lodge 2022-03-05 (Tuesday)
Women From Space Festival: Night 2 (feat. Grace Scheele / MOCH / Mali Obomsawin) / 918 Bathurst 2024-03-09 (Saturday)
Women From Space Festival: Night 3 (feat. Anh Phung/chiquitamagic/Emjay Wright / Val Jeanty & Nickeshia Garrick / Matana Roberts/Germaine Liu/Nicole Rampersaud) / 918 Bathurst 2024-03-10 (Sunday)
Faster Presents: Juice?$#%* (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 / Heraclitus 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)
Poncili Creacion with Karen Ng and Philippe Melanson (Nubuo Kubota) / The Music Gallery 2024-04-19 (Friday)
Tranzac Fundraiser I (feat. Sandro Perri & Friends / Masahiro Takahashi / Anne Bourne) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-04-20 (Saturday)
Wenderly Park (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)
Joe's 50th Birthday (feat. Eucalyptus / Isla Craig + band / Colin Fisher) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-04-25 (Thursday)
Track Could Bend #91 (feat. TH6Ø / Olivia Shortt / Brian Abbott) / Wenona Lodge 2024-05-07 (Tuesday)
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior/Kurt Newman/Andrew Furlong / William Davison / Karsten Stryker / Nick Flanagan) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-05-12 (Sunday)
Ghostgirl residency (feat. Aline Homzy/Allan Mackie/Michael Davidson / Michael Davidson [solo]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-05-14 (Tuesday)
Josh Cole presents (feat. Kind Mind) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-05-14 (Tuesday)
TONE presents (feat. Nate Wooley's Columbia Icefield / Rob Clutton Trio with Kurt Newman) / Standard Time 2024-05-17 (Friday)
ArtJam Toronto (feat. not a band) / 918 Bathurst 2024-05-25 (Saturday)
Gabe Girard presents (feat. The Jake Laur Trio / Nobody Waved Goodbye / D.B. Buxton) / The Dock Ellis 2024-05-26
Track Could Bend #92 (feat. Duo Cichorium [Jasmine Tsui/Louis Pino] / Tom Richards) / Wenona Lodge 2024-06-04 (Tuesday)
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior / Drew Smith / Nick Flanagan / Nocturnes) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-09 (Sunday)
Ghostgirl residency (feat. Aline Homzy/Michael Davidson/Julian Anderson-Bowes/Aidan McConnell) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-11 (Tuesday)
Josh Cole presents (feat. Peter Zummo & friends) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-11 (Tuesday)
Tranzac Fundraiser II (feat. US Girls / Eucalyptus / Cots) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-06-14 (Friday)
TONE Festival (feat. Mas Aya / Colin Fisher / Xicada) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-06-16 (Sunday)
Luka Kuplowsky & The Ryōkan Band (The Heart of Going La) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-06-18 (Tuesday)
Aline's Étoile Magique / Toronto Jazz Fest — Village Stage 2024-06-24 (Monday)
Solitary Shrew presents (feat. Mira Martin-Gray / Molly McGregor's Pageant puppet play) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-25 (Tuesday)
Nick Fraser presents (feat. Zoe Pia / BLOOP! / Non-Twins) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-25 (Tuesday)
Karen Ng Presents (feat. Ted Crosby/Phil Melanson/Karen Ng / Swanherds) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-27 (Thursday)
Knots / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-30 (Sunday)
Cosmic Homeostasis XXIV / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-30 (Sunday)
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