Tranzac has super roster to compete with the sunny Sun. weather

/TORONTO/

It’s not easy attracting people to come into a bar on a Sunday afternoon at this time of year, particularly when it’s a day like today is forecast to be: warm, sunny and all-round basically the kind of day we dreamt about through the long, cold, lonely winter, a day seemingly made for park lolling and sidewalk strolling.

But TO’s Tranzac Club on Brunswick Ave. just south of Bloor St. W. in the Annex part of the city has a pretty good shot at convincing at least a few people to trade sunscreen and ice cream for a cold beer or mixed drink in the company of a series of stellar Roots acts running from 3 pm till mid-evening.

The three-show series, taking place sequentially in the club’s Southern Cross lounge, kicks off at 3 with award-winning Folk songwriter Michael Laderoute, accompanied by guitar ace Rob Fenton, performing original material, which is bound to include several selections from his stellar album A River I Know. The title track won him the 2008 “Songs From The Heart” award from the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals but the album is chock full of poignant but uplifting tunes about the people and places he’s known.

Marianne Girard hasn’t won any awards that I’m aware of but the London, Ont. expatriate has been a staple of the TO Folk scene for the past 30 years. These days she’s teamed up with another veteran artist, Allan Fraser, who was once part of a duo with Daisy DeBolt during the heyday of Canadian Roots music in the 1970s before moving to Montreal. He and Girard hooked up last year and now, after finally figuring out what to call themselves, appear as Fraser & Girard. They perform in the room from 5-7ish.

The third installment of the mini-festival runs at 7:30, when Eve Goldberg, Sam Turton and Jane Lewis host their monthly “Gathering Sparks Singalong Soirée” which encourages audience members to join them in renditions of various tunes chosen for their opportunities for vocal harmonies and excellence of composition.

Cover charge amounts aren’t listed on the Tranzac website but normally pay-what-you-can is acceptable at these shows.

-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.

11-2> Liane Fainsinger @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave. TO East ~Jazz

11am-2pm> Gypsy Jive Band for Jazz Brunch @ Free Times Café, 320 College St., TO ~Gypsy/World Jazz

*11am-3pm> Rockabilly Brunch with The Cosmotones @ Dominion On Queen, 500 Queen St. E., TO ~Rockabilly

*12-3> Julian Fauth’s Blues Brunch @ Axis, 3048 Dundas St. W., TO West ~Blues

noon> Excelsior Dixieland Jazz Band @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

**1-5> Open Folk open stage with Doc Higgins & feature Troy Danielz @ 1 Wallace Drive, Barrie & live online @http://justin.tv/openfolk

1-evening> Memorial/Life Celebration for Robbie “The Blues Butcher” Bellmore & open jam with Colleen & The Bleeding Hearts; Prowler & The Wild Man feat. Murray Powell & Mike Rosenstein; Nicole Dunn; Johnny Cox; John Keogh (Johnny Neither); many more @ Black Swan (downstairs), 154 Danforth Ave., TO East

1:30-5:30> Kensington Rocks Festival with George Westerholm; J.P. Wasson Band; Crockstar; Neil Traynor; International Zombies Of Love; Lips @ outside performance space College St. @ Augusta, TO

2> Brian Blain @ Full Of Beans, 1348 Dundas St. W., TO West ~Blues originals

*2-5> Lisa Particelli’s ‘Girls Night Out East’ Jazz jam @ Morgan’s, 1282 Danforth Ave., TO East ~Jazz

*2-5> acoustic jam with host Bill Black @ The Working Dog Saloon, 3676 St. Clair Ave. E., Scarborough

*3-7> Pat Perez & John Dickie band feat. Mike Sloski, Ian Desouza & Norman Brown @ Linsmore Tavern, 1298 Danforth Ave, TO East ~R&B

*3-7> open jam with Tommy Rocker’s Classic Rock Show @ Centro Pizza, 3406 Kingston Rd., Scarborough

*3-6> open mic with Nicola Vaughan @ Hirut, 2050 Danforth Ave., TO East

3-5> Michael Laderoute & Rob Fenton @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO ~original Roots

*3-7> open mic @ Moskito + Bite, 423 College St. TO

3> Cadre with guests The League Of Notions @ C’est What, 69 Front St. E., TO ~Roots/Blues

*3-6> Michael Brennan @ Graffiti’s, 170 Baldwin St. TO ~East Coast Rock/Blues Roots

3-7> Jeff G & The Four Heads for Kensington Market Art Fair @ Lola, 40 Kensington Ave., TO ~Rock

*3-7> jam at CJ Barleys, 213 The Queensway, Keswick

3:30-6:30> Freeway Dixieland Band @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Dixieland Jazz

4-7> Roots ‘n’ Branches with Howard Willett & Bob McNiven & featuring Dave McManus on bass @ Cadillac Lounge, 1296 Queen St. W., TO West ~Roots

*4-8> Michael Theodore 5-piece trio & celebrating Michael’s 50^th birthday @ Timothy’s Pub, 344 Brown’s Line, Etobicoke ~Pop

4-8> One King @ Blue Goose Tavern, 1 Blue Goose Rd., Etobicoke South

*4:30-8> New Orleans Connection All Stars & guests @ Grossman’s, 379 Spadina Ave., TO ~New Orleans Jazz

4> Track 4 @ Simcoe Blues & Jazz, 926 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa ~Jazz

*4:30-8> Chuck Jackson’s All Stars @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Blues

*5-9> All ages open jam with Juggernaut Jam Band featuring Andy Narsingh with special guest Phil Naro @ West Shore Bar & Grill, 877 Bayly St., Pickering

**5-8> John Borra & Sam Ferrara w. guest @ The Communist’s Daughter, 1149 Dundas St. W. TO West ~Country

5-7:30> Taxi Chain @ The Sister, 1554 Queen St. W., TO West ~Celtic Rock/Pop Fusion

5-9> Robbie Lane & The Disciples @ Legends On The Queensway, 1184 The Queensway, Etobicoke South ~vintage Rock/R&B faves

5-8> Chris Coole @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~old time Country

5> Fraser & Girard @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO ~original Roots

**5-8> The Stew with guest tba @ Mulligan’s, 2458 Dundas St. W., Mississauga

6> Kristine Schmitt @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO

*7-1> open stage with hosts Steve York & Tony Rabalao (2 songs each -signup @ 7 or pre-sign online) @ The Supermarket, 268 Augusta St., TO

*7-11> Karaoke with Rob MacArthur @ The Edge, 250 Bayly St. W., Ajax

*7-9:30> James Brown Group @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

*7-11> open jam @ McGradie’s, 2167 Victoria Park Ave., Scarborough

**7-11> The Nomads with special guest tba @ The Harp, 55 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit

*7> open jam @ Black Swan Pub Burlington, 4040 Palladium Way, Burlington

*7> open mic with Robbie Slack @ Black Horse Pub, 452 George St. N., Peterborough

7:30> Eve Goldberg, Jane Lewis & Sam Turton host ‘Gathering Sparks Singalong Soirée’ @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO ~Roots/Pop

8-11:30> ‘Nashville Bound’ songwriter series with sets by Glen Hornblast; Bill Heffernan; Brian Donkers; Jess Janz; Grainne Ryan @ Free Times Café, 320 College St., TO ~Roots; $5/pwyc

8> Terry’s Band @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St., Oakville;

*8:30-12:30> karaoke with The English Rose & The Mad Scotsman @ Gryphon Pub, 114 Dundas St. E., Whitby

8:30> Trace Minerals feat. Jeff Oussoren & Cam de Laat @ Not My Dog, 1510 Queen St. W., TO West ~indie

9-1> Peter Eastmure Jazz Band @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz

9> Los Cabelleros del Son @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Cuban traditional

*9-1> jam with Mike Roland and Lenny Vaccari @ Stewart Maguires Landing, 15 Allan Dr., Bolton

*9-1> jam @ Ivy Arms Pub, 201 Main Street East, Milton

*9:30-2> jam with the Stir It Up Band featuring Bryan Van Dusen & David Macmichael @ @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East

*9:30-1:30> jam with Rebecca Matiesen & Phoenix @ Southside Johnny’s, 3653 Lakeshore Blvd. W., Etobicoke South

9:30> Allison Toffan’s Toronto Rhythm Iniative @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

*10> Horshack feat. Chris Caddell @ Orbit Room, 580 College St., TO ~Bluesy contemporary & classic Rock

10> Steve Ward Presents @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO

10> The Beauties @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West ~alt-Rock/Rootsabilly

*10> open mic/jam hosted by Phill Hood (with backline avail.) @ The Cage 292, 292 College St., TO

10> The Double Cuts @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO ~Western Swing

**10> Blues jam with Brian Cober, Bill Hedefine & guest bassist @ Grossman’s, 379 Spadina Ave., TO

10> blueVenus; DITTOHEAD @ Amsterdam Bicycle Club, 54 The Esplanade, TO ~indie Pop

*10> jam with Groovestone feat. Dale Harrison @ Scruffy Murphy’s Uptown, 150 Eglinton Ave. E., TO North

10> Sean Pinchin’s Blues ‘n’ Beers @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Blues

10:30> Scott Baragar @ The Hideout, 484 Queen St. W., TO ~indie Rock

*10:30> The Bleeding Idahos @ The Dickens, 423 Elizabeth St., Burlington ~contemporary & classic Pop Rock

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