\ BURLINGTON \ While the calendar may be moving forward this New Year’s Eve at Boston Manor in Burlington, the vibe will be looking back to some of the best big-sound R&B/Funk and Rock bands of yesteryear. 2016 will be brought in by 9-piece performance group Soul Funkshun, a superbly honed veteran troupe that delivers…
\ TO DOWNTOWN \ Toronto Mayor John Tory is scheduled to make a speech this morning about “Music In The City Of Toronto” that hopefully will contain some specific initiatives that would stand in stark relief to what a series of highly-touted and so far completely ineffectual industry and city initiatives have failed to accomplish.…
\ TORONTO EAST \ Although it’s a few weeks tardy in being commemorated, tonight Pop Rock/Funk-Dance songwriter and mesmerizing performer Julian Taylor celebrates seven years at the helm of a weekly open stage jam at Dora Keogh Irish Pub. The first night of the event in the pub at 141 Danforth Ave. would have actually…
\ TO EAST \ We’ve made clear in the past our feelings about what we regard as the arrogant and insincere underpinnings of the annual North By Northeast (NXNE) festival (which takes place again next week) and nothing has changed to alter our view about that. So a year ago we were delighted to enthusiastically…
\ SCARBOROUGH \ Scarborough residents or visitors without wheels available to move them around tonight may unfortunately find themselves missing out on one of two star-calibre live music shows happening the in the burb’s clubs. There are other things going on in the area too, but musically savvy fans will probably want to pick one…
\ TORONTO EAST \ It seemed to me yesterday that people were really reaching to make the day seem special by coming up with the concept of “Pi Day”. It’s numerically quite bogus, since it only works if you use the American system of date numbering which puts the month first, then the day and…
\ TORONTO EAST \ Inside many a comedic talent is a pain-wracked soul tortured by the pointless cruelties, absurd pettiness and senseless tragedies of life. It has, in fact, been suggested that all comedy is essentially founded on pain of one kind or another, the theory going on to postulate that laughing is, in fact,…
\ TO DOWNTOWN \ As what has been deemed “the coldest February ever” by meteorologists finally, blessedly, comes to an end, a lot of live music venues are hurting large because of reduced income that one has to think is at least partly because of the recent inclement conditions. But not every event has been…
\ TORONTO EAST \ Acclaim for the debut Thin Blue Line album of 11 original Blues tunes by Durham Region guitarist, singer and songwriter Johnny Cox a year ago keeps on coming. The disc, available on iTunes and CD Baby, has garnered approving critical reviews from the U.S. to the U.K. and hit the Top…
\ The temperature is predicted to rise to a “balmy” -7 or -6C this afternoon, but naturally the warmth comes with a price: the skies are also expected to let loose another dollop of the white stuff. Sigh. If you’re looking for some heat to brighten the gloom, however, there are some sizzling matinée live…
\ SCARBOROUGH \ It appears that the Saturday 3:30-6:30 matinées at The Loaded Dog in Scarborough being put on by Jim Cornell’s new band, The Loaded Blues, are starting to attract some fans. For not only has this event now become an established part of the club’s roster, there’s also a budget to bring in…
\ TORONTO, 150216Mo \ It’s not yet been 16 months since Toronto Folk balladeer Sam Larkin passed away, as we reported on October 29, 2013. But while his bodily flame may have gone out, his soul —his musical legacy— shows no sign of being extinguished any time soon. Last April a group of talented songwriting…
When it comes to love, sometimes it’s just so hard to let go. And that can also apply to Valentines Day —one day (and night!) just may not be enough to really express the depths of your affection nor its breadth, since after all there are many different strains of this particular bug and neither…
\ TORONTO EAST \ While lovers will be preparing for Valentines Day on Saturday, patriots for the 50th anniversary of Flag Day Sunday and parents for Family Day on Monday, many GTA fans of Roots and Blues music are probably a lot more excited about the 13th edition of the Winterfolk Blues & Roots Festival…
\ TORONTO \ Authentically capturing the angst and irony of the Pop tunes of the 30s and 40s, singer Laura Hubert and her gifted backing players, that include Peter Hill on piano, make you feel the real punch in the songs. Today they bring their time-travel musical machine to The Rex downtown for an afternoon…
First of two benefit shows at Hugh’s Room for Fathead singer John Mays happens tonight \ TORONTO WEST \ Whether or not the surgery that Fathead singer John Mays was scheduled to undergo January 28 was successful in stemming the pancreatic cancer with which he has been diagnosed, he’s not going to be able to…
Talk about your Throwback Thursday! The “Throwback Thursday” profile pic fad on Facebook has been growing in popularity in recent months, but tonight it feels to me like the concept has been appropriated by a couple of TO clubs that are featuring performers I haven’t heard of appearing in local clubs in years. For a…
Special guests really are at three shows tonight \ OSHAWA / TO WEST / TO DOWNTOWN \ Keeping regular weekly shows fresh can be a challenge, but many jam and open stage hosts —and increasingly many artists who obtain residency gigs at clubs— are doing just that by utilizing the “special guest” gimmick, with varied…
\ Unlike the event being obsessed over by mainstream media and bars small and large that happen to own a tv, two live music anniversary parties happening tonight are likely to live up to their hype. But the 6 p.m. telecast of the NFL’s Superbowl will displace live music from bars where it’s normally…
Versatile Michael Keith, who hosts a weekly open mic at La Revolucion in the Junction area Thursdays, this afternoon appears as solo showcase performer for the brunch show at nearby Humble Beginnings. The host of that event, Nicole Coward, will visit Keith’s stomping grounds later in the day as she appears as part of a…
