\ TO EAST \

A group of veteran players that has appeared at a few east end rooms over the past year, the Soul Mates band is a five-piece outfit that authentically delivers a wide range of Rock, Pop, Motown, Funk and R&B covers.

Although you may not be familiar with them under that name, lead singer Sue Martin and other members of the combo performed for several years as the Whatever Sticks band, particularly in north TO and York Region rooms.

I caught up with them most recently last summer for their show at Eton House on Danforth Ave. and they drew an enthusiastic crowd that was often out of their seats on the dance floor.

With Soul Mate guitarist Jy Fairlie living in the Beaches area in TO, and given their good success in also performing recently at Stone Lion in that area, as well as at Leaside Pub a little north, it’s not surprising that they came to the attention of the owner of Salty Dog, a down-to-earth little room at 1980 Queen St. E. on the north-east corner of Waverley Road.

It’s a small (50-seat) room, however, and while it does have occasional live music, the acts are normally duos and trios rather than full bands.  So Martin and Fairlie have decided to try out a concept that’s a bit new for them but will be familiar to many local musicos:  they’re booked as a duo tonight and making the 8-12 p.m. evening into an open stage event.

If it catches on, Sue tells me, they’re hoping to do it at least once a month.

“We’re certainly prepared to do the gig tonight as a duo but I would really like to explore a bigger idea if there is merit.  The owner seems keen,” she told me.

The show will get underway at 8 p.m. but musicians are invited to come by to start signing up to perform at 7:30, although later arrivals will also be accommodated if the list isn’t too long.

You can also catch the pair when they perform with their full five-piece band —with Larry Bodner on sax, Randy Headon on bass and Andy Bianchi on drums— coming up this Saturday night at Tara Inn on Kingston Rd. in Scarborough.

-Gary 17, TorontoMoon.ca

SHOW LISTINGS for Wednesday, January 11, 2022

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.

Names of subscribers appear in bold and underlined and, where applicable, include a live link to their websites. Advertisers’ listings are in larger, highlighted type, include live link to website and also have ad icon included in listings.

416 – TORONTO CENTRAL

noon-1pm> Spectrum Percussion Trio @ Four Seasons Center, 145 Queen St. W., TO ~drumming trio; 0$

6-8> Alison Young & Marie Goudy @ 120 Diner, 120 Church St., TO ~sax & trumpet Jazz; $10-20/pwyc

6> Golden Country Classics @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO ~Country

6:30> Nathan Hiltz’s Folk Festival @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~$

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

7> Comhaltas Irish Slow Session @ Tranzac Club (Tiki Room), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO ~folk dancing

7> Songwriters Association of Canada Toronto Regional Writers Group showcase and open stage with Rosita & Roger @ Free Times Cafe, 320 College St., TO ~songwriters; 0$

*7-10> Blues jam with Mark Stafford & Ken Yoshioka @ Alleycatz, 2409 Yonge St., TO North

7:30> Brodie West Quartet @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO ~Jazz

**8-12> Girls Night Out Jazz singers’ jam with Lisa Particelli, Peter Hill et al @ 120 Diner, 120 Church St., TO ~$10-20/pwyc

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

*8> open mic with host Jay Pollock & feature @ Touché Martini Bar, 669 College St., TO

8> Toronto Symphony Orchestra @ Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W., TO ~Classical: Mozart; $33-$100

8-10:30> Dan Dwoskin solo @ Jazz Bistro, 251 Victoria St., TO ~Pop songwriter; $10

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

9-1> open jam with Wednesday’s Child feat. Johnny Bootz Hutt @ Lola, 40 Kensington Ave., TO

*9 (signup at 8:30)> open mic with Alan Carter @ Lowdown, 276 Augusta Ave., TO

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

8:30> Vile Bodies; more @ Horseshoe Tavern, 370 Queen St. W., TO ~indie Rock; $5

9:30> Steve Cole Group @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz; $

10> The Layrite Boys @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO ~Bluegrass

10> Gennaro; Argatoff; Furlong; Sorbara @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO ~by and for Ken Aldcroft

10-2> Blues-Rock jam with Al Webster Trio @ Grossman’s, 379 Spadina Ave. TO

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

416 – TORONTO EAST

*7:30-10:30> The BTBs @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East ~Jazz; 0$

8-12 (7:30 sign up starts)> open stage with host Sue Martin & members of Soul Mates band @ The Salty Dog, 1980 Queen St. E. TO East

8> PSS @ The Only Café, 972 Danforth Ave., TO East ~improvised creations

8:30-10:30> Louisiana Snowblowers @ Castro’s, 2116 Queen St. E., TO East

8:30> Dan Stacey and The Black Swans @ Dora Keogh, 141 Danforth Ave., TO East ~$15

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

416 – TORONTO ETOBICOKE

8-1> Alessia Cole @ Timothy’s Pub, 344 Brown’s Line, Etobicoke South ~Country; $

9-12> Space Jazz jam with singer Meagan Luchko & guitarist Kevin Bolger & band with guest Mike Downes @ Placebo Space, 2877 Lake Shore Blvd. W., Etobicoke ~Jazz ; $5/pwyc

416 – TORONTO WEST

5-8> Robert Lee @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz

*7:30> Carrie Chestnutt & guests @ Cadillac Lounge, 1296 Queen St. W., TO West ~saxy cabaret Jazz; 0$

8> Unidentified Funk Object; Bassling; Birds @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W., TO West

*8> MFA open mic @ Remix Lounge, 1305 Dundas St. W., TO West

**8:30-10:30> Hump Night Blues with Dave McManus, George Baumann, Cleave Anderson + special guest Paul Storm @ On Cue Billiards, 349 Jane St., TO West ~Blues

8:30> Sarah Jane Scouten @ Burdock, 1184 Bloor St. W., TO West

9> Kayt Lucas Duo; Synchronized Silence @ Junction City Music Hall, 2907 Dundas St. W., TO West ~original Folk-Rock

**9-12> Blues Night with Julian Fauth & guests @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~original Juno-winning Blues

9> Sean Conway @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Rockabilly Roots

10> Commotion @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West ~CCR covers; $10

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

519

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

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

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

8-12> Trent University student bands @ Black Horse Pub, 452 George St. N., Peterborough

9-12> open mic fundaiser to sent Trent social work students to Women’s March on Washington @ The Spill, 414 George St. N., Peterborough ~$5

905 EAST

7> Buttercups @ Simcoe Blues & Jazz, 926 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa

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

*8-10:30> open mic jam with Marty Hepburn @ 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

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

*8-12> open mic with Kevin Ker @ Unionville Arms, 189 Main St., Unionville

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

*9-1> open mic jam with Whiskey Birds @ Sweetz Lounge, 5289 Hwy 7, Woodbridge-Vaughan

*9:30> open mic with The Villagers @ Main’s Mansion, 144 Main St., Markham

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

905 SOUTH

*7:30> open mic @ Donnelley’s Pub, 54 Front St., Thorold ~eclectic

**8-1> Boogie N Blues jam with Ian Andrews & Friends @ Corktown Pub, 175 Young St., Hamilton

8> Terrie Petrie & band hosts Country Wednesdays @ Pub Fiction, 1242 Garner Rd. W., Ancaster ~Country

*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

*9:30-12> Piper Hayes with guest Pat Maloney @ Zyla’s, 299 James St. N., Hamilton ~original Pop; pwyc

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

905 WEST

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

9-1> Jeremy & Jenn @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Rock/Pop; $

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

9-1> Sjaane Glover @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St., Oakville ~songwriter; $7

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