BeatRoute Magazine BC Edition May 2019

Yungblud
IF YOU GO:
Details/line-up: nxne.com
Cost: Clubland all-access wristbands -
$29. Festival Village shows - free
Where: Downtown Toronto
NXNE CLUBLAND
The best way to discover new acts at
NXNE is to club hop with a priority access $29 wristband that gets
you into over 30 shows. Go to the gig curated by your favourite artist
but then, hit up a neighboring venue and see acts you’ve never heard
of. There are over 20 downtown NXNE venues, seasoned club hoppers
pick a neighbourhood with a few adjoining venues. Here are two
of our hop happy hoods.
Die Mannequin
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TORONTO JUNE JOINTS
Toronto Pride
All of June
Said to be world’s largest Pride
event, activities all month but
massive parade is June 23.
warm, knapsack beers? Head into
the Atrium mall basement to the
LCBO provincial liquor store.
3Ironic dive bar or, just kind
of grimy, the Imperial Pub (54
Dundas E) has been serving cheap
beer for decades. Their free
popcorn is probably older than
you but low cost lager and decent
top floor patio make this a solid,
nearby option.
3The Brewers (275 Yonge) is a
glitzy pub with lots of craft beers
and decent food.
3Jack Astors, (10 Dundas E) is
worth the effort if you can grab
a seat on their fifth floor balcony
for an amazing view overlooking
the festival site.
CANNABIS
One of the newest – and fanciest
– legal pot shops, Tokyo Smoke
(333 Yonge), just north of the
Festival Village in former HMV
store, east side of Yonge.
Original Queen West
Queen West, near Spadina has
been a longtime musical epicenter
of Toronto.
Top rooms include: The
Horseshoe (379 Queen W)
was an old school country bar,
embraced new music in 80s,
rootsy vibe, Blue Rodeo, The Hip
and The Police all played early
shows here; The Rivoli (334
Queen W) intimate, classy music
back room – they even have air
conditioning – was early home to
Kids in the Hall and has decent
Thai food; The Cameron House
(408 Queen W) big in the 80s
and still relevant. Kids of original,
artsy-owners operate it currently,
play there as Ferraro. Jim Cuddy
got his start here, now son Devin
is a regular act; The Bovine Sex
Club (542 Queen W) gloriously
grimy with kick-you-in-thecrotch-kitsch,
reliable for late
nights and loudness at this punk
friendly place, check out upstairs
rooftop Tiki Bar; and, The Drake
Underground (1150 Queen W)
art bar vibe in the basement
of the elegantly restored, one
time dive, now diva Drake Hotel.
Check out the outdoor Sky Bar
upstairs.
Westside, Dundas and
Ossington
Near one of Toronto’s hottest
restaurant strips are more, reliable
music rooms.
Unpretentious rooms, The
Garrison (1197 Dundas W) and,
not surprisingly, smaller, The
Baby G (1608 Dundas W) share
the same owner and, commitment
to emerging indie rock;
The Dakota (249 Ossington)
hosts some of Toronto’s best
roots gigs; the Night Owl (647
College) features mixed genres
and a good kitchen and; nomadic
Toronto programming legend
Dan Burke brings his astute ear
and eye for breaking bands in the
indie and art rock world to the
Monarch (12 Clinton).
ACCOMODATION
Air BnB has tons of rooms in Toronto.
There are plenty of hotels close
to Festival Village. Biggest bargain
is Bond Place Hotel (65 Dundas
E). Decent rooms start at $139, you
can see and hear festival from the
front door.
3The Marriot in the Eaton Centre,
Pantages (200 Victoria) and the
Hilton Double Tree (101 Chesnut)
have swell rooms starting at around
$200. The Marriott and Pantages
are steps from festival,
Chesnut, two blocks away.
3Budget Buster – Swank, secret
hotel with only four rooms
($400-$500), Ivy at Verity
(111 Queen E). Rooms upstairs
above posh Verity women’s
health club. Female guests get
unlimited access to the Verity
club and spa, sorry dudes, no
fly zone for you. ,
ANTON MAK
Dundas West Fest
June 7–9
Owner/programmers of two
great west end live venues,
The Garrison and The Baby G
raise the band bar at this cool
neighbourhood’s fest with acts
like: Dilly Dally, Suuns and Teen
Anger.
Luminato
June 7-23
Lots of high brow hijinks as
Toronto “high arts” lovers take
in experimental art, dance,
opera and more.
Stackt, June 14 -16
Toronto’s awesome new shipping
container marketplace has
it’s “official” opening weekend
with tons of free stuff and live
bands. (Home of NXNE’s eSports
tourney the week before).
Toronto Jazz Fest
June 21- 30
Toronto’s long running jazz fest
takes place across down- and
midtown with a mix of free
shows, club acts and ticketed
concerts. Headliners include:
Norah Jones and Diana Ross.
Wolf Pack rugby
June9, 15, 22 and 30
Hungry for the Wolf(Pac)?
Toronto has a professional
men’s rugby team that plays
in the British Rugby Football
League, the only North
American squad. The games
are relatively cheap, lots of
action at a full on party played
at creaky and fun outdoor
Lamport Stadium. The stadium
sits in trendy Liberty Village
near the Ossington restaurant
district. Three games in June
including June 15, 1 pm versus
the Dewsbury Rams.
MAY 2019 BEATROUTE 45