Recording: Ryan Kinney

Artist: Ryan Kinney

Songs: Saints/Witches and Devils/Love Cry [composer: Albert Ayler]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #113), February 3, 2026.

Ryan Kinney - Saints/Witches and Devils/Love Cry

Busy as a teacher, shredder, curator and improvisor, Ryan Kinney took a rare solo turn for TCB. There was a nice mix of material here, from some Marc Ribot-inspired Ayler interpretations, a couple John Zorn pieces, and some technological investigations with pedals and a mint tin mini-amp.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[Track Could Bend is back at Wenona on Tuesday (March 3rd) with sets from Bill Gilliam, Scallions (Holger Schoorl + Mark Zurawinski) and Tap slap wind and light. Early start! Doors around 8:00, music at 8:30.]

Recording: Fraser/Cole/West

Artist: Nick Fraser/Josh Cole/Brodie West

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Nick Fraser presents), December 30, 2025.

Nick Fraser/Josh Cole/Brodie West - unknown

A trio appearance from these three frequent collaborators saw them digging into Nick Fraser's sketchbook in the first set, and then lean into some standards in the second. (That saw a characteristically-extended jaunt through "Donna Lee" as well as "Body and Soul".)

You can check out some more from this night over on youtube:

[Nick Fraser will be presenting his Special Topics band (alongside Kae Murphy, Max Stover, and Josh Cole) at The Tranzac tonight (January 27th), with Murphy opening things up with a solo set for trumpet and electronics.]

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

Recording: Ronley Teper & The Lipliners

Artist: Ronley Teper & The Lipliners

Song: Just Show Up

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 30, 2025.

Ronley Teper & The Lipliners - Just Show Up

It had been too long since I had seen The Lipliners in action, and a delight to see the band out in full force — nine deep behind the wonderful and ebullient Ronley Teper leading a night of her joyful chaos music. If one were going to make a movie or comic book about this crew, they might be portrayed as a band of easygoing cut-throat pirates, eager to see what fuss is going to happen next after signing up to sail with a Captain who's intent on leading them into unknown waters. Blasting through some classics and a few new ones, the tunes merged together, somewhere between a suite and an elegant mess, with moments of invention on the fly as everyone pedaled faster to keep the wobbling to a minimum.

Speaking of new tunes, the song in question here hit me right where I live. People conversing with me about my propensity of going to gigs might have heard me say that showing up is the most important thing anyone can do — and this one, still feeling like a newborn calf finding its wobbly stride — has harnessed the same feeling. Whether for our musical community, for friends, love, family or whatever you want to be present to, in a time where screens and streams and feeds give us a easy-but-alienating sense of pseudo-interaction, being out there, just showing up, makes so many things plausible. If I ever get hit by a comet or suffer some similar unfortunate demise, please get Ronley to come and sing this one at the party for me at The Tranzac.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[Ronley Teper & The Lipliners are back at The Tranzac on Tuesday (January 27th).]

Recording: The Ryan Driver Quintet

Artist: The Ryan Driver Quintet

Song: Feeling Good [composed by Anthony Newley & Leslie Bricusse]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 23, 2025.

The Ryan Driver Quintet - Feeling Good

It's a fascinating phenomenon: Ryan Driver's longstanding standards quartet/sextet is a wonderful thing to behold, and a lot of that is owing to the near-telepathic bond that the members share as they explore the standards with languid intensity. But being embedded in the music community that they are, when the call goes out for reinforcements, there are some very special guests that can step into this very particular mindset. This pre-xmas night of the residence saw Driver and bassist Rob Clutton on stage, but they were joined by frequent guest Blake Howard (covering for Nick Fraser on drums) as well as Karen Ng (filling in on sax) and Thom Gill (on synth, filling in the spaces that might usually be taken up by vibes or guitar). Gill was (as always!) a delight here, sometimes choosing the most counterintuitive sounds that somehow fit into the tunes quite perfectly. The setlist took the usual amble through Ryan Driver's collection of "standards", moving from Donovan to Noël Coward, along with this Nina Simone sizzler.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[The next instalment of the residency (Friday, January 30th), is a special occasion, celebrating the release of Moon, an album recorded in live performance last year (and sure to be a vital document of of one of the city's great bands).]

Recording: Ballyk/Davis/Elrod/Hunt/Ng

Artist: Mark Ballyk/Brandon Davis/Kayla Elrod/Will Hunt/Karen Ng

Song: [1st set excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng presents), December 23, 2025.

Mark Ballyk/Brandon Davis/Kayla Elrod/Will Hunt/Karen Ng - [1st set excerpt]

Some very cool improvisations with some Berlin-based guests, including Toronto expat percussionist Mark Ballyk. Brandon Davis (double bass), Will Hunt (keybs), and Karen Ng (sax) represented the local side, while it was Kayla Elrod who surprised the most. Her bespoke rig featured Freddy Krueger-esque "fingernails" each with a contact mic (and each with its own channel on the mixer from her spaghetti bundle of cables) that could be run over any surface, creating mostly-crinkly texture sounds. Carpet, walls, windows and Ballyk's drumkit were in in play for tapping and scratching. That didn't lead to indiscriminate noise, however, as there were some some excellent mellow passages over these two sets.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

Recording: Agnes

Artist: Agnes

Songs: Sjawm [excerpt] [composer: Rob Clutton] + [set 2 improvisation excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 16, 2025.

Agnes - Sjawm [excerpt]

Agnes - [set 2 improvisation excerpt]

I last saw this group in their proof-of-concept phase, before they had a name or a Tranzac residency. The formalized unit brings together Mark Zurawinski (percussion), Rob Clutton (double bass), Mira Martin-Gray (guitar, electronics), Kevin Turcotte (trumpet, flugelhorn), and Doug Tielli (trombone, saw) (as well as saxophonist Bea Labikova, absent on this night), exploring both members' compositions as well as abstract improvisational space. At times channeling the sounds of rustling detritus, with everyone scraping, twisting and boinging, the group moved through some wide-ranging dynamics, from quietly-brushed cymbals to organized horn-riffs, often held together by Rob Clutton's bass and Mira Martin-Gray's prepared guitar and electronic noise.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[Agnes will be back at The Tranzac next Tuesday (January 20th).]

Recording: Beverly Glenn-Copeland with Elizabeth Copeland

Artist: Beverly Glenn-Copeland with Elizabeth Copeland

Song: In The Image

Recorded at East End United Church (Burn Down the Capital, Venus Fest and The Music Gallery present), December 13, 2025.

Beverly Glenn-Copeland with Elizabeth Copeland - In The Image

An interesting difference in vibes between this and the last time I saw Beverly Glenn-Copeland. At that show, there was a sense of re-discovery in the air — from audience and performer — as BGC spoke about realizing that the audience for his music that wasn't there when his celebrated albums were made had arrived a generation later; by now, in a packed church, there was a sense of an icon being celebrated. Looking frailer but still in excellent voice, this was a show about joy and celebration, the energy again being sent and received in both directions (indeed, the hall was left fully lit for the full set for the performers to see the audience with whom they were sharing space.)

This was a more stripped-back show, with musical accompaniment mostly limited to Alex Samaras' piano, voice and cheerleading. (Openers Topanga came out to add their voices, and to close things out, as heard here, a whole choir made their way on stage.) Moving beyond "the hits", Glenn-Copeland (along with Elizabeth Copeland, who added complementary vocals and shared some eco-poetry songs when Glenn-Copeland needed a mid-set break) brought out music from the breadth of their career, including the "lost years" they were crafting empathy-raising youth musical theatre shows. That could have made this feel like the corniest glee club meeting imaginable; instead it was fully rousing and affecting. Sometimes you just have to be direct with the cris de coeur.

Recording: Topanga

Artist: Topanga

Song: River Song

Recorded at East End United Church (Burn Down the Capital, Venus Fest and The Music Gallery present), December 13, 2025.

Topanga - River Song

Making their Toronto debut to a packed church, this St. John’s-based trio is a joint effort between singer-songwriters Katie Baggs, Carole Bestvater, and Valmy. Having met the evening's headliners at the Lawnya Vawnya festival, they were specially invited to join Beverly Glenn-Copeland and Elizabeth Copeland on a cross-country jaunt. As this song (an ecological musing sung from the river's point of view) makes clear, they're definitely sympathetic souls. Throughout the set of folk/country numbers, the trio traded off instruments and vocal leads but always found a path back to letting their voices join together in something more than the sum of the parts.

Recording: Kamra

Artist: Kamra

Song: Absolute Ardor

Recorded at East End United Church (Burn Down the Capital, Venus Fest and The Music Gallery present), December 13, 2025.

Kamra - Absolute Ardor

It's a joy to see an opening act that is clearly thrilled to be sharing a bill with their heroes as much as Kamra Abdul-Hakim, fronting their namesake band, was on this night. With shared concerns around emotional care and nurturing (as well as some poetically-declaimed vocals), there was a natural overlap. Backed by people|places|records' Andrew Noseworthy and some associated locals, this filled up the big church with some poignant resonances.

Recording: mdbm

Artist: mdbm

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 10, 2025.

mdbm - unknown

Presenting the sort of experimental, drifting take on folk that you would have once heard at the Holy Oak, this quartet is working out their sounds in the course of a Tranzac residency. Featuring Michael White (trumpet), Maggie Keogh (vocals), Don Rooke (guitar, lap steel) and Blake Howard (percussion), the group moved from abstract, soundtrack-y pieces to more song-like forms (as heard here).

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

[mdbm will be back in the Southern Cross on Wednesday (January 14th).]

Recording: Clutton/Cole/O'Reilly/Howard

Artist: Rob Clutton/Josh Cole/Patrick O'Reilly/Blake Howard

Songs: [set 1 excerpt] + This is what happens inside a room [edited excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Brodie West presents), December 10, 2025.

Rob Clutton/Josh Cole/Patrick O'Reilly/Blake Howard - [set 1 excerpt]

Rob Clutton/Josh Cole/Patrick O'Reilly/Blake Howard - This is what happens inside a room [edited excerpt]

Slated as an evening with Brodie West's Double Basses Quintet, the last-minute absence of the host shifted the terrain somewhat. Without West's saxophone (and the compositions for the group he's been working up), this turned into a chance for the remaining musicians to expand their zones a bit and improvise. There were still two double basses, giving Rob Clutton and Josh Cole a chance to work off each other, and some extra space for Patrick O'Reilly to explore the textures generated by his guitar and pedals. There was also one other substitution, as Blake Howard was sitting in for Nick Fraser and adding his genial chaos to the proceedings. The longer excerpt here contains an impromptu monologue from Howard, giving a darkly-comedic franework for the musicians to work around. (Or it's possible that Howard has indeed been trapped in the Southern Cross for the past forty million years and needs our assistance.)

Recording: Bitchin Bajas

Artist: Bitchin Bajas

Song: Keiji Dreams

Recorded at Monarch Tavern, December 7, 2025.

Bitchin Bajas - Keiji Dreams

This Chicago trio returned to town promoting the recent Inland See album, and indeed tackled all four of its pieces in their set. With the stage heaped with gear like a mad scientist's analog synth laboratory, the group let the music do the talking, eschewing banter (and, by and large, stage lighting) as they moved from more meditative soundscapes to some Switched On groovers.

Recording: Fortunato Durutti Marinetti

Artist: Fortunato Durutti Marinetti

Song: The Movie of Your Life

Recorded at Monarch Tavern, December 7, 2025.

Fortunato Durutti Marinetti - The Movie of Your Life

Given a largely attentive crowd while opening things up for touring headliners Bitchin Bajas, Daniel Colussi brought a contained set that leaned more on his lyrics and inflections than sonic propulsion. Backed only by Brandon Gibson-DeGroote on violin, Colussi let the words and images rush out, essaying some tunes from his last couple albums.

[Fortunato Durutti Marinetti will be back at the Monarch, opening for Fuses this Saturday (January 10th).]

Recording: Michael Palumbo

Artist: Michael Palumbo

Song: Vincent (Starry Starry Night) [Don McLean cover]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #111), December 2, 2025.

Michael Palumbo - Vincent (Starry Starry Night)

"Experimental music" is not a genre but rather a state of mind. For modular wizard and electroacoustician Michael Palumbo, improvisation and collaboration are core elements of his practice — so to become vulnerable with just songs and voice, a mic and a guitar were a step into different territory, the sort of experiment that generates productive nervousness. His repertoire in this set ranged from a couple traditional numbers and hewed towards folky material, but did pull in an eclectic set of influences including Chad VanGaalen and Thom Yorke.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[Track Could Bend returns to Wenona on Tuesday (January 6th) with sets from Duo BEAK (Bea Labikova and Kayla Milmine) and Vividness Trio (Laura Gillis, Lorne Shapiro, Hildegard von Bingo). A sweet way to start the year if you've been resolving to get out to more shows!]

Recording: Sarah and Rob

Artist: Sarah and Rob

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #111), December 2, 2025.

Sarah and Rob - [excerpt]

A rare duo appearance from Sarah Peebles (shō, monotron, cracklebox) and Rob Cruickshank (electronics, circular saw blade) provided some sinusoidal vibrational therapy, served up with homemade cookies. The latter were apparently not prepared on the cookie sheet hung from a frame like a gong and serving as a DIY resonator and part of Peebles' sonic arsenal.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[Track Could Bend returns to Wenona on Tuesday (January 6th) with sets from Duo BEAK (Bea Labikova and Kayla Milmine) and Vividness Trio (Laura Gillis, Lorne Shapiro, Hildegard von Bingo). A sweet way to start the year if you've been resolving to get out to more shows!]

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis XXX

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis XXX

Song: A Gracious Limestone [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), November 30, 2025.

Cosmic Homeostasis XXX - A Gracious Limestone [excerpt]

Joining together at the Tranzac for the thirtieth time, this session marked the end of a productive year for the C.H. collective, meeting inside and outdoors to create come drones and community vibes. Keep an eye out in 2026 for a new "studio" album and more gatherings.

The homeostasis crew on this occasion included:

• Chris Trotter - radio, pedals, namer-of-things
• Dan Friedman - virtual line hum, flute
• Del Stephen - keyboard synthesizer & keys
• Fahmid Nibesh - contact mic/amp/guitar/pedals/metals
• Heraclitus Akimbo - chimes, Roland S-1, pedals
• Ian McPhedran - guitar
• James Bailey - cümbüş, rattle
• Jim Davis - fretless bass gtr
• Jonny Luke - cornet + fx
• Mira Martin-Gray - synthesizer/resonator
• Niamh Girling - tanpura
• Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
• Rob Cruickshank - synth/pedals
• Scott M2 - Roland S-1
• Sterling McPhedran - banjo-ukulele

You can check out some more from this afternoon over on youtube:

And, as always, you hear the whole session over on bandcamp:

2025 Gig List

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)

Track Could Bend #111 (feat. Sarah and Rob / Michael Palumbo) / Wenona Lodge 2025-12-02 (Tuesday)

Bitchin Bajas (Fortunato Durutti Marinetti) / Monarch Tavern 2025-12-07 (Sunday)

Brodie West presents (feat. Rob Clutton/Josh Cole/Patrick O'Reilly/Blake Howard) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-10 (Wednesday)

mdbm / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-10 (Wednesday)

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)

Agnes / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-16 (Tuesday)

coexisDance #112 (feat. Pulga Muchochoma/Waleed Abdulhamid/Nidhi Baadkar/Xicada/Tyler J Sloan/Amiel Ang/Steph Chua) / Trinity-St. Paul's Centre (Gymnasium) 2025-12-19 (Friday)

Karen Ng presents (feat. Mark Ballyk/Brandon Davis/Kayla Elrod/Will Hunt/Karen Ng) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-23 (Tuesday)

The Ryan Driver Quintet / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-12-23 (Tuesday)

Lipliners Residency (feat. Ronley Teper & The Lipliners) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-30 (Tuesday)

Nick Fraser Presents (feat. Nick Fraser/Josh Cole/Brodie West) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-30 (Tuesday)

Recording: Hank the Kid

Artist: Hank the Kid

Song: Ride Alone

Recorded at Dina's Tavern, November 23, 2025.

Hank the Kid - Ride Alone

Shit be weird, was the first thing that I wrote in my notepad as I soaked in the environs of Dina's Tavern, a new venue located on the former location of — and in the image of — beloved local dive The Silver Dollar Room. Weird, or, perhaps more precisely, uncanny. Walking up from Spadina, there were familiar faces out front, smoking and hanging out under the big Silver Dollar sign, just like there should be. Stepping in brings some disjunction, as there's now no flight of stairs to climb up (and no Comfort Zone looming below) — but once inside the doppelgänger effect kicks in, the room looking pretty close to what one's memory might hold. Looking closer tears at the illusion a little, as some of the details sink in — the whole side of the room behind the bar that held the pool table and booths hasn't been recreated, and the bathrooms are up a flight of stairs, through a door that suddenly reminds you that you're now in a 21st century condo-style building.

But still. Most of the virtues and drawbacks are intact. That weird layout, with the stage along one of the long walls, instead at the end of the space, squaring off against the bar — and the sonic oddness that that entails. (And to help maintain the feel of the past, there was a part of the crowd just hanging out along the bar, chatting away through the show.) Once I found my old spot, the new PA sounded decent enough.

In this city, we've gotten so used to things being torn down and taken away, and the only replacement seeming to be unending construction. So to have something like this venue exist — do recall that it was a "heritage feature" basically forced upon the developers by the city as a condition of being allowed to redevelop the site — feels like a minor triumph. So far, it seems like there's some decent programming happening there, so hopefully it will endure for a spell.

Henry Fletcher's ongoing art concept/parallel fictional life as Henri Fabergé has allowed him to approach the project's musical side from a variety of angles, but this long-simmering side-project — here celebrating the release of a debut E.P. — signals a different approach. Perhaps one could say it exchanges youthful insouciance for a more grown-up melancholy, although it's not a cavalcade of downers or anything. Perhaps it's also apt to say that it exchanges the glamourous HFab sensibility of "let's put on a show!" with a more workmanlike rock-band attitude — and the truly-impressive band here collectively hearkened back to what some might consider a golden age of T.O. indie rock, with bands like Bicycles, Weaves, and Hooded Hang being represented by Drew Smith, Morgan Waters, and Jonathan Pappo.

Recording: SAP

Artist: SAP

Song: Babbling Brook

Recorded at Dina's Tavern, November 23, 2025.

SAP - Babbling Brook

Shit be weird, was the first thing that I wrote in my notepad as I soaked in the environs of Dina's Tavern, a new venue located on the former location of — and in the image of — beloved local dive The Silver Dollar Room. Weird, or, perhaps more precisely, uncanny. Walking up from Spadina, there were familiar faces out front, smoking and hanging out under the big Silver Dollar sign, just like there should be. Stepping in brings some disjunction, as there's now no flight of stairs to climb up (and no Comfort Zone looming below) — but once inside the doppelgänger effect kicks in, the room looking pretty close to what one's memory might hold. Looking closer tears at the illusion a little, as some of the details sink in — the whole side of the room behind the bar that held the pool table and booths hasn't been recreated, and the bathrooms are up a flight of stairs, through a door that suddenly reminds you that you're now in a 21st century condo-style building.

But still. Most of the virtues and drawbacks are intact. That weird layout, with the stage along one of the long walls, instead at the end of the space, squaring off against the bar — and the sonic oddness that that entails. (And to help maintain the feel of the past, there was a part of the crowd just hanging out along the bar, chatting away through the show.) Once I found my old spot, the new PA sounded decent enough.

In this city, we've gotten so used to things being torn down and taken away, and the only replacement seeming to be unending construction. So to have something like this venue exist — do recall that it was a "heritage feature" basically forced upon the developers by the city as a condition of being allowed to redevelop the site — feels like a minor triumph. So far, it seems like there's some decent programming happening there, so hopefully it will endure for a spell.

Settled into the environment, I was well-pleased to hear some good old rock music that would have been right at home in the old Dollar, courtesy of locals SAP. (Their name being fairly ungoogleable, I will note you can find their music on bandcamp here.) The music, under singer-guitarist Rochelle Bulmer's leadership, has some grunge-y elements and a willingness to rock out, abetted by a supporting cast of familiar faces including Patrick Grant on guitar, Jay Anderson on drums, and Paul Saulnier on bass. (The latter also gave a sort of stripped-back parallel approach to his P.S. I Love You project in a solo opening set.)

Monday Roundup #259

Concert announcements:

Diane Roblin's Life Force [Diane Roblin/George Koller/Tim Shia/Colleen Allen/John Johnson/Kevin Turcotte] / The Rex 2026-01-24 (Saturday – 5 p.m). $pwyc. [more info]

Liquid Architecture presents Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [live silent movie score] (feat. ARRC [Ambrose Pottie/Rod Campbell/Ryan Kinney/Colin James Gibson]) / St. Matthew’s Clubhouse 2026-01-24 (Saturday). $10 (cash or e-transfer). [FB event]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

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Shows this week:

Colin Fisher/George Koller/Jeff Luciani/Diane Roblin / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-29 (Monday) [more info]

Lipliners Residency (feat. Ronley Teper & The Lipliners) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-30 (Tuesday – early) [FB event]

More Noise Please! Presents: A Magical Evening of Solstice Celebration (feat. Grief Debt / J. Vulgare / Inchoate / Colin Cudmore / Panties / Rampancy / Shameful) / BSMT 254 2025-12-30 (Tuesday). $15/pwyc. [more info]

Boxing Week Special (feat. Lavender Town / High Alpine Hut Network / Colin Fisher) / The Garrison 2025-12-30 (Tuesday). $9.99, 19+. [tickets + more info]

Tranzac New Years Eve (feat. Eucalyptus / Alex “Bad Baby” Lukashevsky & Cocoa Corner [Aidan McConnell/Jack Johnston/Evan Cartwright/Charliecello/Alex Lukashevsky] / Bag) / The Tranzac 2025-12-31 (Wednesday). $33.64 adv / $32 door. [tickets/more info]

The Silt [Marcus Quin/Ryan Driver/Doug Tielli] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-02 (Friday) [FB event]

Ministry of Phonic Services presents (feat. NF Gang [Colin Cudmore & Mark Ballyk] & Friends) / Wenona Lodge 2026-01-04 (Sunday). $pwyc/notaflof

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It happened this week...

• ...on December 30, 2012 at The Drake Underground (What's in the Box – Night 5).

The Skeletones Four - Trap Door

• ...on December 31, 2012 at The Tranzac.

The Bicycles - BBBicycles + Australia

[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.]