As is our Thursday tradition, we here at Exclaim! have dug through the mass of Canadian concert listings to guide you with what we like call Can't Miss Concerts. As usual, this week we've picked your best bets for gigging in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, so if you're in any of those cities have a look.
Vancouver
Thursday, August 6
One of Vancity's most left-of-centre and adventurous experimentalists, Jeffery Allport, brings his custom drum kit and various percussive tools to what's guaranteed to be musically interesting evening. Seriously, dude doesn't pummel his skins, he scrapes them with a fork.
Jeffery Allport
Empress
$TBA at Little Mountain Studios
Friday, August 7
While the dirtied-up, lo-fi garage rock thing continues to get bigger and bigger, some of the genre's true OGs, Fred and Toody Cole, come to town with their Pierced Arrows. And while that band name might not be familiar to many, chances are you may have heard their pervious outfit, the legendary Dead Moon.
Pierced Arrows
Vapid
Thee Manipulators
$11 at Biltmore Cabaret
Saturday, August 8
Okay, this show is a total gamble and will either be totally awesome or downright horrible. But, really, that's what makes seeing famed Can vocalist Damo Suzuki so much fun - you never know what you're going to get.
Damo Suzuki
Defektors
Sex Negatives
$10 (early show) at Biltmore Cabaret
Toronto
Thursday, August 6
When Miracle Fortress released their Five Roses full-length a few years back, like so many others, we fell in love with it. Well, that hasn't changed in the least and we're itching to see what the group's Graham Van Pelt (also of Think About Life) has in store.
Miracle Fortress
Karkwa
$12 at the Theatre Centre
Saturday, August 8
Just you wait, when those year-end best-of lists start rolling in later this year, Woods are going to be all over those suckers. So, jump on that bandwagon now before it gets way too overcrowded.
Woods
Wooden Wand
$10.50 at Sneaky Dee's
Sunday, August 9
Sure, Lykke Li hasn't released much new material since her massively successful Youth Novels, but whatever. Each time we've been fortunate enough to see the Swede live, it's been nothing but magic, and we're sure this show will be no different.
Lykke Li
$26.50 at Sound Academy
Montreal
Friday, August 7
Much-loved songstress St. Vincent brings her lush, meticulously arranged pop to the stage. And considering she was just tapped by Grizzly Bear to open up their live shows, she must be doing something right.
St. Vincent
JF Robitaille
$14.50 at La Sala Rossa
Saturday, August 8
Man, do Black Lips ever stop touring? These guys have been on the road for what seems like forever, making us assume that by now they must be a well-oiled machine, bringing the rock and then some.
Black Lips
$16.50 at Le Cabaret Juste Pour Rire
Sunday, August 9
Seriously, if you're looking to let your weekend down easy, you'd be well advised to check out Wooden Wand and his out-there loner folk. It's good music to chill out to.
Wooden Wand
$8 (advance)/$10 (door) at Green Room
Vancouver
Thursday, August 6
One of Vancity's most left-of-centre and adventurous experimentalists, Jeffery Allport, brings his custom drum kit and various percussive tools to what's guaranteed to be musically interesting evening. Seriously, dude doesn't pummel his skins, he scrapes them with a fork.
Jeffery Allport
Empress
$TBA at Little Mountain Studios
Friday, August 7
While the dirtied-up, lo-fi garage rock thing continues to get bigger and bigger, some of the genre's true OGs, Fred and Toody Cole, come to town with their Pierced Arrows. And while that band name might not be familiar to many, chances are you may have heard their pervious outfit, the legendary Dead Moon.
Pierced Arrows
Vapid
Thee Manipulators
$11 at Biltmore Cabaret
Saturday, August 8
Okay, this show is a total gamble and will either be totally awesome or downright horrible. But, really, that's what makes seeing famed Can vocalist Damo Suzuki so much fun - you never know what you're going to get.
Damo Suzuki
Defektors
Sex Negatives
$10 (early show) at Biltmore Cabaret
Toronto
Thursday, August 6
When Miracle Fortress released their Five Roses full-length a few years back, like so many others, we fell in love with it. Well, that hasn't changed in the least and we're itching to see what the group's Graham Van Pelt (also of Think About Life) has in store.
Miracle Fortress
Karkwa
$12 at the Theatre Centre
Saturday, August 8
Just you wait, when those year-end best-of lists start rolling in later this year, Woods are going to be all over those suckers. So, jump on that bandwagon now before it gets way too overcrowded.
Woods
Wooden Wand
$10.50 at Sneaky Dee's
Sunday, August 9
Sure, Lykke Li hasn't released much new material since her massively successful Youth Novels, but whatever. Each time we've been fortunate enough to see the Swede live, it's been nothing but magic, and we're sure this show will be no different.
Lykke Li
$26.50 at Sound Academy
Montreal
Friday, August 7
Much-loved songstress St. Vincent brings her lush, meticulously arranged pop to the stage. And considering she was just tapped by Grizzly Bear to open up their live shows, she must be doing something right.
St. Vincent
JF Robitaille
$14.50 at La Sala Rossa
Saturday, August 8
Man, do Black Lips ever stop touring? These guys have been on the road for what seems like forever, making us assume that by now they must be a well-oiled machine, bringing the rock and then some.
Black Lips
$16.50 at Le Cabaret Juste Pour Rire
Sunday, August 9
Seriously, if you're looking to let your weekend down easy, you'd be well advised to check out Wooden Wand and his out-there loner folk. It's good music to chill out to.
Wooden Wand
$8 (advance)/$10 (door) at Green Room
