Whether it's hard-hitting Toronto MC Jazz Cartier or the punchy blues-rock of July Talk, Canadian artists are dominating the show circuit in this edition of our weekly Can't Miss Concerts feature, from April 20 to 26 — and that's not even counting the oodles of Canuck talent hitting Canadian Music Week. Dig into the best of this week's shows below, then hit up our Concert Listings for even more shows hitting the Great White North.
Lydia Ainsworth
Last month, Toronto-based electro-pop producer and singer Lydia Ainsworth released her second LP, Darling of the Afterglow, and we've been eagerly awaiting her live show dates. Ainsworth's synth- and strings-based sound, paired with her sombre vocals, make for a very dynamic album; this week, see how she pulls it all together live as she takes the stage in Montreal and Toronto.
04/25/17 Montreal, QC – Bar Le Ritz PBD
04/26/17 Toronto, ON – The Garrison
Bonobo
English producer aka Simon Green, aka Bonobo, answered our pleas and impressed us with his latest LP Migration. The stalwart producer has continued to charm us with his eclectic sound, with his latest offering reflecting the different locations across the world he's been to lately. Green's ability to synthesize so many disparate sounds makes him an absolute must-see performer. You have two opportunities to experience his magic this week, in both Toronto and Montreal.
04/24/17 Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
04/25/17 Montreal, QC – M Telus
Basia Bulat
Canadian singer-songwriter Basia Bulat will appear at a slew of Canadian festivals this year, but she's also managed to plot out plenty of tour dates in between. Bulat's vocals shine through on her hooky pop tunes and autoharp accents, and this week you can experience her shimmering vocals live as she performs a whopping five shows across Newfoundland and Labrador.
04/21/17 Corner Brook, NL – Corner Brook Arts and Culture Centre
04/22/17 Stephenville, NL – Stephenville Arts and Culture Centre
04/23/17 Grand Falls-Windsor, NL – Grand Falls-Windsor Arts and Culture Centre
04/24/17 Gander, NL – Gander Arts and Culture Centre
04/26/17 Labrador City, NL – Labrador West Arts and Culture Centre
Canadian Music Week
Canadian Music Week is gearing up to celebrate the best and brightest of up and coming talent this week. Exclaim! also had a hand in curating the festivities, as we will be co-presenting shows throughout the week: Check out the Baby G throughout the week to see Duchess Says, Monomyth, Tim Darcy and many more. Elsewhere, PONY, Chastity, Tanya Tagaq, New Swears, Explosions in the Sky and more will play CMW-presented shows. Check the below link see the multitude of shows taking place across Toronto this week.
04/20-23/17 Toronto, ON – Various Venues
Jazz Cartier
With a Juno award for Rap Recording of the Year and a record deal with Capitol Records, things are looking pretty bright for Toronto's Jazz Cartier. After impressing with his 2016 sophomore release, Hotel Paranoia, and single "Tempted," we have high hopes for his forthcoming project Fleurever, which is rumoured to be released sometime this year. Join Jazz Cartier this week as he makes show stops in Alberta and British Columbia.
04/20/17 Calgary, AB – Music Nightclub
04/21/17 Vancouver, BC – Imperial
Elliott Brood
Recognized as one of Canada's hardest touring bands, Elliott Brood's lengthy Canadian tour continues this week with a slew of show dates across the country. In a recent interview with Exclaim!, the band teased that their HQ in Hamilton has allowed them to create two albums' worth of work, so fans can expect new material soon. Check out the dates below to see when the alt-country trio will be playing nearest you.
04/20/17 Sault Ste. Marie, ON – LopLops
04/21/17 Thunder Bay, ON – Crocks
04/22/17 Winnipeg, MB – Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club
04/23/17 Gimli, MB – The Ship & Plough
04/25/17 Canmore, AB – Communitea Cafe (early show)
04/25/17 Canmore, AB – Communitea Cafe (late show)
04/26/17 Fernie, BC – Northern Bar & Stage
July Talk
The gritty and pleasing intertwined voices of July Talk's Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay have birthed a sound that's unmistakable. Their last Juno award-winning album, Touch, earned high praise for its vocal dynamism and demonstrates "stronger grooves, darker lyrics and catchier hooks" than past material. The Canadian rock outfit will bring their trademark on-stage chemistry to four shows on the East coast this week.
04/20/17 Moncton, NB – Tide and Boar Gastropub with Eamon McGrath
04/21/17 Halifax, NS – The Marquee Ballroom with Eamon McGrath
04/22/17 Halifax, NS - The Marquee Ballroom with Eamon McGrath
04/24/17 St. John's, NL – Club One
Skepta
Whether it's working on a documentary or featuring on Drake's latest project, More Life, UK grime MC is always keeping busy. His latest album, the Mercury Prize-winning Konnichiwa, made its mark in 2016, and now fans can go see the grime king live as he rules the stage this week in Toronto as part of his "Banned From America" tour.
04/26/17 Toronto, ON – Rebel
The Weeknd
Canadian noiR&B crooner the Weeknd has dominated both the airwaves and the stage recently, with his LP Starboy and "Legend of the Fall" tour, respectively. The superstar has announced he'll have some notable guests tagging along on his tour, such as Rae Sremmurd, Belly and 6lack, so be sure to unleash your inner party monster with the Weeknd in Vancouver this week.
04/25/17 Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
The xx
Pop-noir UK trio the xx kicked off the year with their long-awaited LP I See You, and are now heading out on their North American tour. If you got excited watching their mini-documentary "Night + Day Brixton," which detailed their week-long slew of shows in London, then you'll be happy to know the band are now crossing the pond for a Canadian show in Vancouver this week.
04/25/17 Vancouver, BC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
Visit Exclaim!'s Concert Listings for more upcoming shows.
Lydia Ainsworth
Last month, Toronto-based electro-pop producer and singer Lydia Ainsworth released her second LP, Darling of the Afterglow, and we've been eagerly awaiting her live show dates. Ainsworth's synth- and strings-based sound, paired with her sombre vocals, make for a very dynamic album; this week, see how she pulls it all together live as she takes the stage in Montreal and Toronto.
04/25/17 Montreal, QC – Bar Le Ritz PBD
04/26/17 Toronto, ON – The Garrison
Bonobo
English producer aka Simon Green, aka Bonobo, answered our pleas and impressed us with his latest LP Migration. The stalwart producer has continued to charm us with his eclectic sound, with his latest offering reflecting the different locations across the world he's been to lately. Green's ability to synthesize so many disparate sounds makes him an absolute must-see performer. You have two opportunities to experience his magic this week, in both Toronto and Montreal.
04/24/17 Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
04/25/17 Montreal, QC – M Telus
Basia Bulat
Canadian singer-songwriter Basia Bulat will appear at a slew of Canadian festivals this year, but she's also managed to plot out plenty of tour dates in between. Bulat's vocals shine through on her hooky pop tunes and autoharp accents, and this week you can experience her shimmering vocals live as she performs a whopping five shows across Newfoundland and Labrador.
04/21/17 Corner Brook, NL – Corner Brook Arts and Culture Centre
04/22/17 Stephenville, NL – Stephenville Arts and Culture Centre
04/23/17 Grand Falls-Windsor, NL – Grand Falls-Windsor Arts and Culture Centre
04/24/17 Gander, NL – Gander Arts and Culture Centre
04/26/17 Labrador City, NL – Labrador West Arts and Culture Centre
Canadian Music Week
Canadian Music Week is gearing up to celebrate the best and brightest of up and coming talent this week. Exclaim! also had a hand in curating the festivities, as we will be co-presenting shows throughout the week: Check out the Baby G throughout the week to see Duchess Says, Monomyth, Tim Darcy and many more. Elsewhere, PONY, Chastity, Tanya Tagaq, New Swears, Explosions in the Sky and more will play CMW-presented shows. Check the below link see the multitude of shows taking place across Toronto this week.
04/20-23/17 Toronto, ON – Various Venues
Jazz Cartier
With a Juno award for Rap Recording of the Year and a record deal with Capitol Records, things are looking pretty bright for Toronto's Jazz Cartier. After impressing with his 2016 sophomore release, Hotel Paranoia, and single "Tempted," we have high hopes for his forthcoming project Fleurever, which is rumoured to be released sometime this year. Join Jazz Cartier this week as he makes show stops in Alberta and British Columbia.
04/20/17 Calgary, AB – Music Nightclub
04/21/17 Vancouver, BC – Imperial
Elliott Brood
Recognized as one of Canada's hardest touring bands, Elliott Brood's lengthy Canadian tour continues this week with a slew of show dates across the country. In a recent interview with Exclaim!, the band teased that their HQ in Hamilton has allowed them to create two albums' worth of work, so fans can expect new material soon. Check out the dates below to see when the alt-country trio will be playing nearest you.
04/20/17 Sault Ste. Marie, ON – LopLops
04/21/17 Thunder Bay, ON – Crocks
04/22/17 Winnipeg, MB – Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club
04/23/17 Gimli, MB – The Ship & Plough
04/25/17 Canmore, AB – Communitea Cafe (early show)
04/25/17 Canmore, AB – Communitea Cafe (late show)
04/26/17 Fernie, BC – Northern Bar & Stage
July Talk
The gritty and pleasing intertwined voices of July Talk's Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay have birthed a sound that's unmistakable. Their last Juno award-winning album, Touch, earned high praise for its vocal dynamism and demonstrates "stronger grooves, darker lyrics and catchier hooks" than past material. The Canadian rock outfit will bring their trademark on-stage chemistry to four shows on the East coast this week.
04/20/17 Moncton, NB – Tide and Boar Gastropub with Eamon McGrath
04/21/17 Halifax, NS – The Marquee Ballroom with Eamon McGrath
04/22/17 Halifax, NS - The Marquee Ballroom with Eamon McGrath
04/24/17 St. John's, NL – Club One
Skepta
Whether it's working on a documentary or featuring on Drake's latest project, More Life, UK grime MC is always keeping busy. His latest album, the Mercury Prize-winning Konnichiwa, made its mark in 2016, and now fans can go see the grime king live as he rules the stage this week in Toronto as part of his "Banned From America" tour.
04/26/17 Toronto, ON – Rebel
The Weeknd
Canadian noiR&B crooner the Weeknd has dominated both the airwaves and the stage recently, with his LP Starboy and "Legend of the Fall" tour, respectively. The superstar has announced he'll have some notable guests tagging along on his tour, such as Rae Sremmurd, Belly and 6lack, so be sure to unleash your inner party monster with the Weeknd in Vancouver this week.
04/25/17 Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
The xx
Pop-noir UK trio the xx kicked off the year with their long-awaited LP I See You, and are now heading out on their North American tour. If you got excited watching their mini-documentary "Night + Day Brixton," which detailed their week-long slew of shows in London, then you'll be happy to know the band are now crossing the pond for a Canadian show in Vancouver this week.
04/25/17 Vancouver, BC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
Visit Exclaim!'s Concert Listings for more upcoming shows.