A Moon reverie and a blooming Lilly

/// It’s possibly true that I pay proportionately more attention to the east Toronto musical scene than any other area of the GTA and it’s understandable that many may assume this is because I live in that part of the megacity. While it certainly is true that I’m more familiar with a lot of the local talent –in part because they’re more accessible to me– it is also true, and longtime readers will know, that I have always paid a lot of attention to this area since I first started the magazine project 22 years ago this month, long before I moved out this way a little over a decade ago. It’s partly because the area is rich with a diverse musical population but I think it’s also because I feel the area needs the attention more, since it tends to get ignored by many mainstream music writers. When I began the publication I also wrote a lot about Parkdale, since in those days it was in much the same boat in terms of being regarded by the “Queen Street West” hipsters (Queen W. then ended before Bathurst in their minds) as a backwater area that wasn’t “hip”.  What a laugh that is today!

All of this is by way of explaining why I’m yet again writing about east end artists on a Thursday. But two shows going on in the Greenwood-Coxwell area are not only both worthy of attending but can both be seen nearly in their totalities because of the set timings.

Starting at 7 p.m. at the Lazy Daisy Café at 1515 Gerrard St. E., at the corner of Coxwell Ave., a two-trio musical collaboration being dubbed “Crescent Moon Reverie” starts up, with a pay-what-you-can cover charge.  For those who want dinner seating, tables open at 6, but you’ll want to make room at your station by 7 for drinks and desserts with which to enjoy the two groups.

I’m not 100% sure which group goes on first but pretty sure that it’s the Last Forgiveness trio featuring the exuberance of David Hines and elegance of Lynette Fairweather doing “bold acoustic Pop”, including a few originals. I’ve heard this group, which also includes Monte Horton on second guitar, and it’s exquisitely toe-tapping Pop-Roots fun. (I also saw David and Lynette perform there recently in their Heart’s Desire duo configuration for David Shilman’s monthly Saturday night Woodshed open mic.)

The BamBams I’m not familiar with but judging by how Hines enthuses about them and their video, they sound like a whole lot of fun. Three attractive and ebullient young ladies doing “gorgeous melodies, rich harmonies and much guitar groovage” is how he describes their act.

Not far away, starting two hours after the Daisy show kicks off, indie Pop songwriter and artist Lilly Mason brings her band into Linsmore Tavern at 9 p.m. I wrote about Lilly last week in advance of her hugely successful show at Cavern Club on April 18 and I’m excited that she agreed to do this nearly last-minute showcase in the room at 1298 Danforth Ave., a few steps from the Greenwood subway station on Linnsmore Crescent. I’ve heard Lilly solo many times before but when she brings in her band, as she did in January of this year at Relish, it’s a whole other level of showmanship and musical dynamism. It looks like she’ll have two or possibly more accompanists for this no-cover show and it’s a good time to also pick up a copy of the ep she released last summer.

-Gary 17, www.torontomoon.ca

LISTINGS:

Listings preceded by an asterisk (*) are repeating weekly events. 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 include a live link to their websites where applicable. Advertisers’ listings are in larger type, include live link to website and also have ad icon included in listings.

5-8> Denise Leslie Jazz Band @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz

*5-8> Nelson Denis @ Frank’s Pasta, 42 King Street E., Cobourg ~eclectic mix (Folk, Jazz, soft Rock, Latin)

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

6:30> Ross Woolridge Group @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

7> Crescent Moon Reverie with The Last Forgiveness feat. David Hines & The Bam Bams @ Lazy Daisy Café, 1515 Gerrard St. E., TO East ~acoustic Pop; pwyc

7-9> Reenie & The Goodfellas @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East ~indie Soul-Pop

7> Shugga @ Timothy’s Pub, 344 Brown’s Line, Etobicoke South ~Funk

7> Mechanical Forest Sound with Not The Wind, Not The Flag; more @ Tranzac Lounge (Tiki Lounge), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO

*7:30-9:30> Bluegrass Thursdays with Houndstooth @ Tranzac Lounge (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO

*7:30> Rob Phillips Trio with Chelsey Bennett @ Black Horse Pub, 452 George St. N., Peterborough ~Jazz Blues

*7:30-12> open mic with K.M. Smith @ Molly Bloom’s Guelph, 91 Wyndham St. N., Guelph

*8-12> jam with Tommy Rocker Band @ Karla’s Roadhouse, 4630 Kingston Rd., Scarborough

8> The Last Waltz music of The Band with Chuck Jackson, Paul James, Jimmy Bowskill, Dennis Pinhorn, Rob Gusevs, Lance Anderson, Terry Blersch & more @ Academy Theatre For Performing Arts, 2 Lindsay St., Lindsay ~tribute; $37

*8> open mic with Anthony Abbatangeli & Ken Foster @ DeSotos, 1079 St. Clair Ave. W., TO West

8-12> Annette Haax @ Ember Hot Stove, 3039 Lakeshore Blvd. W., Etobicoke South ~acoustic Pop Rock

*8-12> open mic & jam @ Black Swan Pub Burlington, 4040 Palladium Way, Burlington

*8-11:30> Christopher Plock & Stevie G @ Mulligan’s Pub, 2458 Dundas St. W., Mississauga ~Blues/Jazz/R&B

8-11> open mic with Sandy MacDonald @ Williamsburg Arms, 1187 Fischer Hallman Rd., Kitchener

8:30> Dave Gunning & Allie Bennett; opening set by Carleton Stone @ Hugh’s Room, 2261 Dundas St. W., TO West ~Roots; $25

8:30> Jon Brooks & Maria Dunn @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St. Oakville ~Roots; $10

9> Lilly Mason Band @ Linsmore Tavern, 1298 Danforth Ave., TO East ~original Pop

*9> jam with Ted Rusk @ The Sauble Dunes, 11 Southampton Parkway, Sauble Beach

*9-1:30> open stage with Jay Pennell @ Dave’s On St. Clair, 730 St. Clair West, TO West ~eclectic

9-12> Cyndi Carleton Jazz & Swing Band @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz

9> Bouffant Babies with Bangs & Blush @ The Painted Lady, 218 Ossington Ave., TO West

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

9-1> Tom Barlow @ Black Dog Pub, 87 Island Rd., Scarb. ~Pop Rock

9-1> Jack de Kezyzer Band @ Monarchs Pub (Eaton Chelsea Hotel), 33 Gerrard St. W., TO ~Blues

9> Krysta Lee Band @ Legends On The Queensway, 1184 The Queensway, Etobicoke South ~Country

9> Young Rivals @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West; $8

**9> jam with Laura Lee Montgomerie @ DNA Bar, 15474 Yonge St., Aurora

*9> jam @ The Wee Pub, 371 Wilson Rd. South, Oshawa

*9-2> karaoke with Joe @ Tudor Rose, 700 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax

*9:30-2> Skip Tracer @ Southside Johnny’s, 3653 Lakeshore Blvd., Etobicoke South ~Rock/Pop

*9:30> karaoke with The English Rose & The Mad Scotsman @ Coyote Jack’s, 64 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax

*9:30> karaoke with Kiki @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East

9:30> Mike Webster Sextet featuring Ingrid Jensen @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~NYC Jazz

9:30> Bluffers Last Stand Tour @ Stone Cottage Pub, 3750 Kingston Rd., Scarborough ~Pop Rock

9:30> James Clark Institute; Clockwise @ C’est What, 67 Front St. E., TO ~original indie Pop

*9:30> jam with Jack B Nimble @ Abbey Road Pub, 3200 Erin Mills Parkway, Mississauga

9:45> Shawn Brady & Hervé Basset @ McSorley’s, 1544 Bayview Ave. TO North ~Pop Rock

10> Mechanical Forest Sound with Not The Wind, Not The Flag; more @ Tranzac Lounge (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO

10> David Baxter @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO ~Roots-Pop

10> Pretzel Logic @ Orbit Room, 480 College St. TO ~Steely Dan tribute; $

10> The Tonkas @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Blues

*10> open jam @ The Red Garnet, 231 Hunter St. W. Peterborough

*10> Salt & Pepper karaoke with Josh & Danish @ St. Louis Ajax. 11 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax

10:30> Covered In Paint @ The Hideout, 484 Queen St. W., TO ~indie Rock

Copyright © 2014 Toronto Moon Magazine. All Rights Reserved