Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Shirley Collins, Tanya Tucker, OMBIIGIZI, Sunnsetter, Louise Burns, Orchard Sky, Devontée, and Cola

By Will McGuirk

"I love it when friendship is palpable in a recording, when a piece of music laughs with you in a fast-food burger booth and takes you out to catch up on a walk by the river," - Peter Dreimanis (July Talk).

I think it’s my first attempt at a proper love song, in my own faux-misanthropic way…" - Louis Burns

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Gigs This Week: River and Sky in Field, Thursday Jul 21 - Sunday July 24

By Will McGuirk

So happy to see River & Sky up again after the Covid cancelations. I’ve been lucky enough to have been invited to the very intimate gathering in Field, just north of Sturgeon Falls in north Ontario, for many years, long enough for it to now become a family affair.

And I do love it. The setting on the bow of a river is just about perfect. Add in a natural beach and perfect becomes paradise among the pines.

The music belies the setting however as adventurous booking has seen Altin Gun, Antibalas, and Mdou Moctor all perform, as well as Metz, and the Sadies.

This year has another great line-up; Austra, Dilly Dally, Pink Mountaintops, OMBIGIIZI, Frankie and the Witch, Wine Lips, Casper Skulls, summersets, Yves Jarvis, and our pals in Beams.
Camping, trailers, RVs are accommodated and children under 14 are free with family, like you can’t just drop them and bug off for four days, just saying :)

Unfortunately my three fave fests are all on the same weekend in 2022 so its a tough pick but I will be passing on R&S this year but if you can make it you most definitely should, it really is the most wonderful balm. Thank you R&S, see you next year, fingers and toes crossed.

River and Sky 2022: OMBIIGIZI, Austra, Dilly Dally, Frankie and the Witch Fingers, plus more more more!

By Will McGuirk

Oh its been a time of it but happy to hear River & Sky festival in Fisher’s Paradise, Field, ON., is up and running and the good folks at R&S will do it all once again Thursday, July 21 through to Sunday July 24, 2022. This has been a festival I’ve packed up the car and drove the several hours north, with joy and tunes, to settle in for an amazing weekend of boreal loveliness. I’ve done so for a decade or so and I would encourage all and anyone to take the trip.

Set along a bow of the Sturgeon River, among the pines and with a beach! R&S has hosted bands such the Sadies, Altin Gun, Mdou Moctor, Antibalas, - I’ve probably sold a dozen or so of Moctor’s record ‘Afrique Victime’ at Kops Oshawa, where I manage, but R&S had him a couple of years back. It speaks to the organizers uncanny knack of nabbing up and coming acts pretty well before most people have even heard of them. So if some of the names on the bill are unfamiliar, don’t let that be a deterrent - take on the adventure of trying the new; with R&S, I’m guaranteed you will not be disappointed. There have been of course familiar names such as Chad VanGaalen, Daniel Romano, Metz, and Pink Mountaintops, among them who have performed under the sky and down by the river.

This year, after the two year hiatus, the fest welcomes back Pink Mountaintops, along with electronica artist Austra, and alt-rockers Dilly Dally. Also on the line-up OMBIIGIZI, Wine Lips, Casper Skulls, and psych-rockers Frankie and the Witch Fingers. Lots of the area’s local acts are also in on the act so yeah, settle in for a real taste of what the scene north of the Great Lakes has to offer. Its always something special.

Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Ghostkeeper, OMBIIGIZI, Bishop Briggs, Cola, Domanique Grant, Jesse Northey, Kao Wonder, Juliana Eye, and JoJo Worthington

By Will McGuirk

"The two protagonists are seeking new eyes in an attempt to understand the reality of MMIWG. With the help of four Spirit Creatures, they witness what was broken become whole again." - Sarah Houle, Ghostkeeper

“‘High Water’ was written from the depths of my despair as a love letter to my best friend who I miss so dearly. “ - Bishop Briggs

“Being in a car reminded me of going on long road trips with my family where sometimes you want to kill your siblings before you even get to the destination.  It symbolizes feeling trapped while moving forward very quickly.  For two years, many of us had to stop doing what we loved, while time barrelled forward.” - JoJo Worthington

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Broken Social Scene headlining debut at Massey Hall April 20 and 21 2022

By Will McGuirk

When one looks at the legacy of BSS its hard to imagine that April 20 will be the band’s Massey Hall debut. I have always thought of the BSS more as a federation than a band as alumni of the TO collective include as you know members of Stars, Metric, Do Make Say Think, as well as massive solo acts Feist, Jason Collett and most recently Sam Jr. Not to mention Kevin Drew’s work with the late Gord Downie’s ‘Secret Path’ and the ever-present Brendan Canning. Plus all the others who have done their time with the band I consider, along with Arcade Fire, to have changed Canadian music industry in the way Nirvana and Pearl Jam did in the States, and the Clash and Sex Pistols did in Britain. There was the time before the BSS and the time after, done deal.

But so the world works, it may be timing as so many projects all have to be on hold to coordinate such a gathering. Either way the win is ours as the BSS will be on the newly renovated stage of the Massey Hall. And you know the band which is at its core a spiritual entity will fully realize the potential of the cathedral sonics of the new Hall.

OMBIIGIZI open Apr 20 and Georgia Harmer on the 21.

BSS website ->

Slowcity.ca Open Mic: OMBIIGIZI, Jenny Berkel, Ava Kay, Ouri, Allegories, The Davenports, Miles Francis, and Pike vs The Automaton

By Will McGuirk

“We each have our own story to tell, but putting our circle together in honour of our ancestors helps us weave a future.” - OMBIIGIZI

“For me, Go is about our struggle to let go of what we love, the familiar, to fulfill a dream we're driven towards, a passion that consumes us, or to let go of a love that causes us strife, heartbreaking as it is;" Reem Morsi, video director.

"This is essentially a 'what you don't know won't hurt you' story. Every relationship strikes its own balance of logic and emotion. Sometimes, being open with your partner about something like having a drink with an old friend, when there's no logical reason for your partner to feel threatened, should be harmless. But, no great mystery, sometimes logic doesn't count for shit in relationships.” - Scott Klass, The Davenports

” It’s totally about depression and leading a hard life.” - Matt Pike 

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Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Geoffroy, Georgia Harmer, OMBIIGIZI, Pup, Sunglaciers, Niall Mutter, Miles Francis, and Clever Hopes

By Will McGuirk

"Back in 2018, when I was on the road with Alessia Cara, we went to Austin, Texas, and my dad recommended we go to this barbecue spot he had been to when he was touring there. We had a day or two off to explore, so we went. I thought of my dad while I was there, and often when I was on the road, because he's also a touring musician - we’re very similar and we're very close. I wrote this song to articulate the significance and importance of our relationship, how much I love and admire him, and our many parallels." - Georgia Harmer

“Although my Dad was a very complex human, he was very compassionate towards me, especially when I explained how the kids would tease me for being Ojibway. He’d always let me stay home with him and oftentimes we’d go to the Rez store for chips and pop; I’d get Cherry Coke or Vanilla Coke. The lyrics and song title are inspired by these memories of my childhood and of my father." - Daniel Monkman, OMBIIGIZI

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“It’s a lot of me trying to articulate my own coping with existential dread, hopelessness, and what I’ve called ‘Grim Reaping’—which is to me, the idea that we are all reaping what we sow, and right now we’re sowing some pretty fucked up shit.” - Stefan Babcock, PUP

“We tried to write vertically instead of horizontally,” - Mathieu Blanchard, Sunglaciers

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Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Ombiigizi, Haviah Mighty, Keb' Mo', Birds of Bellwood, Canyon City, Avi Kaplan, Gov't Mule, Louie Short, Mike Block,

By Will McGuirk

"These ideas around perceived value got me thinking about the Stock Exchange. Seeing parallels between the way it flows - the constant rising and falling – all dictated by the general public’s perception of an entity’s value, and ultimately how that influences the moves that we make as individuals." - Haviah Mighty

“Whether it be anxiety or depression, anger or addiction, there are parts of ourselves that can lead us down a path that is detrimental to our being. This song is about acknowledging that part of oneself and overcoming it.” - Avi Kaplan

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