January… hooray! 2012… ya! Icy cold, snowy, slippery. I just want to say that this past Christmas saw many nights of the finest music by the finest musicians that Sudbury has raised… Wharf Rats did The Who. PGW sold out their night of Country Soul. The house guys did their annual Beatles Night. The Pink Floyd guys played a fantastic 2 ½ hour set of the 30th. New Year's was sold out beyond all expectations. We partied our asses off and worked hard to learn all this music to play on these nights. As it is a new year and new changes are coming forward anyhow… we might as well make a little change at the Townehouse as well. In order to capture enough revenue to afford the caliber of musicians we have been presenting for many years, we'll be putting a little increase on some of the door charges. This reflects the first increase in quite a few years… it reflects the price of fuel… it reflects the price of the cost of living and the price of practicing to master an instrument. Since minimum wage is over $10.00 an hour and we haven't raised the cover since minimum wage was about $6.00 an hour, it's only fair that we start to generate a little more revenue for the artists who fill our lives with the music that gets us through the day. Not every show will go up in price… we'll still have the $5.00 shows… but when you see a cover of $7.00-$10.00 then you'll know that it reflects the value that we place upon the experience and time that musicians put into their work.
With that said… cheers and welcome to another year of great music from Sudbury's home of live music. We will continue to bring the finest in rock and roll, ska, reggae, blues, jazz, funk, punk, hardcore, snotcore, bratpunk, grrl rock, bluegrass, outlaw country, soul and more week in and week out. We'll get back on track with final renovations in a few months… finally get the floor done and get some new seating designs in place… which also reminds me… If you need a pool table for your basement… the last of the old pool tables is still for sale. $400 and you cover the transportation gets you a great centerpiece for your play room.
Wednesday, January 4th - Pat and Vince of The Elephant Band - $5.00 at the door
For several years, The Elephant Band fearlessly traveled the music waters of Ontario. Based for most of their years in Sudbury (then London, then split between three cities), P.Rheal, VinceTherrien and Eric Soini created a body of music that challenged people. Brotherly harmonies, intense compositions… The Elephant Band owed creative alms to Elvis Costello, Stevie Wonder, The Police, Radiohead and Jeff Buckley, among many others. Steeped in country, hungry for intelligent pop music, The Elephant Band wove a lot of fabric together into one of our city's truly unique creations. Pat and Vince play acoustic tonight. They will no doubt cover some of the great Elephant Band calatog along with honouring the great songwriters that have influenced them. This is a rare chance to see the brothers play like this… don't miss it and do call out your favourites to see how many of their songs they can remember! As was posted on the facebook event wall … "I'll shoot you… DOOWWWWNNNNN".
Thursday,
January 5th - Stephanie Fyfe
Stephanie Fyfe... dynamite voice and piano and guitarist... takes a night before jetting back to College life. As one half of The Blackwater Girls (who will do a full gig soon, I promise we'll find a date)... Steph has been channeling the gods of rock and blues along with continuing to write a bunch. This is a rare shot to see her this year while she is away at school, so call your boss and take Friday morning off right now...
Friday, January 6th - The Terminators - $5.00 cover at the door
Paul Disalle and The Terminators break in the first weekend of the new year.Acrobatic guitar playing and thump and slap bass that will knock you into a groove. This tight trio plays some upbeat blues, favourite rock songs, party funk and soul plus a mix of Paul's own great songs from his solo records.
Saturday, January 7th - Life Blown Open - $5.00 cover at the door
Life Blown Open continues to shine in their new life in Toronto. They have a new bass player being trained as Liam concentrates on his own music. Tanner and Justin continue to craft out the third electric album for the band (the follow up to 2008's, The Industry was basically an acoustic record). The band is playing The Horseshoe on Friday night, the 6th, so if you are reading this little site from Toronto, get on down to the Shoe on Friday and say 'hey' to the boys.
Friday, January 13th - The Merves - $7.00 at the door
All Ramones… serious… this band from Toronto plays a night of Ramones songs… nothing better to get you through winter's blues than a whole night of GabbaGabba Hey! There will be a local opener as well… TBA.
Saturday, January 14th - The
Mudmen - $10.00 at the door
The pipers return! Toronto's infamous bagpipes and hard rock mash-up
return for another mix-up at the ol' Townehouse.Always entertaining and definitely
unique, The Mudmen are a blast of Celtic energy whose members are known to be
characters both on and off stage. The band, formed in 1998 by Sandy and Rob
Campbell (a.k.a. "The Campbell Brothers"), initially signed with EMI
Records in 2000 with then frontmanZoyNicoles. Best known for their singles "5
O'clock", "Saturday", and "Drink and Fight", their
music has been featured on XBox and Playstation games, NBC's television show
"Black Donnellys", WWE Wrestling, Don Cherry's hockey videos and six
music videos on Much Music.
The Mudmen have appeared on CBC television many times including multiple live
performances on Parliament Hill for Canada Day festivities (including performing
for and meeting the Queen in 2010), The McKenzie Brothers special, the recording
of the new Hockey Night in Canada theme song, and much more.
The Mudmen have 5 studio albums and have opened for ZZTop, The Guess Who, Biff
Naked, Nazareth, Finger Eleven and many more. The Mudmen have toured Canada,
U.S.A. and Europe and are best described as fun.
Friday,
January 20th - The Sadies
- $15.00 advance, $20.00 at the door - Tickets on Sale December 15th
This almost happened in November, but our leg of the tour got put back to January... so we're happy to announce the return of the Sadies back to the Townehouse. Over the years The Sadies have laid out many amazing shows here... we did The Sadies and Jon Spencer for the Heavy Trash show here at the Townehouse... we brought the Sadies in with John Doe of X for Northern Lights in 2008. Their own shows have always been stellar and usually sold out (hint, hint, buy your tickets in advance... Heck, why not even buy tickets for your loved ones for Xmas gifts!) Darker Circles is the follow-up to The Sadies' acclaimed last album Country Club (feat. John Doe) and sees guitarist brothers Dallas and Travis Good, drummer Mike Belitsky and bassist Sean Dean again pair with legendary Jayhawk and sought-after producer Gary Louris. Furthering the focused songwriting and recording aspirations reached on New Seasons, The Sadies bring their signature blend of country, psychedelic, rock and surf into rifle-scope focus on Darker Circles, further underscoring their reputations as musicians' musicians.
Always at the top of the list when discussing musical chops and live intensity, The Sadies are now more intent than ever on making their mark as songwriters. In one turn as heavy as a sledge, and on the other flitting across melodies with the ease of so many sparrows, The Sadies prove once again that denying them now is simply prolonging your conversion.
Saturday, January 21st- Myths
and Mirrors fundraiser with Spine Candy and Digital Bender! $7.00
cover at the door!
One of Sudbury's great bands for parties… Toe Jam Tequila forms part of the band Spine Candy. Digital Bender is fronted by Steve Caruso is a little bit roots rock and a little funky badass rock and roll. Myths and Mirrors Community Arts is an organization that has worked for years to bring art to every corner of the city… to bring community activity centred in the Donovan community at the Victory Park playground. Here's a little bit of their official bio…
Since 1996, we've been based in two of Sudbury's oldest neighbourhoods,
the Flour Mill and the Donovan. Under the shadow of the world's highest smoke
stack, we are committed to planting seeds of creativity and hope, and to joining
with others in the creation of our common future.
Myths and Mirrors takes on projects that challenge assumptions, build community
and inspire hope.Myths and Mirrors is a multi-disciplinary arts organization.
Our mediums include theatre, performance art, murals, mosaics, music and drumming,
gardens, celebrations, rituals, stilting, face painting, costuming, visual arts,
installations, video, film, games and popular education.
Please give generously to help support this community arts organization… and check out the online history at http://mythsandmirrors.wordpress.com/.
Thursday, January 26th - Coast Redwood, Bunnies, Rhombus - $7.00 at the door
Three bands all refining their sounds and quickly becoming the leaders of a new generation of musicians in this city... Now is the era of the Millard's Garage alumni
Friday, January 27th - Calendars
w/ guests- $7.00 cover at the door
The chances are that this will be a 3 band bill, so the cover charge will most likely be $7.00. Calendars is a local 4 piece rock band featuring Jer Quinlan from Far From Heroes and Matt Quenel, Dave Brett and Eeb from Rabbit Transit.They begin recording their debut EP on January 29th with Sudbury's very own Billy Bruhmuller. With a March 2012 releasescheduled, the EP is planned to be released online for free.
Saturday, January 28th - Bandit - Ry-Anne birthday party - $7.00 at the door
Since 1995, Ryan Levecque A.K.A. Ryan Bishops has been playing The Townehouse with many bands… from his own Junction Creek to Wreck Beach to the many versions of OX and the Yetties (Kate Maki, Nathan Lawr, Ruth Minnikin, Dale Guthrie and Ryan), and a couple years of touring with Cindy Doire and more recently, The Minotaurs. Ryan has been everywhere. He even sings the song.
Anne Boulton is one of the most engaging singers in the city. She's Emmylou to Ryan's Gram Parsons… the Iris Dement to Ryan's John Prine. The Lady Stardust to Ryan's David Bowie.
It is both of their birthdays this week and they aim to have a party… and have invited you along for the ride. The band will vary of members of their musical lives… and with such a rich musical life that means you can count on quite a lineup to accompany.
Saturday, February 25th - B.A. Johnston, DanyLaj - $7.00 at the door
The Mayor of all Dirt Malls returns… B.A. Johnston, the clown prince of gotham… the BorjeSalming of Snotrockets…
Monday,
April 16th - Yukon Blonde + Library Voices - $15.00 advance,
$20 at the door - Doors at 8:00pm!
Tickets went on sale December 15th! Yes... they are back... since the show we had in November was totally sold out, it means we are anxious to bring Yukon Blonde back to reach out to the crowds that couldn't make it in + the ones that have just got to have more. You won't believe the opening band on this tour!! Library Voices wowed the crowds at the 2011 Northern Lights Festival Boreal as the openers for Broken Social Scene. Both of these bands could sell out their own shows at The Townehouse but here we go with 2 amazing bands on one bill!
The standard bio for Yukon Blonde is now familiar… While on tour with Jon-Rae Fletcher in the summer of 2008, the band - then known as Alphababy - realized that they needed a new change of pace. Taking some of the ideas conceived on the tour, the band returned to Kelowna, locking themselves away for half a year to write new songs in a freezing cold jam space by the Okanagan Lake. The band quickly released an EP, debut self titled album, and now have released their 2nd album, for which they are five months into touring the continent to play for everyone.
They have played sold out shows at Millard's Garage, The Townehouse Tavern and a much talked about performance at the 2nd River and Sky Camping and Music festival.
Library Voices could very well be the Dark Knight of indie rock. At every turn they've been met with curses of mythical proportions. While it may be true they've had their trailer robbed on tour and the following year, their instruments and studio destroyed in an unimaginable flood, the seven piece pop-outfit from Regina have refused to let anything bring them down. Summer Of Lust, the bands newest full length offering, will be released on Nevado Records (home to Bahamas and Yukon Blonde) and marks Library Voices' third release in just over two years.
Every winter, thousands of Saskatchewan residents pack up and head south to escape the soul crushing conditions of the prairie winter. While most of the province was basking in the desert sun from their campsite in some Arizona WalMart parking lot, Library Voices rented an old town hall in the frozen rural village of Kronau (population: 209) and bunkered down to write their sophomore release. As if that weren't enough, they then packed up the van and drove headlong into the heart of winter on a cross-country road trip to Montreal, to commit the songs to tape …
Thursday, April 19th - The Wooden Sky - $15.00 advance - doors at 9:00pm. Tickets on sale December 15th!
As always, stay tuned for more shows! Always more coming down
the pipe. Don't miss the Bluegrass and Gospel Sundays at the Laughing Buddha…
kids welcome… at the Laughing Buddha, Sundays from 2-5pm.