Ways to Beat the Winter Boredom: Part Three – Catching Some Notes on the Crisp Cold Air

Written by Nadine Bachan Friday, 30 January 2009 16:00

The F-U Awards will be on at Sound Academy on February 5th, starting at 7 pm. Andrew W.K., The Flatliners, Die Mannequin, and others will be performing. The Awards will be hosted by Jason Mewes of Silent Jay and Bob fame and by Barry and JD from 102.1 The Edge radio station The Edge. Presented by Underground Operations, Monster Energy, and Punk-O-Rama, the event will be an intense scene of hard-hitting bands, insane hosts, and a crazy time had by all. General admission tickets are on sale now for $15.

The following are listings of only a few of the many acts coming to the GTA this season:
ALTERNATIVE ROCK
The Virgins – El Mocambo on February 5th
Nickelback w/ Seether and Saving Abel – The ACC on March 2nd
A.C. Newman – Lee’s Palace on March 11th

HEAVY METAL
Darkest Hour w/ guests – Reverb on February 5th
Escape the Fate – The Opera House on February 25th
Motley Crue w/ Hinder and Theory Of A Deadman – Copps Coliseum in Hamilton on March 11th

ROCK/POP
Ben Folds – Kool Haus on February 17th
Lights – The Phoenix Concert Theatre on February 21st
Bloc Party – Kool Haus on March 14th and 17th

Oh, and if you’re interested and have between $40 and $150 to spend, you can go see the controversial and slightly unhinged Britney Spears perform on her World Circus Tour at the ACC on March 18th or March 19th. If you’re a really big Britney fan, you can fork over an extra (brace yourself) $350 to $550 for an exclusive package that includes a variety of concert extras.

Minding your budget:
250px-Horseshoe_Tavern

You don’t have to see the most popular performers in the largest arenas to have a good time. A multitude of local and fresh musicians are trying to make a name for themselves in Toronto right now. Lesser-known doesn’t have to mean lesser talent. The Horseshoe Tavern is one of those great little venues in the city that is privy to some interesting, home-grown music at little or no cost to the crowd. Yes, several of the shows are free!

The Tavern is well-known for their weekly showcases. For the past few years, the Tavern has presented Shoeless Mondays, which provides a great stage for bands and artist of non-alternative rock and pop every week. Dave Bookman’s Nu Music Nite, sponsored by 102.1 The Edge, features fresh musical talents every Tuesday night. Both Shoeless Mondays and Nu Music Nites are no-cover events, so getting in is as simple as just walking through the door.
On February 6th, 102.1 The Edge presents their Rock N Roll Double Header, The Arkells and Waking Eyes as a special event at The Horseshoe Tavern. Advance tickets are only $10 and only $12 at the door. The show will kick off at 10 pm.
The Tavern regularly provides a stage and a microphone to local alternative and indie bands with at-the-door prices as low as $4.

Perhaps, years from now, you might be telling your friends about that night you saw a legendary band play one of their first gigs – history in the making without a cover charge.

Visit www.ticketmaster.ca and www.horseshoetavern.com for full listings and information about performances around the city.