Toronto and Hamilton Heads...

[shainhouse]

I just completed my regional report, and I'm gonna post it for ya so you know what shows are coming up in the near future, so enjoy.

Welcome to the September/October Ontario regional report! I want to apologize for not writing one in August, as I was away working in California. Now I’m back in Southern Ontario, back at school and ready to let you know about all the killer shows that are happening around the region in the early fall. American bands like the String Cheese Incident and Gov’t Mule are coming back this fall, as well as Canadian staples like The Burt Neilson Band and The Jimmy Swift Band. Anyways, enough babbling about all the great upcoming music; Let us get to it.

Toronto:

Canada’s largest city is always booming with fantastic music, and the early fall is no different. After a summer that brought the fantastic Jazz Festival, the Allmans, Neil Young and Dave Matthews, fall in the city and surroundings towns look fantastic. To start it all off, Blue Quarter will play an NLE presented show at the Rivoli on the 12th. Tickets for that one will be at the door. Electric Meat will be at Clinton’s on the 13th. Cover will be five bones at the door. To cap off a summer of great outdoor shows, Steely Dan will play a rescheduled show on the 14th of September at the Amphitheatre. Tickets are around $50 to see the old rockers support their new release. On the 18th and 19th, Guster will return to Toronto for the first time in over three years as they support Sam Roberts at the Warehouse. Tickets are $20 at ticketmaster. Also on the 19th, The Slackers will invade the Horseshoe while the Stereophonics hit up the Opera House. Tickets will be at the door for both of those intriguing rock shows. On the 20th, Fleetwood Mac will be at the A.C.C. If I could afford this one, I would be there in a second. But unfortunately, I cannot. Still, if you got the funds, go see them. Also on the 20th, The Mahavishnu Project will return to Toronto for a gig at Rockit. These guys pay homage to one of the best jazz-fusion bands of all time, so make sure support the vibe. Jane’s Addiction will play Massey Hall on the 26th while The Irish Descendants hit up the Horseshoe on the same night. Cover is $12.50 in advance for the Descendants and $40 for Jane’s Addiction. On the 29th and 30th, one of the most interesting bands to play Bonnaroo, The Polyphonic Spree, will be at Lee’s Palace. I will most definitely be hitting up this show, so if you got $17.50 to give them at the door, come with me. The Starlight Mints and Corn Mo will support the gig. At the beginning of October, groove-rockers Cavern will play two sets at Clinton’s on the 1st. These guys are fantastic, so if you have $7 to spare, tickets will be at the door. On the 2nd, Ozomatli will return to Canada with a show at the Docks. Their last show in Toronto was cancelled because of 9/11, so if you dig the Latin spiced hip-hop, tickets are at ticketmaster. Calexico will play a two nightstand on the 3rd and 4th of October at Lee’s. I do not know much about this show, so visit Lee’s at Bathurst and Bloor to learn more about it. Also on the 3rd, Yo La Tengo will be at Ryerson University’s Auditorium. Tickets for that one are through ticketmaster. On the 5th, one of the best bands touring the planet right now will visit the illustrious Roy Thompson Hall. Remember Shakti, featuring John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain will return for their first Toronto date in three years. The masters of indo-fusion jazz, these musical masters will take you on a trancendental musical experience that will transport you further than you have ever gone. If you can, put this show on your calendar. Continuing with fantastic music in October, Howie Day, Jump, Little Children and Charlotte Martin will play the ElMo on the 7th. Tickets are $15 at ticketmaster. Zubot and Dawson, one of Canada’s best folk duos, will be at Hugh’s Room on the 8th. Tickets are at the door. On the 9th, Kid Koala will be at the Rivoli. His shows are always a treat, and this time he is bringing along DJ P-Love, DJ Jester and Lederhosen Lucil, so go spend $20 for what is sure to be a great night of eclectic tunes. Also on the 9th, legendary classic rock act The Eagles will play at the A.C.C. Tickets range from $65-200 and are at ticketmaster if desired. Grand Theft Bus will be at the Rivoli on the 11th. This will be their only Toronto date this fall, so make sure to come out and support the hard working east coasters. Also on the 11th, you can check out Electric Meat at C’est What for a measly five bucks or The New Deal at the Opera House. What a busy night of great music in the city with tough decisions to make. On the 13th, two great shows will be happening in the city. Lucinda Williams and the Jayhawks will be at Massey Hall while the ever-popular String Cheese Incident will play the Warehouse. Tickets for both range around $35 and can be found through the lovely monopolizing folks at ticketmaster. On the 15th, Josh Rouse and Leona Ness will be at the Horseshoe. They are both fantastic songwriters, so if that is your bag, head on down with $10 in your wallet. On the 15th, Radiohead will honour a cancelled date at the A.C.C. The show was sold out, but now with a bigger venue, more tickets are sure to be released. Ravi Shankar will play a rescheduled show at Roy Thompson Hall on the 16th. Playing with the daughter Anoushka, the 82 year old is still the world’s greatest. Tickets are not cheap, but well worth it. Also on the 16th, Hamilton politically charged Hip-Hoppers Warsaw Pack will hold a CD Release Party at Lee’s Palace. If you like Spearhead and conscious music, you will love one of the best bands to come out of Hamilton in decades. On the 17th and 18th, Richie Havens will return to Hugh’s Room. Tickets are $45 at the door, so come loaded with money for that one. On the 18th, Gov’t Mule and Chris Robinson’s New Earth Mud will converge upon the Danforth Music Hall for a soulful night of Southern rock. Mule’s show in February was stellar, so get your tickets through none other than ticketmaster for $41.50 plus charges a pop. On the 19th and 20th, tripped out electro-rockers Spiritualized will play the Opera House with Tre¢ Hardson supporting on the 19th and the Soledad Brothers opening up both nights. Tickets are $20 at ticketmaster. The Burt Neilson Band will return to the stage as part of their fall tour at the Horseshoe on the 24th. I personally think the boys should opt for a bigger venue, but they seem to have found a home in Toronto at the ancient tavern. The show will be 19+ and tickets will be available at the door. Also on the 24th, psychedelic rockabilly cowboys White Cowbell Oklahoma will release a CD at Lee’s. I cannot really explain these guys so you just have to go out and see them. To do that, it will cost you $13 at the door. Halloween will bring Travis to Toronto at the Hummingbird Centre. This looks to be an exciting show, so keep close tabs on those monopolizing folks at ticketmaster for that one. On the 1st and 2nd, political hip-hop band The Pharcyde will be at The Opera House for an all ages show. These guys are along the same lines as Warsaw Pack and the fantastic Spearhead, so grab tickets at ticketmaster. Tim O’Brien will bring his bluegrass wizardry to Hugh’s Room on the 1st of November. Great bluegrass does not come around Toronto all that often, so make sure to capitalize on the opportunity. Along with that, DJ Vadim will be at the El Mo on the same night. To start off November, newcomer Gavin DeGraw will join Maroon5 for a show at the Opera House on the 2nd while comedic rockers Ween will hit up Toronto for a show at an undisclosed location on the 3rd. They have not been here since 97’; so do not pass up this one. As for weekly shows around the city, Mondays are packed with Jake & The Blue Midnights at the Cameron House playing the blues, the soulful Laura Hubert at Grossman’s and the always entertaining Sisters Euclid at the Orbit Room. Tuesdays have the Creaking Tree String Quartet at the Cadillac Lounge while Wednesdays boast Crazy Strings at the Silver Dollar and the LMT Connection at the Orbit Room. Thursdays and Fridays are empty with Saturdays bringing the Dexters to the Orbit Room. For any information on any Toronto show, be sure to check out www.jamaholic.com

Hamilton:

The bustling steel town just south of Toronto continues to churn out good music year round, with venues like Pepper Jack’s leading the way in the quest to provide this city with culture. In September and October, the tunes keep coming. Starting out the season, B.C.’s Threat From Outer Space will play Pepper Jack’s on the 19th. These guys are space-funk at its best, so make sure to come out and support. Ottawa’s finest, nero, will join Jomomma for a sweet double bill September 20th at Pepper Jack’s. Tickets will be at the door for that one. On the 26th, Bullmoose will play Mermaid’s as part of their Ontario tour. Five bucks at the door will get you into that one. If you miss the 26th, the band will be at the Underground on the 2nd of October. Also on the 26th, The Eggmen will bring their raucous Beatles tribute to Pepper Jacks. This show will sell out so get there quickly. On the 27th, Diesel Dog will celebrate a CD Release Party at Pepper Jack’s while the Irish Descendants bring their Celtic sounds to The Home Nightclub. Pay at the door for both. The Tower of Power will bring their legendary soul to the Oakville Performing Arts Centre on the 5th and 6th. Only 25 minutes from downtown Hamilton, this trip is definitely worth it. The 5th is sold out, so check the box office for tickets to the 6th. On the 8th, Matchbox Twenty will bring their world tour to Copps Coliseum. If you dig their blend of emotional rock and have $50 to shell out, go to ticketmaster. The Jimmy Swift Band will join Jomomma for a seamless sets extravaganza on October 12th at Pepper Jack’s. Tickets will be at the door for what promises to be a special night. Also at Pepper Jack’s, the venue is planning to hold a massive Halloween party with acts that have yet to be announced. Check out www.jamhub.ca for up-to-date listings. On November 2nd, DJ Vadim will bring his national tour to the Underground. Check the ViewMag for more info. As for weekly gigs, This Way Out plays Mermaid’s on Mondays, the ever popular fantastic open jam at Mermaid’s and Freedom Train at the Lazy Flamingo occupy Tuesdays while Jesse O’Brien plays Pepper Jack’s every Friday from 5-8PM. Saturdays bring the Sanzwill Band to Cactus Jax at Main and Walnut. Never a cover when you party with Sanzwill and finally on Sundays, 33 Hess has their famous jazz night featuring the best musicians in Hamilton, so bring your dancing shoes and a few bucks to the door for a fun night in the village.

Other Big Shows:

Many big shows are dotting the landscape during the season, so here are a few that are worth travelling for. On October 2nd, the North Mississippi Allstars will join the Burt Neilson Band for a night at Barrymore’s in Ottawa. Check out www.jambands.ca for more info. In Montreal, the Burt Neilson Band and Hiway Freeker will play Le Swimming on September 26th while The Addison Groove Project visit the venue on October 10th. Along with that, The Slip will make a triumphant return to the same venue for two sets on October 24th. For more info on any of these shows, check out the band’s respective websites. That is it for this month. Take Care, keep well and I will see you at the next show.

[mister slippery]

nice one, shain, thanks.

PRIMUS????

not good 'nuff fer yer list?

[boogieknight]

I'm pretty sure I saw Ween at the warehouse both in 99 and 00, which would make that the last time they played in TO.

[shainhouse]

This one is only till November 3rd. Primus is the next issue.

[Schwa.]

^^BUMP^^

There, i did it for ya bro.