Recording: The Fiver Trois

Artist: The Fiver Trois

Songs: R.J.D. + Only in the Longing

Recorded at Dina's Tavern, July 24, 2026.

The Fiver Trois - R.J.D.

The Fiver Trois - Only in the Longing

It's been far too long since I had a chance to see Simone Schmidt in performance, a gap in time that's brought a lot of new songs. In the case of the new album Cleaning House, some of those new songs have been kicking around for a while, waiting for the right moment to be finished off and sent out formally into the world. That gap in time also brought a new backing unit, with bassist Jeremy Costello joined by frequent collaborator Nathan Doucet on percussion, as well as newcomer Dani Crowther on pedal steel. Together, the group leaned into the new album's tunes, meaning there wasn't much room to revisit the back catalogue, and no room for anything older than some selections from 2021's Atlantic School of Spontaneous Composition album. But that focus lead to plenty amazing moments, with the band moving from rollicking psychedelic explorations to a quieter mid-show acoustic mini-set and back.

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

Monday Roundup #278

Community notes:

• So, in the realm of cool shit coming up, Don Pyle is celebrating the launch of his "memoirish new book" Rough Description: Love Letters and Ghost Stories from a Life in Music, with an event at Standard Time on Thursday, May 28th. Expect a slideshow/reading by Pyle, followed by a conversation moderated by Damian Rogers. Plus fabulous guest readers Chris Colohan, Kirby, Jason McBride, and Tabatha Southey — and, quite astoundingly, special guest DJ's Georgia Hubley and Ira Kaplan from Yo La Tengo.

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Concert announcements:

May Tuesdays Residency (feat. Velour Underground) / The Baby G 2026-05-19 (Tuesday). $free, 19+. [FB event]

Labyrinth Ontario presents Makam Nights (feat. Atom Wang) / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2026-05-21 (Thursday). $pwyc ($10 suggested). [FB event]

Isla Craig (Colin Fisher / Wenderly Park) / Le Monde 2026-05-22 (Friday). $15/PWYC (cash/card). [FB event]

Ministry of Phonic Services presents (feat. Ben Rempel & Justin Gunter / Not the Wind, Not the Flag / Doug Tielli & Mike Gennaro) / Bickford Park 2026-05-24 (Sunday). $pwyc, all ages, outdoors. [more info]

May Tuesdays Residency (feat. Velour Underground) / The Baby G 2026-05-26 (Tuesday). $free, 19+. [FB event]

INSTITUT 004 (feat. Luka Kuplowsky & Band [The Grass Grows, Antonych Grows album release celebration!] / Evan J. Cartwright / Noriko Yamamoto) / St. Volodymyr Institute 2026-05-28 (Thursday). $27.96. [more info]

Venus Fest + More Noise Please present: Drone Day (feat. Auto Feeder / Esssena / fossa séu / Grief Debt / Mira Martin-Gray / Shemona / three6marilyn / Xodkaar) / It's Ok* Studios 2025-05-30 (Saturday – 2 p.m.). #11.64/$16.97/$22.29, all ages. [tickets + more info]

Track Could Bend #117 (feat. saucering [Tilman Lewis/Nilan Perera/Laura Swankey] / Colin Fisher/William Hunt/Jack Johnson/Cal Adam) / Wenona Lodge 2025-06-02 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Humbucker Music Residency (feat. Humbucker Music [Nick Storring/Jason Doell/Colin Cudmore/Mira Martin-Gray] / Rob Clutton) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-06-05 (Friday). $pwyc

Project Nowhere presents (feat. Sook-Yin Lee [72RHR album release!] / bridge of sand / Kali Horse / Salon Perfomance [Karen Ng/Lee Suksi/Stevie Manning/Bee Solomon]) / The Baby G 2026-06-26 (Friday). $30.55, 19+. [FB event]

Humbucker Music Residency (feat. Humbucker Music [Nick Storring/Jason Doell/Colin Cudmore/Mira Martin-Gray] / Allison Cameron & Scott Thomson [Platanus album release show!]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-03 (Friday). $pwyc

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

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Shows this week:

Jazz Rat Monday (feat. Patrick Smith/Nancy Walker/Eric West/Mark Godfrey) / Dina's Tavern 2026-05-11 (Monday). $pwyc. [more info]

Toronto Electronic Music Open Mic (feat. Gruve Collective / Alex! / mylesofdude / Steve Lucas / Greg Judelman / Smoking That Live Sound / Ben Green / driftnote /Caspar Project / Broken Pink Umbrella / Tyrek / A/K/C) / Handlebar 2025-05-11 (Monday) [more info]

New Works for Improvising Musicians (feat. Nick Fraser's Special Topics [Nick Fraser/Josh Cole/Max Stover/Kae Murphy]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-05-11 (Monday)

May Tuesdays Residency (feat. Velour Underground) / The Baby G 2026-05-12 (Tuesday). $free, 19+. [FB event]

Brodie West presents (feat. Drumheller [Nick Fraser/Rob Clutton/Brodie West/Eric Chenaux/Doug Tielli]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-05-13 (Wednesday – early)

Not Dead Yet presents (feat. One Leg One Eye / Efrim Menuck) / St. Stephen-In-The-Fields 2025-05-13 (Wednesday). $26.67, all-ages. [FB event]

Never Was [Brandon Davis/Bea Labikova/Patrick O’Reilly/Joe Sorbara] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-05-13 (Wednesday)

TONE Presents (feat. Eric Chenaux & Ryan Driver / Rafael Toral / Masahiro Takahashi & Brodie West) / Standard Time 2025-05-14 (Thursday). $33.64 advance/$35 door, all-ages. [FB event]

Night Owls (feat. Bob Wiseman / Lily Frost) / Hugh's Room 2026-05-14 (Thursday). $42.85 (General Admission), $27.27 (Student / Arts Worker / Underemployed). [FB event]

AMRITA [debut album release!] [Anita Katakkar & Kayla Milmine with special guests: Jonathan Kay & Zaynab Wilson] (Zaynab Wilson) / Array Space 2025-05-14 (Thursday). $30 [includes a copy of the new CD and a drink]. [FB event]

Pedro Oliveira (Ariel Orah / Earth Punks) / Terrarium 2025-05-14 (Thursday). $15/pwyc. [more info]

Mifune Moods presents [live improvised scoring of The Hobbit (1977)] / Bampot House 2026-05-14 (Thursday). $donation. [more info]

Today Versions presents (feat. Ghost Variables [Gary Barwin/Chris Palmer/David Lee/Mike Hansen/Connor Bennett] / Del Stephen's Furtherances [Owen Kurtz/Paul Newman/Jeff Sinibaldi/Jamie Eriksen/Del Stephen] / Woolworm, Ontario) / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2026-05-15 (Friday). $10-$15 sliding scale

Masahiro Takahashi presents Chanoyu (feat. Masahiro Takahashi / Matthew Bailey/Karen Ng/Ted Crosby) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-05-15 (Friday) [more info]

Diane Roblin’s Life Force [Diane Roblin/George Koller/Kevin Turcotte/John Johnson/Colleen Allen/TIm Shia] / The Rex 2025-05-16 (Saturday – 2 p.m.). [more info]

Animatist [Shapeshifter Album Release Party] (Miserable Weekend / Paper Hats) / The Baby G 2025-05-16 (Saturday). $20.01, 19+. [FB event]

Garden of Forking Paths VIII (feat. Triio) / Allan Gardens 2026-05-16 (Saturday). $30. [more info]

Re:Stacks (feat. Stacks) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-05-16 (Saturday). $pwyc. [more info]

Cosmic Homeostasis XXXII / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2026-05-17 (Sunday – noon). $pwyc. [FB event]

The Dan Pitt Trio [Dan Pitt/Alex Fournier/Nick Fraser] / Sellers & Newel 2026-05-17 (Sunday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]

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In the mix:

• A new ambient mix, drone and drone-adjacent music, based around two versions of a James Tenney piece, plus plus sounds from Open Union (playing Paolo Griffin), Ondelunghe, and Nick Dourado, James Goddard, Mustafa Rafiq, Jairus Sharif.

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It happened this week...

• ...on May 12, 2012 at Mercer Union.

Fiver - Dayton

• ...on May 14, 2012 at The Tranzac (Main Hall).

Sandro Perri - Futureactive Kid (Parts 1 + 2)

[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 #14

In the absence of concert listings, my regular Monday dispatches have fallen off. After bringing some life to the blog with the "bumping into" series, I figure I should get back in the groove. I'm guessing that this will be a bit like what used to get shoved into the end of the post when I was doing listings — 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!). Plus maybe a look back through the MFS archives.

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Community notes:

• Some day we'll be able to be in close physical proximity with each other again. One thing we can do in this time of not-gathering-together is to keep thinking on how our events can be better, so a virtual panel on Thursday (April 22nd) from The Music Gallery is a great chance to reflect and listen. Entitled "Setting the Scene: The Curation of Safe Spaces & Accountability", the event is curated by Olivia Shortt, moderated by Kim Senklip-Harvey and features panelists Frances Koncan, Nikki Shaffeeullah, and Chaka V. Grier. Free stream on the MG's live page.

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Livestream nation:

• Some can't-miss West African-via-Montréal grooves coming up Saturday (April 24th), with a livestreamed show from Coup de Cœur — a new group of Senegalese and Malian curated by Batuki Music Society featuring Sadio Sissokho (kora, djembe and vocals), Assane Seck (electric guitar), Seydina Ndiaye (vocals), Diely Mori Tounkara (kora and guitar) and Carlo Birri (bass).

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It happened this week...

• ... on April 20, 2016 at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge.

Christine Duncan/Patrick O'Reilly/Laura Swankey - [set 2 excerpt]

• ...on April 20, 2019 at Workman Arts.

Fiver - Sick Gladiola

[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.]

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Bandcamp corner:

• Anyone looking for some Deep Listening should check out this collection of improvised cello loop experiments from Anne Bourne, offering up some "calm ambience for you / raw drone wave patterns / sonics in the dimensions of the heart."

Recording: Fiver

Artist: Fiver

Songs: Sick Gladiola + It Won't Be Long (And I'll Be Hating You) [Johnny Paycheck cover]

Recorded at Workman Arts, April 20, 2019.

Fiver - Sick Gladiola

Fiver - It Won't Be Long (And I'll Be Hating You)

Previewing the next phase of her Fiver project, Simone Schmidt unveiled both some new songs (although a few of the "new" tunes have been kickin' around for a little while) and a new set of collaborators, basically bringing in Special Costello's Jeremy Costello, Nick Dourado, and Bianca Palmer. This is a backing band where any of the members have the skills and charisma to grab the spotlight (and Costello, indeed, got a vocal spotlight of his own with the Johnny Paycheck song heard here) and slip seamlessly from smooth countrypolitan to wall-of-sound ballads to funky rolls. Although geographically separated, expect more to come from this new alignment.

[Meanwhile, Schmidt will be revisiting her Audible Songs from Rockwood material in a theatre-friendly format at the upcoming SummerWorks Festival. There will be five shows between August 10th and 18th, with tickets going on sale next week.]

Recording: Simone Schmidt

Artist: Simone Schmidt

Song: Worship The Sun (Not The Golden Boy)

Recorded at Tibet Kitchen's back patio, July 10, 2016.

Simone Schmidt - Worship The Sun (Not The Golden Boy)

A delightful summer tradition, Jonathan Adjemian once again hosted this afternoon of music in the beautiful back patio of Parkdale's Tibet Kitchen. Recently returned from a west coast jaunt with The Highest Order, Simone Schmidt lead things off with some of the songs from her forthcoming Fiver album based on case files of inmates in the Rockwood asylum. There's some local flavour in this tale of a member of the notorious Brooks' Bush Gang, who occupied the untamed lands of the Don Valley in the 1850's — the song's cast of characters includes Jane Lewis and James Brown, victim of the last public hanging in Toronto.

Recording: Fiver

Artist: Fiver

Songs: Daybreak + Phoebe Woolley (a.k.a. Pile Your Silver)

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Quiet Quiet Annex Lights concert series), April 22, 2016.

Fiver - Daybreak

Fiver - Phoebe Woolley (a.k.a. Pile Your Silver)

A packed house filled the Tranzac's back hall with a crowd eager to see outsider folk legend Michael Hurley make his Toronto debut. This was the capstone of a series put together by Invocation's Jay Pollard, bringing some modern folk icons to town and mixing them well with local musicians. Simone Schmidt got the call for this one, and took the stage as the night's headliner would, alone with a guitar, sharing songs and stories with the crowd. The latter one here (from the project's forthcoming sophomore album) is another account from the files of the Rockwood asylum, telling the story of a woman institutionalized for the "delusion" of daring to believe she should be entitled to inherit her father's farm — once again showing Schmidt's gift for giving a voice to the voiceless.

Recording: Fiver

Artist: Fiver

Song: Rage of Plastics

Recorded at Christie Pits Park – Garden Stage (Bloor Ossington Folk Festival V), September 19, 2015.

Fiver - Rage of Plastics

You can read my general notes on the festival here. Bringing an entirely-different band than she had at last year's BOFF, Simone Schmidt was backed here by Highest Order bandmate Paul Mortimer on guitar, plus Fake Palms' Mike Le Riche on bass and Nick Kervin (of B-17/Mimico) on drums. The latter, filling in for a touring Simone T-B, is especially felt on this better-living-through-chemistry lament, offering steady beats like a grim metronome ticking ever-closer to toxic overload. (At the start of the song, Schmidt sends a shout-out to ASAP, members of Aamjiwnaang First Nation who are organizing against "the toxic reality of living in Chemical Valley".)

Recording: Fiver

Artist: Fiver

Song: Oh Sienna

Recorded at Christie Pits Park ("Bloor Ossington Folk Festival"), September 21, 2014.

Fiver - Oh Sienna

Once again, the Bloor Ossington Folk Festival stayed true to its roots as a low-key and local celebration. By enfolding itself into the contours of Christie Pits, BOFF still feels casual and approachable, even with some heavy hitters in its lineup. As so often happens at outdoor events, weather forced organizers to make some adjustments on the fly, but even having to move the headliners into the beer tent served to reinforce the intimate vibes. There's room to grow, but overall the organizers are getting things right.

As the rain poured down, every available canopy was mustered to expand the covered zone at the beer tent and the crowd pulled in to watch Simone Schmidt's "other" unit. An energetic bounce from the rhythm section jousted with Cris Derksen's darker cello tones^* to give a different colour to Schmidt's songs than heard the day before. There was also the debut of a tasty new one called "Theme Writer's Theme" nestled among the older material.

^* I only know Derksen's work so far from her collaborations in Fiver, but I'm looking forward to hearing her unpack her own musical ideas at the Music Gallery's upcoming Emergents show.

Recording: Fiver

Artist: Fiver

Songs: June Like a Bug + Saddest Laugh

Recorded at Jam Factory (Feast In The East 40), August 14, 2014.

Fiver - June Like a Bug

Fiver - Saddest Laugh

Full review to follow. Closing out the night, this set found Simone Schmidt in solo mode, mixing a few newer songs among older ones from her songbook — no surprise at all from a perpetually hard-working musician whose setlists never stay the same for too long.

Recording: Fiver

Artist: Fiver

Song: Gone Alone

Recorded at The Great Hall (Long Winter – Year 2, Volume 5), March 7, 2014.

Fiver - Gone Alone

Full review to follow. Never have I felt such a seemingly unending, relentless winter in this town, but the monthly instalments of Long Winter were all welcome respites. This second season closed out with a somewhat heavier night — Fucked Up finally made a last-minute appearance to preview their forthcoming Glass Boys album to close things out. But there was still a lot of variety stuffed in around the edges. It seemed like the crowd at this all-ages affair got younger every month, and from what I could tell a lot of the younger cohort came with open ears, willing to take a chance on the bands besides the ones they came to see. We don't have enough of this going on, so here's hoping that next winter is once again a Long Winter. (Except, like, weather-wise. Please don't make us deal with that again!)

Celebrating International Women's Day, Simone Schmidt brought a whole different configuration than was seen at the band's album release show — here in a stripped-down trio with her guitar accompanied by cris derksen's cello textures and Simone T-B's percussion.

Recording: Fiver

Artist: Fiver

Song: Undertaker

Recorded at The Royal Theatre, November 13, 2013.

Fiver - Undertaker

Full review to follow. It's a testament to the audience that Simone Schmidt has built that her new album's DIY launch filled a large soft-seater movie house to capacity. The format gave everyone a chance to listen to her words, but that didn't preclude some rockin' out from her band, who just happen to do double duty with her louder, more psychedelically inclined unit The Highest Order. (Which means if you didn't get in to this one, you've got a chance to see the same folks doing different songs on a packed bill alongside Teenanger and The Saffron Sect at the Silver Dollar on December 6th.)

Recording: Fiver

Artist: Fiver

Song: Smoke & Steam

Recorded at Holy Oak Café, August 20, 2013.

Fiver - Smoke & Steam

Full review to follow. Simone Schmidt has been busy lately playing with The Highest Order, but the songs she'd introduced last year for her "solo" Fiver project are about to make a return with the release of Lost the Plot on September 10. I'm sure we'll have a chance to hear them live in a full-band setting once the album comes out, but for now it was nice to get re-acquainted with 'em with just Schmidt and her guitar.

Recording: The Highest Order

Artist: The Highest Order

Songs: That's How I Got To Memphis [Tom T. Hall cover] + Mind Odyssey [Spur cover]

Recorded at The Silver Dollar Room, November 24, 2012.

The Highest Order - That's How I Got To Memphis

The Highest Order - Mind Odyssey

Full review to follow. If you haven't been heading out to shows lately, you might not have noticed that Simone Schmidt has actually been having a busy year, debuting a whole lot of new songs under a couple different artistic identities. So far, it hasn't added up to a whole lotta released material, just a couple 7" singles like the one being released tonight. 2013 should see that change, with full-lengths slated from both Fiver as well as this unit.

The first set, featuring Stew Crookes on pedal steel, actually didn't sound all that different than full-band Fiver sets, but the second set with some extra guitar from Quest For Fire's Chad Ross gave a bit of a clearer idea of the psychedelic twang envisioned as this unit's core identity. There were several new originals sprinkled throughout both sets (keep an eye out for "Chain Mail" and "200 Pounds") as well a a whole bunch of covers. The pair here, with Cookes and Ross respectively, give a bit of a feel for the different flavours the band was working on and imparting with their interpretive skills. Word is that the full-length is slated for a February release, so I'm sure we'll be having another night with the band 'round then.

Recording: Fiver

Artist: Fiver

Song: Rockwood 1868

Recorded at The Theatre Centre (SummerWorks Festival), August 17, 2012.

Fiver - Rockwood 1868

Full review to follow. Establishing the night's sit-down-and-listen vibe, Simone Schmidt shared some of her newer story-songs with the crowd.

Recording: Fiver

Artist: Fiver

Song: Calm & Collected

Recorded at The Silver Dollar Room, June 29, 2012.

Fiver - Calm & Collected

Full review to follow. Though I've been following Simone Schmidt's new Fiver project through some shows in a duo formation with Paul Mortimer, it was exciting to see the full four-piece band in action. Celebrating the release of their first 7" (as well as an EP of demos), the band played a full hour-long set of new material, without going to the well for covers or back to older projects.

Just last night I'd gotten a late-night text from a friend lamenting the fact that the Coffee Time at College and Ossington was suddenly shut down, and then tonight Schmidt dedicated a song to its memory — I feel like this is music from a world I can relate to.

Recording: Fiver

Artist: Fiver

Song: Rainbow of Blues

Recorded at Holy Oak Café, June 26, 2012.

Fiver - Rainbow of Blues

Full review to follow.

"You guys want a bit of relief?"

[some crowd-members laugh nervously; a couple people clap]

"Awww... there is none! [beat] This is a song called 'Rainbow of Blues'."

Simone Schmidt might make jokes about the sense of darkness in her songs, but just as in her work with $100, the empathy that she brings to her character studies is unassailable. Strictly speaking, this tune belongs to Highest Order of the Blue Sage, the "other band" Schmidt plays in alongside guitarist Paul Mortimer, but it sounds good in this duo setting. There'll be a chance to hear her new Fiver material backed by a full band on Friday night (June 29) at The Silver Dollar, which comes highly recommended.

Recording: Fiver

Artist: Fiver

Song: Dayton^*

Recorded at Mercer Union, May 12, 2012.

Fiver - Dayton

Full review to follow. Billed as an "in-gallery sound performance", this was a most unusual night in the non-euclidean reconfiguration of the front gallery at Mercer Union. Fiver is the new project from $100's Simone Schmidt, here joined by Paul Mortimer. Pitched as an outlet for the sort of songs that might not easily fit into her usual projects, there's certainly an element of that at play — but there's no doubt that they're "Simone Schmidt" songs. She'll be playing again soon, opening for Eamon McGrath at The 'Shoe on May 24th — you should really head out early for that and catch her boss new tunes.

^* Colin has tentatively identified this one for us — will update if any further information comes to light. New shit has come to light, as they say. Title updated.