The Silver Dollar will be closing at the end of this month, making this weeks round of CMW shows one of the last gasps of the storied Toronto venue. It’s a sad moment for Toronto’s music scene and fittingly, Zoobombs singer Don Matsuo was getting a bit emotional over the impending closure.
Addressing the crowd a few songs into their set, he praised the venue and it’s booker Dan Burke and explained how sad he was that the Silver Dollar is closing, Describing the venue as kind of like home, he added that the band hoped to find a new home in Toronto in the future. Rather than mourning the loss of the venue too much though, Zoobombs were there to make sure we enjoy it while it lasts.
Sure, the loss of the Dollar is sad, but with a high energy show that had a certain manic element to it at times, Zoobombs were determined to make the night a celebration.
Canadian Music Week is coming up next week. From April 18 – 23, clubs across the city will be filled by acts from across Canada and various other places and if for some reason you’re filled with indecision and unable to make your own choices, we here at Panic Manual have you covered with a selection of some of our top picks.
April 18
Not a whole lot going on for the first night, but the best bet is The Zoobombs at the Silver Dollar. Festival favourites, they always put on a fun show. Or you could also go see Papa Roach at the Danforth Music Hall as a … last resort.
April 19
The Wedding Present play the Horseshoe Tavern in support of their latest,Going, Going … along with Colleen Green, while the evocatively named The Kids Will Know It’s Bullshit tour features Dune Rats, Repartee, Surf Dads, and Dead Love and will hopefully not be bullshit.
April 20
If you’re looking to see a few good bands without spending much money, Red Bull Sound Select presents Nyssa, Frigs, She-Devils and Belle Game at Costume House for only 3 buck with an RSVP. Other solid options for Thursday night include Sebadoh, Charlotte Day Wilson, Tanya Tagaq, Japanese Breakfast (starting the first night of a three night run at the Silver Dollar), and the Bonsound showcase.
April 21
A lot of good stuff happening tonight, including Greys, Japanese Breakfast, The Dandy Warhols, and Julia Jacklin (who will also be playing an instore at Soundscapes on Saturday for Record Store Day).
April 22
Buzz Records, home of some of the best bands in Toronto these days, sets up camp at Lee’s Palace for the night with a lineup featuring Pony, Twist, Vallens, Casper Skulls, and Weaves. The Garrison also has a solid lineup of Toronto bands, with Weight, Eyeballs, Teenanger, Beliefs, and HSY (presented by BUNZ for some reason – can you trade stuff to get tickets for this show?)
April 23
There’s only two acts listed for this night – Fred Penner and Explosions In The Sky. Sure, EITS probably won’t play “The Cat Came Back,” but they always put on an epic show.
Yi is the collaborative effort of Jordan Allen of Rolemodel and Jesse Crowe of Beliefs.
The pair started writing together in winter of 2015 and the end results were a pair of EPs, fittingly titled EP1 and EP2. According to band’s bio, EP1 embodies “the quiet of winter pushing forward into the waking of the spring,” which seems a fairly accurate description of the Dinosaur Jr-esque “Not So Dead.” Meanwhile, EP2 will deal with “the frantic energy autumn presents.” EP1 will be released April 14th via Hand Drawn Dracula.
Yi will be playing the Silver Dollar on April 20th alongside Teagan Johnston ,Luna Li, The Seams, Japanese Breakfast, and Heaven For Real.
Allie X writes really good pop songs. She has a knack for writing hooks and her songs just get stuck in your head. The person behind Allie X (Allie Hughes) has always been a creative force through her few incarnations in Toronto and Allie X seems to be a good culmination of that. She has recently released (or will be releasing) a new album, CollXtion II, this year.
This song is just one of the many catchy songs on the album.
She’ll be at the Mod Club as part of CMW. Check her out. I would check her out but I have to attend a work conference in Phoenix of all places.
