By Will McGuirk
New Moon Junction at Dakota Tavern Thursday May 4 2023. Tickets here.
Gigs This Week: Andy Shauf at Massey Hall
By Will McGuirk
Andy Shauf at Massey Hall Friday May 5 2023. Tickets here.
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: The Weather Holds, Jerry Leger, Hannah Georgas, Braids, Lex Leosis, Jack Kays, Protomartyr, and Finger 11
By Will McGuirk
“if we're heading towards something bad, let's head towards it slowly." - Devon Bate, The Weather Holds
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Spirit Josh, Matt Holtby, Evangeline Gentle, Sunglaciers, Del Barber, Andrina Turenne, Sam Weber, and Wayfinding
By Will McGuirk
“a break-up and love song all at once. I’ve been an all-or-nothing person in love and someone who has mistaken chemistry for compatibility,” - Evangeline Gentle
“We tried to write vertically instead of horizontally,” - Blanchard, Sunglaciers
Dizzy release new single, Open Up Wide
By Will McGuirk
Smart pop from the Dizzy, going from the serene bedroom pop of their first couple of albums to this -we’re live now so we ‘got to get the kids in front headbanging’ - anyway this should sort out anyone who thinks the Dizzy are softcore. They have a bunch of opportunities to get the kids headbanging coming up, including a headlining slot at Springtide in Uxbridge June 9 to 11, and at the downtown Kingston Spring Reverb June 1 to 4 2023. The band are currently working with producer David Pramik on a new album due in August.
Terry Uyarak
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Justin Rutledge, Terry Uyarak, Duke and Goldie, Laila Biali, Nia Nadurata, Noisy, Mouraine and Westside Boogie, and Bensley
"This song is about the underdog becoming the Big Dawg. Growing up as the little guy with a big heart has always been a blessing in disguise. It humbled me, but it also never limited or kept me from achieving anything I wanted. 'It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.' Right Boogie?" - Mouraine
River & Sky 2023 announces The Sadies, Julie Doiron, Dominique Fils-Aimé, and Aysanabee
By Will McGuirk
One of the best shows thus far this year has been Daniel Romano Outfit opening for the Sadies here in Oshawa’s Biltmore Theatre. So great and afterwards I had a good number of folks come by the shop to buy up some Romano records.
If y’all want to re-live that well you are in luck. The Sadies and Daniel Romano Outfit are among the acts announced for this year’s River & Sky festival in Field, ON, north of Sturgeon Falls, running July 20 to 23. That is just fabulous news. And just as fabulous is the list of other acts also announced in this first wave.
River & Sky is one of the friendliest festivals and this year it seems they are bringing friends from all across the country together to hang and see each other perform, friends who live in other provinces and in southern Ontario, and for whom this Field is just about equal distance from all of them.
Julie Doiron will be there. Doiron of course was on record with Romano, along with Frederick Squire (one time resident of Oshawa), on Daniel, Fred and Julie, one of the first releases from You’ve Changed Records.
Also performing and another You’ve Changed alumni, Shotgun Jimmie, (one time resident of Ajax) so yah it is a very thoughtful line-up, but then again it has always been thoughtful. Consideration is in its DNA, consideration of community, of environment, of diversity, of economics, of transit, its just a beautiful experience in the woods, by a river below an expansive sky.
Aysanabee, Zoon, Dominique Fils-Aimé, Pelada, and Clerel are among the other performers announced. Tickets available here.
Feist, Tegan and Sara, Judy Collins, Paul Langlois Band plus more at Mariposa 2023
By Will McGuirk
The Grand Dame of Festivals is living up to her billing this year with a festival top heavy with dames!
Womxn dominate the line-up and it is something to note as there are other big music gatherings which feature no diversity at all in their selection. Decades after Lilith Fair, sisters are still struggling to represent but Mariposa, as per usual, has it all in hand.
So who do we have at Tudhope Park in Orillia this upcoming July 7-9 in the year of 2023 Well, Feist, Tegan & Sara, KT Tunstall, the iconic Judy Collins, Martha Wainwright, Lucy Wainwright, Anna McGarrigle, Ammoye, Carsie Blanton, Jill Barber, Kalascima with Andrea Ramolo, Les Fireflies, Lisa Sanders & Brown Sugar, OKAN, PIQSIQ, Sister Ray, STORRY, Tanika Charles, Terra Spencer, and the Weather Station, plus of course many bands with female members such as Melón Jiménez & Lara Wong, the Trials of Cato, the Vaudevillian, the McDades, Wild Rivers, Rural Alberta Advantage, Fast Romantics, and I, The Mountain.
I have had the good fortune to attend Mariposa for many years and I can't help but think this may be the best of the line-ups - it speaks so clearly to what makes Mariposa the longest running festival in Canada, it speaks to sustainability, to growth, to nurture and to nature. An incredible statement.
As for the guys? Of course the brothers are welcome. Among them, Jeremy Dutcher, Danny Michel, HORSEBATH, Rufus Wainwright, Spencer Burton. One to note is the Paul Langois Band. This is a rare outing for the Tragically Hip member who doesn’t play that many shows at all, probably could count them on one hand really.
The Main Stage schedule has been announced already;
Friday: Mountain City Four ft. Anna McGarrigle & Peter Weldon with special guest Martha Wainwright, Wild Rivers, The Wood Brothers, Matt Andersen & the Big Bottle of Joy
Saturday: Tim Baker, KT Tunstall, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Tegan and Sara
Sunday: Jeremy Dutcher, Judy Collins, Rufus Wainwright, Feist
There are several other stages throughout the festival site of course with schedules forthcoming. There’s also the kid’s area, the artisan village, food trucks, camping, the VW Van gathering, so much, and so great, or rather, so grand!
Gigs This Week: The Screwed at the Dakota Tavern
By Will McGuirk
The Screwed at the Dakota Tavern Saturday Apr 22 2023. Tickets here.
Gigs This Week: Covet at Lee's Palace
By Will McGuirk
Covet at Lee’s Palace Saturday Apr 22 2023. Tickets here.
Gigs This Week: Birds of Bellwoods at Horseshoe Tavern
By Will McGuirk
Birds of Bellwoods at Legendary Horseshoe Tavern Saturday Apr 22 2023. Tickets here.
Gigs This Week: Serena Ryder, KT Tunstall at Massey Hall
Slow Leaves
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: summersets, Slow Leaves, Flasher, Bodywash, Luka Kuplowsky, Mark Bragg, NQ Arbuckle, and Alexis Normand
By Will McGuirk
“I guess these songs serve as a reminder for myself, since I’m forgetful, that all moments are equal in that they pass through us once only in long stretches of boredom or by bursts of love and death. In the meantime, I only hope not to let any more go by unnoticed.” - Grant Davidson, Slow Leaves
‘Perfect Blue’ (the song) is an exploration of the many facets of my own cultural identity. Being both British and Japanese has often felt like a compromise. While it might be easy to romanticize this duality, the reality is that it’s impossible to wholly belong to either culture.” - Chris Steward, Bodywash
“the song is a recognition of the unanswerable. It is an attunement to the spiritual worlds that intersect and illuminate our daily lives.” - Luka Kuplowsky