A compelling performer and absorbing songwriter, Myke Mazzei first came to my attention as the sideman of first choice for artist and songstress Sharron Katz. In December I was also lucky enough to have him visit me at the open stage I was running, when we got to really hear his own impressive…
“Elvis” George Pliakes may look a bit like Elvis and he may be able to channel the long-departed icon when called upon to do so, but the east-end based entertainer has a lot more going for him than that. George is a truly engaging performer who is more than willing to share the spotlight and…
From the very, very deep archives, one of my earliest “Opening Act” columns when the publication, then known as to-nite, had just turned two years old and was starting to hit its stride back in the spring of 1994. (Normally posts in the Vault sections of the website are blocked to non-subscribers, but I want…
140329Sa One of the artists that Moon subscribers will be seeing articles both about and by in the Vault section of the torontomoon.ca website in coming days is singer Dee Flat, about whom I’ve been writing for nearly twenty years. It’s hard to believe that in all that time she hardly seems to have…
With a versatile and high energy singer in former AC/DC tribute band frontman James Alcock and the sizzling six-string work of Andrew J. Walsh, Rockin’ A Hard Place is a band of veterans who are finding a second life tearing up stages across the GTA these days since coming together last summer. The group…
Since initiating the new “Vault” section for Moon subscribers on the www.torontomoon.ca website a few weeks ago I’ve found myself quite naturally gravitating to recalling bands and rooms from my history over the past 22 years, since I started covering the GTA music scene full-time with the launch of this magazine project. One of the…
According to a report from Canadian Press and 680 News, Ontario’s Culture Minister, Michael Chan, announced Wed. March 26 that the government has found another program that will provide the $75,000 the Beaches International Jazz Festival lost out on when its application for an annual grant from the Celebrate Ontario program was denied…
His shows may not generate millions of dollars in tourist money and he has no government grant to lose, but the events that TO promoter and impresario Pete Otis stages with local talents through his SongTown enterprise are always a grass roots gathering point for members of the city’s creative community. That will be the…
How ebulliently over the top is singer and jam host Tommy Rocker? Well, he makes guitarist and drummer Jim Cornell of the Still Sunday band look like a laid back guy by comparison —and that takes some doing! But the two work well together whether gigging (Cornell occasionally subs in with his bud’s Tommy Rocker…
While preparing listings each week I’ve been finding myself looking forward to discovering which TO indie talents will be featured in that Tuesday’s showcase at The Painted Lady in Ossi-Parkdale. Promoters, A Babe Music —which appears to be an actual babe (club liaison Angela Faithful) as well as a collective of fellow creative multi-disciplinary…
When Still Sunday frontman, songwriter and veteran Rock drummer Jim Cornell tells me to check out an artist I’ve learned it’s a good idea to do so, since he’s got great instincts for what works in a Pop song. So when he told me he’s going to be appearing playing acoustic percussion behind this week’s…
A musical force of nature, “Hurricane” Mike Thompson isn’t seen much on TO stages these days, as he lives north of the city in the sticks and has also been hobbled by medical issues the past couple of years. He’s not in TO this afternoon either but it’s a fine day for a drive and…
It was interesting to me to see how Brian Gladstone approached dealing with some issues related to slow sales at the bar for his still rather new 2-5ish Saturday afternoon “Saturday Sessions” open stage jam at Black Swan Tavern on Danforth at Broadview. The founder of Winterfolk knows how to work with a community of…
As a former longtime resident and habitué of the Kensington Market area and its local clubs, Sauble Beach resident and fearlessly literate Rock songwriter Ted Rusk is well familiar with the sort of conditions that turned an ordinary house fire into a killer catastrophe in the Bohemian-style district the night of March 19. No…
When music promoter Billy Zee of torontorox.com, who’s a regular at East York’s Linsmore Tavern, found out a few days ago nothing was scheduled for the venue’s weekly “indie night” showcase tonight a flashbulb went off in his head: why not throw together a little jam night to give some of the many players…
Although I’ve used the accompanying picture of Big Tobacco & The Pickers (from their www.bigtobaccoandthepickers.com website) a few times now, I’ve never actually seen this “new old Country” group and am really only familiar with the talents of one —the pedal steel player, Anne Werbitzky. I got to fully appreciate Anne’s sensitive ear and skilful…
The word on the street out of Port Credit is that dynamic acoustic Pop duo Phil Naro and John Rogers were none too happy last month about the abrupt cancellation of their 15-year-old Monday night Phil & John Show gig at Roc’n Doc’s. Our source tells us they felt they got “the bum’s rush” because…
12 noon-3:30> Joe Reynolds Band @ Lake Affect, 1 Port St. E., Port Credit ~R&B/Pop 1-3> Deb Quigley & Patrick Ourceau @ Dora Keogh, 141 Danforth Ave. TO E. ~Celtic 2-6> Cottage Brew @ Black Dog Pub, 87 Island Rd., Scarborough ~Pop/soft Rock 3-10> Old Man Flanagan’s Ghost & Irish dancers @ Timothy’s Pub 344…
Green beer, shamrocks, crazy hats and outfits, sexy leprechaun girls, people doing strange dances, people singing songs to which no one knows the words or what they mean … and a pot of gold at the end of the night. It must be St. Patrick’s Day in a bar! All across the GTA hundreds of…
*11am-2pm> Double A Jazz @ DeSoto’s 1079 St. Clair Ave. W., ~Jazz 11am-2pm> Mitch Smolkin & Nina Shapilsky for Jazz Brunch @ Free Times Café, 320 College St., TO ~Jewish Jazz *11am-3pm> Rockabilly Brunch with The Cosmotones @ Dominion On Queen, 500 Queen St. E., TO ~Rockabilly *12-3> Blues Brunch @ Axis, 3048 Dundas…
*12-3> Danny Marks @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~eclectic Jazz/Blues/Rock 12:30-2:30> Dan McLean Jr. birthday bash @ Humble Beginnings, 3109 Dundas St. W., TO W. ~acoustic Roots/Blues/Pop 1-4> open mic with Richard “Poppa K” Keelan @ Full Of Beans, 1348 Dundas St. W., TO W. *2> Saturday Sessions @ The Swan open…
NOTE: The following article is the original text file that was included in Issue 297 from May 29, 2022 and posted on the old to-nite.net website. The photo accompanying it is not the one that originally appeared -that picture is being sought out and will be added and replace the one above when located. -17…
