Justin Rutledge, Jason Collett & the Beauties - Free Outdoor Show in Toronto on Saturday

Just a heads up to those of you (in Toronto or easy driving distance) the Junction Arts Festival started yesterday and the the lineup is pretty good, the Framework and Mr. Something Something are playing friday for example.

On Saturday though, at Junction City Square (Dundas West at Pacific Avenue) at 7 p.m. newly signed Six Shooter Records artists and Sunday Night Dakota Tavern house band the Beauties (the Ontario ones, not the Vancouver ones) kick things off, followed by Jason Collett and then Justin Rutledge all for the low, low price of nothing at all. An outdoor Saturday night concert in the city. (Not a bad way to cap off the summer.)

the Beauties - Alright, Toronto



Jason Collett - I'll Bring The Sun



Justin Rutledge - A Penny For The Band

Jason Collett's Musical Tour of His Neighborhood @CBCRadio3

CBC Radio 3 has a new podcast called The Artist Series. The first one features Jason Collett who "doesn't own an iPod" and so has decided to just play songs by friends and neighbors like Bahamas, Hayden, Amy Millan, Metric and Zeus.

Play It


or Download It.

Weakerthans and Jason Collett Wake Up the Sunset Strip

Wednesday nights can tend to be a little on the predictable side on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.  Yes there is an endless stream of Death Metal bands playing at the Whisky.  Something's always going on at the Viper Room that causes twenty or thirty people to spill onto the street after each band plays, but those crowds evaporate pretty quickly and soon it's quiet.  At the Rainbow aging 80's rockers relive the good old days while pounding a few beers with Lemmy from Motorhead.  

What I didn't predict tonight was the large crowd that turned out for The Weakerthans and Jason Collett at The Roxy.  I realized something was up when I found myself fiftieth in line for Will Call (Which I thought was supposed to make life MORE convenient?).  Twenty minutes later I was half way to the ticket booth and could hear Jason Collett singing away.  Ten minutes after that I was finally inside where I got to hear Jason, accompanied with only his guitar, play his last five songs to an appreciative hundred or so listeners while the scenesters at the bar chatted away like usual.  I can't explain how rare it is for that many people to listen attentively to that kind of performance in Los Angeles, especially in the setting of one of the definitive Rock clubs in the city.  Personally, I was hoping to hear "I'll Bring the Sun" or "Charlyn, Angel of Kensington" but those tunes either happened while I was outside or he didn't play them.

The crowds continued to pour in throughout Jason's set and the intermission and I'd guess it was over 250 and headed to 300 by the time The Weakerthans took the stage. 

This was my first Weakerthans concert and it was a mind-blower.  Over about an hour and a half set which went from intense to melancholy to intense and back again, from "Relative Surplus Value" to "Sounds Familiar" to "Civil Twilight" to "Wellington's Wednesday" the crowd was taken on a ride no one wanted to end.  And I've rarely seen a crowd like that in Los Angeles.  They were singing along the whole concert through and never stopped yelling requests between songs (Thankfully only one "Free Bird" request).  When John K. Samson played solo you could hear a pin drop they were so quiet and into the performance... except for "One Great City" where everyone joined in on the chorus and several people yelled out their love for Winnipeg.  And the Jets.

While we're on the subject of John K. Samson, what a voice!  And excellent songwriting and band of course.  And the more Canadian bands I see the more convinced I am that there's some sort of top-secret super-drummer-creation project going on up there.  Everyone I hear is amazing.  First Mother Mother.  Then Holy F**k.  Then Hey Ocean!  Now The Weakerthans and Jason Tait, incredible.

So after about fifty minutes or an hour the band left the stage, then came back for a four song encore.  I would have liked about another hour but of course it's good showmanship to leave 'em wanting more.

The only downside to the whole night was, as with Jason Collett, I didn't hear the song I wanted to hear most, "Virtute The Cat Explains Her Departure".  I think they played the other Virtute song though, which quieted down the guy next to me who was yelling, and occasionally meowing, his request for it.

So the show ended too soon and I wandered past the giant merch line and headed home.  Who knew a Wednesday night at The Roxy could be that much fun?

Last Waltz for Broken Social Scene ?

Broken Social Scene is obviously not going away, from what I understand there is a new album in the works but it's questionable whether or not we'll ever see so much of the Broken Social Scene crew on stage at the same time again. In attendance were the usual core of BSS - Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, etc., as well as Feist, Metric's Emily Haines and James Shaw, Charles (Happiness Project) Spearin, Jules Penner, Andrew (Apostle of Hustle) Whiteman, Jason Collett, Amy Millan, Even Cranley, Lisa Lobsinger and more.

The show was not just a gift to the city of Toronto or a BSS reuinion though. It was also a film shoot for This Movie is Broken, Bruce McDonald's upcoming film about the band and the set list would serve as a good intro the the music of Broken Social Scene and the spinoff bands it produced - from Broken Social Scene favorites like "Fire Eye'd Boy" and "KC Accidental" to Metric hits like "Give Me Sypathy", Jason Collett's "I'll Bring the Sun" and Feist's "I Feel It All."

It all had a very "Last Waltz" feel to it, but it is clearly not an 'end'. Perhaps though it was a celebration of what's been and a launching point for what's to come. It's doubtful that we'll see such a collection of Broken Social Scene members on one stage again, at least not for a long time, but all of it is moving on. Broken Social Scene is still going, adding new members and spinning off new bands and Metric, Stars, Amy Millan, Jason Collett, Charles Spearin, Apostle of Hustle, Feist and others are all going strong, producing new material and continuing the BSS tradition. As I understand the concept this is what was always intended. Broken Social Scene produces albums under that name, but each of the parts, each of the other bands and all of their current, former and future members are all a part of the Broken Social Scene. There is no 'end' to it, even if the faces continue to change.

It should be an amazing film.

(Sadly I wasn't in a position to get any good film or video from the show for you, but based on the number of cameras I saw there should be plenty available soon.)

CBC Radio 3 Sessions: More NXNE

Sometimes my crystal ball works! As I predicted last week, this week's CBC Radio 3 Session features the back half of their NXNE showcase - that means Jason Collett, Hot Panda & The Lovely Feathers recorded live at the Horseshoe.



You can download a copy at http://www.cbc.ca/radio3/podcasts/sessions/CBCR3Sessions_2009-07-01.mp3 and, as always, a full list of the CBC Radio 3 sessions, along with download links is available at nxew.ca/sessions.html!

Toronto: Your schedule for June 20 is Now Full

Think you have plans for June 20 - you do! But if it's something other than a full day of great music, scrap what you thought you were doing.

First: sleep in - you're going to be up late.

Second: Breakfast - get some protein and carbs in there, you're going to need the energy.

Third: Head down to Rolly's Garage for 1 - 1:30 for the No Shame + Daps Duo ALL AGES NXNE BBQ + Day Show Extravagnaza! It's the day before fathers day so kids take your dad, dads take your kids! There will be BBQ, Lemonade and "Crazy Art" and there will be bands - six of them.

Ruby Jean and the Thoughful Bees (who Rebekah Higgs is a big fan of) - will kick things off. Sure you can see Ruby Jean at other showcases for NxNE - but none of them are in a garage, with lemonade are they?

Next up, all the way from Sudbury are the Lightmares (who you heard on Episode 4 of our Mixtape podcast. They're spending an entire day away from the Giant Nickel just to make your day a little more musical.

After that it's time for a local legend, the one and only, sexiest musician in Canada Ms. Laura Barrett will be up to do an entire set of covers of her own music!

Next up is 'Swirling Shore' - i know very little about them. Someone told me to google their description, but if you do that, most of the references have to do with weather. Still it's a daps show, I'm sure that Swirling Shore will be somewhere between the Band's Last Waltz concert and a Beatles re-union (with Lennon and Harrison magically being resurrected for the show.)

Next up will be the "Nintendo-punk-rap parrrrty!" of Times Neue Roman - yes, you've heard right, the band is even better than the font!!

Capping off the afternoon will be the buzz band of the Pitter Patter festival Pick A Piper!

Now you've got three hours off, grab a coffee, have a beer with friends, take a nap, grab some dinner, whatever you need to do to get ready for Round 2!

Because starting at 9 (I'm totally guessing) down at the Horseshoe the Radio 3

That NxNE Sat June 20 is the CBC Radio 3 night! Jason Collett, Woodhands, Hot Panda, Lovely Feathers and more!

Because it's a licensed venue the Horseshoe will have beer (you didn't want to start drinking at 1 anyway.)

I don't have the full details for the Radio 3 showcase but the show will feature Jason Collett, Woodhands, Hot Panda and way more and that will take you into the wee hours of the morning after that what you do is up to you. But if you thought you were seeing anything other than seeing bands that day - you were wrong.

Indie Rockers and Others Fill Cameras for Charity

Some of your favorite Canadian indie rockers and other celebrities have filled disposable cameras to support DOXA. DOXA is a documentary festival presented by the Documentary Media Society of Vancouver. To raise funds the festival (who's 2009 fest. launched on Friday) is auctioning off some used single use cameras. Those cameras were filled by Jason Collett, Bob Wiseman, the Weakerthans, Ladyhawk, Tegan Quinn, Stars, Nardwuar the Human Serviette, Great Lake Swimmers, Veda Hille and even CBC folk like Peter Mansbridge, Mary Walsh, George Stromboulopoulos, Colin Mocherie, Brent Bambury and Ian Hanomansing.

So what's on the cameras? What did they take pictures of? They're not saying but bidding on all the Cameras opened on Friday and will continue until Sunday May 31, 2009.

Jason Collett in Session

From CBC Radio 3

"Toronto singer/songwriter Jason Collett shares stories about his family, inspiration for his songs and tales of touring with Broken Social Scene in session with Radio 3."

A full list of all of the Sessions podcasts to date is here.



Download it Here.