Tommy Rocker celebrates a year hosting Karla’s jam tonight

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It’s hard to believe that the year has flown by so quickly but in truth it must have because tonight Tommy Rocker and his Tommy Rocker’s Classic Rock Show band celebrates the first year anniversary of hosting the Thursday jam at Karla’s Roadhouse on Kingston Rd. in Scarborough’s West Hill area.

I’ve only attended this event a couple of times but on both occasions the room had a decent turnout, and, most importantly, a full complement of talented musicians.

I was happy on one of those visits to run into longtime musical buddy Eric Tavitz (aka Ear Ache), whom I hadn’t seen in some time (except once briefly, when he was doing a sub-in gig at another Scarborough bar that has long since gone by the wayside insofar as live music is concerned. (Three Monkeys really blew it when they jerked around a popular band that has a lot of friends and nowadays I think it’s pretty much just a sports hangout.)

With Earl Johnson on guitar and Tommy being his usual over-the-top self, this event has held steady through changes of season and even though the club seems to have given up doing any meaningful promotion of its live shows (though it does often pump this one). I’d expect a huge crowd for tonight’s party, which gets underway around 8.

-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.

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5-8> Caroline Martin-Rowe Jazz Trio @ 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> O Frontera @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO

6:30> Kevin Quain @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~moody Blues

7> SongTown presents: ‘Honouring Our Own’ tribute concert for Jay Douglas with Cathy Young, Jon Finley, George Olliver, Heavyweights Brass Band, Steven Ambrose, Danny B, Pete Otis & many more @ Seven44, 744 Mount Pleasant Rd., TO North; $20

7-9> Tom Eastland @ @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East ~songwriter

7> David Bidini album release @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West

7> 24^th St. Wailers @ Reservoir Lounge, 52 Wellington St. E., TO ~Blues

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

7:30> Roger Zuraw & Friends @ Second Cup Islington, 4850 Dundas St. W., Etobcicoke South ~Roots originals

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

*7:30> open stage with 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’s Classic Rock Show celebrating first anniversary of the jam @ Karla’s Roadhouse, 4630 Kingston Rd., Scarborough

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

8-12> Cormac Cleary @ Ember Hot Stove, 3039 Lakeshore Blvd. W., Etobicoke South ~

8-12> Denis Martel @ Fionn MacCool’s Ajax, 32 Kingston Rd. E. Ajax ~Pop

*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> Jerome Godboo with Conor Gains @ Gator’s Tail, 975 Franklin Blvd., Cambridge ~Blues

8:30> Toronto All-Star Big Band for Regeneration Community Services fundraiser @ Hugh’s Room, 2261 Dundas St. W., TO West ~$35/-

8:30> Michael Dalton & Adam White @ Free Times Café, 320 College St. TO ~songwriter

9> Pat Maloney with special guest Phil Laffin @ Linsmore Tavern, 1298 Danforth Ave., TO East ~indie

*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> Tiffany Hanus Band @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz

9-12> Kyp Harness & The Chemical Valley Cowboys @ Bar Radio, 615 College St., TO

9> Lotus Wright @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~ol’ time Blues

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

9> Gas Station Cowboys @ Legends On The Queensway, 1184 The Queensway, Etobicoke South ~Country

9> Ron Hawkins & The Do Good Assassins @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West

**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> Sean Meredith-Jones @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

9:30> Michael Schatte @ Black Dog Pub, 87 Island Rd., Scarb. ~Pop Rock

9:30> Jack Walker @ C’est What, 67 Front St. E., TO ~songwriter; $6

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

*9:45> Mary Mckay @ Reservoir Lounge, 52 Wellington St. E., TO ~Jazz/Blues

10> Warm Electric Winter & James Burrows @ Tranzac Lounge (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO

10> Matthew Hornell @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO ~Roots-Rock

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

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

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

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

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