THURSDAY
The xx/Austra (Granada Theater): No matter what you think of the xx—but chances are you probably love them if their consecutive sold out shows are any indication—you have to at least be impressed by how adored they are by their fans. I caught last night’s set, and the crowd was screaming for even the dinkiest little note pluck. The band felt truly loved, a rare moment of positivity in the mean old world of the music industry.
As I mentioned yesterday, you can hear a live broadcast of the show next door at the Sundown if you don’t have a ticket to tonight’s show. That’s a kindly populist concept, and I hope to see it used for future sold-out shows. If the xx was recording last night’s show, it would make a very solid live album, due to the crowd’s enthusiasm alone. And get there early for Austra, they took the stage at almost 9:30 sharp and I expect tonight to be no different. They play like they have something to prove, and it was one of the best opening sets I’ve seen since Trust opened for The Faint late last year. This all makes sense, since the two Toronto bands share a drummer, Maya Postepski.
The Rich Girls/Le Cure/DJ Wild Bill (Double Wide): I suppose if you want to relive your parents’ courtship, this is the place to be. I saw my first Hall and Oates show in the womb, according to family legend.
“The Church Thursdays” (The Church): This heartwarming Valentine’s Day event offers “free admission with dog tag,” which is a Tonight’s DJs are Keith P, Anthony Social, DJ Per, and DJ Virus.
“Stereo on Strike” (Zubar): Stereo on Strike is back again, this time at Zubar. Since the organizers are being pretty tight-lipped about the event, all I can say right now is that there will be some live electronics and hardware mixed in with the DJs at some point. Tonight’s performers are R9, Blixaboy, and Cygnus, who, as I mentioned the other day, has four new releases that I have yet to fully dive into. I think I still have four records from last year I still haven’t heard.
“Discipline” (Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios): I saw the best comment on the invite page for this today. It simply read: “Anyone ever single?” That is such a rhetorically beautiful question.
“Big Bang” (Beauty Bar): Sober will have physical copies of the third installment of his Satin Sheets series at the club tonight, or you can go hear it on Gorilla vs Bear, who posted the mix early today.
FRIDAY
“Femme Fatale” (Sandaga 813): This self-explanatory event thematically involves a number female hip hop artists including Lyrik, Madame Ice, Dolo Bangz, Alsace Carcone, Cha Cha, and Robin Rhymes. I recommend a quick listen to Robin Rhymes’ “You’re an Ass,” if you’ve yet to hear it. The last thing you want at an event like this is subtlety, and a live performance of that track would certainly set the mood. DJ Sissy Ross will be on DJ Duties, along with DJ Izm. Free barbecue is provided from 9 to 10 p.m., so come hungry or not at all. That’s what Junior Soprano said, right?
Daniel Hart/Dark Rooms/Kaela Bratcher (Redwood Studios): The organizers of this event will be capping the invite list at some point, so look it up online if you’re interested in attending. Admission is ten dollars.
SATURDAY
“Body to Body” (Sandaga 813): A night later, Sandaga is still showcasing underground sounds, though this will be pretty far removed from hip hop: “cosmic disco, proto house, deep techno, acid” and other geeky microgenres will be the order of the evening, with DJs G, Jake Schrock, and Timm Clark as your extremely capable music guides.
Pinkish Black/Vulgar Fashion/Solomon (The Grotto): This is easily the best lineup I’ve ever seen listed as playing the Grotto; there is just something about the place that’s a little unusual for this art-before-commerce trio of acts. It’s not necessarily the clientele. They look like a lot of fun, actually. It’s just that to see Vulgar Fashion in the same room with anyone wearing a baseball cap can cause you to tilt your head sideways, in order to reassess your surroundings and make sure we’re still all from the same planet. It reminds me of a recent incident where I saw photos of a notorious bachelor I know cooking in a clean kitchen. “It was like seeing a gazelle running through a Bath & Body Works.” Yes, I just quoted myself.
I’m very interested in the metal band Solomon since it features members of Sub Oslo and Garuda, and they’ve reformed after a decade of inactivity. I’m intimidated already.
“Lollipop Shoppe” (Double Wide): KNON’s DJ Woodtronic of Sonic Assembly Power Hour will be joining the usual Tigerbee and Gabriel to celebrate the 9th anniversary of this anachronistic dance night. The event is free.
Deep Throat/Bitch Teeth/Princes of F*cktown/Eccotone (Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios): Couldn’t they find just one more band with an offensive name to round this out? I’m trying to write about this; help me out here.
SUNDAY
Tiny Moving Parts/Two Knights/Innards/Cat People/Secret Plot to Destroy the Entire Universe (Macaroni Island): I love how DIY spaces always list vague rules such as “No jerks!” in their promotional materials. Nobody would ever have a show again if that were ever enforced.
