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Jack B Nimble celebrates 8th anniversary of Abbey jam
/ MISSISSAUGA / You have to think that Misssissauga-based Rock 4-piece Jack B Nimble has been able to live up to its name when you consider what it must have taken to make a weekly jam at an out-of-the-way little pub in Mississauga (albeit one known for live music) last eight years.
But tonight they celebrate exactly that milestone at Abbey Road, tucked away in a suburban mall just off Erin Mills Parkway in the Millway (Giant Tiger) Plaza you access by going west on South Millway off the big road between Dundas W. and Burnamthorpe.
I’ve found the place to be a bit of a curious zone. While they bring in some stellar musicians (there are usually bands or combos Fridays and Saturdays as well as the Thursday 9:30 jam) they treat the performers like an afterthought, as furniture, in terms of presentation.
(Caveat: my last visit was over a year ago, so who knows, maybe —hopefully— my impressions are no longer valid.)
When I visited several times a couple of years ago bands were being shunted into an area normally occupied by seating tables right underneath a huge-ass tv screen that of course is always distracting attention with broadcasting the latest hot sports match –even if it’s just poker, or some talking head on a specialty channel taking radio calls after the game, or gay wrestling– with seemingly no thought given to creating a “show”. Stage lights? –well, the glow from the tv is it.
Nevertheless, it’s a cozy room with pleasant, if preoccupied, staff, reasonable prices, a very good selection of draught beers and, from what I observed, food people don’t mind wolfing down or gobbling up.
I can’t tell you a lot about the band but you really only need to know one thing: Mikey Roland. Yep, outrageous, opinionated, supremely talented guitarist/singer and all-round entertainer Mikey Roland is part of this band and this alone would be enough to explain why this event has lasted so long when so many others in the area have come and gone.
Find out for yourself any Thursday but if you’re going tonight I’d advise arriving early –the place will get JAMmed to the max tonight, I’d expect.
-Gary 17, www.torontomoon.ca
LISTINGS:
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5-8> Roberta Hunt Jazz & Blues Band @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz
*5-8> Nelson Denis @ Frank’s Pasta, 42 King Street E., Cobourg ~eclectic mix (Folk, Jazz, soft Rock, Latin)
5:30> “The Science Of Shakespeare” book launch with host Dan Falk @ Free Times Café, 320 College St. TO ~
6> Roots & Branches Trio with Dave McManus on bass @ Castro’s, 2116 Queen St. E., TO East ~Roots
6> Samantha Martin @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO ~Country
6:30> Mirian Snider @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Vancouver Jazz
7-9> Ike Cedar & The Day Drinkers @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East ~songwriter
7> World Vision/Stephen Lewis Foundation fundraiser with The One Shot Band featuring Rory Cummings, Quammie/Greybeard; Oui B. Jamon @ Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St. W., TO West ~eclectic; $donation
7> Letters Home fundraiser with Bri-anne Swan Duo @ Rosedale United Church, 159 Roxborough Dr., TO ~Adult Contemporary
7> Shugga @ Timothy’s Pub, 344 Brown’s Line, Etobicoke South ~Funk
*7:30-9:30> Bluegrass Thursdays with Houndstooth @ Tranzac Lounge (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO
*7:30> Rob Phillips Trio @ Black Horse Pub, 452 George St. N., Peterborough ~Jazz Blues
*7:30-12> open mic with K.M. Smith @ Molly Bloom’s Guelph, 91 Wyndham St. N., Guelph
*8-12> jam with Tommy Rocker Band @ Karla’s Roadhouse, 4630 Kingston Rd., Scarborough
8-12> Blues jam with Howard Ross & Big Mojo @ The Hub, 15 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa
*8> open mic with Anthony Abbatangeli & Ken Foster @ DeSotos, 1079 St. Clair Ave. W., TO West
8> Between Sounds @ The Only Café, 972 Danforth Ave., TO East ~psych sound
8> Short Avenue featuring Gene Scarpelli; Sound Of Contact @ Rockpile East, 2787 Eglinton Ave. E., Scarborough ~modern Rock
8-12> George Craig @ Fionn MacCool’s Ajax, 32 Kingston Rd. E. Ajax ~Pop
*8-12> open mic & jam @ Black Swan Pub Burlington, 4040 Palladium Way, Burlington
*8-11:30> Christopher Plock & Stevie G @ Mulligan’s Pub, 2458 Dundas St. W., Mississauga ~Blues/Jazz/R&B
8-11> open mic with Sandy MacDonald @ Williamsburg Arms, 1187 Fischer Hallman Rd., Kitchener
8:30> Steve Dawson album release for Rattlesnake Cage @ Hugh’s Room, 2261 Dundas St. W., TO West ~slide Blues/Jazz instrumental Pop; $22.50/-
8:30> Ian White @ Free Times Café, 320 College St. TO ~songwriter; $15
8:30> Morgan Davis & Wendell Ferguson @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St. Oakville ~Blues masters; $10
9> Andy Griffiths & Andrew Aldridge @ Linsmore Tavern, 1298 Danforth Ave., TO East ~Folk Rock
*9> jam with Ted Rusk @ The Sauble Dunes, 11 Southampton Parkway, Sauble Beach
9> RGB Rock Band feat. James Alcock + more @ Velvet Underground, 508 Queen St. W., TO ~hard Rock; $5
*9-1:30> open stage with Jay Pennell @ Dave’s On St. Clair, 730 St. Clair West, TO West ~eclectic
9-12> Melanie Brulee Band @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz
9> Anita Eccleston @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz trio
9-1> Cottage Brew @ Black Dog Pub, 87 Island Rd., Scarb. ~Pop Rock
9-1> Jerome Godboo Band with special guest Brendan Power on second harp @ Monarchs Pub (Eaton Chelsea Hotel), 33 Gerrard St. W., TO ~Blues
9> Gas Station Cowboys @ Legends On The Queensway, 1184 The Queensway, Etobicoke South ~Country
9> Ron Hawkins & The Do Good Assassins @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West
**9> jam with Laura Lee Montgomerie @ DNA Bar, 15474 Yonge St., Aurora
*9> jam @ The Wee Pub, 371 Wilson Rd. South, Oshawa
*9-2> karaoke with Joe @ Tudor Rose, 700 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax
*9:30-2> Skip Tracer @ Southside Johnny’s, 3653 Lakeshore Blvd., Etobicoke South ~Rock/Pop
*9:30> karaoke with The English Rose & The Mad Scotsman @ Coyote Jack’s, 64 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax
*9:30> karaoke with Kiki @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East
9:30> Eli Bennett Group @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz
*9:30> jam (8th anniversary party) with Jack B Nimble @ Abbey Road Pub, 3200 Erin Mills Parkway, Mississauga
10> Ken Yoshioka trio feat.Dave McManus on bass @ The Hole In The Wall, 2867 Dundas St. W., TO West ~Blues
10> The Wanted @ Tranzac Lounge (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO
10> Matthew Hornell @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO ~Roots-Rock
10> tba @ Orbit Room, 480 College St. TO ~?; $
10> The Tonkas @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Blues
*10> open jam @ The Red Garnet, 231 Hunter St. W. Peterborough
*10> Salt & Pepper karaoke with Josh & Danish @ St. Louis Ajax. 11 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax
10:30> Scully & The Crossbones @ The Hideout, 484 Queen St. W., TO ~indie Rock
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