In this two-week edition of my best bet's for less, I'm recommending a couple of music festivals that may not yet be on your radar: the SummerWorks festival and the ALL CAPS! Island Festival.
The Hidden Cameras, lots more
The Lower Ossington Theatre, Toronto
Thursday, August 5th to Saturday, August 14th, 2010 at 8pm/10pm, $pwyc/$10
The SummerWorks Theatre Festival is nearly upon us. Theatre, you ask? Well, that's the official name, but the festival also includes a goodly number of musical events, including the Music Series and happenings at the Performance Bar. Now in it's 20th year, the festival's been upping its music game and street cred over the past few years, and is now something I look forward to every August.
The festival is a smorgasbord of awesome. From folk to rock to rap plus an assortment of ecclectic pop and electro, there's a lot on offer, most of it local, and much of it highly recommended (by me). The series headliners, as it were, are The Hidden Cameras, who kick off the festivities with two shows this Thursday and Friday. I'm going to the first of them, and then plan to hit up the Diamond Rings / PS I Love You show on August 11th, The Wilderness of Manitoba et al. folk night on August 12th, and Evening Hymns and Picastro on Friday the 13th. If I'm still in the mood for more, Waterloo partiers Bocce and Toronto rock-pop-ers Rat Tail close the series on August 14th.
A floor below the Music Series is the Performance Bar, which will feature more bands and solo artists of note, as well as theatre and other artistic offerings. I'm most keen on catching Maylee Todd (August 6th), the newly-named Tasseomancy (Ghost Bees) on August 7th, Laura Barrett on the 8th, Snowblink on Monday, August 9th, and Grand Analog on August 11th. Nifty and Bob Wiseman are scheduled for August 13th, which should be a winning night, too.
All Music Series events are at the Lower Ossington Theatre (100A Ossington Ave., second floor), doors 10pm, tickets $10. The Performance Bar (ground level) opens at 8pm (shows 9pm) and is pwyc at the door unless you've got a ticket for the upstairs show, in which case you'll get in for free. Check out the full schedule and ticket details at the festival website, and listen to songs by all the performers.
Other Good Bets
If there's such thing as a weekend in Toronto without dueling music festivals, this ain't it. Saturday and Sunday, August 7th and 8th, ALL CAPS! presents their annual summer island show. This will be the first year the thing's been a two-day affair. Day 1 features the aforementioned Bocce, Haligonian's Dog Day, Rick White, and others, while Day 2 brings us Catl, Pants & Tie, Romo Roto, and more. True to co-presenter Wavelength's regular m.o., there's lots of variety in the music genres on offer.
The shows are happening at Artscape Gibraltar Point on the Toronto Island, a 20-minute walk east from the Hanlan's Point ferry dock. Doors open at 4pm, with bands set to start at 6pm-sharp. Each day will cost you $10 or $8 in advance ($18/$15 for a two-day pass). Full details about all the bands playing and everything else is at the Facebook event page.
Oh, and if you come on Saturday, bring extra cash so your friendly merch women (myself and Rochelle) can sell you band wares.
As usual, of course, there's a whole bunch of other great things to do.
