Music On The Street

Although there were bands playing all day at Dundas West Fest on Saturday, it was really too bright and hot for me. This was a surprise because the forecast called for thunderstorms all week. In any case, by the time it was cool enough for me to venture there, I had arrived to see the final band, Montreal-based The Dears. Although with half the band now living in Toronto, aren't they really a hogtown band now?

A while back, they posted winkingly on social media about a survey that ranked them in the top 5 "most pretentious" Canadian bands. It's also true. Like the gig at Lee's Palace, their set comprised of long, symphonic-pop songs with multiple tempo and melody changes. But most of the crowd were long-time fans, and sang along with every tortured verse and crescendo-ing refrain. I liked them more than last time, probably because of, strangely enough, the weaker sound system of a community outdoor stage. Without massive speakers that assault me relentlessly, 7-minute tunes were more palatable.

Charles In Charge

I had a great time at the CBC First Play show featuring Tanika Charles but on Friday, her CD release show was even better. One, the Rivoli is possibly the best-sounding small venue in the city. Two, she had an even larger band this time around including horns and back-up singers such as Janelle Monique. With only 1 full-length release, Charles played mostly from the new album although there were a few older songs like Parkdale. With funky beats, lovely harmonies, and even some coordinated dancing, her set evoked that girl-band Motown/soul sound. But with tunes about stealing a jeep and driving away from a farm (and an imploding relationship), she was firmly set in modern times. Charles had a great old-school presence on stage and kept the energy up the whole night. The music was even better live, and that's saying something. Because they are good enough on the CD to get her a Polaris nomination.

Nelson Munch

It's been awhile since I've been to Kanto the filipino take-out at Bathurst and Spadina. So when I heard they were have a special BBQ event on Thursday, also known as an Ihaw Ihaw, I decided to head on over. It was a mess. They didn't anticipate the number of people that showed up. So both the purchase line and the food line were long, slow, and chaotic. It took me more than hour before I got my special plate ($17) of grilled goodies.

It was good but perhaps not given the effort involved. Best was the pork and the monk fish. The chicken was middling. The squid was underdone and too chewy. Without better organization, it wasn't worth the trip.

Glitter Is Coming

On Wednesday, I went to the Danforth Music Hall to see Miike Snow. Anticipating a lot of upbeat songs, I positioned myself to the side where there was more space for dancing. Sure enough, his set was full of fun numbers that encouraged wild gyrations. Although he played his biggest hit Genghis Khan only 4 songs in, he had plenty more hits for the large crowd. Alternating between synth and guitar, as well as a high falsetto and a regular voice, Snow kept the room's energy and vibe up for the entire evening.