Today is last day of the Manifesto Festival. The main event, runs noon till 10pm. A free concert at Nathan Phillips Square. The highlight of the festival so far was Friday night’s Chapter III art show. AMAZING. Three floors of music and art. Great pieces by Elicsor, Fathom and Chor Boogie. If you miss out on today’s show be sure to at least head back to 52 McCaul before or during Nuit Blanche.

The Manifesto Festival – Main Event
Nathan Phillips Square
noon till 10pm
Featuring Talib Kweli & HiTek,
Grand Analog and many others.

Pleased to hear a track from Saint Dirt Elementary School on this month’s Zunior Music Sampler. Saint Dirt Elementary School are an interesting mix of lap steel and jazz best seen and heard live at the cozy Tranzac club. Their latest release, Ice Cream Man Dreams, is a solid album.

As always Zunior is a great place to get quality independent Canadian Music via download. A lot of out of print releases are available often at higher resolution than iTunes and cost less! Toronto bands and labels are well represented but it never hurts to browse and discover others. The monthly sampler is a great way to start!

Saint Dirt Elementary School @ The Tranzac
292 Brunswick Avenue
Tuesday August 18th
$5 or PWYC

New York City’s Francis and the Lights are rounding out their third of three shows in three nights at Drake Hotel. Kanye called them “a mix between Prince and Phil Collins”. If you haven’t heard A MODERN PROMISE or STRIKING Friday night is a great time to find out what they can do for your dancing shoes.

Francis and the Lights @ The Underground – Drake Hotel
Friday May 15, 2009
1150 Queen Street West
8PM
$10

The Tranzac always has a warm and cozy vibe. Looking forward to checking out a great double bill tomorrow (Sunday). Muskox and Jeremy Strachan (Gus is due back from Montreal so perhaps Feuermusik will be playing too?).

The Tranzac continues to be a hidden gem. Easy on the soul and the wallet with great music and cheap or PWYC shows.

Muskox and Jeremy Strachan
Tranzac – 292 Brunswick Avenue
Sunday April 26th at 10pm
Pay what you can!

It was unfortunate to see Billy Bob Thorton’s meltdown play out on Q. In a strange parallel to Joaquin Phoenix on Letterman Billy Bob was offended by host Jian Ghomeshi references to his other work (both on the screen and his screenwriting talents). Unlike Letterman, Jian Ghomeshi was not belittling or condescending. He well recognized the Billy Bob’s catalog of music to date. Jian was rightly impressed and inquisitive about the Boxmasters output in such a short time together. The resulting meltdown was shocking and disappointing to say the least.

Jian Ghomeshi remains one of CBC jewels. His show Q remains one of the best programs/podcasts CBC offers up Canada and the world. Hopefully Billy Bob Thornton and Boxmasters, recover from this public pouting fit. As an artist, actor and writer Billy Bob Thornton is exceptional despite this behaviour.

Well the dust has settled. Boxmasters play Massey Hall again tonight (April 9th) in support of Willie Nelson.

WILLIE NELSON with special guests Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters and Ray Price
Massey Hall
April 9, 2009 7:30 PM
$125.00 – $59.50

Place Hands are back! After taking a break to start a family and work on other projects Place Hands are returning to the stage tonight at the Press Club. They will be joined by Brides and Into The Other. A great way to rawk into the weekend.

PLACE HANDS with BRIDES and INTO THE OTHER
@ THE PRESS CLUB – 850 Dundas St. West
$5

Julie Doiron’s latest album, I CAN WONDER WHAT YOU DID WITH YOUR DAY, came out this past Tuesday. I’m quite impressed. Caught a sneak peak in Hamilton last night but tonight’s show will be just as great based on the lineup. $100 will also be playing. It will be a real treat to hear great vocalists like Simone of $100 and Julie play at the Horseshoe.

Julie Doiron singing at Pepperjacks in Hamilton last night. Julie stops in Toronto tonight and plays with $100 and Rick White at the Horseshoe Tavern.

WoW! Don Cabellero were in town last night at Lee’s Palace promoting their new CD, Punkgasm. Baltimore’s Ponytail got things off to punchy start.

This was the first I’ve heard of Ponytail but I’m sure to look for more. To say that they were experimental or math rock wouldn’t do them justice. Their vocals and sound are hard to place. They played a heated set that even Don Cab fanned out on but soon the headliners hit the stage.

Don Cab brought out a couple of teddy bears but this was only a small peace offering. They proceeded to onslaught Toronto with their form of mathrock and banter. Mel Gibson, Freedom, Secrets… Damon Che’s rants can be just as humourous as the SCTV character the band is named after. Weighing more on the last two CD’s (Punkgasm and World Class Listening Problem) Don Cab more than reproduced their albums on stage. So glad I was able to see them play again.

Both Ponytail and Don Cabellero play again in Hamilton at the Casbah tonight if you missed out on the fun last night…

Don Cabellero delivers a Punkgasm at Lee's Palace Aug 26th.

Whoa, are the stars in perfect alignment or something. Tonight brings together an interesting collection of indie, post-punk, and jazz at Teranga. Teranga is a Senegalese restaurant, if you don’t already know, and just one of many interesting spots to catch a bite and great music in the Kensington Market.

Aug 8, 2008 8:00 PM
Teranga African Bar and Restaurant
159 Augusta Avenue
Cost : $5
With Feuermusik, Metz, A History Of, and Place Hands