Since today is “Easter Monday” throughout Canada and the U.K. (but nowhere else in the world apparently —and, significantly perhaps, “except Scotland” on the English isle) some venues cancel regular shows. As if having the Leafs in the playoffs wasn’t already all the “reason” they’d need!
As far as I’m concerned Easter Monday is a fake holiday. I suppose it may induce Donald Trump to take an extra day on the golf course (probably a good thing considering what he does when he’s not) but why people who don’t normally work Sundays (government bureaucrats, postal employees, bankers, teachers, etc.) should get a free day, when they’ve already had Good Friday off, is beyond me —although I’m told it’s “a union thing” and if so not really a great advertisement for why society still needs them. We ordinary mortals still have to work for a living!
Nevertheless, at Dora Keogh, for example, there’s no “Riverboat Mondays” open stage happening tonight, because —although they surprised us on Family Day this year by opening after all— the event “never” happens on a long weekend Monday. Other places may be hit or miss.
But one open mic event you can count on happening every Monday for the past nearly six years now is the open stage at Black Swan Tavern with host Sebastian Agnello. Unless it’s Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve, you can pretty much lay money on the fact that this always fun 9:30-1:30 hoot is going on. Even when the host was in hospital or on tour, he arranged awesome guest hosts to fill in!
As anyone who’s checked this event out knows, and as we’ve told you before, it’s success is in large part because of Agnello’s own talents along with his always entertaining and informative persona. He usually does a number or two (depending on how busy it is) between guest players and often also regales us with stories about his life in music —which stretches back over half a century now, to even before he joined Lords of London to have the first Number 1 song on the CHUM-AM Top 50 chart by a Canadian band 50 years ago.
(The instrumental song, “Cornflakes & Ice Cream”, was in the Top 10 for four of its 10 weeks on the charts in the summer of ‘67 —we’ll write more about all that when the 50th anniversary comes around this summer, just about the time that Seb celebrates the sixth anniversary of the Monday night event.)
In addition to supplying historical tidbits and insights into the scene, Seb delivers a wide range of originals and cover tunes of substance, about which I’ve written previously on many occasions.
With Seb’s absorbing presence combined with a reliably talented roster of local players and often celebrity visitors from afar sharing the stage, this weekly show, which takes place on the raised lounge area across from the bar in the room at 154 Danforth Ave., pretty much never disappoints.
-Gary 17, TorontoMoon.ca
SHOW LISTINGS for Monday, April 17, 2022
For KEY to listings codes and schemata see note at end of shows list.
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ON AIR/ONLINE
*6> “Underplayed and Underpaid” interviews and performances by Guelph area bands on CFRU 93.3 FM broadcast and online
7-8> “Acoustic Workshop” with host Heather Fielding @ CIUT 89.5 FM broadcast and online
416 – TORONTO CENTRAL
6> Claire Coupland @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W. ~songwriter
6:30> Peter Hill Quintet @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W. ~Jazz; $
**7-1 (sign-up at 7, show starts 7:30)> open stage with host Linda Saslove @ Free Times Café, 320 College St.
*7-10> open stage with Brad Scott @ Lola, 40 Kensington Ave.
*8-12> open mic with Wayne “Neon” Smith @ Libertarian House, 235 Queen St. E.
8> WHY?; eskimeaux @ Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor St. W. ~contemporary original; $18.50
8> Ukulele jam @ Tranzac Lounge (Main Hall), 292 Brunswick Ave.
*8-12> Yoza & Oso with guest @ May Café, 876 Dundas St. W. ~Reggae/Soul/Hip Hop; $0
8:40> Family Values; Poor Man’s High; Nate Douglas @ Horseshoe Tavern, 370 Queen St. W. ~indie; $0
**9-1:30> jam with No Band Required host Sam Sunday-Singh @ Grossman’s, 379 Spadina Ave.
*9:30> open mic with host Mark Villamor at Amsterdam Bicycle Club, 54 The Esplanade
9:30> Mike Malone & The Writers Jazz Orchestra @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W. ~Jazz; $
10> Jordan John @ The Orbit Room, 580 College St. ~R&B/Blues; $
**10> open mic (2 songs; sign-up starts 8 p.m.) with host Sarah Greene @ Tranzac Lounge (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave.
10> Chris Gostling and The Tempo @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W.
416 - TORONTO EAST
7-10> Gypsy Jazz Jam with Abby Sholzberg et al @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave. ~Gypsy Jazz fun; 0$
7:30> supposedly a music act of some kind that the club can’t be bothered to name on its website @ The Old Nick, 123 Danforth Ave. ~songwriters; 0$
8:30-10:30> The Bay of Pigs @ Castro’s, 2116 Queen St. E.
*9-12> The Out of Towners @ Sauce on Danforth, 1376 Danforth Ave.
9-2> Tom Waits Appreciation Congregation @ Linsmore Tavern, 1298 Danforth Ave. ~Tom Waits tribute; 0$
*9:30-2> Sebastian Agnello & friends @ Black Swan Tavern, 154 Danforth Ave.; 0$
416 – TORONTO ETOBICOKE
*8-12> Al Reilly’s Catalyst also featuring Anthony Cee & Rick Anderson host Rock jam @ Rockpile, 5555 Dundas St. W.
416 – TORONTO SCARBOROUGH
*8-11> open stage with Dan Walek @ McGradie’s, 2167 Victoria Park Ave.
*9-1> open jam with The Repairmen @ Newfoundlander Tavern, 472 Danforth
9> Uke jam/workshop @ Stone Cottage Pub, 3750 Kingston Rd.
416 – TORONTO WEST
5-8> Chris Gale Jazz Band @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave. ~Jazz
7> Whitty/Marzotto/Anderson-Bowes/West @ The Emmet Ray, 924 College St. ~Jazz; pwyc
7> Jody Stephens of Big Star with Choir Choir Choir @ The Great Hall, 1087 Queen St. W. ~$15
*8-11> Ken Yoshioka @ On Cue Billiards, 349 Jane St. ~Blues
*8> open jam with The Pumpinheadz @ The Wicket Pub, 1671 Bloor St. W.
8> Eiyn Sof; Fanshaw; Liz Hysen @ The Baby G, 1608 Dundas St. W. ~indie; $
8:30> Ezra Jordan & Brian Gray @ Burdock, 1184 Bloor St. W. ~songwriters; $
*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.
9-1> Tim Hamel Trio & guest @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave. ~Jazz
9:30> Ted Quinlan & Avi Granite @ The Emmet Ray, 924 College St. ~Jazz; pwyc
10> Parkside Drive @ Drake Hotel Lounge, 1150 Queen St. W. ~indie; $0
*10> open mic with host Liam Kearney @ The Hole In The Wall, 2867 Dundas St. W.
519
*5> open mic @ Rhapsody Barrel Bar, 179 King St. W., Kitchener
7:30> Jackson Browne; openers Sara & Sean Watkins @ Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener ~iconic Pop songwriter; $40.50+
*8-12> open stage @ The Boathouse, 97 Jubilee Drive, Kitchener
*8-2> Matt Weidinger @ Jimmy Jazz, 52 Macdonell St., Guelph ~acoustic originals & covers
9:30> Turk and the Hobbits @ Duke of Wellington, 33 Erb St. W., Waterloo
10-2> Solids; Fake Palms; Frigs @ eBar, 41 Quebec St., Guelph ~indie heavy/hard Rock; $8
705
*7> Rick & Gailie @ Black Horse Pub, 452 George St. N., Peterborough
9?> jam night with Rob Drake @ Sticky Fingers Dunlop, 199 Essa Rd.
10> Quivers; Olenka @ The Garnet, 231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
905 EAST
*8-11> open stage @ Simcoe Blues & Jazz, 926 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa
905 NORTH
11 am & 2pm> “Seussical” @ Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, 10268 Yonge St., Richmond Hill ~musical theatre adaptation of Dr. Seuss stories; $25
9:25-1:05> jam/open stage with backline @ Sneakers Uptown, 18025 Yonge St., Newmarket
905 SOUTH
*8> The New Rebel Westerners @ Cat ‘n’ Fiddle, 174 John St. S., Hamilton ~Country
8> The Treble; guests Sam Holladay; Katie Bulley; Waking Willow @ Casbah Lounge, 306 King St. W., Hamilton ~indie; $10
8> “Got Talent Challenge” semi-finals with host Steve Ruddick @ Pub Fiction, 1242 Garner Rd. W., Ancaster
905 WEST
*7-10> open mic with Chris Partland @ The Purple Heather, 3600 Dundas St. W., Burlington
7:30-1130> Sil Simone Trio @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Pop Rock
**8-12> BBQ & jam night with Port Credit Review Band @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St., Oakville; ($8.95 with BBQ dinner special starts at 6)
*9:30-1> jam with Tom Barlow @ Shore Grill, 71 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit
LISTINGS KEY
Listings are organized by area in which the shows occur and within each area field shows are listed chronologically.
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 purchases. /+ indicates stated price is minimum.
-Copyright © 2017 by Gary “17” Webb-Proctor & TorontoMoon.ca. All Rights Reserved
