Exclaim! and Ticketfly Present the Class of 2018 Concert Series with Fleece, WHOOP-Szo, Soul Motivators

The long-running Toronto-based concert series expands to Hamilton, Halifax and Montreal

BY Matt BobkinPublished Dec 1, 2017

As 2017 draws to a close, another great year in music is about to begin. Once again, Exclaim! is teaming up with Toronto concert promoter Dan Burke and Ticketfly to present the Class of 2018 concert series, featuring some of the best up-and-coming musical acts. In addition to five shows in Toronto, the series is expanding for the first time ever, with shows in Hamilton, Halifax and Montreal.

"There's a lot of talent out there," Burke says about the many rising acts scattered throughout the country. "It's a good time of year to take stock and create some interesting shows."

The series kicks off at the Casbah in Hamilton on January 5 with an eclectic evening featuring psych rockers the Crowleys, pop experimentalists Jaunt, rapper Emay and indie rockers the Bandicoots

The next night, the series arrives at Toronto's Smiling Buddha for a night of locally-sourced rock. Garage rockers the Nude Dogs and Triples will keep things noisy, with some surf flavour courtesy of Thrifty Kids, Gold Pony and Fade Awaays.

On January 12, the Class of 2018 heads east to Halifax's Seahorse Tavern, featuring R&B explorers Keonté BealsChudi Harris and Jody Upshaw. Rounding out the bill are dream popsters Vulva Culture and pop punks Spirit of the Wildfire.

The next night in Toronto, the party heads to the Horseshoe Tavern for a night of jangle rock headed up by North Carolina's the Nude Party and locals Brenda. Also on the bill are Blind Matty (the twangy new project from No Warning's Matty D), Kaleidoscope Horse and Deanna Petcoff.

January 19 brings the series to Montreal's Bar le Ritz PDB, with a night of jazzy psych-rock and dream pop featuring Fleece, ggpeach, Bodywash and Loon

Not to be left out, the psych vibes come to Toronto's Smiling Buddha on January 20 with performances by WHOOP-Szo, Hot Garbage, Lush Buffalo, Iris and Tange

Finally, the series caps off with a double-header in Toronto on January 26. Fleece will head to the Horseshoe Tavern for another trippy performance, this time joined by funky hip-hop group Mayraki, Kingston indie rockers Lost Cousins, dance-popster Danielle Duval and folksy upstarts Moscow Apartment. At the same time, Lee's Palace will be enjoying a full night of Toronto funk thanks to Tush, the Soul Motivators and Sick, Wicked & Nasty.

Keep your eye on our Facebook page for ticket giveaways and maybe even a new band or two, and don't forget to check out the Facebook events for the latest updates. Check out the listings below for more information and ticket links. 

Class of 2018:

01/05 Hamilton, ON – The Crowleys / Jaunt – The Casbah
01/06 Toronto, ON – The Nude Dogs / Thrifty Kids – Smiling Buddha
01/12 Halifax, NS – Keonté Beals / Chudi Harris – Seahorse Tavern
01/13 Toronto, ON – The Nude Party / Brenda – Horseshoe Tavern
01/19 Montreal, QC – Fleece / ggpeach – Bar le Ritz PDB
01/20 Toronto, ON – Whoop-SZO / Hot Garbage – Smiling Buddha
01/26 Toronto, ON – Fleece / Mayraki – Horseshoe Tavern
01/26 Toronto, ON – Tush / The Soul Motivators – Lee's Palace

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