Out and About at Canada Music Week!!!

Day1: Spent the afternoon checking out salons around the Yorkville area of downtown and navigating Toronto's underwhelming transit system (they still use tokens!!!).

After dinner in the Upper Beaches with family we took a $25 cab ride to Toronto's East Village/L.E.S. counterpart Queen West.

Starting at the uber cool Drake Hotel we caught a short set by Low Level Flight

Yet another expensive cab and we arrive at the Horseshoe Tavern, T.O.'s CBGB's and unofficial hub of the fest. While Gus talked shop with an up and coming group, Amos the Transparent, I enjoyed the set of an adorable 5-some called Green Go shortly before our good friends Hollerado worked the crowd into a wicked roar.

Almost 2 a.m., we walk the 7 blocks to The Bovine Sex Club. A grungy rock and roll bar where very cool dudes in leather biker vests with long hair and bad ass facial hair appropriately named Monster Truck, rocked out heavy metal like with songs about "..that bitch that won't get out of your bed in the morning..." and "...tits"

$30 more to get back to the "Upper East Side" for lights out at 4a.m.

Day 2: waited outside in windy rain for 40 minutes for a street car that never came, Saw 2 terrible bands, and was way too fed up to try and get into the 'Shoe for The Balconies Show.

Day 3: More shitty weather!!... Brunch with the bass player for The Junction at Brad's and a fresh brewed rooibos at Lit with the front man in the Parkslope/Cobblehill equivalent Roncesvalles hood. No street cars working in this area so a 14 block walk from the "subway" against the direction of the rain had me ruing the idea of doing this trip sans car. Later we tour an area recording studio where the owner explains that TTC really means Take The Car.

Dinner with the fam for vietnamese Pho, then off to Criminal Records for an in-store show from Hollerado. Hop back to the 'Shoe for the Balconies but are denied and make our way to The Mod Club for The Trews acoustic show. Feeling all warm and fuzzy from lead singer Colin MacDonald's pebble smooth voice we jump to The Drake for a little dance party before returning once more to the 'Shoe for a late night set by 2 Hours Traffic and The Junction. We lose an hour and then Boom! It's 4a.m. and it's time to fight in the rain for a handful of cabs !!

Festival Done!! back to N.Y.C where the subway never sleeps!!