On Friday, I was at The Phoenix for the album release show of cover band Dwayne Gretzky. Yes, a cover band has put out an album (of re-interpreted covers). But then most local bands, even ones doing original material, don't play mid-size venues like The Phoenix. And if they seemed to be play to only 90% capacity instead of a sold-out crowd tonight, that was still at least 600+ people screaming at their performance. It also meant there was a bit more space for dancing.
Usually The Phoenix is Gretzky's go-to venue for the 90s theme shows. Although there was no official theme tonight, perhaps because most of their re-interpretations were from the 70s and 80s, the straight covers drew heavily from that era too. From The Chain and Dancing Queen to Rosanna and I Wanna Dance With Somebody, it was hit after hit. There was a tribute to Ric Ocasek (Just What I Needed) and Gord Downy (Pretend, Bobcaygeon). As for the remade songs, Gretzky's rock version of S.O.S. and the Daft Punk-esque Make It With Chu were the most successful. They are all excellent singers but Carleigh Aikins' take on Piece of My Heart blew everyone's minds; the cheers after her performance was deafening.
On Wednesday, I was at The Monarch Tavern for 2 singers. First up was Kirty. I was at the show where she joined Fast Romantics. Since then, she has been working on some solo material. I was interested to hear how it differed. Where the larger band often had an Arcade Fire vibe with ecstatic sing-alongs, Kirty was small songs about personal events. Though most numbers, like the usual pop song, was about romantic love, some like the one about "this year's been hell" was more clear-eyed and sober.
Headliner Maggie Koerner from New Orleans is still a young performer. Yet she already has material spanning several years. She sang with her whole body, all expressive hand gestures and emotions. She often stood back from the mic, but that didn't diminish her huge voice. Koerner channeled older soul singers through a modern, sometimes Billie Eilish-ish aesthetic: a little Aretha Franklin on He Calls Me Mama or a touch of Janis Joplin with Cayute Woman. It was visceral music (doom soul?) and her band matched her energy with several extended bluesy intervals. Throughout her set, it was clear that Koerner was much too big for this small bar. Her second visit to Toronto will be for sure at a larger venue.
I was meeting with a friend for some convo. Since their taste leaned toward Italian we met up at Terroni on Queen St. West. In the low-margin restaurant business, it is remarkable that this venerable group still has several locations in Toronto. But despite living here for decades I have yet to dine at Terroni.
This location certainly had the ambience: cozy and bustling. Looking over the menu, I picked Verde ($10) and a Margherita pizza ($16). I don't have much to say about the meal. It was inoffensive but left no impression: a basic salad and an average pie. The pizza was thin-crust, had a good chew, but lacked any outstanding character. This was comfortable, nostalgic food for regulars.
Only the conversation stood out for me. My friend, a dreamy soul, had apparently caught the financial investment bug. Now along with books of poetry and esoteric subjects, they peruse the Wall Street Journal with gusto. This may be related to their decision to consider early retirement; yet another person I know who could be in the middle of major life changes.
On Thursday, I was at The Piston because I always try to see Emilie Mover given her rare appearances. First up was Simeon Ross. He was a cross between Brendan Fraser, for his clean-cut look and warm humour, and Bruce Springteen, given his heavy strumming and earnest lyrics. He was joined by keyboardist Heather Graham tonight though they haven't played together in 2 years. Her career as a lawyer reminded of the current trajectory of the duo Chris & Nicole.
Sigrún Stella brought her full band, it might have grown by 1 more player. They offered some americana, some country, and even a little bit of folk (though that was mostly Stella on a couple of solo numbers).
When Mover took to the stage, she admitted that she should consider planning for more live performances (ie, with a band). That would certainly be wonderful; the last such show of her own material was several years ago. Tonight was the first concert with a new guitar and quitting smoking after 23 years. She picked up the habit after a trip to Italy with her father. The pleasure of a Mover show is the wonderful balance between her guitar playing and lyrical verses. Both seemed at first simple yet concealed much depth. Her playing often shift unexpectedly from simple pop chords into a set of melancholic jazz transitions and her words are packed with layers of meaning. Tonight there were some new or unrecorded songs including New York and Forest Hill.
I had to skip out of newish band Blue Copper because it was getting late in the night.
I usually attend fairly staid events at Lula Lounge, with diners clinking plates or glasses while watching a show. So it was quite enjoyable to attend a concert on Wednesday with the tables cleared away, and a packed crowd of young people there to socialize and dance. The indie crowd of 2019 is different from 10 years ago. If that 2010 group channeled understated 90s flannel grunge, then the new kids were all about big 90s pants and tops but cinched tight around the waist and mid-riff to show off enviable figures. There's also a lot more expressions of non-binary and queer identities.
Watching opener Katie McBride was a slightly disconcerting experience. First, she resembled an old friend from decades ago so I kept expecting her to recognize me. Second, with a voice that at times sounded like Sarah McLachlan, the noisy layers of sample and chill-pop made an interesting contrast.
At first, pianist and singer Louie Short reminded me of Gilbert O'Sullivan with quirky melody and lyrics. But if Short and his band sometimes switched mid-song into a bridge or verse of 70s balladry, their music was all about groovy bass, funky rhythms, and sweet falsetto singing. The crowd got into it big time and unlike other Toronto audiences, didn't need prompting to crowd the stage and dance with gusto.
Having been to another Jaunt show, I knew that the good vibes would continue. But my old bones needed my rest so I left the night to those young enough to not miss sleep.
After my sing-along at Moon Merge by the Bentway, I jumped into a taxi to make my way to the Sony Centre for Carly Rae Jepsen. Despite several critically (but moderately commercial) successful albums, this nostalgia pop singer has never had a head-line tour in her native Canada. So myself and 3,000 other people were expecting a high-power show, which a short acoustic Christmas set nor a mostly subdued orchestral one-off could satisfy.
Jepsen and her band delivered with hit after hit from the most recent disco-esque Dedicated album as well as 80s pop Emotions (side A and B). The crowd, mostly fans with a sprinkling of reluctant parent or boyfriend, sang and danced along to every song. I don't usually go to big concerts so it was interesting to watch. This was closer to a theatrical show since everything was tightly scripted, not just the dancing, and the costume change, but also the banter and song intros. Also, Jepsen is steeped in all phases of love and romance: all her songs are about that feeling. Yet as I watched I realized that despite a quiet verse or bridge here and there, she has no ballad. So for the couples of all variations tonight, there were not many moments for "slow dancing".
Given the burst of energy today, I made my way down to The Bentway for a special show. The Gardiner Expressway is an eyesore that cuts Toronto from its lakefront despite intense construction over the last 15 years. But without the political will to tear it down, some efforts have been made to beautify it. One such is The Bentway, an attempt to use part of the land underneath for a skating canal in the winter and various exhibits and shows throughout the year.
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After doing laundry, I decided that if I've been feeling too tired to go out at night, I should do something during daylight hours. So I headed over to the Lansdowne and Wallace area to Donna's, a snack bar at the site of the former Hello Darling.
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A combination of work uncertainty, follow-up practicum from my summer class, and a worsening insomnia has left me too tired to go out the last few weeks. Since I'm doing laundry at 6:00 AM, I wanted to write a short lament for the disappearance of laundromats from Toronto.
Given my usual laundry time, I haven't had any meet-cute encounters in laundromats popular with rom-coms and TV shows. Although about a decade ago, I did often run into a cute pixie at the one (also recently shuttered) at the corner of Gladstone and College. But even at this early hour, I have met some interesting characters including a minor-league hockey player from the 70s who is the definition of white privilege and a cheerful Jamaican matriarch who cleans rooms at the Royal York hotel.
But the loss of laundromats from gentrification to me is also an indication of the lack of diversity in the neighbourhood. Their past presence reflected a wider mix of people especially renters. From young people sharing raucous space with room-mates, couples shacking up for the first time, and older single folks living quietly, they all washed their essentials there. Single family homes and condos don't need laundromats. And the cross-section of folks who live in these units aren't as varied as before. So every time I see another laundromat closing, I feel that another piece of a vibrant city is lost.