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Mar.6,2005 -Mar.13,2005 |
Music fest a week-long blast
Canadian festival a showcase for many talented acts
By Kerry Doole
Originally Published: 2005-02-27
The two most important events on the annual Canadian music calendar are Toronto-based festivals/conferences: Canadian Music Week and North By Northeast. The longer-established CMW is also the more industry-oriented, but it has responded to the challenge posed by NXNE by increasingly aligning itself with the live-music scene.
The resulting Canadian Music Week Festival features bands from across Canada (and beyond) performing in the city's many downtown music clubs and concert halls. This offers the chance to impress record label executives, media types, and prospective managers or booking agents, as well as helping them cultivate an audience amongst music fans.
There is no shortage of talent among the 37-plus acts chosen to participate in the 14th annual CMW Festival. Navigating the schedule can be tricky, so we thought we'd offer a few recommendations. A number of early events are being held on March 2, but it is the Thursday-to-Saturday nights (March 3-5) that contain the most action.
There is a good lineup of performers at the 5th Annual Canadian Independent Music Awards at The Phoenix on March 2, although the awards themselves have yet to generate much impact. Inventive songstress Esthero is being tipped for big things in '05, after a long absence, and she appears alongside post-punks controller.controller and rockers (now Juno nominees) The Trews. (CMW wristbands and passes allow entry to the show, with advance tickets available for $15.)
There are plenty of possibilities on Thursday. Excellent B.C. alt-country songstress Leslie Alexander is part of the Cameron House's roots lineup, while two top East Coast bands, MIR and Wintersleep, play Club 279 and Club Rockit, respectively. One of Canada's most respected independent labels, Sonic Unyon, hosts a showcase at The El Mocambo. Both A Northern Chorus and Raising The Fawn are well worth investigating. The Healey's lineup includes local songstress Kathryn Rose, while the roots-accented Ruth Minnikin is across the street at Holy Joe's. An eclectic bill at The Horseshoe includes adventurous soulman Shawn Hewitt and headbangers
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