Alt Country Canada - Live Shows

Alt Country Fun at NXNE

2007-05-17T15:22:00.000-04:00

The tunerustler will be at NXNE 2007 June 7-9 and stomping and knee slapping to the great lineup at Lee's Palace Thursday and Friday nights.

Thursday June 7

Oh Susanna 9pm
Kathleen Edwards 10pm
Jim Bryson 11pm
Justin Rutledge 12am
Special Guest? 1am
Luke Doucet & Melissa McClelland 2am

Friday June 8

Jim Lauderdale 10pm
Rock Plaza Central 11pm
John Doe Friday 1am

Some other bands to note as part of NXNE here in Toronto:

The Dakota Tavern Saturday Night

Ox, 9 pm
$outhpaw 10pm
Fox Jaws, 11pm
Captain Tractor, 12am
Entire Cities, 1am

If you are at the conference, be on the lookout for two new tracks from Jason Paul Johnston on the bandpush compilation CD available for the first 1500 NXNE conference registrants.

Ormstown Branches and Roots Music Festival

2006-04-20T16:33:00.000-04:00

Ormstown Branches and Roots Music Festival
July 28, 29, & 30, 2006

http://www.ormstownfair.com/Roots/Roots_e.htm

Featuring the likes of Terry Joe Banjo, the Echo Hunters and Mike O'Brien. Git there and git pickin!

Cowboy Junkies - Feb 4 2006 Toronto

2006-02-04T20:00:00.000-05:00

One of Canada's original alt-country bands. Like many of the bands listed here, they would both define and defy the genre.

Cowboy Junkies
February 4, 2006
Massey Hall
Toronto, ON
Opening for Colin James
Tickets on sale August 22 here

The Sadies - Live Concerts 2006

2006-01-26T22:25:00.000-05:00

January 26 Cambellford, ON Arron Theater

February 1 Waterloo, ON Starlight w/ Heavy Trash

Feb 3rd and 4th Toronto, ON Lee's Palace - Special Live Recordings - Very special guests include: The Good Brothers, Blue Rodeo, Neko Case, Heavy Trash, Gary Louris, Kelly Hogan, Jon Langford and the Unintended!!

February 16 Kingston, ON Queen's University Grad Club
February 23 Oshawa, ON Catch 22

You can stay on top of all the Sadies live gigs here on the Sadies official website

Crazy Strings - High and Lonesome Wednesdays in Toronto

2006-01-16T22:31:00.000-05:00

If yer moseying about the Toronto area, check out "High and Lonesome Wednesdays" at the Silver Dollar on Spadinafeaturing what is called "Crazy Strings." A mix of local bluegrass artists including Chris Coole, Chris Quinn and Andrew Collins of the Foggy Hogtown Boys. Wednesdays, 9:30pm at the Silver Dollar Room, Toronto.

Iron & Wine, Calexico, Salvador Duran Live Show Review

2006-01-10T10:44:00.000-05:00

Iron and Wine, Calexico, Salvador Duran Live Concert Review
Dec. 9th at The Docks in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The only disappointing aspect of this marathon of music is that I didn't wear better shoes. I don't mean better in terms of trying to fit into the latest trends sporting the 2000 plus audience of mostly twenty-somethings. I means shoes that would keep me stable for the over four hour concert, cemented within easy distance not wanting to miss a beat. I think I could have checked my coat as well, so only two disappointments among a tremendous evening of shifting musicians and their stirring soundscapes.

The show was divided into four parts, each one featuring one of the four artist collaborations in this order: Calexico, Salvador Duran (solo), Iron & Wine and then a final hour with the entire cast and crew it seemed. The tour and concert centered around their lasted CD collaborative effort "In the Reins" which features Iron & Wine with Calexico as well as help by Salvador Duran.

Calexico started the evening as people seemed to still be lumbering in, and they themselves seemed to take a few songs to warm up to the crowd, or maybe it was the sub zero Toronto night striking their Arizona skin. Before long they are comfortable as if they were playing a barrio in their home town or a birthday in their back yard. Still, Calexico proper was still a mild warm-up for what was to come.

My guess is that very few listeners could understand Salvador Duran's collection of Spanish songs, but they understood that this was one talented musician, deep into his Popengo style (Not Flamenco as one might assume). Besides his strong tenor voice and percussive Spanish guitar, Salvador was like a one man band. Some songs he played harmonica, some he would stomp his boots on his standing box, some he would make donkey squeals and clip clop percussion with his mouth or spaghetti western whistling introductions. There were times when it seem he was doing them all at once, creating a tumbling collection of melody and clatter. After each song the audience erupted into cheers returned with a mature graciousness by this silver haired troubadour. His passionate lines transcended the cultural and language barrier (Do we even have Mexicans in Canada?) and seemed to reach into each heart pulling them a little closer south of the border of our southern border.

I walked into this concert at "the Docks" in Toronto not knowing what to expect. My familiarity was with Calexico and the new collaborative album, and not with Iron & Wine's folksy Sam Beam. So, I assumed (in self centered fashion) that most others were also coming to see Calexico (who happened to be there with Iron & Wine). As Sam Bean, sister and band took the stage for the third official set it was very clear that these people were here to see Iron & Wine, who happened to be touring with Calexico. The audience almost tripled in size after Salvador finished, pushed us about eight feet closer to the stage and seemed to hang silently on every line of the whispery, bearded poet. Iron & Wine's set started almost as understated as the people themselves with Sam Beam and sister Sarah harmonizing over accordion squeezes by Calexico front man Joey Burns.

About 12pm the full band configuration took the stage their shuffling into positions did not prepare me for the wall of sound they would create. I counted 17 musicians, playing their title track "In the Reins," their instruments in perfect cue and place like a southwestern orchestra. Trumpets, guitars (slide, bass, electrics and acoustics), vibraphones, multiple vocals, two drums sets, various percussion including Salvador on mouth pops and clicks. If technology ever grows from 5.1 surround sound to 17.1, it might represent what we heard that night, but until then it is one experience where you just had to be there. Truly a wall of sound, each part with their own voice and line to play. Quickly they shifted into their grooviest song of the CD, "Red Dust." And passed from one song to another, drifting through their complete seven song collaborative EP.

Even though the hour was late, and most of our feet had taken enough, we clapped for one more song and they returned to the stage with their final song, "Prison on Route 41." It talks much of family and reminded me of the entire experience that night watch the various band configurations during the night. Like brothers and sisters, cousins and fathers of different families, they would join in varying lineups as the sets unfolded. Changing instruments for many of these talented artists seemed effortless. This was mostly due to the versatility of the Calexico band members. One Musician shifting from trumpet, to vibraphones, to accordion within a few songs. They seemed to be like one big musical extended family tree, waiting side stage in smiling support, stepping in happily to provide background rhythmic clapping or sing lead vocals. It appeared not to matter which role they played, as long as someone was playing the music they loved. And this made me love them and the music even more. And it actually made me love music even more, which is exactly what a good concert will encourage you to do.

Calexico with Iron & Wine - Canadian Tour Dates

2005-12-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

These pard'ners know how to pick and yodel! Calexico with Iron & Wine complement their incredible collaborative CD "In the Reins" with a joint tour. Catch them on one of their only two shows in Canada:

12/08/05
Calexico with Iron & Wine
Spectrum De Montreal
Montreal, QC
Click here for Venue/Ticket information

12/09/05
Calexico with Iron & Wine
The Docks
Toronto ON
Click here for Venue/Ticket information

Official Calexico Website Here

Official Iron & Wine Website Here

The Backstabbers - gig listings

2005-11-30T12:15:00.000-05:00

The Backstabbers, from Toronto, are swinging that old-timey country and always up to some local shows. And they seem to shake the rest of the alt country critters out of their boots too. You never know who you'll see at their shows.

See a list of current Backstabbers Gigs here

Kathleen Edwards Live Show Review Nov. 11 2005

2005-11-12T10:47:00.000-05:00

Kathleen Edwards Live Show Review
Friday Nov. 11, 2005
The Underground, Hamilton Ontario
Joel Plaskett opening

Puppy Love in Hamilton
by Jason Johnston

The question that remains is this: Has Kathleen Edwards claimed Hamilton more than Hamilton has claimed her? As an outsider from Mississauga, I felt at times I was playing chaperone for two love sick teenagers swooning over each another:

Kathleen: "I love you."
Crowd: "No, I love you."
Kathleen: "I love you more."
Crowd: "No, I love YOU more."
Kathleen: "I f**king love YOU, Hamilton!"

Ahh...the pure and honest sentiments of puppy love. Regardless, the hometown welcome was endering from the opening track. The hour and a half set mostly meandered through her new album, "Back to Me", with occasional dips into her earlier full length CD "Failer."

Without a doubt, Kathleen possesses that rare skill of rocking the house then bringing it down. Like when Kathleen sang “Mercury,” almost sighing with the words, “Wanna go get high?” combined with husband/guitarist Colin Cripps and his plaintive harmonies backing her in the chorus. It coaxes the listener to sway with their loved one and hold back a tear or two. Then, turning on a dime, Kathleen and band jams out with “Six O’Clock News” causing the fifty-five year old man in front of me to pump his finger wildly in the air with excitement. Certainly Kathleen's appeal will only grow in the months to come. As the local sports announcer said before the show began, “There will be a time very soon where you will not be able to get this close to Kathleen Edwards.” I believe it.

Certainly, the synergy of the band was obvious. Joel Anderson on drums, Kevin McCarragher playing bass, hubby Colin Cripps electric guitars and with Ottawa singer-songwriter Jim Bryson sitting in on guest guitar. Though they seldom strayed from the CD arrangements (not even to allow Kathleen an extra bar to switch guitars mid-song) they were tight and energetic.

Kathleen closed with the in-your-face confidence of "Back to Me" which was an obvious crowd favourite. She returned for an encore beckoned by clear applause. Introducing the simple acoustic song, she explained that she had writers block for a year and almost immediately moving to Hamilton this year she wrote this song. More clapping welcomed the theme which was about a girl being abducted. Not exactly a Hamilton Tiger Cats fight song, but its somber tone found connection to a near silent pool of listeners.

About 12:30 the show was winding down. Kathleen announced her voice was shot so she would only do loud songs to close off the night. I looked around to find many of the people who were talking through the first of half of the performance had now left. The crowd was now about 2/3 the size, lacking watchers around the edges of the floor at Hamilton’s “Underground.” I've heard it said that some people don't want anything to do with love, but are in love the idea of “being in love.” I wondered this about the Hamilton crowd, did they truly love Kathleen Edwards, or did they love the idea that she was now their own? In a world of rock and roll disconnect, perhaps this more love than we can expect, and maybe as much as both Hamilton and Kathleen Edwards need.

Kathleen Edwards - Nov. 10th, 2005 at the Phoenix, Toronto

2005-11-10T23:00:00.000-05:00

Kathleen Edwards is quickly becoming Canada's alt-country poster girl. She's a solid songwriter and vocalist tracking with a pretty killer band right now. If you are around Toronto you should definately check out this show.

KATHLEEN EDWARDS
SUPPORT: JOEL PLASKETT
LEGAL AGE 19/R126007780
PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE
410 SHERBOURNE
Toronto, ON
THU NOV 10, 2005 DRS 8PM

Check out HOB canada for tickets

Kathleen Edwards - Canadian Tour dates Nov 2005

2005-11-03T17:35:00.000-05:00

Here are all the current Canadian Tour dates for Kathleen Edwards - Nov. 2005

Thurs Nov 3 Montreal, QC
@ Cabaret Music Hall
2111 St. Laurent QUE H2X 2T7
tickets: $15
w/ Joel Plaskett

Fri Nov 4 Ottawa, ON
@ Capital Music Hall
200 Rideau St
tickets: $18.50 19 +
w/ Joel Plaskett

Wed Nov 9 Waterloo, ON
@ Starlight Room
47 A King Street N.
tickets: $15/$20
w/ Joel Plaskett

Thurs Nov 10 Toronto, ON
@ Phoenix Concert Theatre
410 Sherbourne St
tickets: $18.50
w/ Joel Plaskett

Fri Nov 11 Hamilton, ON
@ The Underground
41 St Catharine St N
tickets: $18/$20
w/ Joel Plaskett

See ya'll there!

Blue Rodeo Concerts Listing - Ontario in Oct

2005-10-23T22:50:00.000-04:00

10/27/2005: Blue Rodeo (Concert): Brantford, Ontario
Where: Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts
88 Dalhousie Street
Tickets at bluerodeo.com

10/28/2005: Blue Rodeo (Concert): Brantford, Ontario
Where: Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts
88 Dalhousie Street
With: Justin Rutledge
Tickets at bluerodeo.com

10/29/2005: Blue Rodeo (Concert): London, Ontario
Where: John Labatt Centre
99 Dundas St.
What: Tickets for this show are available through the John Labatt Centre.
With: Justin Rutledge
Click for tickets

10/30/2005: Blue Rodeo (Concert): Windsor, Ontario
Where: Cleary Auditorium
201 Riverside Dr. West
Tickets at bluerodeo.com