Gently Flying

Geary Ave, an industrial area with primarily Portuguese businesses, has seen an influx of hipper businesses in recent years including cafés, pizzerias, and several micro-breweries. On Thursday, I went to see the one owned by The Burdock, a bustling restaurant/music venue on Bloor.

It turns out they also hosts music shows here, and often enough that they had just put in a raised stage in the space. This was an "authentically hipster" venue, if I can say that with good-nature amusement. I mean, we're talking about attractive young people having a good party, surrounded by casks of aged beer, listening to indie musicians.

The first was Amalia Mamalia, a duo who combined lo-fi improvised synth, looping, and spoken word. Definitely not a mainstream act. The head-liner tonight was Ivy Mairi, who was giving a sneak peek into her upcoming EP. Her set was book-ended by 2 mesmerizing folk songs. But the bulk of Mairi's show was a foray into upbeat synth-pop that should play on mainstream radio, as they were better than most currently in rotation.