Should you stay or should you go? Long weekend has staycation appeal

\TORONTO & GTA\

Was a time, a couple of generations ago, when Canada Day weekends left the city looking like a ghost town, as thongs of people migrated from its steamy bowels out to cottages and campgrounds in the hinterlands. Many people do still go away for the long weekend, of course, but with the near-disappearance of the middle class and continuing shift of wealth from the bottom to the top even as prices continue to escalate, more and more folks find that they simply cannot afford to make the trek north to the land of lakes and relatively undisturbed boreal areas.

That doesn’t mean they’re going to forsake partying altogether, however. And in recent years some bars have caught on to the fact that instead of cutting back on entertainment —as was the norm back when I started this publication 22 years ago— if they offer something special it might just convince those who remain in the city to come out and have some fun closer to home. Certainly those of us who will be around this weekend have plenty of great options to choose from as far as live music goes, which tonight’s offerings illustrate.

Whether or not you’re of the same-sex orientation in your love life, for example, the annual PRIDE festival that started last weekend and reaches its zenith with the street fair taking place this weekend offers a lot of highly entertaining shows taking place in the “Gay Village” area along Church Street in Toronto, including shows by Carly Rae Jepsen, Tegan and Sara and Melissa Etheridge.

Likewise, the TD Toronto Jazz Festival also continues through the weekend with over 50 venues taking part. (What do you do if you’re a gay Jazz aficionado, I wonder?)

Local bars also have a plethora of fine options, including, for example, rip-roaring Tex Mex/vintage Pop Rock outfit Sin City Boys, who are at Linsmore Tavern Saturday night. This band, featuring guitarist-singer Kevin Jollimore, regularly packs rooms they play at and the dance floor is usually jammed with people enjoying vintage Pop Rock from the likes of Buddy Holly as well as a raft of hot originals, such as “Temptation Road”.

Just because you can’t afford to go away doesn’t mean you have to stay home watching soccer on the telly!

-Gary 17, www.torontomoon.ca

LISTINGS:

Listings preceded by an asterisk (*) are repeating weekly events. (Double asterisk indicates repeating event with different hosts/guest/etc.). 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, are underlined and, where applicable, include a live link to their websites. Advertisers’ listings are in larger type, include live link to website and also have ad icon included in listings.

TDJF = Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival; cover charge/pass entry for most shows except where specified otherwise by $0 in listing.

3> TDJF: Hogtown Syncopators @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

*5-8> Kensington Kitchen Party with host Kevin Jollimore of Sin City Boys & guest musicians @ Graffiti’s, 170 Baldwin St., TO ~Pop Rock with heart

*5-7> open mic with The Foolish Things @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO ~original Pop

5> TDJF: The Bacchus Collective @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

*5-7> Ronnie Hayward Trio @ Castro’s, 2116 Queen St. E.. TO E. ~Blues/Roots

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

5:30> Rick & Gailie @ Black Horse Pub, 452 George St. N., Peterborough

6> John Borra @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO

7-9> TDJF: Gary LaRocca @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East ~instrumental guitar Jazz; $0

7:30> Jennifer Gillmor as Jennis @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO

8> Patrick Brealey @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen Street West, TO

8> TDJF: Mike Murley Septet @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

*8-1> karaoke @ RCL #312, 112 Hunt St., Ajax

8> Lori Yates & Duane Rutter @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St., Oakville ~Country; $10

8:30> Jack Walker & guests @ Free Times Café, 320 College St., TO ~songwriter; $6

8:30> Shine On: The Universe of John Lennon @ Hugh’s Room, 2261 Dundas St. W., TO West ~John Lennon salute by 7-piece band; $25/-

9> The Magpies @ Linsmore Tavern, 1298 Danforth Ave., TO East ~Roots-Country

9> Al Reilly’s Catalyst with special guest Rod Fritz between sets @ Centro Pizza, 3406 Kingston Rd., Scarborough ~classic Rock/Pop

9> TDJF: Music Of The Mediterranean Stars @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East ~Jazz; $0

9> The Max Brand Band @ Spot One, 289 Rutherford Rd. S., Brampton ~Blues/R&B

9-1> David Love Band featuring Darrell McNeill @ Oscar’s Roadhouse, 1785 Queen St. E., Bramp. ~60s Pop Rock

9> Cadre @ C’est What, 67 Front St. E., TO ~Roots- Pop/Blues

9-1> Annie Bonsignore @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz/Blues

9> Andy White @ Dora Keogh, 141 Danforth Ave., TO East ~

9-1> Brian Blain @ Monarchs Pub in Eaton Chelsea Hotel, 33 Gerrard St. W., TO ~Blues

9-1> Keep The Faith @ Legends On The Queensway, 1184 The Queensway, Etobicoke South ~Bon Jovi tribute; $5

9> tba @ Blue Goose Tavern, 1 Blue Goose Rd., Etobicoke South

9-1> PRJ @ Simcoe Blues & Jazz, 926 Simcoe St., Oshawa ~Blues

9> Kristen Hawley Band @ The Corral, 433 Simcoe St. S., Oshawa ~Country

9> The Meteors @ Windjammer By The Lake, 5363 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington ~R&B/Pop Rock

9:30> The Dreadful Starlings feat. Iliya Vee; Merival; Jacqueline Tober & The Rose County Ramblers @ Not My Dog, 1510 Queen St. W., TO West ~indie Pop Rock

9:30> Freedom Train @ Timothy’s Pub, 344 Brown’s Line, Etobicoke South ~Pop Rock/Top 40

9:30> Greg Wyard @ Stone Cottage Pub, 3750 Kingston Rd., Scarborough ~Pop Rock

9:30> Johnny Cox & The Magnetic Line @ Harp & Crown, 300 Kingston Rd., Pickering ~Blues-Rock

9:30> Skip Tracer @ Jake’s Boathouse Brampton, 59 First Gulf Rd., Brampton ~Pop Rock

9:30> Paul & Curtis @ Shakers, 580 Kerr St., Oakville ~Pop Rock

9:30> Acoustic Jukebox @ Gator Ted’s, 1505 Guelph Line, Burlington

9:30> Retro Rocket @ Black Swan Pub Burlington, 4040 Palladium Way, Burlington

9:30> Little Fire/Black Horse All Star Band @ Black Horse Pub, 452 George St. N., Peterborough

9:45> Dee Dee & the Dirty Martinis @ Reservoir Lounge, 52 Wellington St. E., TO ~Jazz/Blues

10-2> Labyrinth @ Southside Johnny’s, 3653 Lakeshore Blvd. W., Etobicoke South ~classic Rock

10> Dave Murphy Band @ Orbit Room, 480 College St. TO ~Rock/Funk

10> Nick Teehan @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen Street West, TO

10-2> Hellbound Hellcats @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO W.

10> TDJF: Tony Malaby with Kayos Theory @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~NYC Jazz

10> The Ryan Driver Sextet @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO ~Jazz

10-2> After Glow @ Fionn MacCool’s Ajax, 36 Kingston Rd., E., Ajax ~Pop Rock/Top 40

10-2> Pop Cherry @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~vintage Rock/Top 40

10> The Scoundrels @ Scruffy’s Irish Pub, 30 Eglinton Ave. W., Mississauga ~Rock

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

10:30> 12*20 Blast @ The Dickens, 423 Elizabeth St., Burlington ~Pop Rock

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