Photo by Allison Choppick. Check her out here: http://www.allison-chopstix.blogspot.com/
Hey everyone,
How are you? I’m beyond excited today - Canadian Music Week is finally upon us! Because my group of friends has been looking forward to this week for a while, we couldn’t wait and decided to go see our friends’ band last night to kick things off ahead of schedule.
The show took place in Toronto’s Kensington Market which is a hip little neighbourhood tucked in between Dundas Street to the south, Spadina Avenue to the East, College Street to the north and Bathurst Street to the West. It’s at the forefront of cool with fun little bars, cafes, lots of live music, and tons of activity. But at the heart, it really is a market - everything from fruit to antiques.
As is to be expected, it’s a totally different animal at night - and animal might be a great word for it. Bars seem to materialise out of the brickwork, and there is no shortage of patio options when it’s warm. Last night, we went to a bar called The Boat.
The Boat (suprise, surprise) is nautical-themed - mirrors fashioned into portholes line the sides of the bar, paintings of the sea on the walls - and then the ceiling is littered with disco balls and there is an expansive dance floor in front of the stage. It’s comfortable, and the kitchen stays open past 11. It’s a great show venue. But it’s one of those places that likes to think of itself as being a restaurant yet has the service of a bar. So don’t expect serving staff but it is a pleasant suprise when they show up at your table!
We stayed for the first two bands last night - our friends Missing in Venice, a rock band that pulls influence from Incubus and Our Lady Peace, and a really cool urban rhythm and blues band called Juice.
Solid show, and an awesome way to start the week! Tonight, we’re still torn on where we should go - Mission District/Platinum Blond at the MOD Club, bands at the Horseshoe Tavern, or our friends’ band The Wilderness at Rancho Relaxo?
My first volunteer shift for the conference is this afternoon! Today, the Digital Strategies Conference is happening, and the Digital Music Summit, the Executive Music Conference, and TuneUp are kicking off. Check out the full conference and festival schedule here.
- Jess
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