\ TO CENTRAL \

Can it possibly be true?  According to a post on social media I caught yesterday, tonight marks the 20^th anniversary of the first Wednesday night show by amazingly energetic, inventive and captivating Power Funk trio LMT Connection at one of TO’s true temples of live music, Orbit Room.

For several years when I was more involved with the club than was probably good for me (oh, those black sambucas night after night for a few years there!) attending on Wednesday nights was kind of the fun and funky equivalent of going to church.  Not because it just so happens that all three of the members of this incredible outfit are committed Christians (they never put their faith before putting on a good show or in private conversation never get in your face about it, even if some, such as drummer Mark Rogers, are also part of a very popular Gospel Rock group) but simply because their music definitely takes you to a higher plane.

Fronted by seemingly indefatigable and charismatic guitarist/singer Leroy Emmanuel —about whose talents and storied background I wrote last April on the occasion of his 71^st birthday— this group, as I described it in the liner notes for their 1999 live album Outta Control, “go[es] places somewhere up in the musical stratosphere known only to those who’ve been part of the very finest musical adventures.

“LMT Connection is just that —a plug-in to those moments, to that place where live club music performances reach their height and create memories that last a generation or more.  Adventurous yet familiar, friendly but driven, LMT Connection can make any venue a jumpin’ joint and unforgettable pleasure,” I wrote.

Starting mostly with covers (though they do have some originals, including a couple recorded on the 1999 and subsequent album) the group applies innovative twists, timing and puissant personality to the repertoire, with an emphasis on driving audiences to dance.  Emmanuel also has lots of showman’s tricks up his sleeve —and in his cheeks with interesting vocalizations, Skat riffs and when he adds mouth percussion into the mix!— and “Hard Hittin’” Rogers has been known to parade through the room using anything at hand as a template for his sticks, including patrons’ shoulders, arms and noggins!

Rounded out by steady, creative and endlessly versatile “Big Bad” John Irvine on bass, the group “is an organic unit that feeds upon its audience as much as its co-dependent groove freak fans rely upon the band to be transported to magical musical places that elevate the spirit,” I added in my review of the disc in my to-nite magazine of the time.

Listening to the album with fresh ears as I write this I am once again both astounded and awed by the sheer musicianship and delight involved in this trio’s cavalcade of great Funk/R&B and Funked-up Rock covers.  “For best results listen to this CD at maximum volume!” the cover art suggests and it’s good advice —doing so gives you a taste of what it is like to be carried away by the wave of excitement and sheer abandon that occasions a live LMT show.

As I put it in 2000: “By the end of the show, if not way before, you simply surrender to their intoxicatingly exciting and satisfying musical brew.”

Since you may have a hard time acquiring a copy of the album yourself (it’s nearly twenty years old now!) I would suggest that you instead simply get to the Orbit Room on the second floor at 580 College St. tonight or any Wednesday well before the 10 p.m. start to avoid the lineup (it always gets packed Wednesdays) and maybe be lucky enough to find a seat —not that you’ll spend much time in it!

-Gary17, TorontoMoon.ca
[email protected] * [email protected]

SHOW LISTINGS for Wednesday, February 07, 2022

For KEY to listings codes and schemata see note at end of shows list.

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ON AIR / ONLINE

*6-8pm> The Rock-A-Round with Slim Tim @ www.rockabilly-radio.net ~ Rockabilly tracks (from UK, repeat show from previous Friday)

416 – TORONTO CENTRAL

noon-1pm> Brahms Clarinet Quintet @ Four Seasons Center, 145 Queen St. W. ~Classical; $0

noon-1> Thompson Egbo Egbo @ Union Station, 65 Front St. W. ~piano concert; $0

*5-8> Tony Quarrington @ Boland’s Open Kitchen, 575 Mount Pleasant Rd. ~solo Jazz guitar; $0

5-6> Angelique Francis @ Union Station, 65 Front St. W.; $0

6-8> The Ladies of 4Skor and Pete @ 120 Diner, 120 Church St. ~Jazz; $10-20/pwyc

6> Kalyna Rakel @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W. ~songwriter

6:30> The Dangerous Summer; Microwave & The Band Camino @ Hard Luck Bar, 772 Dundas St. W. ~indie; $

6:30> Bugaloo Squad @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W. ~Jazz; $

**7 (7 p.m. sign-up open stage at 8) with 9 p.m. feature by Pete Janes @ Fat Albert’s, 25 Cecil St. (Steelworkers Hall) ~songwriters

*7> Jim Heineman Trio @ Nawlins, 299 King St. W. ~Jazz

7> “The Laundry List” @ Revival, 783 College St. ~musical theatre; $25

*7-10> Blues jam with Voodoo Walters @ Alleycatz, 2409 Yonge St.

7:30> Troubleshooting & guests @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO

**8-12> Girls Night Out Jazz singers’ jam with Lisa Particelli, Peter Hill & Ross McIntyre @ Jazz Bistro, 251 Victoria St.

*8-11> open mic @ Ram In The Rye, 63 Gould St. (Ryerson University)

8-1> open mic @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave.

*8> John Bellisario hosts weekly Jazz jam @ The Music Box, 3434 Bathurst St.

8-10> Dana Swarbrick @ Coq of the Walk, 488 College St. ~songwriter

8:30> Chris Wilson; Sebastian Wren @ Free Times Cafe, 320 College St. ~songwriters; $7

8:30> Menage; Countless Numbers; Russell Leon Band; The Dress Whites @ Horseshoe Tavern, 370 Queen St. W. ~indie; $

8:30-12> Pat Power; Wyatt Dusome; Ash Gallia @ The Cavern Bar, 76 Church St. ~acoustic Pop covers & originals

8:30-2> Phill Hood (recording release for “Nelly” video); guests The Exclamation @ The Hideout, 423 College St. ~original & cover Rock/Pop; $0

9> The Digs @ Reservoir Lounge, 52 Wellington St. E. ~Funk/Jazz/neo-Soul; $

*9> open Funk/Jazz/Hip Hop jam @ Nocturne, 550 Queen St. W.

9> Jordan John Trio @ Poetry Jazz Café, 224 Augusta Ave. ~Blues/R&B; $10

*9-2> What’s Poppin’ indie jam @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St.

*9:30-2> The All Nighters open jam @ Lola, 40 Kensington Ave.

9:30> Francois Jalbert Trio @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W. ~Jazz; $

10> The Woodshed Orchestra @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W. ~improvisational Roots

10> Camp Combo @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO ~Jazz

10> Art Department; Carlo Lio, Nathan Barato, Nitin for Music Against Animal Cruelty fundraiser @ Everleigh, 580 King St. W. ~eclectic indie; $proceeds to Rhino Conservation of Botswana

10-2> Action Sound Band @ Grossman’s, 379 Spadina Ave. TO ~Blues-Rock; $0

*10:30> The LMT Connection 20^th anniversary show @ Orbit Room, 580 College St. TO ~Funk/R&B; $10

416 – TORONTO EAST

7> Starset; Grabbitz; Year of the Locust @ Opera House, 735 Queen St. E. ~indie; $

*7:30-10:30> Andrea Nixon; Melanie Peterson @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave. ~songwriters; $ 0$

8-10> open mic with host Tony Oldland & band featuring Benny Rave on percussion @ The Beach House, 1953 Queen St. E.

8> acoustic open mic with Gary LaRocca @ The Only Café, 972 Danforth Ave.

8:30-10:30> Civil Wray @ Castro’s, 2116 Queen St. E. ~songwriter

*9:30> open stage with Nicola Vaughan @ Black Swan Tavern (downstairs), 154 Danforth Ave.

416 – TORONTO ETOBICOKE

8-1> Maxine Young & Christina Melanie @ Timothy’s Pub, 344 Brown’s Line  ~acoustic Pop covers & originals

*9-1> open mic with Daniel Gagnon @ The Old Sod, 2936 Bloor St. W.

9-12> Space Jazz jam @ Placebo Space, 2877 Lake Shore Blvd. W. ~Jazz; $5/pwyc

416 – TORONTO SCARBOROUGH

8> Dan Walek & friends @ Working Dog Saloon, 3676 St. Clair Ave. E. ~acoustic Pop covers & originals

416 – TORONTO WEST

5-8> Rob Davis Blues Trio @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave.

6-8> The Confabulation’s “Shortest Stories” (2 minutes or less) readings with many writers @ Burdock, 1184 Bloor St. W.  ~spoken word; $10

7> Tequila Nosedive; Burgundy; Frankie The Pig; The Alcoves @ D-Beatstro, 1292 Bloor St. W. ~indie; $5

7> Hillsburn @ The Painted Lady, 218 Ossington Ave. ~original Rock/Pop; $9

*8-10> Emily Devlin & Nathan Arges @ The Oakwood Hardware, 337 Oakwood Ave. ~Rock/Top 40 covers

*8-11> Fraser/Daley 10^th anniversary celebration @ Inter Steer, 357 Roncesvalles Ave. ~original Rootsy Blues

8:30-10:30> Hump Night Blues Krewe house band featuring Dave McManus & George Baumann for Hump Night Blues with special guest Rob Quail @ Axis, 3048 Dundas St. W. ~Blues; $0

8:30> SlowPitchSound @ Burdock, 1184 Bloor St. W. ~experimental multi-media

9> Alex Fournier & Tom Fleming @ The Emmet Ray, 924 College St. ~Jazz/Classical; pwyc

*9-12> The Gatekeepers @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave. ~Blues

9> Lorne Lofsky & Kieran Overs @ Mezzetta, 681 St. Clair Ave. W. ~Jazz; $10

9> Ben Sures @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave. ~songwriter

*9:30> Spy vs Spy vs Sly @ Reposado, 136 Ossington Ave. ~Jazz; 0$

9:30> Arthur Renwick @ The Hole In The Wall, 2867 Dundas St. W. ~songwriter

*10:30> Luke Vajsar @ Motel Bar, 1235 Queen St. W. ~Jazz

519

6:45-11> open stage (sign-up starts at 6) @ Silence, 46 Essex St., Guelph; pwyc

*7-9:30> Kyler Mackenzie @ Red Brick Café, 8 Douglas St., Guelph ~acoustic Pop covers & originals

*6-8:30> ukulele jam @ Idea Exchange Hespeler, 5 Tannery St. E., Cambridge

*6-9> Dano & Jaye @ Ray’s Bistro, 1475 Queen St. W., Alton ~smooth Pop/Jazz

7:30> Celtic Session @ Penny Whistle, 2 Quebec St., Guelph

8-12> acoustic jam @ Anaf Club 344, 32 Gordon St., Guelph

8> jam night with Ian Taylor @ Pops & Ruby’s Tap & Grill, 200 Preston Pkwy., Cambridge

8-11> John Lee & The Hookers host Blues jam @ Rhapsody Barrel Bar, 179 King St. W., Kitchener

8> Matt Weidinger Band @ Lancaster Smokehouse, 574 Lancaster St. W., Kitchener

8> In My Coma @ Maxwell’s, 220 King St. N., Waterloo

*8-11> A New Ground @ Churchill Arms, 355 Erb St. W., Waterloo ~Celtic

*10> Mike Todd @ The Duke, 33 Erb St., Waterloo

705

*7-11> open jam with The Freacon Band @ The Beacon, 146 45th St., Wasaga Beach ~ Blues, Jazz; $5

*8> open stage @ Dobro Restaurant, 287 George St. N., Peterborough

*9-12:30> Josh Morgan & Mike Francis @ Donaleigh’s Irish Public House, 28 Dunlop St. E., Barrie ~acoustic Pop covers & originals

9> Cody Watkins @ McThirsty’s Pint, 166 Charlotte St., Peterborough

9> Evrytt Willow; Little Rapids; Evangeline Gentle @ The Garnet, 231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough ~indie; $10/pwyc

905 EAST

*8> open stage and karaoke with Eddy Culjak @ Boston Pizza, 20 Taunton Rd., Whitby

*8-11> open mic @ Frank’s Pasta, 426 King St. E., Cobourg

*8> open mic @ Arthur’s Pub, 930 Burnham St., Cobourg

*8-10:30> open mic jam with Rob Foreman & Clayton Yates @ Ganaraska Hotel, 30 Ontario St., Port Hope

9> open mic @ The Moustache Club, 15 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa

*10> Two For The Show @ Tartan Tavern, 555 Rossland Rd. E., Oshawa ~Pop Rock

*10> Emerson Ireland hosts open mic jam @ The Gryphon Pub, 114 Dundas St. E., Whitby

905 NORTH-EAST

7> Tony Wild T Springer & Glen Marais Band with Jerome Godboo @ Newmarket Theatre, 505 Pickering Crescent, Newmarket

*7> open mic night with Tanya Joy Senior @ Col. McGrady’s Pub, 44 Brock St. W., Uxbridge

8-12> open mic with Kevin Ker (sign up at 7:30) @ Unionville Arms, 189 Main St., Unionville

8:30-11:30> open mic @ Britannia Pub, 7359 Yonge St., Thornhill

*8:30-12:30> Jared Christopher Stafford @ Falcon & Firkin, 10300 Yonge St., Richmond Hill ~acoustic Pop covers & originals

8:30-11:30> open mic & acoustic jam with Don Fleming & Laurence Walters @ Father’s Moustache Grill, Aurora, 15570 Yonge St.

*9:30-1:30> open mic @ London Pub, 9724 Yonge St., Richmond Hill

905 NORTH-WEST

8> acoustic jam with Frank Logue @ Shepherd’s Crook, 86 Main St. S., Georgetown

*8:45> open mic jam @ Magnums, 21 McMurchy Ave. N., Brampton

*10-2> jam night with Switchbeat Trio @ Maguires, 284 Queen St. E., Brampton

905 SOUTH

8> LTtheMonk (Liam Tyndall) & Friends @ Artword Artbar, 15 Colbourne St., Hamilton ~original Rap/Hip-Hop; $

7:30> open mic jam @ Corktown Pub, 175 Young St., Hamilton

7:30> open mic with Keith Toms @ Staircase Bistro, 27 Dundurn St. N., Hamilton

8> Matt Zaddy @ Gallagher’s Bar, 29 Augusta St., Hamilton ~acoustic Pop covers & originals

8> Chris Chambers or Adam Ostrosser @ Thirsty Cactus, 2 King St. E., Dundas

**8:30-12> Matt Maloney & guest @ Zyla’s, 299 James St. N., Hamilton ~original Pop; pwyc

*8:30> Something Country @ The Endzone, 1900 King St. E., Hamilton ~Country

9> Singalong with Judy Marsales @ Coach & Lantern, 384 Wilson St E., Hamilton ~Rock/Top 40

*9> open mic with Alfie Smith @ L’Etranger on James, 109 James St. N., Hamilton

9> open mic night @ Phoenix Pub McMaster University, Refectory Building, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton

*10> Jazz jam @ Cat N Fiddle Hamilton, 174 John St., S., Hamilton

905 WEST

*5> Adam Cooke @ SB Prime, 380 Brant St., Burlington

7> open mic with Gillian Nicola @ Copper Kettle Waterdown, 312 Dundas St. E., Waterdown

7> Rob Reed @ Max Resto Lounge, 2180 Itabashi Way, Burlington

8-11> Gene Pool Boys @ Door FiftyFive, 55 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit-Mississauga

*8:30> The Carson Freeman Diversion @ Shore Grill, 71 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Pop Jazz

9-1> Kevin Reid and the Dedbeats @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit-Mississauga ~Rock/Pop; $

9-1> Fat Tony @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St., Oakville ~contemporary Rock; $5

*9> open mic with Michael Zane @ Shakers Oakville, 589 Kerr St., Oakville

**10> open mic with host Kirt Godwin or Jonni X @ Spice Lounge, 52 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit-Mississauga

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 © 2018 Gary “17” Webb-Proctor & TorontoMoon.ca. All Rights Reserved