'Sup in March: Ten Picks

After a couple of months of relatively casual concert going action, it looks like the month of March is going to be a busy one for me, concert-wise. If you couple that with the fact that life is also going to be quite busy life-wise, than you're going to be looking at a fairly exhausted guy come months end. For the most part however, it'll be worth it, since the month promises not to leave me wanting in terms of high quality shows, so here are a few picks if you're looking for something to do.

For more detailed listings, as usual, go check out Stillepost, Zoilus and Jen's Semi-Weekly List (of shows under $10)

1. Joanna Newsom / Kevin Barker @ The Phoenix
(Saturday March 13th; Cost: $28)

I've been listening to Joanna Newsom's (pictured above) latest 3-disc opus Have One On Me over and over and over again this week, which is amazing considering the fact that it is certainly what one could classify as a daunting listen. Her voice may be a tad normalized this time around (no doubt making some people quite happy) but this is still an example of primo Newsom as it showcases her usual penchant for adventure, both lyrically and instrumentally. There are so many layers to peel back throughout this recording that I hope I'll be able to have it fully absorbed in time for the show, which is sure to be a classic performance. [Myspaces: Joanna Newsom, Kevin Barker]

2. Thrush Hermit @ Lee's Palace
(Fri. Mar 26th - Sun. Mar 28th; Cost: $17.50)

The reunion of the boys in Thrush Hermit admittedly brought me mixed feelings since my tastes have changed a little bit over the last 15 years, and I'm fairly indifferent to the solo version of Joel Plaskett. Both this fact, and the other fact that I have not listened to the Thrush for several years had me wondering if the old tunes would still do it for me in my advanced age. Well, I recently dusted off both the Smart Bomb EP and Sweet Homewrecker and I hafta say that both of those albums held up exceptionally well, proving to me that Plaskett's former band truly was a different beast altogether. Two sold out nights at Lee's, with undoubtedly a third one on the way confirms that they've still got the ability to generate some great enthusiasm. [Myspace: Thrush Hermit]

3. Canadian Music Fest @ Various Venues
(Wed. Mar 10th - Sun. Mar 14th; Cost: $63 for the 5-day pass)

To be honest, I'm still perusing the schedule for this one, trying to use the opportunity to focus on bands that I wouldn't normally get to see, but making a decision on what to do ain't coming as easily as it has in the past. I'll keep you posted on some picks in relation to this as we get closer to the date. [Myspace: Canadian Music Fest]

4. Language-Arts/ The Pinecones / Allie Hughes @ The Garrison
(Friday March 5th; Cost: $6)

Vancouver's Language-Arts are an amazing band that I only recently was introduced to, but within seconds of listening to their debut LP Where Were You In The Wild, I knew that this band was going to be right up my alley. Their airy and organic tones, in theory, should really serve as a contrast to Kristen Cudmore's pixie-ish vocals, but the pairing is one of pure magic as the compositions themselves are abstract works of art that defy characterization by showcasing something new with every listen. This is mesmerizing stuff that I'm curious to see how it will translate to the live stage. [Myspaces: Language-Arts, The Pinecones, Allie Hughes]

5. David Ford @ The Drake
(Tuesday March 9th; Cost: $11.50)

At first listen, David Ford doesn't seem like much, as his vocals are certainly not all that unfamiliar and the songs themselves at first seem like your typical pop fare. But as you let his sounds linger a bit, it becomes apparent that there is some pretty impressive Tom Waits-ian lyricism taking place, not to mention the articulate musicianship that refuses to limit itself within the confines of the 3 or 4 minute pop song. The looping machine is being used by many these days, but I guarantee that you have never seen it used to the impressive extent that it is used by this multi-instrumentalist, to the point that you can actually hear the sound of a full stadium band emanating from that stage, even though Ford may be the only person up there. If you haven't seen him live yet and you appreciate pure musicianship, than you owe it to yourself to be at The Drake on March 9th. [Myspace: David Ford]

6. Scout Niblett / Picastro @ The Horseshoe
(Wednesday March 17th; Cost: $11.50)

Scout Niblett is the perfect antidote for those who are suffering from "lack of rawness" syndrome. Too many artists start out with an intensely raw sound, only to trade it in for delicacy later on. (I'm looking at you Chan Marchall). Scout Niblett, on the other hand, is about as raw as it gets, with a sound that encapsulates all that grunge attempted to create, without actually be grungy at all. In fact, Scout probably has more in common with P.J. Harvey than Kurt Cobain, but if you're in the mood for some a little bit harsher than usual, her show comes highly recommended. [Myspaces: Scout Niblett, Picastro]

7. Spoon / Deerhunter / The Strange Boys @ Sound Academy
(Monday March 29th; Cost: $32.50)

There was a lot of excitement generated by this double bill, featuring the consistently catchy indie rock of Spoon and the atmospheric, yet still mildly hooky, ambient-punk of Deerhunter. While I'd imagine that a certain majority of the crowd will be there for Britt Daniel's band, I really hope that many will show up early enough to catch Bradford Cox's band, since they really are awesome live. I, however, won't be there in time for either since I think I've lost my ability to not be grumpy when I'm at the Sound Academy. Yep, don't think I'm in the mood for that. [Myspaces: Spoon, Deerhunter, The Strange Boys]

8. Justin Townes Earle / Joe Pug @ The Horseshoe
(Monday March 1st; Cost: $15)

When your father is a country legend and you're named after another country legend, I think it's safe to say that certain expectations are going to be pretty dang high. Well, if there was one thing proven by last year's Midnight At The Movies, it was that Justin is not one for undermining the aforementioned expectations. He may have definite similarities to his father Steve and his mentor Townes, but Justin Townes Earle is very much an individual songwriter and performer that is all his own, and from what I've heard, he puts on a pretty impressive live show too.  [Myspaces: Justin Townes Earle, Joe Pug]

9. Rodrigo y Gabriela @ The Phoenix
(Friday March 5th, Cost: $29.50)

I was recently thinking that I simply don't cover enough jazz tinged, acoustic guitar, instrumental duos from Mexico on this here blog, so I figured Rodrigo y Gabriela's show at The Phoenix would be an excellent opportunity to do so. Seriously though, Rodrigo Sánchez' natural abilities on lead guitar coupled with Gabriela Quintero's accompaniment on rhythm guitar is one of those great musical wonders of the world that I don't get the chance to see too often these days. [Myspace: Rodrigo y Gabriela]

10. The Besnard Lakes @ The Horseshoe
(Thursday March 11th; Cost: $16)

I would've assumed that The Besnard Lakes were big enough to fill a larger capacity venue than The Horseshoe by now, but I guess that the collective longing for neo-progressive orchestral flourishing isn't as intense as I thought. Perhaps the release of their upcoming new disc entitled The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night will be epic enough to change that, In the meantime, smaller venues seem to be the way to go for this trippy outfit, and if The Horseshoe is still a little too large scale for you, than perhaps you can catch their instore performance the day before (March 10th) at Criminal Records at 6:30pm. [Myspace: The Besnard Lakes]

Honorable Mentions:
Steam Whistle Unsigned #13 takes place at the Steam Whistle Brewing Club featuring three of the city's finest in Make Your Exit, Everything All The Time and Dinosaur Bones (Mar. 5th / $5); TWM 58 looks pretty interesting, boasting a lineup including BA Johnston, Racoon Wedding and Andrew Vincent (Mar. 6th / $7); Brooklyn's Vivian Girls are playing The Wrongbar (Mar. 10th, $14); my friends Maned Young Lions are at The Horseshoe (Mar. 15th / FREE); and finally, one of my favourite local alt-country acts Elvyn is celebrating the release of their new album The Decline at The Silver Dollar with The Champion Heartache opening for them. That show takes place on March 26th (Cost: TBA)

Where I'll Be:
I've already got my tickets for Joanne Newsom, David Ford and Thrush Hermit, and I'm pretty positive I'll be going to see Language-Arts as well. Canadian Music Fest is pretty much a sure thing whether I'm officially accredited or not. I'll also be checking out as many instores as I can, including Zeus at Soundscapes on March 6th, as well as whatever other ones I can squeeze into my schedule. Gonna be a busy one peoples, so we'll see how I fare.

NXNE Extra Series: My Morning Jacket w/ The Besnard Lakes @ Kool Haus

When I first heard Evil Urges, my initial reaction was to wonder just exactly what particular evil it was that urged My Morning Jacket to record this album. I admire their desire to experiment with new ideas, but I also thought the switch from deep fried southern jam rock to funky experimental Prince-like falsetto was just a little bit too drastic for my tastes. Upon further listening, if I try real hard, I guess I can still hear the quality musicianship of these five boys from Kentucky, although I can't say that the album has really grown on me with time. However, since I listen to their earlier works with reasonable regularity these days, I figured it would still be awesome to catch their live show, since I've still never done it. That, and I knew there was a good chance of getting in to see them with my NXNE badge. I also figured that even if the new material doesn't translate too well to the live stage, I can always count on The Besnard Lakes, who were the openers of the evening.

I realize that it's not for everybody, but I think that a live performance by The Besnard Lakes is always a trip. Jace Lasek and his significant other Olga Goreas have a way of creating psychedelic sounds that seemingly have the ability to transcend space and time. If you wanna talk about a cool sounding falsetto, Jace has got it. It comes across to me as sounding as if Brian Wilson had chilled out in a sandbox full of helium as opposed to, um, sand. The vocals are a very unique contrast to the spacey sounds and haunting lyrics emanating from these Montreal mysterians. The set was rather short this time, only about six or seven songs, but as we all know, their songs are certainly anything but brief. From what I can remember, they mostly stuck with songs from Are The Dark Horse, their Polaris prize nominated sophomore. Devastation sounded incendiary and Disaster was also a highlight.

Photos: The Besnard Lakes @ Kool Haus on flickr
Myspace: The Besnard Lakes
Download: And You Lied To Me mp3


Thanks to my photographer friend Walid, who was standing right in the designated photo pass section, I was able to catch a sneak peak at the MMJ setlist beforehand, since he took a picture of it. The setlist gave me mixed feelings. On the one hand, it looked great because it featured a decent handful of songs from At Dawn and It Still Moves. The encore in particular looked killer. However there seemed to be way too many songs from Z, which was their last album and one that I also didn't like that much. The set list also just looked long. Period. That worried me since I had just come off quite the whirlwind of a rock 'n roll weekend and I didn't know if I had the stamina left for a two hour show. So that sounds like an awful lot of negativity going in, doesn't it? And what was the final verdict?

Well, basically there's a reason why My Morning Jacket is considered by many to be one of the best live acts out there these days. This show was one fantastically solid jam. The band was beyond tight, and you didn't have to be a musician yourself to figure out that these guys are masters at their craft. Jim James clearly loves what he's doing, and he certainly should be campaigning as a candidate for most dynamic performer. He's also got the chops to back up such claims. There were moments where he donned a cape, and there were also times when he slid across the floor in a rock star pose while singing his little heart out. All the band members are spectacular, but drummer Patrick Hallahan in particular is an animal (as can be seen in the photo I took above!) I thought the songs from Z sounded a little bit more fleshed out in a live setting, and I feel that the same is sort of true for some of the Evil Urges tunes, only less so. (I will add that there is simply no saving Highly Suspicious, a truly dreadful song as far as I'm concerned.)

As I anticipated, the encore was money, featuring Steam Engine, Run Thru and One Big Holiday. These songs are tailor made for the live stage, and the majestic sounds that these killer jams created busted through that Kool Haus stage with reckless abandon, leaving me intensely satisfied! That satisfaction was saturated in zealous fatigue, and my feet felt as if they has accidentally been charcoaled on a George Forman grill, but otherwise, I think the evening, as well as the rest of the NXNE festival was a rousing success.

Photos: My Morning Jacket @ Kool Haus on flickr
Myspace: My Morning Jacket
Download: Evil Urges mp3


And so ends my coverage of this year's festival. I had a lot of fun being introduced to new bands at the same time as checking out some of my old local reliables. I hope that next year the festival doesn't coincide as much with so many personal non-festival related activities, but I think that this is probably wishful thinking since June is always a busy time of year for me. I am sorry that I missed out on the Six Shooter Records sponsored free backyard bbq event, and I would've liked to catch some of the in-store performances, but this is the busy life that I lead. I still think that 18 bands in 4 days is making pretty good use of my badge, and by far the majority of them were gooder than good, so yay me! Here's to doing it all again next year!

'Sup In June?

Short answer? Tons. Grab yourself a drink and some cereal, sit back and relax because this is going to be one lengthy post. June is a month of legends and NXNE and it's going to be so full of the rawk that I'm going to make sure that I chill out a little bit in July. I won't pull another January hiatus or anything, but I'm fairly sure that June is going to cause me some significant wipe out action.

Things get all started tomorrow night when I see the reunited Eric's Trip at The Mod Club. For those that aren't in the know, the Trip are one of the truly great lo-fi bands of the 90's, cranking out four official CD's and several independent EP's and cassette releases during that time. Since then, Rick White and Julie Doiron have gone on to have some more success in their own write, but nothing compares to the insane heartbreak fueled distortion that they created when they were together. I've been listening to Love Tara and Forever Again all day today in preparation for the show, and it's amazing how well those songs hold up. Can you tell I'm excited? When picking up the tickets, the brother at Soundscapes told me that I should be sure not to miss the opening bands because they're also spectacular. He's got impeccable taste so I'll take his word for it. They are Quest For Fire and $100.

Myspace: Eric's Trip
Myspace: Quest For Fire
Myspace: $100.

If seeing Eric's Trip isn't enough, Sunday June 8th marks the day that I FINALLY see R.E.M. In the next few days, I'll be composing my love letter to R.E.M. that will help you more fully understand why this is such a big deal for me, but for now let's just say that, in many ways, R.E.M. has made me the obsessive musical compulsive that I am today. Also, Accelerate is their best album in 15 years. The opening bands are not too shabby either and you may have heard of them also. They are Modest Mouse and The National. Familiar with them? Opening for R.E.M. should give them that little push that they need in their little careers. (YES! Sarcasm, give me more!!!) It's been a long time since I've been to a show in an amphitheater setting, so we'll see how I handle being in the 200 level as opposed to being up front like I always am. Hopefully I don't get too grumpy.

Myspace: R.E.M.
Myspace: Modest Mouse
Myspace: The National
Video: R.E.M's Hollow Man on youtube

Which brings us to NXNE! Boy, did I have a hard time deciding where I was going to go. There's a lot of great stuff going on, but a whole whack of conflicts as well. However I think that I discovered a feasible schedule that has the greatest number of good bands with the least amount of traveling. So take a deep breath .... and here goes:

The fest doesn't officially start until Thursday June 12, but there are a few early shows that are part of the NXNE-Extra series. Wednesday night (June 11) I'll be trying to attend Lightspeed Champion at Lee's Palace. This might be tricky since the press badges are not available for pick up until Thursday at noon, but I'm trying to see what I can do. I'd like to get in though because I think that this will be an incredibly fun way to get the festival started.

Myspace: Lightspeed Champion

On Thursday night (June 12), I plan on making my way to The Supermarket to see Cancel Winter (10pm), followed by Amos The Transparent (11pm). Amos' Jonathan Chandler eluded to the fact that this was going to be a very exciting and different show the last time that he was in town, so I'm looking forward to finding out what he meant by that. I would go and check out Sloan at The Mod Club, but I'm not available until 10, and they come on at 9. However, there's a rumour circulating that they will be heading on up to Lee's Palace afterwards for a 1am show. If said rumour is true, then I'll be leaving after Amos The Transparent's set and heading down to Lee's. If not, then I'll just stay put and check out Great Bloomers (midnight). Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

Myspace: Cancel Winter
Myspace: Amos The Transparent
Myspace: Sloan
Myspace: Great Bloomers
Stream: Sloan's Parallel Play on yeproc records.

And here's a short list of the band's that I also want to see but can't due to there only being one of me: The John Henry's (Criminal Records @ 7pm & Dakota Tavern @ 10pm); Krief's Black Diamond Bay (Clinton's @ midnight); Danielle Duval (C'est What @ 10pm); Melissa McClelland (Dakota Tavern @ 11pm); The Coast (The Horseshoe @ 9pm); Two Hours Traffic (Rivoli @ midnight) and Key Witness (Velvet Underground @ 8pm)

I'm going to try to start things off a little bit earlier on Friday night (June 13) by zipping on down to Yonge and Dundas Square to see Hospital Bombers at 8pm, followed by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at 9. The rest of the evening was very difficult to choose but I think I settled on seeing Julie Doiron (11pm), followed by Evan Dando (midnight) at The Horseshoe. I loved The Lemonheads but they're another band that falls into the love 'em but never seen 'em section of my life. Afterwards I might take a chance and tunnel through the center of the Earth to catch Swervedriver (1am) at Lee's, but I'm really not going to get my hopes up for that.

Myspace: Hospital Bombers
Myspace: The Lemonheads
Myspace: Julie Doiron
Myspace: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Myspace: Swervedriver
Download: Julie Doiron's No More mp3

Download: Julie Doiron's Snow Falls In November mp3


And here are the acts that I wanna see but cannot on Friday night: Will Currie and the County French (Drake Hotel @ midnight); Ruby Coast (Drake Hotel @ 9pm); Songs From A Room (El Mocambo @ 9pm); Jason Plumb and the Willing (Gladstone @ 11pm); Beth In Battle Mode (Holy Joe's @ 11pm); Oh No Forest Fires (Kathedral @ 9pm); the whole line-up at The Reverb was very very tempting, namely The Priddle Concern (9pm); Great Lake Swimmers (10pm); Laura Barrett (11pm); The Meligrove Band (midnight); and Justin Rutledge (1am). Missing Fox Jaws (Rivoli @ midnight) and Golden Hands Before God Conducts Incredible Magic Band And The Spirit (Savannah Room @ midnight) is also killing me! But I had to go with Dando because opportunities to see him are far less frequent than the other local bands. And I've seen Fox Jaws five times. And I'll likely see them many more times. This year.

And now for Saturday night (June 14th)! If Thursday and Friday night are as action packed as I think they'll be, then I'm going to look forward to spending time with my wife on Saturday because it is our anniversary. 11 years! Where does the time go?

However, once dinner and a movie is done, the wife and I are still planning on catching a couple of shows and here's the plan. Spiral Beach (10pm), followed by Hey Rosetta! (11pm) at The Horseshoe. Some may feel it's sacreligious to exit before Matt Mays and El Torpedo (midnight) takes the stage, but I've been looking forward to the next show at Lee's Palace for a long time. We start with Miss Derringer (midnight), followed by another blast from the past in Redd Kross (1am). Should be fun! If we still have an unbelievable amount of energy, then we might go to El Mocambo to see Patrick Krief's latest project entitled Black Diamond Bay (2am) But probably not.

Myspace: Spiral Beach
Myspace: Hey Rosetta!
Myspace: Miss Derringer
Myspace: Redd Kross
Download: Spiral Beach's New Clouds Hot Clouds EP for free at Zunior.com

I wish that I could see these bands too but alas, I cannot: Entire Cities (Cadillac Lounge @ 1am); Revival Dear (Cadillac Lounge @ midnight); The Two Koreas (El Mocambo @ 11pm); The iSpies (El Mocambo @ 10pm); The 6ixty 8ights (Hideout @ midnight); Serena Postel (Free Times Cafe @ 11pm); Tin Bangs (Kathedral @ 1am); Grace Emily's (Neu+ral Lounge @ 8pm); Foxfire (Reverb @ 11pm); Magneta Lane (Rivoli @ 1am); Matthew Barber (Rivoli @ 10pm); Spookey Ruben (Yonge-Dundas Square @ 7pm) and Bran Van 3000 (Yonge-Dundas Square @ 9pm)

Exhausted yet? If you've read this far, you're the king. But wait there's more! On Monday (June16), I'm breaking my promise and actually going back to the Kool Haus to catch Besnard Lakes with the mighty mighty My Morning Jacket, one of the greatest live bands ever in the world ever. I am puh-huh-mped about this one!

Myspace: Besnard Lakes
Myspace: My Morning Jacket
Download: Besnard Lakes' And You Lied To Me mp3

Download: Besnard Lakes' For Agent 13 mp3


And so ends my ridiculously full month of June. Unless you include Ohbijou with Jill Barber at Harbourfront Center on June 28th. Which I don't see any reason why you wouldn't.

Myspace: Ohbijou
Myspace: Jill Barber
Download: Ohbijou's St. Francis mp3

Download: Ohbijou's Steep mp3


Whew.

The Besnard Lakes and Young Galaxy w/The Airfields

Right off the bat, the "unbelievable" lineup that I was sooo enthused about just a few days earlier, had suddenly become less unbelievable when, again due to another Visa situation, New Buffalo had to back out of the lineup. (That seems to be happening a lot these days.) This made me quite grumpy since, in many ways, she was the one that I was looking forward to the most. However, life goes on, and your respectably unbalanced blogger soldiered forth anyways to check out the other great bands on the roster, namely Young Galaxy and The Besnard Lakes.

I had read some early reviews about Young Galaxy that were less than stellar, basically suggesting that the band was a little bit dull in a live setting. I'm sorry, but either the band had improved in giant leaps and bounds, or previous reviewers were accidentally attending another show. I say this because the band that I saw on Friday night was lively, energetic, funny and endearing. Many people compare them to Stars, but I think that this must be due to the fact that lead vocalist Stephen Ramsay was part of the live version of Stars for a brief stint. The fact is that while Stars would remain perched on my right shoulder encouraging me to be happy, YG sit more comfortably on my left shoulder, telling me that life ain't so grand. Their music is far more dark and mysterious than their label mates, which makes the album an altogether different listening experience as far as I'm concerned. The same is not true concerning their live show. Stephen was quite witty in his stage banter while other vocalist Catherine McCandless (his significant other) showed grace and poise while laughing at his oft bizarre observations. On top of that her vocals, in particular, were pure heaven.

Photos: Young Galaxy @ The Horseshoe flickr
Download: Swing Your Heartache mp3
Myspace: Young Galaxy
Video: Come And See youtube

Couple number two came in the form of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas of The Besnard Lakes. If you've heard "Are The Dark Horse" then you would likely acknowledge that, although it takes a little bit of patience, it is an incredibly satisfying release. Like the album, the concert was an all-out musical assault, as the band attacked us with an intense barrage of psychedelic eruptions that made my hair fly back on more than a couple of occasions. (For those who know me personally, lack of hair jokes are inappropriate and not funny right now, ok?) While they were singing, the Beach Boy-like harmonies were uplifting, which made for an interesting dynamic when they would subside to allow the band to play very very loudly! I mean it was really quite loud. But that's OK with me, as the band brought their "A" game and the playing was tight and enthralling, especially to an unabashed prog-head like myself. I have to admit that, for a while, it looked as though the band had peaked early, as the highlight for me seemed to be right near the start of their set. However, the last three songs of the night were so good it was frightening. And seriously, you have not experienced anything until you've experienced "And You Lied To Me" in a live setting. By the way, the third couple of the evening would probably be the dueling smoke machines that took place during both Young Galaxy and Besnard Lakes' sets. I've suffocated through house fires with less smoke than what was coming out of those machines. But hey, that's rock 'n roll.

Photos: The Besnard Lakes @ The Horseshoe flickr
Download: And You Lied To Me mp3
Myspace: The Besnard Lakes
Video: For Agent 13 youtube

I also wanted to briefly mention the openers that night, who were a local band called The Airfields. Yes, I was very disappointed that New Buffalo was no longer on the bill, but I was determined not to let that kill my mood completely. Although the sound quality left much to be desired, overall I thought the band was pretty good. I felt that they gave off a little bit of a Stone Roses vibe, perhaps mixed in with a touch of My Bloody Valentine. The songs were concise slices of shoegaze pop, complete with whirring keyboards and slightly muffled vocals. From the songs I've sampled on their website, I think they were short changed a little bit on Friday night, due to the poor sound quality of their set. However, they put on a solid show in spite of the circumstances, and I'm sure I'll get the chance to see them again soon.

Photos: The Airfields @ The Horseshoe
Download: Lonely Halls mp3
Myspace: The Airfields
Video: Red Fox youtube

Coming Up...

So this is going to be one of those quick and tossed off sort of posts, but I thought I'd just fill you in on what I'm up to, and not up to, musically-wise, for the week ahead.

In the "not-up-to" category, The National, are playing at The Phoenix tomorrow night. I had every intention of going to this one since I've heard several reputable sources say that they have put on some of the best shows of the year. However, in my foolishness, I assumed that they weren't really that popular, and there should be no problem getting tickets closer to the show date. I snoozed and therefore, I lost. This one's sold out kiddies, so if you managed to get a ticket, let me know how it went. Or give yours to me. Whatever.

Neil Young is playing three dates at Massey Hall and the tickets are beyond expensive. So I likely won't be going to that one but, on Tuesday, I have been invited to the launch party for Borrowed Tunes II: A Tribute to Neil Young over at the Gibson Guitar Artist Showroom. I realize that this is nowhere near the same thing as seeing the actual Neil, but there are still going to be some performances from some artists that I'm actually quite fond of. Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Melissa McClelland, Liam Titcomb and others will be performing the great songs of Neil. I'm quite looking forward to it.

I had mentioned earlier that the greatest local indie rock draws in the city these days come to us courtesy of Two Way Monologues. Wednesday marks the kickoff of a new series entitled Wallet Friendly Indie: 3 bands for 3 bucks. TWM Showcases have always been very well supported, often boasting over 120 or so in attendance. Wednesday's lineup at Rancho Relaxo is headlined by The Stables (formerly known as The Kent Boys), with sets by The Deadbeat Dads and Boxes and Bags. While we're on the subject, the next TWM Showcase #5 is extra-exciting in that it has none other than Patrick Krief of The Dears headlining. If you haven't seen him live, it's been recommended that you definitely do so. I hear his guitar work is insane! That show is also at Rancho on Friday October 19th, with Schomberg Fair and Obviously Five Believers supporting.

And finally, on Friday, The Horseshoe has a lineup that is so unbelievable that I can't believe it! It is a night of glorious Arts & Crafts wonderment as The Besnard Lakes are supported by Young Galaxy and New Buffalo. If you haven't heard "The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse" than you have been missing out on one of the most triumphant releases of the year. Same goes for both Young Galaxy and New Buffalo, the latter's new album being a very captivating album that I actually feel rivals Feist's "The Reminder." For those that don't know, New Buffalo is actually Sally Seltmann from Australia, who co-wrote Feist's mega-hit "1,2,3,4" from the aforementioned album. I had seen only a smidge of Young Galaxy earlier this year, but had to leave due to a mild case of nausea. I'm assuming that the problem was internal and had nothing to do with their performance, and thus I am really pumped about checking them out, ailment free.

More upcoming interesting shows that I may or may not attend:
Great Northern - Lee's Palace - October 17th
Scout Niblett - Silver Dollar - October 23rd
Rogue Wave - Mod Club - October 26th
The Sadies - November 2nd - Lee's Palace
The Sadies - November 3rd - The Horseshoe
Amos The Transparent - November 8th - The Horseshoe
The Weakerthans with Jenn Grant - November 7-8th - The Phoenix
Ohbijou - November 9th - Lee's Palace
The Pipettes - November 18th - Lee's Palace (rescheduled from what was supposed to be last Friday Night at The Opera House. If you already have tix, you can use them for the change)
Stars - November 26-28th - The Phoenix (got my tix for this one already too. Wednesday show. Way excited.)