By Mike Beggs, for TorontoMoon.ca
\ TO WEST \
The mind blurs when running through Colin Linden’s list of credits. And it will be much the same for fans tonight tonight, no doubt, when the Toronto/Nashville guitar virtuoso, singer/songwriter and producer begins strumming, bending and sliding his way through original and vintage Blues, Country, Rock, Folk, Gospel, Bluegrass —and God knows what else— at Hugh’s Room Live as part of the club’s Guitar Week celebration.
Here’s a bulletproof player who lays down world-class dobro or slide guitar for the likes of Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams, and Robert Plant, fingerpicks impeccably on an acoustic Blues album like his own Juno winner Big Mouth, or adds all kinds of shades to Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, the long-running Canadian supergroup he’s part of with Tom Wilson and Stephen Fearing and which he also produces.
Based out of his Nashville studio since 1999, Linden is as humble as hardworking. He always seems to be combining with some Country, or Folk heavy (Rodney Crowell, Bruce Cockburn, Nick Lowe) but has probably earned broader notoriety as musical director of the hit TV series Nashville (on which he can regularly be seen performing as part of the house band at a Music City honkytonk).
Linden may not be flashy, but he has developed into a fine front man over the years —with a keen sense of how the rise and fall of each show should go, and how to resolve a guitar solo back into the chorus to make it even more powerful.
It’s part of Canadian Blues folklore how, at age 11, he showed up early for a Howlin’ Wolf gig at Toronto’s Colonial Tavern and proceeded to talk Blues with the master as he ate his meal. He was on “a mission” from then on, becoming a Blues phenom by his early teens. Now, at 59, he’s steeped in Blues, Country, and Folk roots like few others aside from superstar producer, and friend T-Bone Burnett, (for whom he provided production assistance on the multiple Grammy Award-winning soundtrack for the Coen Brothers’ 2000 hit flick, “O Brother Where Art Thou?”).
According to Toronto rock historian Rob Bowman, it was during the recording of his album “When The Spirit Comes” way back in 1988 that Linden first copped on to the fact that, “I don’t sound good glossy.”
And be it solo or with band, on acoustic or electric, it’s about Linden’s sound as much as his playing —be it on the raucous Blues riff of “I Give Up”, the pretty, restrained solo helping bring home the message on “Everybody Oughta Be Loved”, or most especially the hypnotic droning of his vintage Dobro guitar on “Rich In Love” while he sings, “I’m gonna find find find out what Baby’s been dreaming.”
Enough said. Colin Linden hits stage at 8 p.m. tonight at Hugh’s Room Live, 2261 Dundas St. W. At $30 in advance or $35 at the door, it’s a great chance to catch this Canadian-bred Americana ace in his prime.
-Gary 17, TorontoMoon.ca
[email protected] * [email protected]
SHOW LISTINGS for Monday, July 15, 2021
Listings are organized by area in which the shows occur and within each area field shows are listed chronologically. For KEY to listings codes and schemata see note at end of shows list.
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ON AIR/ONLINE
*2-3> “Out of The Bassment” with host Keiko Gutierrez @ 93.3 CFMU Hamilton and online at http://cfmu.ca/shows/21-
3-7> Julian Taylor hosts @ 106.5 ELMNT FM in Toronto & www.elemntfm.ca ~eclectic music 25% indigenous, 35% CanCon
*6> “Underplayed and Underpaid” interviews and performances by Guelph area bands on CFRU 93.3 FM broadcast and online
6> “Soundcheck with Sabrina” with Sabrina Fallah @ Jungle 77.3 & online at http://www.jungle773.com/ ~eclectic tracks, interviews etc.
416 – TORONTO CENTRAL -Broadview/Bayview to Ossington
5> Jacob Gorzhaltsan Quartet @ Drom Taberna, 458 Queen St. W. ~Jazz
5:30-9> momondays Toronto with host Michel Neray & guest musicians, speakers Simone Riding-Cunningham; Jeff Aldridge; Tim Hurson; Sarah Fazackerly; Richard Zinck; jojo marie @ The Hideout, 423 College St. ~eclectic networking & performance; $25 ($15 advance)
6> Jon Brooks @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W. ~songwriter
6-8> Stella Walker; Collette Savard @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick St.
6-8> Nathan Corr @ Harvest Kitchen, 124 Harbord St. ~acoustic Pop covers & originals
6:30> Fabio Ragnelli Trio @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W. ~Jazz; $
**7-1 (sign-up at 7, show starts 7:30)> open stage with host D’Arcy Dickham @ Free Times Café, 320 College St.
*7-10> open stage with Brad Scott @ Lola, 40 Kensington Ave.
*7-9:30> UkeZac ukulele jam & workshop @ Tranzac Club (Main Hall), 292 Brunswick Ave.; $10
7:30-10:30> Martin Loomer & His Orange Devils @ Monarch Tavern, 12 Clinton St. ~indie; $
7:30-10:30 Balfolk @ Drom Taberna, 458 Queen St. W. ~folk dancing to live music fiddlers etc.
**8> open mic (2 songs; sign-up starts 8 p.m.) with host Chris Banks @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave.
8> Hoot & Holler @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W.
8:30> Ashley Woodruff; Mya Gomez; Sweet Tooth @ Horseshoe Tavern, 370 Queen St. W. ~indie; $
**9-1:30> open mic/jam with host Sam Sundar-Singh @ Grossman’s, 379 Spadina Ave.
9-1> open stage for singers, theatre & cabaret @ 120 Diner, 120 Church St.
*9:30> open mic @ Amsterdam Bicycle Club, 54 The Esplanade
9:30> Joe Sullivan Jazz Orchestra @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W. ~Jazz; $
10> Jordan John @ The Orbit Room, 580 College St. ~Jazz-Rock fusion; $
10> Cliff Car4dinal and The Sklyards @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W.
416 - TORONTO EAST -Broadview/Bayview to Victoria Park
7-10> Dan Walsh @ Relish, 511 Danforth Ave. ~acoustic Roots originals & covers; 0$
*7:30> Wintergarten Orchestra @ The Duke Live, 1225 Queen St. E. ~big band Swing Jazz/Soul; $10
*8:45-12> acoustic open stage jam with Tyler Ellis @ Dora Keogh, 141 Danforth Ave.
*9-12> Gareth Parry’s Book Club @ Sauce on Danforth, 1376 Danforth Ave. ~Blues/Jazz
9-2> Tom Waits Appreciation Congregation @ Linsmore Tavern, 1298 Danforth Ave. ~Tom Waits tribute; 0$
*9:30-2> Sebastian Agnello & friends open stage @ Black Swan Tavern, 154 Danforth Ave.; 0$
416 – TORONTO ETOBICOKE
*8-12> Al Reilly’s Catalyst host Rock jam @ Rockpile, 5555 Dundas St. W.
416 – TORONTO SCARBOROUGH
*6:30-10:30> open mic night @ Rise Entertainment, 1081 Progress Ave.
7:30> Uke jam/workshop or Uke Circle jamalong @ Stone Cottage Pub, 3750 Kingston Rd. ~amateur ukulele players welcome; $5
416 – TORONTO WEST -Ossington to Etobicoke
6-8:30> Annie Sumi @ Burdock, 1184 Bloor St. W. ~songwriter; $
7> Sean Clarey Group @ The Emmet Ray, 924 College St. ~Jazz; pwyc
8:30> Colin Linden @ Hugh’s Room Live, 2261 Dundas St. W. ~virtuoso Blues/Roots guitarist; $35
*9-1> Hamstrung Stringband @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave. ~Bluegrass
*9-1> eclectic open stage/jam with host Nelson Sobral @ The Painted Lady, 218 Ossington Ave.
9-12> Carlo @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave. ; $0
9> Kate Boothman @ Burdock, 1184 Bloor St. W. ~songwriter; $
9:30> Jillian McKenna Project @ The Emmet Ray, 924 College St. ~Jazz; pwyc
*10-11> The Skyliners @ Skyline Restaurant, 1426 Queen St. W. ~low-fi Soul/Blues
519 EAST -Guelph, K-W & vicinity
*7> open mic with Dennis Napper @ Rhapsody Barrel Bar, 179 King St. W., Kitchener
7> Songwriters Association of Canada KW Branch meeting @ RAWc Studio, 247 Dinison Cresc., Kitchener
*7:30-12> open mic with Anthony Schmanthony @ The Cornerstone, 1 Wyndham St. N., Guelph
9:30> David Scott @ McCabe’s Irish Pub, 9 Wyndham St. N., Guelph ~acoustic Pop covers & originals
9:30> Turk and the Hobbits @ Duke of Wellington, 33 Erb St. W., Waterloo
705
*7-11> Rick & Gailie’s Crash & Burn @ Black Horse Pub, 452 George St. N., Peterborough ~acoustic Pop covers & originals; $0
905 EAST -Pickering to Cobourg
7-9> Rob Phillips @ Arthur’s Pub, 930 Burnham St., Cobourg ~Jazz/Blues
7-11> open mic @ Simcoe Blues & Jazz, 926 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa ~spoken word & music
905 SOUTH -Hamilton & vicinity
6> The Repeatles @ Innsville, 1141 Highway 8, Stoney Creek ~Beatles covers
6:30>> Greensville Guitar Pickers jam @ Greensville Branch Library, 59 Kirby Ave., Hamilton
*8> The New Rebel Westerners @ Cat ‘n’ Fiddle, 174 John St. S., Hamilton ~Country
905 WEST -south Peel, Halton
*8-12> jam with Tom Barlow @ Shore Grill, 71 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit-Mississauga
**8-12> BBQ & jam night with Brian Andreas & Jennifer Lockman @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St., Oakville; ($8.95 with BBQ dinner special starts at 6)
*9:30> Gracie @ Spice Lounge, 52 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit-Mississauga ~Pop covers & originals; $0
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LISTINGS KEY
Listings preceded by an asterisk (*) are repeating weekly events. (Double asterisk indicates repeating event with different hosts/guest/etc.). Events preceded by question mark (?) usually take place but have not been confirmed. Admission prices followed by a slash and minus (/-) after the amount indicates door charge with availability of cheaper rates for some purchasers (eg. students, seniors, members, etc.). /+ indicates stated price is minimum.
-Copyright © 2019 by Gary “17” Webb-Proctor & TorontoMoon.ca. All Rights Reserved
