Hopefully not fecking boring

Murray Lightburn, my Irish winter + TO live music listings

Hearts on Fire readers: St. Patrick’s Day is the birthday for three of the book’s main characters: Torquil Campbell of Stars, Andrew Whiteman of Broken Social Scene, and Murray Lightburn of the Dears. The latter has an excellent new album out on March 31, Once Upon a Time in Montreal. I wrote the bio here. More on that later. But here’s a beautiful video for the first single, starring the best-dressed man in Canadian music:

Growing up in the late ’80s, there was a lot of Irish music in my high school life: the Pogues, Sinead O’Connor, and of course U2 were huge. (The new U2 is out tomorrow. Yes, I’m looking forward to it. My Tidal playlist of U2’s deep cuts is here.) My first girlfriend was Irish, from a family who all played music and visited relatives on the island often. The Commitments was one of my favourite movies of the era. My first real band was accused of being Celtic because I played accordion and there was a violin player. Was never a fan of Enya, My Bloody Valentine, Hothouse Flowers or the Cranberries, but they all led me to believe that a small country with a population only twice the size of Toronto (!) punched above its weight internationally. No reason why Canada couldn’t do the same.

Never-Ending Present readers: While writing that book, I got deep into Van Morrison’s young Belfast band Them, who were a big influence on the Tragically Hip’s earliest days. I knew the hits, obviously, but, had never dove in. Them is a better band than the Rolling Stones of that era — fight me! This is the first song the Hip played the night in Toronto when future managers Jake Gold and Allan Gregg came to see them. I titled a chapter in the book after this song without knowing that fact at the time:

I spent earlier this year on an unintentional Irish kick. It started by finally reading Patrick Radden Keefe’s 2019 book Say Nothing: A True Story About Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, about both the Troubles era and the more recent reckoning when people who knew where the bodies were buried started talking. In addition to being an intriguing tale of domestic terrorism in a tiny community (so tiny! I really had little idea), it’s also an examination of retribution and lack of reconciliation. And Gerry Adams does not come across well. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

One surprise in the book is the appearance of actor Stephen Rea, who married one of the book’s central characters, convicted terrorist Dolours Price, after she was released from prison. While they were married, Rea starred in Neil Jordan’s The Crying Game, a movie I hadn’t seen since it came out, and only remembered… you know, the twist. I’d forgotten that the film is actually about an IRA gunman refusing orders. You can watch it on Kanopy (free with your library card). It really holds up. I’d also forgotten what a gorgeous song the title track is, as sung by a British pop star with Irish parents:

Coincidentally, shortly after finishing Say Nothing I saw The Banshees of Inisherin. Loved it — and I hated Martin McDonagh’s previous film, Three Billboards. Throughout the odd and seemingly light film is the surprisingly subtle metaphor of the Irish Civil War in the distance. That event marked the birth of the IRA, with factionalism fracturing an independence treaty — not unlike events during the Troubles and even after the Good Friday agreement of 1998, as documented in Say Nothing. Kerry Condon did not win Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars, but someone meme-d this from my favourite scene:

Perhaps you fell in love with Irish actor/writer Sharon Horgan after watching Bad Sisters, an amazing show with a misogynist villain so vile I almost didn’t finish watching the series. Glad I did. I was halfway through before I realized that Eve Hewson is Bono’s daughter: she’s one of the best things in an already rich cast. I also didn’t clue into the fact that it’s PJ Harvey doing the Leonard Cohen cover over the title sequence. But back to Horgan: if you haven’t already, you must see her 2015 series Catastrophe, co-starring Rob Delaney. It’s a middle-aged rom-com for people who hate rom-coms. It’s charming and side-splitting hilarious and occasionally quite emotionally raw. The supporting cast is fantastic. Why Horgan didn’t instantly become a star afterwards is a mystery; I’m glad she’s getting her due now. It originally aired on Amazon in North America; it recently landed on CBC Gem, taxpayers, so go watch it!

Back to music: I haven’t listened to much Irish folk music since I was in high school. Then I heard Lankum. This modern band taps into the drone-ier parts of Celtic music and creates something completely haunting; in my initial review, I described them as Godspeed You Black Emperor playing traditional Irish music. They have more sides to them than that, as two singles from a new album illustrate; False Lankum, is out next week (unlike U2, they’re not trying to capitalize on a St. Patrick’s Day release). I’ll write about that later. In the meantime, here’s a song I listened to a A WHOLE LOT during the early days of the pandemic lockdowns:

I missed the Oscars. I also fell asleep during Everything Everywhere All at Once, even though I loved the ideas and the acting. Full points for originality: wish I loved the actual film. (I think never having played Mortal Kombat has something to do with my feelings. I’m also allergic to the multiverse.) Justin Chang at the L.A. Times has a great piece about his own mixed feelings here. More important for locals, of course, were the big Oscar wins for not only Sarah Polley but Daniel Roher. The latter is a 29-year-old graduate of Etobicoke School of the Arts and previously directed a doc about The Band; last week he won Best Feature Documentary for Navalny. It’s an incredible film: if you haven’t seen it already, it’s on Crave.

The Globe and Mail has very good post-Oscar Q&As with both Polley and Roher.

Happy roving!

SHOWS IN THE TOWN OF T.O. ABOUT WHICH ALL OF YOU SHOULD KNOW

An entirely subjective and by no means comprehensive look at Toronto’s concert calendar. My strong recommendations in bold.

Suggestions welcome. So are advertisers!

If you’re selling tickets for face value or less, feel free to post in the comments.

Don’t live in Toronto? Most of these artists are on tour, so check your local listings. Just kidding! There are no local listings anymore. Check the artists’ websites.

Coming this week:

Lisa LeBlanc: March 16 at Horseshoe. No word from the venue if roller skates will be allowed inside for this Polaris-shortlisted Acadian franglais disco dance party. I kind of hope so.

Mary Margaret O’Hara’s Martian Awareness Ball: March 17 at Horseshoe. Do not go expecting to hear Miss America! This 45th annual St. Patrick’s Day event is the wild card of all wild cards. #HaveNotBeentheSame

GZA: March 17 at Phoenix. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Shaolin style!

Broken Social Scene: March 17-18 at Bridgeworks, Hamilton. Yeah, you’ve seen them before. But they’re really good right now. #HeartsOnFire

Bria: March 18 at Horseshoe. Formerly of the Frigs and now guitarist in Orville Peck’s band, Bria just dropped her second EP of goth-y takes on country classics.

Shakura S’Aida: March 18 at TD Music Hall (inside Massey Hall)

Junoon: March 18 at CAA Centre in Brampton. Superstar Sufi rock band from Pakistan

Zoe Whittall book launch for The Fake, hosted by Rachel Giese: March 20 at Another Story Bookshop

N’famady Kouyaté: March 20 at Dakota Tavern. African balafon player from Guinea, now living in Cardiff — which explains the collaborations with Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys. Doesn’t explain why Kouyaté is now signed to… Toronto’s Six Shooter Records?!

Coming soon:

Cindy Lee, Dorothea Paas: March 23 at Garrison

Brian D. Johnson’s documentary The Colour of Ink: March 23 at Hot Docs, with filmmaker intro & Q&A. 6 p.m. Playing until April 2, though not every day. This visually stunning film is an experience you definitely want to see in a theatre, not at home.

Classic Albums Live do Dark Side of the Moon: March 24 at Massey Hall. This obscure out-of-print classic turns 50 this year. Roger Waters decided to re-record it entirely himself (a country version of “Money”?) and, in case you’re wondering, is still a dick. I’ve seen Classic Albums Live do Floyd before (Wish You Were Here) and it’s impressive. I’d go just to see “On the Run” live.

Communism: March 24 at the Cameron 6 p.m. Don Kerr’s disco new wave dance party! #HaveNotBeentheSame

Kelela: March 24 at Opera House

Jesse Levine & Robin Buckley: March 24 at Tranzac

Sunset Rubdown: March 24 at Horseshoe. #HeartsOnFire

Dun-Dun Land, Prince Nifty, Carl Didur: March 24 at Monarch Tavern. CD release.

Lynn Miles: March 24 at Tranzac

Ziigwan Indigenous Music Festival feat. Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, DJ Shub, Northern Cree, Julian Taylor, Status/Non-Status, Shawnee Kish and more: March 24-26 at Yonge-Dundas Square (free)

Do Make Say Think, Jason Sharp: March 25 at Danforth. First Toronto gig since fan Gord Downie was still alive. #HeartsOnFire

Debby Friday: March 25 at Garrison

Carlton Livingston with Dub Chronicles: March 25 at Bsmt 254 (Lansdowne & College).

Friendly Rich & Lollipop People: March 26 at Cameron House

Tribute to Mendelson Joe: March 28 at Tranzac

Suzie Ungerleider, Jim Bryson: March 28 at Rivoli. #HeartsOnFire

Chiiild: March 30 at Axis Club

Eamon McGrath: March 30 at Dakota Tavern

Ace of Wands: March 30 at Velvet Underground

Songs are Like Tattoos: Joni Mitchell tribute feat. Mia Sheard and others: March 30 at 3030 Dundas Street West

Buddy Guy (farewell tour): March 30, 31 & April 1 at Massey Hall

Deerhoof: March 31 at TD Music Hall (inside Massey Hall). New album is sung entirely in Japanese and was recorded live in Winnipeg. Because they’re Deerhoof.

Meredith Moon: March 31 at Rivoli. CD release show.

Jasmyn (ex-Weaves), Camille Léon, Shn Shn: March 31 at Music Gallery

Ryan Driver Sextet: March 31 at Tranzac

Lemonheads performing It’s a Shame About Ray, with Rusty and the Nils (!): March 31 at Phoenix (rescheduled date after November show got buried under six feet of Buffalo snow) #HaveNotBeentheSame

Sarah Harmer, Kate Fenner: April 1 at Hotel Wolfe Island (Kingston area). Sold out. Kate Fenner is promoting her new record, Dead Reckoning. #HaveNotBeentheSame #NeverEndingPresent #HeartsOnFire

B.A. Johnston: April 1 at Baby G. Where else would you want to be on April Fool’s Day?

Ezra Collective: April 3 at Horseshoe

The English Beat: April 3-4 at the Phoenix

DVSN: April 6-7 at History

Depeche Mode, Kelly Lee Owens: April 7 at Raptors/Leafs Arena

Zakir Hussain’s Masters of Percussion: April 7 at Massey Hall

Marlaena Moore, Alpen Glow: April 7 at Monarch Tavern

Caroline Rose: April 8 at Horseshoe

Algiers: April 8 at Garrison

Andrew Bird: April 9 at History

Stars: April 10 at Bridgewater in Hamilton. #HeartsOnFire

Unknown Mortal Orchestra: April 11 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Black Belt Eagle Scout: April 11 at Horseshoe

Bikini Kill: April 13-14 at Danforth Music Hall. This gig has been delayed for no fewer than three years now. This will be the most explosive, joyous, pent-up audience anywhere in Toronto in 2023.

Selina Martin: April 14 at Dakota Tavern 7 p.m.

Hackedepicciotto (Einstürzende Neubauten bassist Alexander Hacke & Danielle De Picciotto): April 15 at Dovercourt House, presented by Wavelength.

Ombiigizi: April 15 at TD Music Hall (inside Massey Hall)

Universal Honey: April 15 at Dakota Tavern

Black Flag: April 17 at Rockpile

Mountain Goats: April 17 at Phoenix

Fruit Bats: April 18 at Phoenix

Shana Cleveland (of La Luz): April 19 at Drake Underground.

Toronto Klezmer Society Epic Jam: April 19 at Tranzac. More info here.

Serena Ryder, KT Tunstall: April 21 at Massey Hall

Nils Frahm: April 22 at Massey Hall

Matthew Cardinal (nêhiyawak), Yoland Laroche: April 22 at the Music Gallery

Joshua Redman: April 22 at Koerner Hall

Looking ahead:

Kokoko!: April 25 at Bsmt 254 (Lansdowne & College)

Skinny Puppy: April 26 at History. Final tour! #HaveNotBeentheSame

Sunny Day Real Estate: April 26 at Danforth

Death From Above 1979: April 26-29 at Horseshoe

U.S. Girls, Jane Inc.: April 27-28 at Velvet Underground

Del Barber: April 28 at Dakota Tavern

M83: April 29 at History

Raffi: April 30 at Massey Hall

Torquil Campbell’s True Crime: May 1-7 at Crow’s Theatre. #HeartsOnFire

Frank Turner, the Interrupters: May 3 at History

Andy Shauf: May 5 at Massey Hall

Billy Idol: May 5 at Fallsview Casino

P’tit Belliveau: May 6 at Monarch Tavern

Shuffle Demons: May 6 at Koerner Hall #HaveNotBeentheSame

The Heavy: May 6 at Opera House

Lemon Twigs: May 9 at Great Hall

Jill Barber: May 10 at TD Music Hall (inside Massey Hall)

Acid Mothers Temple: May 11 at Garrison

New Pornographers: May 12 at Danforth. #HeartsOnFire

Classic Albums Live do Synchronicity: May 12 at Massey Hall

Tim Hecker: May 12 at Phoenix

Doug Paisley: May 13 at TD Music Hall (inside Massey Hall)

Seal, the Buggles: May 15 at Massey Hall. You read that right. THE BUGGLES. Trevor Horn in the flesh. Will the live stage kill the video star who killed the radio star?

Alexandra Stréliski: May 16 at TD Music Hall (inside Massey Hall)

Toronto Klezmer Society Epic Jam: May 17 at Tranzac. More info here.

Tamino: May 17 at the Phoenix

Feist: May 18 at History. #HeartsOnFire

Madeleine Peyroux, Martha Wainwright: May 18 at Danforth

Martin Sexton: May 21 at Great Hall

Janet Jackson, Ludacris: May 23 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre

Rich Aucoin: May 25 at Velvet Underground

Strange Advance, Rough Trade, Chalk Circle: May 25 at Classic Bowl Mississauga

Honeymoon Suite, Chilliwack, Toronto: May 26 at Classic Bowl Mississauga

Sunset Rubdown: May 26 at Lee’s Palace. #HeartsOnFire

Choir! Choir! Choir!: May 26 at Massey Hall

Hayden: May 27 at Massey Hall #HaveNotBeentheSame

Crowded House: May 27 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre

Eamon McGrath: May 27 at Bovine Sex Club

Adria Kain: May 27 at TD Music Hall (inside Massey Hall)

Christian Lee Hutson, Fenne Lilly: May 27 at Horseshoe

Dilly Dally: May 27-28 at Lee’s Palace (final shows)

Buffalo Daughter: May 28 at the Garrison

Hot Chip: May 29 at History

Big Joanie: May 30 at the Garrison

Martin Rev (Suicide): June 1 at the Garrison

Fucked Up, Halluci Nation: June 2 at History. #HeartsOnFire

Death Cab For Cutie: June 2-3 at Massey Hall

Frankie Rose: June 5 at Monarch Tavern

Classic Albums Live do Purple Rain: June 9 at Massey Hall

Sampa the Great: June 12 at Axis

The Cure, The Twilight Sad: June 14 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre

Tegan and Sara: June 15 at Danforth. #HeartsOnFire

Whitehorse: June 15-16 at TD Music Hall (inside Massey Hall)

Alexisonfire, Pup, Metz: June 16 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre. #HeartsOnFire

John Mellencamp: June 19 at Massey Hall

Stevie Nicks: June 20 at Raptors/Leafs Arena

Toronto Klezmer Society Epic Jam: June 21 at Tranzac. More info here.

Brad Mehldau Trio, Avishai Cohen Trio: June 23 at Koerner Hall

Colin Stetson: June 27 at TD Music Hall (inside Massey Hall)

Sun Ra Arkestra: June 28 at Great Hall

Snarky Puppy: June 28 at History

Herbie Hancock: June 29 at Meridian Hall

Rodrigo Y Gabriela: July 2 at Fallsview Casino (Niagara Falls)

Noel Gallagher, Garbage: July 3 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre

Sparks: July 3 at Danforth

Weezer, Future Islands: July 4 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: July 5 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre

Mariposa Festival feat. Tegan and Sara, Feist, Rufus Wainwright & more: July 7-9 at Tudhope Park, Orillia. #HeartsOnFire

Beyoncé: July 8-9 at Skydome

Billy Talent, Cypress Hill, Cancer Bats, the OBGMs: July 8 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre. #HeartsOnFire

First Aid Kit, The Weather Station: July 20 at History

Le Tigre: July 21 at History

Hillside Festival: July 28-30 at Guelph Lake

Altin Gün: Aug 2 at Danforth

Jason Isbell & 400 Unit, S.G. Goodman: Aug 4 at Massey Hall

Sylvan Esso, Dehd: Aug 8 at History

Madonna: Aug 13-14 at Raptors/Leafs Arena

Honey Jam: Aug 17 at TD Music Hall (inside Massey Hall). Annual revue of new voices in Toronto R&B.

The Teskey Brothers: Aug 18 at History

The National, Patti Smith, U.S. Girls: Aug 20 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre

City and Colour, Ben Harper: Aug 25 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre. #HeartsOnFire

ZZ Top: Aug 27 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre

Alvvays, Alex G: Aug 28 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre

Arctic Monkeys: Aug 30, Sept 1 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre

Beck, Phoenix, Weyes Blood: Sept 3 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre

Guns N Roses: Sept 3 at Skydome

Peter Gabriel: Sept 11 at Raptors/Leafs Arena

The Chicks, Maren Morris: Sept 18 at Raptors/Leafs Arena

Death Grips: Sept 18 at Danforth

Polaris Music Prize gala, featuring only people I vote for: Sept 19 at Massey Hall

Duran Duran, Nile Rodgers & Chic: Sept 19 at Raptors/Leafs Arena

Clannad (farewell tour): Sept 27 at Danforth

Wu-Tang Clan, Nas: Oct 1 at Raptors/Leafs Arena

Chilly Gonzales: Oct 18 at Massey Hall. #HeartsOnFire

Gowan: Nov 3 at Massey Hall

Christian McBride: Nov 4 at Koerner Hall

Depeche Mode: Nov 5 at Raptors/Leafs Arena

Bruce Springsteen and E-Street Band: Nov 14 & 16 at the Horseshoe—no wait, just kidding, at the Raptors/Leafs Arena

Half Moon Run: Nov 23 at History

Brad Mehldau (solo): Jan 27, 2024 at Koerner Hall

Kronos Quartet: May 9, 2024 at Koerner Hall. 50th anniversary farewell tour.

Or just go and hang out any night of the week at the Tranzac or Drom Taberna, the two venues closest to my heart. Check jazzintoronto.ca’s Instagram page for daily jazz listings at various venues. For the best in Toronto’s Latin scene, check Lula Lounge.

Be kind to each other.

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