Combing through the 100-plus shows this month to come up with just a few artists you should see was tough. But here they are — a cornucopia of singer-songwriters, blues rockers, indie darlings and local jazz legends. And hey, if you disagree, there’s always the 90-artist-strong Homegrown Live Music Festival (May 4).
Jenica Rayne and Lynne Hanson
May 3, 2019, 5:30 pm
RCHA Club
While these two local singer-songwriters have folk music at their cores, Rayne (pictured) relies more on pop melodies and lyrics about personal and social consciousness. Hanson brings a bit more soul, a bit more sultriness not far from a Norah Jones or Alison Krauss. Both should find a good home in the RCHA Club’s intimate and unpretentious digs.
Free
Homegrown Live Music Festival
May 4, 2019
Downtown
If you want to get a better sense of the local music scene, definitely check out this annual festival showcasing about 90 local acts on a dozen downtown stages. Each venue typically features a different musical style like punk, folk or jazz. All proceeds go to The Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library, which has received over $100,000 from the festival over the past decade.
All-access pass: $10
Dead Root Revival
May 10, 2019, 10:30 pm
The Toucan
This trio of Kingston blues rockers asks a good question: “Remember when music grabbed you by the ears, lifted you up, reached straight into your chest and stole your heart?” No doubt you will after they’re done afflicting you with their combination of Delta blues, jam band and guitar-driven classic rock. Think the Allman Brothers, Wilco and Muddy Waters all rolled into one.
Free
Amherst Island Radio’s Night of Live Music
May 11, 2019, 7 pm
Blu Martini Bar & Grill
Amherst Island Radio celebrates its 13th birthday at Blu Martini this year with local acts The Mill Rights, The Stares, Sweet Talk Jackie, BAG$=Bags Money and headliner The Blushing Brides, an internationally-touring Rolling Stones tribute band. And what a cause to celebrate. The radio station is 100% volunteer-run, 100% non-profit, and the only Canadian broadcast station located in a barn (its antenna is found high atop an 85-foot silo).
$15
Saffron A and Wax Mannequin
May 17, 2019, 8 pm
Musiikki Café
It’s tough to stuff either one of these singer-songwriters into a single category, but both should be seen live. Saffron A plays the octave mandolin and mandocello to deep, dark, emotionally intimate lyrics that often start as poetry. Wax Mannequin (aka Chris Adeney, pictured) has been around since 2000, guitar in hand, honing a strange combination of folk-punk anthems that have garnered comparisons to Bruce Cockburn, Frank Zappa and Tom Waits.
Price not available
The Day Dreamers
May 18, 2019, 8 pm
Musiikki Café
Head back to Musiikki the next night to get a sense of just how eclectic — and incredible — this tiny venue’s lineup can be. The Day Dreamers is a female-fronted indie band from Montreal that mixes pop, folk and alternative sounds using guitars, violins, drums and other unique musical accompaniments. Formed in high school, the group is now clearly a band to watch, playing bigger and better gigs throughout Ontario and Quebec, including the Grey Cup in Ottawa in 2017.
Price not available
Michelle Kasaboski
May 21, 2019, 6 pm
Olivea Restaurant
Olivea’s Tuesday night jazz shows have become a tradition for jazz lovers in this city, and if you have to pick one this month, go for Michelle Kasaboski. Currently completing her bachelor of music degree at Queen’s, the Kingstonian is known for her velvety-rich voice and her versatility, easily transitioning between pop, jazz, country and classical. As Juno Award-winner Hugh Johnston put it, “her vast experience and excellent musicianship makes her an artist you want to book right away.”
Free
Desire
May 25, 2019, 10 pm
Little Texas Roadhouse Bar & Grill
When the lead singer of the actual band you cover says “I’ve always wanted to meet you,” that must mean you’re good. Such was the case for U2 tribute act Desire when Bono brought them onstage in Toronto in 2015. The Hamilton- and Toronto-based fourpiece has been around for about 20 years now, playing shows big and small across North America and internationally. No doubt this one at the rollicking Little Texas will be one to remember.
$15
Lowest of the Low
May 30, 2019, 7 pm
The Mansion
One of the biggest names in Canadian alternative rock music is touring again this summer, this time in the wake of a new album that will come out the day before this show at The Mansion. Formed in Toronto in 1991, the band released their most successful album, “Shakespeare My Butt”, the same year, which became one of the best-selling independent releases in Canadian history. Chart magazine later named it one of the ten greatest albums in Canadian music history.
$30
Craig Jones and The 20th Century Jazz Band
May 31, 2019, 7 pm
Montes
Most Friday nights, you’ll find Craig Jones and The 20th Century Jazz Band playing a wide blend of jazz standards in the dark and cozy confines of Montes, the small bar inside the Prince George Hotel. They’ve been doing so for the past six years, but they also invite guest singers and instrumentalists, so no two shows are every quite the same. And hey, if you think you have the jazz chops, impromptu players are always welcome, too.
Free
