Artist: Brodie West
Song: [last section]
Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Music Hosted by Karen Ng), May 20, 2025.
A rare solo outing from Brodie West, and in a set that started with a chat-with-the-crowd/Q&A sort of segment, the actual sax playing had a similar chatty quality — gabbing excitedly, testing statements, looping back to fill in ideas, and so on.
You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:
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!
Justin Orok Presents (feat. Lia Pappas Kemps) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-02 (Tuesday – early) [more info]
Not Dead Yet presents (feat. claire rousay) / Standard Time 2025-12-02 (Tuesday). $14.85, 19+. [tickets + more info]
Track Could Bend #111 (feat. Sarah and Rob [Sarah Peebles & Rob Cruickshank] / Michael Palumbo) / Wenona Lodge 2025-12-02 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]
Peripheral Vision (Mike DeiCont Trio [Mike DeiCont/Eric West/Leland Whitty]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-02 (Tuesday) [more info]
Holy Oak Family Singers Xmas Show + Thom's Bday (feat. Thom Gill / Ryan Driver / Caitlin Woelfe-O'Brien / Luka Kuplowsky / Stefana Fratila / Carlyn Bezic / Ivy Mairi / Fez Gielen / Tiffany Wu / Heather Saumer / Fan Wu / Charles James / Joseph Shabason / Maggie Keogh / Dorothea Pars / Edwin De Goeij / Ben Gunning / Doug Tielli) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-03 (Wednesday – early). [more info]
Equinox and Solstice Residency (feat. Ghostlight) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-03 (Wednesday). $10 suggested. [FB event]
Performances & words in honour of Paul Dutton (Celebration of Life and Tribute Performance) (feat. Steve McCaffery/Rafael Barreto-Rivera/Lillian Allen/bill bissett/Brian Dedora/Gary Barwin/Gregory Betts/Beatriz Hausner/Joe Sorbara) / Supermarket 2025-12-04 (Thursday) [more info]
More Noise Please! Presents: An Evening of Unconventional Sounds (feat. High Grove / Magnetic Coroner / Reaching Needles / Babies R Stupid / Death Kneel / Deniz Tafaghodi) / BSMT 254 2025-12-04 (Thursday). $15/pwyc. [FB event]
CMC Presents: Game Night (feat. Render File / Obuxum) / Canadian Music Centre 2025-12-04 (Thursday). $15 Advance / $20 at the door (General Admission), $12 Advance / $15 at the door (CMC Members and Arts Workers), $10 (students). [more info]
Tania Gill Quartet [Tania Gill/Brodie West/Rob Clutton/Nico Dann] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-05 (Friday – early)
Military Genius (Context, NA) / The Baby G 2025-12-05 (Friday). $21.53, 19+. [FB event]
Doug Tielli and... (feat. Doug Tielli/Rob Clutton/Bea Labikova/Raphael Roter/Heather Saumer) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-05 (Friday)
Pine Trees and Blue Sky [featuring Marcos Balter's Violin Concerto and works by Jessica Ackerley, Toshio Hosokawa, Anna Höstman, and Haotian Yu] (feat. Continuum Contemporary Music) / St. George's Grange Park 2024-12-06 (Saturday). $22.63 (general admission), $19.44 (senior / arts worker), $11.98 (student). [FB event]
Theo Vandenhoff (Fresh Snow) / The Baby G 2025-12-06 (Saturday). $19/94, 19+. [FB event]
Long Winter 14.2 (feat. Indian Giver / STELLA / Wanda / Toronto Experimental Translation Collective) / St. Stephen-In-The-Fields 2025-12-06 (Saturday). $PWYC / $20 advance tickets (skip the line), all ages. [more info]
Amrita [Kayla Milmine & Anita Katakkar wsg Jonathan Kay] / The Rex 2025-12-07 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $pwyc. [more info]
Bitchin Bajas (Fortunato Durutti Marinetti) / Monarch Tavern 2025-12-07 (Sunday). $27.96, 19+. [tickets + more info]
Florian Hoefner Trio [Florian Hoefner/Andrew Downing/Nick Fraser] / The Rex 2025-12-07&08 (Sunday & Monday). $21. [more info]
The United Jewish People’s Order's Big, Beautiful Winter Fundraiser (feat. Black Ox Orkestar / Marching Disorder / Judy Rebick / Elvira Kurt) / Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre 2025-12-08 (Monday). $20-$60 suggested, no one is ever turned away. [tickets + more info]
10 Year Anniversary / Reunion party (feat. Bill Gilliam/Kayla Milmine/Ambrose Pottie) / Annette Studios 2025-12-10 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [FB event]
mdbm [Michael White/Maggie Keogh/Don Rooke/Blake Howard] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-10 (Wednesday). [more info]
Triio [Alex Fournier/Bea Labikova/Naomi McCarroll-Butler/Tom Fleming/Racha Moukalled/Stefan Hegerat] / Sellers & Newel 2025-12-11 (Thursday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]
Jane Inc. [A Rupture, A Canyon, A Birth album release celebration] (Aisha Sasha John) / The Baby G 2025-12-12 (Friday). $23.87, 19+. [FB event]
not a band [Modern Rot EP release] (Bag / Ether Girls) / Handlebar 2025-12-12 (Friday). $15/pwyc. [FB event]
The Mike Milligan Trio [Mike Milligan/Nick Fraser/Brodie West] / Sellers & Newel 2025-12-13 (Saturday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]
Burn Down the Capital, Venus Fest and The Music Gallery present (feat. Beverly Glenn-Copeland with special guest Elizabeth Copeland / Kamra / Topanga Trio) / East End United Church 2025-12-13 (Saturday). $35-$40 PWYCA. [more info]
BLOOP [Lina Allemano & Mike Smith] / Sellers & Newel 2024-12-15 (Monday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]
THE AMBiENT PiNG and Imaginary North Present (feat. Gollden / Ken Little / Hozerz) / Handlebar 2025-12-15 (Monday). $pwyc. [FB event]
Playscape Emporium: Theatrics (feat. Duo Cichorium / Hee-Soo Yoon / Toronto Saxophone Collective / Trevor Flemings / Domenic Clarke) / Array Space 2025-12-18 (Thursday). $25 (or Pay What You Want), livestream: $12.00 (or Pay What You Want). [more info]
Beams (Dusted) / The Baby G 2025-12-18 (Thursday). $23.87, 19+. [FB event]
Batuki Music Society presents (feat. Rhythm Section Band [Dally Dominic/Kofi Ackah/Quandoe Harrison/George Kobby/Gabriel Amankwah/Daniel Boateng]) / It’s Ok* Studios 2025-12-20 (Saturday). $20. [FB event]
Not Dead Yet presents (feat. Career Suicide) / The Baby G 2025-12-20&21 (Saturday & Sunday). $27.27, 19+. [FB event]
Not Dead Yet presents: S.H.I.T.mas 2025 (feat. S.H.I.T. / Slash Need / Faze / Friction / Terminator / Pest / Charade) / East End United Church 2025-12-27 (Saturday). $22.49, all ages. [FB event]
Lipliners Residency (feat. Ronley Teper & The Lipliners) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-30 (Tuesday – early) [FB event]
A Soulful Wintry Evening With Kurdish Kamāncha (feat. Shahriyar Jamshidi) / Burdock Music Hall 2026-01-17 (Saturday). $22.60 advance/$30 door. [FB event]
Soundstreams Encounters: Transoceanic ["works from diasporic composers Corie Rose Soumah, Kotoka Suzuki, and Anthony Tan reimagine sound and light through science-fiction visions that decenter Eurocentric narratives of progress"] (feat. Soundstreams) / Hugh's Room 2026-01-19 (Monday). $free with reservation. [more info]
CMC Presents: Imagined Spaces (feat. Dame Cook / Sergei Kofman) / Canadian Music Centre 2026-01-22 (Thursday). $15 Advance / $20 at the door (General Admission), $12 Advance / $15 at the door (CMC Members and Arts Workers), $10 (students). [more info]
Lipliners Residency (feat. Ronley Teper & The Lipliners) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-27 (Tuesday – early) [FB event]
Soundstreams Encounters: Arvo Pärt at 90 (feat. Erika Raum/Oskar Daniel-Raum/Xin Wang) / Hugh's Room 2026-02-09 (Monday). $free with reservation. [more info]
Soundstreams presents: Arvo Pärt at 90 (feat. Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir) / Yorkminster Park Baptist Chuch 2026-02-14 (Saturday). $33.25 to $89.75. [more info]
Behaviours:Data (feat. Anando Gabo / Marelena Pellegrino / Technology of Creative Consciousness) / Array Space 2026-02-19 (Thursday). $25 (or Pay What You Want), livestream: $12.00 (or Pay What You Want). [more info]
CMC Presents: Solo Works (feat. Wesley Shen / Roan Ma) / Canadian Music Centre 2026-02-19 (Thursday). $15 Advance / $20 at the door (General Admission), $12 Advance / $15 at the door (CMC Members and Arts Workers), $10 (students). [more info]
Lipliners Residency (feat. Ronley Teper & The Lipliners) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-02-24 (Tuesday – early) [FB event]
Lipliners Residency (feat. Ronley Teper & The Lipliners) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-03-31 (Tuesday – early) [FB event]
Playscape Emporium: Paint, Play (feat. Duo Cichorium / Constant Yen / Rowan Campbell / Charli/Fahmid/Joe/Mira) / Array Space 2026-05-21 (Thursday). $25 (or Pay What You Want), livestream: $12.00 (or Pay What You Want). [more info]
2025 Gigs
Track Could Bend #99 (feat. Lostworldsounds / future proof) / Wenona Lodge 2025-01-07 (Tuesday)
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman / Michelle Breslin / David Sait / Nick Flanagan) 2025-01-12 (Sunday)
Isla Craig (A L M A) / 918 Bathurst (Sun Room) 2025-02-02 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #101 (feat. Kayla Milmine/Bob Vespaziani/Michael Lynn / Colin Fisher) / Wenona Lodge 2025-02-04 (Tuesday)
Track Could Bend #100 (feat. Isla Craig/Fahmid Nibesh/Michelangelo / Del Stephen/Danny Sheehan/Phil Hamilton / Ian McPhedran/James Bailey/Tom Richards / Raphael Roter/Sara Constant/Bill Gilliam / Bea Labikova/Mira Martin-Gray/Heather Saumer / Sarah Peebles/Kat Estacio/Danny Alexander / Luka Kuplowsky/Karen Ng/William Davison) / 918 Bathurst 2025-02-16 (Sunday)
Music Hosted by Karen Ng: A fundraiser show for Earlobe (feat. Holger Schrool & Mark Zurawinski / Many People) / Wenona Lodge 2024-02-18 (Tuesday)
Patrick O'Reilly presents: Carded! (feat. Patrick O'Reilly/Samuel Little/amiel ang/Samuel Laramee/Omar Yazaw/Leah Reavster/%%30%30/Annie Elgie) / Walter Hall 2025-02-24 (Monday)
Track Could Bend #102 (feat. M.D.N.R. / Del Stephen's Totoloto)
Women From Space Festival 2025 (feat. Erin Poole & Rosina Kazi/Chantelle Mostacho & shn shn / Yuniya Edi Kwon / Azumi OE/Eukademix) / 918 Bathurst 2025-03-08 (Saturday)
Women From Space Festival 2025 (feat. Mingjia Chen + Linnea Sablosky / Arushi Jain / Myra Melford's Fire and Water Trio) / 918 Bathurst 2025-03-09 (Sunday)
Nolan Hildebrand’s DMA Recital (feat. Colin Fisher/Roan Ma/Patrick O'Reilly/Chris Weins/Veronica Zupanic/Hirad Moradi/Louis Pino/Nikki Huang/Hoi-Tong Keung/Bevis NG/Jasmine Tsui/Thomas Li) / Walter Hall 2025-03-11 (Tuesday)
Cosmic Homeostasis XXVII / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-03-23 (Sunday)
Clue Note presents (feat. Rob Clutton/Bea Labikova/Doug Tielli/Kevin Turcotte/Mark Zurawinski) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-03-25 (Tuesday)
Nick Fraser presents (feat. Nick Fraser's Special Topics) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-03-25 (Tuesday)
The Music Gallery presents (feat. Turntable Trio [Maria Chavez/Evicshen/Mariam Rezaei] / Kristina Guison) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-03-31 (Monday)
Track Could Bend #103 [Co-presented with Ministry of Phonic Services] (feat. Maebh Clark & Lucas Dvorsky / %%30%30) / Wenona Lodge 2025-04-01 (Tuesday)
Ambient soundscapes for babies to adults (feat. LordAUK / A L M A / Jessica Deutsch) / 918 Bathurst (Sun Room) 2025-04-06 (Sunday)
Kurt Newman presents: Newman Guitars (feat. Kurt Newman / Harris Newman) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-04-10 (Thursday)
SaltChunkJerry (Man Made Hill / Greydini / Shaaane) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2025-04-12 (Saturday)
Stranger Still / 918 Bathurst (Sun Room) 2025-04-13 (Sunday)
Labyrinth Ensemble with Âriâ Mohâfez / Aga Khan Museum 2025-05-03 (Saturday)
Track Could Bend #104 (feat. Caleb Klager / Hex-A-Decimal / Allemano/Driver/Klager) / Wenona Lodge 2025-05-06 (Tuesday)
Audiopollination (feat. Pierre Mongeon/Michael Palumbo/Diane Roblin / mkl32 / Mira Martin-Gray / Holger Schoorl & Mark Zurawinski) / Array Space 2025-05-09 (Friday)
The Music Gallery presents What Is: heart(break) – Rebound (feat. Sarah Hennies & Tristan-Kasten Krause / Imaginary Percussion Ensemble) / East End United Church (Gymnasium) 2025-05-16 (Friday)
Not The Wind, Not the Flag / Le Monde 2025-05-17 (Saturday)
an action committee / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-05-18 (Sunday)
Music Hosted by Karen Ng (feat. Brodie West / Karen Ng/Leslie Ting/Germaine Liu) / Wenona Lodge 2025-05-20 (Tuesday)
TONE presents (feat. Eric Chenaux Trio / Cici Arthur) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2025-05-23 (Friday)
Ben Mike & The Beatles (Carolina Lopez) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-05-25 (Sunday)
Heraclitus Akimbo / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-05-29 (Thursday)
Prepare the Ground – Night 2 (feat. Raphael Weinroth-Browne / Jay Jayle / Ora Cogan & Ester Thunander / Oldest Sea) / 918 Bathurst 2025-05-31 (Saturday)
Prepare the Ground – Night 3 (feat. Harvestman / John Wiese / Lana Del Rabies / The Rita) / 918 Bathurst 2025-06-01 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #105 (feat. Determinist? / Aliyah Aziz) / Wenona Lodge 2025-06-03 (Tuesday)
NO HAY BANDA (HxH) / The Music Gallery 2025-06-05 (Thursday)
Open Tuning Festival (feat. Cosmic Homeostasis) / Karma Co-op's parking lot 2025-06-07 (Saturday)
Prince Nifty & Colin Fisher / Le Monde 2025-06-07 (Saturday)
Araz Salek & Friends / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2025-06-08 (Sunday)
Audiopollination (feat. David Sait/James Bailey/Eunoia Jean Close / cheryl o/Neil Wiernik/Del Stephen / Heraclitus Akimbo/Laura Swankey/Judy Zhu / Mickle32 & Rod Campbell) / Array Space 2025-06-13 (Friday)
New Chance (Bile Sister) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2025-06-14 (Saturday)
South by South East International Festival (feat. Yani Borrell) / Harbourfront Centre (Concert Stage) 2025-06-28 (Saturday)
Cosmic Homeostasis XXVIII / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-06-29 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #106 (feat. Cudmore/Perera Duo / Ariadna Ortega / Grace Scheele) / Wenona Lodge 2025-07-01 (Tuesday)
Rock Plaza Central (Neil Haverty) / The Baby G 2025-07-03 (Thursday)
Ayal Senior and Friends (feat. anthéne / Del Stephen / Nick Flanagan) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2025-07-13
Ministry of Phonic Services presents (feat. Brian Ruryk & %%30%30 / Fossils / Xodkaar × Auto Feeder / Battle Milk) / under Hogg's Hollow Bridge 2025-07-19 (Saturday)
Ministry of Phonic Services presents (feat. Fron Reilly & Stephen Vickery / Joyce To / Nilan Perera) / 918 Bathurst (Sun Room) 2025-07-27 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #107 (feat. Poached Roses / Tom Richards) / Wenona Lodge 2024-08-05 (Tuesday)
Mechanical Forest Sound presents (feat. The Davison Auger / Wenderly Park / Murmur) / 918 Bathurst (The Sun Room) 2025-08-06 (Wednesday)
Within (Heraclitus Akimbo & Marilyn Yogarajah) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-08-09 (Saturday – early)
About this, It Was Not Yet Written (feat. Myk Freedman/Dave Clark/Ronley Teper) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-08-09 (Saturday)
Our Way to Fall (Sarah Greene Preservation Society Trio) / 918 Bathurst (The Sun Room) 2025-08-14 (Thursday)
Music Hosted by Karen Ng (feat. Mustafa Rafiq/ Sara Constant/Marilyn Yogarajah/Karen Ng/Lenny) / Wenona Lodge 2025-08-19 (Tuesday)
Intersection 2025: Day 2: All Day Music Marathon (feat. Arkose / Anthéne / Khôra / Bilal Nasser / Alex Raja Ven & Heart Map Ambient Ensemble / Temporal Waves / David and Sydney Dacks / Lavender Town) / Sankofa Square 2025-08-30 (Saturday)
Cosmic Homeostasis XXIX / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-08-31 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #108 (feat. Brian Abbott / Allison Cameron) / Wenona Lodge 2025-09-02 (Tuesday)
Ministry of Phonic Services presents Back to School Field Trip (feat. Cosmic Homeostasis) / Vale of Avoca 2025-09-14 (Sunday)
Ministry of Phonic Services presents Back to School Field Trip (feat. Double Trio / Charles Spearin) / CNE Bandshell 2025-09-23 (Tuesday)
Karen Ng presents (feat. Trapezoid) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-09-25 (Thursday)
Ministry of Phonic Services presents Back to School Field Trip: Closing Show (feat. Christine Duncan and The Element Choir / Future Proof / Woolworm, Ontario / SSSY) / Oculus Pavilion 2025-09-27 (Saturday)
The Ryan Driver Sextet / Array Space 2025-10-04 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #109 (feat. BLACK GALAXIE / O'Reilly/Strutt/Pitt / Brandon Auger & Deniz Tafaghodi) / Wenona Lodge 2024-10-07 (Tuesday)
CONTXT by Trane presents: Weather Report Tribute Night (feat. Isaiah Collier/Rich Brown/Chris Pruden/Mark Kelso/Juan Carlos Medrano) / 918 Bathurst 2025-10-11 (Saturday)
Karen Ng Presents (feat. Aidan McConnell/Karen Ng/Adrian Russouw) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-10-14 (Tuesday)
Ministry of Phonic Services presents (feat. qeTTe fossa / Jaap Blonk / T.D. / Jaap Blonk & Mike Gennaro) / The Jama 2025-10-18 (Saturday)
Track Could Bend #110 (feat. anthéne / Fossils) / Wenona Lodge 2025-11-04 (Tuesday)
Hank the Kid (P.S. I Love You / SAP) / Dina's Tavern 2025-11-23 (Sunday)
Cosmic Homeostasis XXX / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-30 (Sunday)
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