Sorry for the lack of a round-up last week – been a busy week! Here’s a look at what’s going on musically around the Rose City this coming week. And it all begins tonight!
TUESDAY JULY 5
Pat Robitaille, one of Windsor’s finest songwriters, returns home for a full band show at The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West, main level). While Pat no longer resides in Windsor, he still proudly calls Windsor home and always returns with an emotionally driven show for his hometown audience. To add even more punch to the show, he has the stellar (no pun intended) powerpop of StereoGoesStellar sharing the stage, with an opening slot by Frank Deresti, a Sault Ste. Marie musician who has worked alongside Coco Love Alcorn amongst many others.
WEDNESDAY JULY 6
Red Wood Rising, an indie roots-rock outfit from Tulsa, Oklahoma, rides through Windsor on tour with a stop at Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West).
The Holden House is becoming a well-known underground scene for some notorious hardcore/punk/metal house shows and they come through again with two Maryland area hardcore bands, Vestiges (from Washington, DC) and Full of Hell (Ocean City, MD). Local openers Hellraiser, Suppressulent and Valerie Page begin the show, which starts at 8pm. We are withholding the address for the house to avoid anyone crashing this house party with bad intentions – if you know of the house, you know where it is…
FRIDAY JULY 8
One of the big shows this night was to be the Windsor debut of Indiana’s punk rock cult heroes Waxeater. But last month, singer/bassist Elliott Turton suffered severe electric shock while performing in Austin, Texas and had to be revived. They’ve canceled several shows in the incident’s wake and Windsor’s show is unfortunately canceled as well, but expect to see the band make up the date in the coming months. The show which is still on features great local punk from Hellraiser as well as the debut of new metal project Blackheart (featuring members from some prominent other local metal acts including Shinje and Tyburn Tree).
The Windsor Feminist Theatre is throwing a fundraiser at The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West, main level), with some great local music supplying the soundtrack. Rock and roll veterans Ten Indians headline a night of music that also includes Meters To Miles and Tara Watts.
Montreal’s spectacular gypsy folk ensemble The Unsettlers invade Windsor with the first of three shows in a week with a free daytime performance at this year’s Festival Epicure. The band may call Montreal home but this rag-tag band of musical vagabonds all individually come from various cities from across Canada. Main man Ben Brandes is actually from Windsor (he was part of popular 90’s outfit Big Daddy A & The Merves) as is pianist Dustyn Lucas. They hit the stage at the Riverfront Plaza Amphitheatre at 7pm sharp.
A great compliment to seeing the Unsettlers would be Vancouver’s Five Alarm Funk at Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West), another massive musical ensemble that has simply crushed with each and every visit to Windsor. This funky monstrosity of awesomeness sold out quickly last time. Local funksters The Bad Mothers open up.
SATURDAY JULY 9
Opening night of the Shell Agency Windsor Showcase at the Blind Dog, this all ages event starts at 4pm. The opening night line-up features Devilz By Definition, After Ashes, Falling With Glory, Beijing Bike Club, Acousticfire, Burn This River, State of Us, Mother May I, White Fire Reed, Aeron’s Wake, Dead Mans Will, Aurelia, Sophist, Mjr. Problem, With A Smile, and Overdrive 145.
If quirky indie pop is more your bag, Toronto’s Papermaps return to Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West) for what is sure to be another full house this weekend for CBC Radio 3’s Best Live Music Venue in Canada.
Villains Beastro (256 Pelissier St.) continues to showcase local music with a show featuring the dirty grunge sounds of relative newcomers Diesel Junkies, who are joined by the 90’s tinged rock sounds of StateSideSin for a free show.
The beautiful jazzy stylings of Montreal’s Amanda Mabro graces the Riverfront Plaza Amphitheatre for the second day of Festival Epicure, with a free set at 5pm.
The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, basement level) throws a hardcore show featuring local heavyweights ADHD, 100 Proof, Closing The Distance and Follow The Leader.
SUNDAY JULY 10
Day two of the Shell Agency Windsor Showcase continues at The Blind Dog (671 Ouellette Ave.) with another 4pm start (all-ages). Day two features Reasons Lost, Weirdonia, Olympia, Silver Glory, A Dream In The Morning, Jeffrey David’s Blues Connection, His Demons Her Words, Jerry At Risk, Emperors Among Kings, Overcome Your Kingdom, Look to the North, Obscure, Conscripted Youth, Virulent Friend, and Letterbomb.
The Unsettlers play their second show of the weekend with an earlier 5pm slot, again at the Riverside Plaza Amphitheatre as part of the closing festivities for Festival Epicure.
Pulp City Inn are the special live musical guests when local podcast/radio show 7 Out of 10 holds a live taping at The Manchester (546 Ouellette Ave.). The band should be on around 10pm.
The Windsor Zene 