This trio brings together spontaneous composers Tilman Lewis (cello), Nilan Perera (guitar), and Laura Swankey (voice). Announcing their presence with a cool album earlier this year, this set saw them exploring their instruments mostly without technological manipulations (both Swankey and Perera are dab hands with the effects pedals, but weren't deploying them here).
You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:
As always, you can dig into the full session over on bandcamp:
[Due to a full-weekend Tranzac booking, Cosmic Homeostasis is being bumped, and will be performing in The Tranzac's Living Room on Sunday, May 17th at noon. However, also keep an eye out for a special offsite fifth-Sunday-of-the-month gathering!]
A vibrant showing for a long weekend with fifteen homeostasisists joining in. An unusually-robust turnout of guitarists gave a unique flavour to the proceedings and a bit of structure for the drift over two sets.
Following some further outdoor excursions, Ministry of Phonic Services came inside for this afternoon of sonic explorations. Nilan Perera set the tone with some investigations for prepared guitar, bringing kitchen implements and other simple tools to coax complex sounds from his guitar.
You can check out the full set over on youtube:
[Ministry of Phonic Services has just announced their second annual Back to School Field Trip, featuring "an entire month of strange sounds in strange spaces, all located outdoors. Join the festivities at the thirteen presentations taking place from September 5th to 27th, including four main shows with installations, collaborations with other local experimental presenters, and even some surprises."]
When I invited Nilan Perera to come play TCB, I assumed without asking that we'd be getting some nimble prepared guitar. Instead, challenging himself (which is no surprise to see) Perera brought a pedalboard and a couple radios — an ideal setup to try and snatch some spontaneous noises from the airwaves to go along with the clatter generated by Colin Cudmore (a.k.a. %%30%30).
You can check out the full set over on youtube:
[Ministry of Phonic Services will be presenting Nilan Perera at a matinee show this Sunday (July 27th) in The Sun Room at 918 Bathurst. (Fron Reilly and Joyce To are also on the bill.) Track Could Bend is back at Wenona on Tuesday, August 5th, with sets from Poached Roses (Naomi McCarroll-Butler, styrofoamNosebleedPrincess and Mira Martin-Gray) and Tom Richards.]
There'd be no gentle soundbath from Marilyn Yogarajah this time out — instead, a crew of frequent collaborators (Roya Biazar, synth and kazoo; Nilan Perera, guitar; Victor O, percussion) brought some spiky clatter. Host Ayal Senior dubbed the band "Hectic Space", which captures the vibe pretty well.
You can check out the full set over on youtube:
[Ayal Senior & Friends returns to the Southern Cross tomorrow (May 10th) with sets from Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman, William Davison, Karsten Stryker, and Nick Flanagan.]
Another evening of conversations from this grouping, with guitarist Nilan Perera getting some structures from Alex Fournier (double bass) and Rick Saks (drumkit). Nice textures and interplay throughout, sizzling even when not playing at a breakneck pace.
You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:
This special evening was convened by Liz Lima as a gathering to connect Johanna & Vanita Monk (visiting from Rotterdam) with local improvisers. Vanita (voice) and Johanna (soprano sax, clarinet) started off in duo format, transcending language and showing a deep connection from decades of musical co-exploration. From there, each took turns with the local musicians, coming from different angles to respond to their sounds.
You can check out some more from the evening over on youtube:
As families and communities do, kinfolk and friends gathered together to mark the loss of Ted Phillips. There was a chance to share memories while a whole bunch of the local musicians that Ted enjoyed played short solo or duo sets.
Some technical glitches notwithstanding, Perera managed to give a fond fairwell with some solo guitar sounds.
You can check out footage of all the music from the event's second half over on youtube:
This night at Track Could Bend gathered a whole bunch of musicians that the recently-departed Ted Phillips really enjoyed — my main goal for the night was to put together a show that he would have really wanted to come out for. But of course the other goal was for a community to come together and remember a sound-maker and listener who was both a performer and audience member at this series. A last-minute programming change meant that some extra Friends of Ted were invited along, splitting into two trios, followed by a joint effort. There were radio blasts, strange syntheses, guitar noodles and even an exploding bass bridge — I think Ted would have been delighted.
You can check out footage of the full sets over on youtube:
[There will be a larger-scale community remembrance forthcoming in September for Ted — keep your eyes peeled for more info soon. Meanwhile, Track Could Bend will be back at Wenona on Tuesday, September 5th with sets from Ancient Egypt and Body Hammer.]
Something a little different in this afternoon set that saw Nilan Perera playing solo guitar pieces and improvisations while Casey McGlynn created a new large-scale painting from scratch. The pair vibed off each other and their surroundings as figures emerged, evolved and got painted over.
You can watch the painting being born over on youtube:
catl. / Toronto Island Marina 2023-08-05 (Saturday). $free. [FB event]
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior/Kurt Newman/Andrew Furlong / Jonathan Adjemian / Patrick Joseph Grant / Nick Flanagan / Digital Gulag) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2023-08-13 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.) [FB event]
Dionne Warwick / CNE Bandshell Stage 2023-08-19 (Saturday). $free with admission to The Ex, outdoors, family-friendly. [more info]
Audiopollination: Fundraiser for Audiopollination Guelph (feat. 3M [Mira Martin-Gray/Mark Zurawinski/Mickle32] / Tegan Dietsch/Annie Elgie / Patrick O'Reilly/Elizabeth Lima/Christine Duncan / Rod Campbell/%%30%30/Gladys / Doomsday Glitter Posse [Emjay Wright/Kai Garant/Erin Corbett/Mickle32]) / Tranzac (Living Room) 2023-08-19 (Saturday). $pay whatever you want to donate. [FB event]
Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!
Shows this week:
Kaya Fraser (Shawn William Clarke) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2023-07-25 (Tuesday – early). $pwyc. [FB event]
Synth Syntax (feat. Messica Arson / Michael Palumbo / Pirarán / Rainbow Trash / The Endemics Collective) / Tail of the Junction 2023-07-25 (Tuesday). $17.31 advance, $20 or PWYC at door. [tickets/info]
Nick Fraser Presents (feat. Living Things [Nicola Miller/Doug Tielli/Nick D'Amato/Nick Fraser]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2023-07-25 (Tuesday) [FB event]
Omhouse [Time in Dreaming album release show!] (feat. Blunt Chunks / Original Kick) / The Baby G 2023-07-26 (Wednesday). $20.61, 19+. [FB event]
Nick Fraser Quartet feat. Tony Malaby / The Rex 2023-07-26–29 (Wednesday–Saturday) [FB event]
Karen Ng presents (feat. Joe Moffett [solo trumpet] / Sandy Ewen [solo prepared guitar] / Karen Ng/Philippe Melanson/Joe Moffett) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2023-07-27 (Thursday) [more info]
Shannon Hoff/Tania Gill/Chris Banks/Nico Dann / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2023-07-28 (Friday – early) [FB event]
Nice Pals 008 (feat. By Divine Right / Shotgun Jimmie / Burs / Dave Schoonderbeek) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2023-07-28 (Friday). $20 adv, $25 doors. [FB event]
Exit Points #40 (feat. Xeynamay/Chibuzr/Subsume/Eye_Duh Kho/Diane Roblin / shn shn/Meghan Cheng/Madeleine Ertel/David Sait/Michael Palumbo / Switchemups) / Array Space 2023-07-28 (Friday). $20 at the door [cash/card/mobile]. [FB event]
The Ryan Driver Sextet / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2023-07-28 (Friday) [more info]
Dave Clark Presents (feat. The Western Slang Country Band [Dave Clark/Michael Herring/Paul Kolinski/Tania Gill/Nichol Robertson/Lowell Whitty]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2023-07-29 (Saturday – early!) [more info]
Liquid Architecture - an evening of solo acoustic music (feat. Kayla Milmine / Mira Riselli / Mike Lynn / Ryan Kinney) / Mischief Makers 2023-07-29 (Saturday). $10 in advance/$12 at the door. [FB event]
ZONES [Hits of Sunshine LP release!] (Breeze / Absolutely Free) / Monarch Tavern 2023-07-29 (Saturday). $17.31, 19+. [FB event]
The Tree Trio [Kayla Milmine/Alex Fournier/Paul Fitterer] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2023-07-29 (Saturday) [more info]
Cosmic Homeostasis XX / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2023-07-30 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.) [FB event]
Summer Music in the Garden (feat. Nick Fraser Quartet [Nick Fraser/Tony Malaby/Andrew Downing/Rob Clutton]) / Toronto Music Garden 2023-07-30 (Sunday – 4 p.m.). $free, outdoors. [more info]
Nilan Perera [guitar] & Casey McGlynn [live painting] [kids art table to join in!] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2023-07-30 (Sunday – 5 p.m.) [FB event]
Another fifth-Sunday-of-the-month drone meetup brought out a mid-sized group (a dozen people) for some space-drift, spreading out around the Southern Cross.
The ensemble this time around was:
Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
Philip Hamilton - oscillator, contact mic
fuzzy - guitar, pedals
Patrick O'Reilly - circuit bent SK-1, piano
Nilan Perera - prepared guitar + slicer pedal
Ian McPhedran - guitar + pedals
Sterling McPhedran - guitar + pedals
Scott M2 - Animoog
Ron Blake - iOS apps
Sheldon - percussion+
Victor O - toy keyboard + mixer
Heraclitus Akimbo - synths
And as usual, you can stream/download the full session over on bandcamp:
[Cosmic Homeostasis will be back in the Southern Cross on the afternoon of the fifth Sunday of July — that is to say on July 30th, 2023.]
Another Synaptic recombination for Nilan Perera (and his baritone guitar) in this set with frequent sparring partner Rick Sacks joined by special guest Tilman Lewis on cello, conjuring up some no-wave skonk'n'scrapes, proggy byways and a closing ballad over the course of the set.
[SynCirSundays is back at The Tranzac on December 11th, presenting The Electronoise Orchestra with Connor Bennett, William Davison, Mira Martin-Gray, Mike Hansen and Heraclitus Akimbo.]
Rob Clutton: Is this one those things where you want me to play with you or against you?
Nilan Perera: Play music.
You can catch some more of this set over on youtube:
[SynCirSundays is back at The Tranzac on November 13th featuring sets from Jeff Burke/Mira Martin-Gray/Ben Grossman/John Oswald and Tilman Lewis/Nilan Perera/Rick Sacks.]
Switching over to baritone guitar, Nilan Perera was joined for this set by Robin Buckley (percussion) and Jay Hay (sax) who pushed things into some hard funk territory.
You can check out a bigger chunk of this set (and some others in the SynCirSundays playlist!) over on youtube:
[SynCirSundays is back this Sunday (October 9th) with Mike Hansen and Gary Barwin celebrating the release of where the angels once were: live sessions, plus Rob Clutton and Nilan Perera playing the Music of Jimmy Page.]
Nilan Perera only brought along his Boomerang looper, but also had the skills of a couple reliable collaborators in Alex Fournier (double bass) and Rick Sacks (drumkit) to create some additional textures in a propulsive set.
You can check out a bigger chunk of this set (and some others in the SynCirSundays playlist!) over on youtube:
[SynCirSundays is back this Sunday (October 9th) with Mike Hansen and Gary Barwin celebrating the release of where the angels once were: live sessions, plus Rob Clutton and Nilan Perera playing the Music of Jimmy Page.]
With two guitar/bass/drum trios playing, this was a real chophouse of an evening. After lamenting that he had to follow Laun Phung's complex grooves, series host Nilan Perera took up his electric axe and proved he was no slouch, guiding his rhythm section through some gliding inquiries that pulled inspriations ranging from nimble West African licks to 'Tranes's laments.
You can also check out some video documentation from this set over on youtube:
Bumping Into... is a series of mini-chats with a variety of peeps that you might run into in some of our local music communities. (There's a bit of an intro and my thoughts behind the series here.)
How are you? Where are you?
Yo..in tha hood...N of Eglington and Keele.
Me?
Pretty good, pretty bad, about the same, being a dad.
What have you been up to since March or so?
Well, it's been like the definition of combat..long stretches of boredom punctuated buy moments of extreme stress! But I'm being slightly specious/facetious.
I'm chuffed about the Willow Gardens Collective with Fahmid, me, Mark and Germaine working the soil and have found our work and collaborations to be very nutritious in all the ways. Then there's my 6 year old daughter who is central part of my life and my heart's beautiful journey. I've had some pretty fkn weird shit handed to me around Child Services but I was exonerated...my daughter had my back....which you can imagine made my heart very much bigger.
All in all, everything considered, I'm grateful...I'm a lucky guy!
Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to?
It's funny...I'm a player not a practice-er so my guitar time seems to focus on playing old blues/roots music (back to the beautiful well!) or working on some off kilter ways to play Bach and Satie, all of which leave opportunity to inject elements of the Mystery, which results in some self contained Mysterious extrapolation.
I go through lengthy periods of not playing and spending too much time on the 'net...I love connections and information so I'm guessing that'll feed onto the creative. Coming back into playing after not playing for a while is an initial explosion of coolness 'til my chops fall apart, lol.
I'm really looking forward to a blossoming of formal compositions but can't wait for the conversations I'm used to in spontaneous play. I'm intensely curious about how things are going to sound like when the coviditties calm down.
I was on a project in 2012 in Sri Lanka checking in with artists of all genres about their work during the 30 year civil war...the visual artists said that there wasn't much done during but in terms of producing work you couldn't shut them up after.
I think the same seemed to work for the theatre people and music there is pretty stratified into commercial, traditional and some art music of a formal nature. I'm wondering now whether that had anything to do with the wartime censorship, but it's the closest in my experience to what we are going through now.
Civil war has very different social parameters, though.
I think electronic musicians in general are the ones who can really make use of the time now as composition and performance are intimately tied in that world and one can create fully realised work instead of relying on in person rehearsals and $$$. considerations.
I did release my ancient solo recording with the new addition of the re/demixes and am checking into my archives for more.
Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion?
That's a hard one... yes and no.
I'm into different things... politics, social justice, the environment and thinking about issues and connective tissues.
I've always felt a bit of a dilettante when it came to music and the arts. I've got a bit of a case of ADD I think... lol.
I started playing music seriously at 30 so don't have the early years of affirmation, practice, routine and career... I was a huge fan though.
My diversions are reading, gardening and my daughter... and the internet... which is kind of, like f'book, a bit like radio for me. People post cool things which remind me of other things either re discoveries or discoveries, but I repost and don't latch on. It's actually a bit annoying sometimes.
Colin F turned me on to 'Ka' (hip hop) who blew my mind...the Days With Dr. Yen Lo by Ka and Preservation is amazing.
How are you feeling about 2021?
Pretty good... I'm excited about the possibilities, though there are some major pragmatic challenges for our community of artists at large re: venues, spaces (performance or otherwise) etc. as well as distribution of art/music.
I think, if we don't unite in an interdisciplinary way in a movement of the times, we're going to be looking at major difficulties.
It's also a time of reflection of not only the 'hows', but the whys' of art.
All this is tied into what I feel is a crucial time for the community of improvised/non mainstream music to place themselves in the cultural framework in more active/activist ways.
It's all changed., and trying to go back won't work.
And also deal with uncomfortable questions around diversity and representation and the origins of and solutions for that question.
I'm working on stuff...when and if it happens, y'all will know.
Anything else we'd chat about if we bumped into each other?
The weather, how it's cool how the traffic has reduced, food, the price of pomegranates, what you're doing... the usual friendliness.
Host Nilan Perera constructed this evening to serve as a showcase for bass clarinetist Dr. Kathryn Ladano, who was presenting music from Masked, her second solo album — which was itself derived from the work done for her PhD thesis, "The Improvising Musician's Mask: Using Musical Instruments to Build Self-Confidence and Social Skills in Collective Free Improvisation". Some collective free improvisation was explored by this grouping that Perera assembled, first with some get-to-know-you duos that were followed by full quintet explorations. The flexible rhythm unit of Germaine Liu (percusssion), Alex Fournier (double bass) and Nilan Perera (electric guitar) created some frames for Ladano's bass clarinet as well as Jeff Burke's theremin and bassoon.
[SynapticCircus returns to The Tranzac on Sunday (March 8th) with sets from Jay Hay/Jim Lewis/Wes Neal/Rick Sacks/Nilan Perera plus Dame Cook & Eugene Martynec.]
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.
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 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.
Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!
Ministry of Phonic Services presents: Back to School Field Trip ["a festival of outdoor experimental sounds and actions"] (feat. Vampire John Coltrane / Bee Solomon / Cows in Rain) / "Porch" 2026-09-07 (Monday). $pwyc. [more info]
More Noise Please! presents Manic Monday (feat. The Nausea / SEHKTOR8 / Crude Flame / Mountain of Woe / Pursuit Grooves / Writhing Deceiver) / BSMT254 2026-09-07 (Monday). $17.31 or pwyc. [tickets + more info]
Not Dead Yet presents (feat. Otto Benson / Potions) / Monarch Tavern 2026-09-08 (Tuesday). $27.82, 19+. [FB event]
Rondo Projects #4 ["the final part of Ehsan Sadigh’s Septet IV/IX"] (feat. Bea Labikova/Chris Pruden/Dhaivat Jani/Ehsan Sadigh) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-09-08 (Tuesday) [more info]
Ministry of Phonic Services presents: Back to School Field Trip ["a festival of outdoor experimental sounds and actions"] (feat. J.Vulgare / Colby Richardson / Fan Wu / Mariana Medellin) / "Mall" 2026-09-09 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [more info]
Alex Lukashevsky ["solostrumsinging + a guest or two"] / Water to Wine 2026-09-09 (Wednesday). $pwyw
Never Was [Brandon Davis/Bea Labikova/Racha Moukalled/Patrick O'Reilly/Adrian Russouw/Joe Sorbara] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-09-09 (Wednesday). [more info]
ESP Free Jazz Thursdays (feat. Brent Tanemura/Allison Cameron/Gloria Ksimuniv/Blake Howard) / Water to Wine 2026-09-10 (Thursday). $pwyc. [more info]
Kurt Newman presents (feat. Isla & The Sorry Brothers) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-09-10 (Thursday). $pwyc
Ministry of Phonic Services presents: Back to School Field Trip ["a festival of outdoor experimental sounds and actions"] (feat. Brian Abbott's Tone Cathedral / Mani Mazinani & Marilyn Yogarajah / Bea Labikova) / "Creek" 2026-09-11 (Friday). $pwyc. [more info]
Audiopollination (feat. Andrew Kobus to go/Xukasia/Janel Jones / flower club/Rohee Uberoi / Noah Campbell/Neal Armstrong/Aisha Sasha John / The Not Michael Lynns) / Array Space 2026-09-11 (Friday). $pwyc/$10 (notaflof). [more info]
Musica Universalis (feat. Colin Fisher / William Hunt / Jack Johnston / Cal Adam) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-09-11 (Friday) [more info]
William Hunt [solo piano live recording] / Sellers and Newel 2026-09-12 (Saturday). $15 minimum donation. [more info]
Lucid Lounge Saturdays (feat. Ryan Driver/Andrew Downing/Blake Howard) / Water to Wine 2026-09-12 (Saturday). $pwyc. [more info]
Toronto Improvisers Orchestra / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-09-13 (Sunday – noon). $pwyc. [more info]
Marilyn & Friends (In the style of Ayal) (feat. Sporesong [Adwoa & Marilyn] / Will Hunt / Nick Flanagan / A Hectic Space [Nilan/Roya/Vic/Marilyn]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-09-13 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.). [FB event]
Ministry of Phonic Services presents Back to School Field Trip: Installation Garden ["a festival of outdoor experimental sounds and actions"] (feat. various artists) / "Ravine" 2026-09-13 (Sunday). $pwyc. [more info]
Josh Cole: new works for improvising musicians ["solo and duo double bass"] (feat. Evan Palmer & Josh Cole) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-09-14 (Monday). $10 or pwyc. [more info]
Ministry of Phonic Services presents Back to School Field Trip: BPM (Big Percussion Meeting) ["a festival of outdoor experimental sounds and actions"] (feat. Amiel Ang / Brian Ruryk / Raf Wilcot / Victor O / Caleb Clawson) / "Playground" 2026-09-15 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [more info]
Body Help with Hugh Marsh / Pamenar (patio) 2026-09-15 (Tuesday). [more info]
Music Hosted by Karen Ng (feat. Matthew Cardinal / Vicki Venti / Pantayo) / Wenona Lodge 2026-09-15 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [more info]
Green-House (Masahiro Takahashi) / The Baby G 2026-09-16 (Wednesday). $25.03, 19+. [FB event]
Altered States Artist Showcase (feat. Scott Thomson/Brent Tanemura/Max Stover/William Hunt/Mateos Labbé-Phelan) / Water to Wine 2026-09-16 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [more info]
Ministry of Phonic Services presents: Back to School Field Trip ["a festival of outdoor experimental sounds and actions"] (feat. Brandon Auger / Ben Grossman / Fahmid Nibesh) / "Dome" 2026-09-17 (Thursday). $pwyc. [more info]
Andrew Downing & Dan Pitt / Sellers and Newel 2026-09-17 (Thursday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]
ESP Free Jazz Thursdays (feat. Brent Tanemura/Lauchlin Wood/Jake Bikay/Mason Wallington/Colin Fisher) / Water to Wine 2026-09-17 (Thursday). $pwyc. [more info]
Toronto Makam Music Forum (feat. Naomi McCarroll-Butler & Sam Shalabi / The Folios of Iranian Dastgāh [Sadaf Amini/Ava Rostamian/Soheil Sadeghi/Sasan Salaseli/Araz Salek]) / East End United 2026-09-18 (Friday). $30 general admission, $20 student/arts worker. [FB event]
Rob’s 60th Birthday (feat. Rob Clutton/Karen Ng/Chris Pruden/Germaine Liu) / Sellers and Newel 2026-09-18 (Friday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]
Whitetails (Chapel of Ease / The Cross Sea / LeBarons) / The Garrison 2026-09-18 (Friday). $25, 19+. [FB event]
Glenn Jones (Liam Grant / Colin Fisher) / Le Monde 2026-09-18 (Friday) [more info]
Chanoyu (feat. New Tendencies [Matt Nish-Lapidus] / Germaine Liu & Masahiro Takahashi) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-09-18 (Friday). [more info]
The Mike Milligan Trio [Mike Milligan/Nick Fraser/Brodie West] / Sellers and Newel 2026-09-19 (Saturday). $25 minimum donation. [more info]
Toronto Makam Music Forum (feat.Sami Abu Shumays’ Umm Kulthum Music Group) / East End United 2026-09-19 (Saturday). $30 general admission, $20 student/arts worker. [more info]
Roger C. Miller (Storey Littleton) / BSMT 254 2026-09-20 (Sunday). $27.36, 19+. [FB event]
Ministry of Phonic Services presents: Back to School Field Trip ["a festival of outdoor experimental sounds and actions"] (feat. HAHAHAHAHAHA / shemona / quivering / Emergency Euphoria) / "Highway" 2026-09-23 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [more info]
Mike DeiCont Trio feat. Eric West & Leland Whitty / Sellers & Newel 2026-09-24 (Thursday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]
Ministry of Phonic Services presents: Back to School Field Trip ["a festival of outdoor experimental sounds and actions"] (feat. SlowPitchSound / Fleshtone Aura & Sandro Perri / Gayle Young & Reinhard Reitzenstein / tête à tête [Philippe Melanson & Matthew Pencer]) / "UFO" 2026-09-25 (Friday). $pwyc. [more info]
Burn Down The Capital presents (feat. Picastro [Double on Time album release] / Bernice / Granny Smith) / Gloves Up Boxing Gym 2026-09-26 (Saturday). $28.27, all ages. [FB event]
Maggie Keogh/Ryan Driver/Max Donaldson/Blake Howard / Sellers and Newel 2026-09-27 (Sunday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]
Soundstreams Encounters: Nagoya Marimbas [featuring Steve Reich’s "Mallet Quartet" and "Nagoya Marimbas", plus works by Ann Southam and Juri Seo (feat. Kairos Percussion Quartet with Aerin Cho) / Hugh's Room 2026-09-29 (Tuesday). $free with reservation. [more info]
Jane Siberry / Sellers and Newel 2026-09-30 (Wednesday). $35 minimum donation. [more info]
Project Nowhere × Burn Down The Capital presents (feat. Horse Lords / Common Earth Mineral / Stefana Fratila) / The Garrison 2026-10-01 (Thursday). $32.31, 19+. [FB event]
Liquid Architecture: Guitar Night (feat. Lex Feathers / Aranya Khurana / Colin James Gibson / Ryan Kinney) / St. Matthew's Clubhouse 2026-10-03 (Saturday). $10 (cash or e-transfer). [FB event]
Steve Reich at 90! (feat. Soindstreams) / Koerner Hall 2026-10-06 (Tuesday). $35-$94.75. [more info]
Soundstreams Encounters: Violins Unbound [works by André Ristic, John Beckwith, Chris Paul Harman, Parisa Sabet, Ana Sokolović] (feat. Judith Fliedl & Roan Ma) / Hugh's Room 2026-11-02 (Monday). $free with reservation. [more info]
Not Dead Yet presents (feat. Weird Nightmare [Hoopla record release shows]) / Osler Records 2026-11-18&19 (Wednesday & Thursday). $24.94, 19+. [tickets + more info]
Mike DeiCont & Dan Fortin / Sellers and Newel 2026-11-25 (Wednesday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]
Marilyn Lerner & Matt Brubeck / Sellers and Newel 2026-11-26 (Thursday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]
Soundstreams Encounters: Orison [a new music theatre work-in-progress featuring the ondes Martenot] (feat. Daniel Áñez & James O’Callaghan) / Hugh's Room 2026-11-30 (Monday). $free with reservation. [more info]
Musica Universalis (feat. C'est la fête Large Ensemble) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-05-08 (Friday)
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman / JOYSHAPE / Ryan Dugre / Nick Flanagan) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-05-10 (Sunday)
Cosmic Homeostasis XXXII / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2026-05-17 (Sunday)]
Playscape Emporium: Paint, Play (feat. Duo Cichorium/Constant Yen/ Rowan Campbell/Charlee Wielgoz/Fahmid Nibesh/Joe Strutt/Mira Martin-Gray) / Array Space 2026-05-21 (Thursday)
Wenderly Park (Colin Fisher / Isla Craig) / Le Monde 2026-05-22 (Friday)
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)
Life Drawing (feat. Cosmic Homeostasis) / Riverdale Park 2026-05-31 (Sunday)
Prepare the Ground Festival (feat. William Basinski) / Trinity-St. Paul's Centre 2026-05-31 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #117 (feat. saucering / Colin Fisher/William Hunt/Jack Johnson/Cal Adam) / Wenona Lodge 2025-06-02 (Tuesday)
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior/Nathan Yell/Marilyn Yogarajah / David Sait / Nick Flanagan / Nathan Yell) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-06-14 (Sunday)
Andre Ethier (Cows in Rain / Eliza Niemi) / Dina's Tavern 2026-07-05 (Sunday)
Track Could Bend #118 (feat. Ubersuck / Mike Gennaro / Wilderness Adventure Ride) / Wenona Lodge 2026-07-07 (Tuesday)
Toronto Improvisers Orchestra / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-12 (Sunday)
Ayal Senior and Friends (feat. Country Phasers / Meggie Remy / Nick Flanagan / Heraclitus Akimbo) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-12 (Sunday)
Rebecca Hennessy's Singer-Songwriter Circle (feat. Rebecca Hennessy/Michael Herring/Felicity Williams/Patrick O'Reilly) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-19 (Sunday)
The Fiver Trois (Isla & The Sorry Brothers) / Dina's Tavern 2025-07-24 (Friday)
Jennifer Castle (Potions) / The Garrison 2025-07-25 (Saturday)
Heraclitus Akimbo (Hoover Party / Del Stephen / Hex-A-Decimal × Leucrocuta) / The Sun Room at 918 Bathurst 2025-07-26 (Sunday)
Kathryn Merriam with Bea Labikova/Raphael Roter/Heather Saumer / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-29 (Wednesday)
The Ryan Driver Sextet With Thom Gill As Ryan Driver / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-31 (Friday)
Track Could Bend #119: An Evening of Graphic Scores co-presented with Public Library (feat. Public Library with Roa Lee and Alison Melville) / Wenona Lodge 2026-08-04 (Tuesday)
Humbucker Music Residency (feat. Humbucker Music / Sandy Ewen) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-07 (Friday)
new works for improvising musicians (feat. Josh Cole/Lina Allemano/John Oswald/Nick Storring/Owen Kurtz) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-10 (Monday)
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