Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Ryan Wayne, Julian Taylor, OMBIIGIZI, Sunset Rubdown, Bob Sumner, Petunia & The Vipers, Abigail Lapell, and Craig Robertson
Read MoreOMBIIGIZI, photo by Natasha Roberts
Gentle Sparrow aka Rob Teehan
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Gentle Sparrow, Abigail Lapell, River Tiber with Justin Nozuka, The Goddamsels, Myriam Gendron, Naomi Kavka, David Picco, and Ouri
“But despite everything, there's also spring, the light of May, life continuing to beat on. We have to find the strength within ourselves to sing lullabies through the storms.” - Myriam Gendron
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Isabel LaRosa
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Hannah Georgas, Debby Friday, Abigail Lapell, Rachel Hickey, Leanne Hoffman, Isabel LaRosa, and Mad Ones
By Will McGuirk
“I have a lot of internal pep talks, as a way to quiet my own doubts and insecurities. This song is a reflection of that, and a reminder to go a little bit easier on myself.” - Hannah Georgas
“I have always looked up to women who were willing to be ‘bad’ in the name of living thoroughly.” - Debby Friday
Hayden, photo by Robert Georgeff
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Hayden, Braids, Sunnsetter, Abigail Lapell, Alex Whorms, The Matinee, Jacques Greene, and TEKE::TEKE
By Will McGuirk
“Reminding myself that surely everything is alright, even when I’ve tricked myself into believing otherwise.” - Sunnsetter
Shakura S'Aida
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Shakura S'Aida, Abigail Lapell, Rural Alberta Advantage, Edwin Raphael, Zoe Ackah, Eva Cassidy, and Debby Friday,
By Will McGuirk
“It’s about balancing the good with the bad. It’s encountering a landscape that is completely surreal to you but also the closest thing to home. This project involves the arch of self-realization & leans on the generosity of the unexpected. It is a space for thoughts, discovery and new connections.” - Edwin Raphael
Annie Sumi and Brava Kilo
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Ben Caplan and Terra Spencer, Brava Kilo and Annie Sumi, Alok, Sigala, and Ellie Goulding, Barbra Lica, and Abigail Lapell
By Will McGuirk
"All too often, talking about your feelings is like sharing YouTube videos: everyone's smiling and nodding and waiting for their turn to take over, The lyrics to this song are the words I'd love to hear more in hard times, and the words I endeavour to practise myself. Empathy is too rare and extremely beautiful." - Barbra Lica
Gigs This Week: Jenny Berkel, Abigail Lapell at the Dakota
Sampa The Great
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Bonnie Raitt, Margo Price, Abigail Lapell, Ada Lea, Ken Yates, JAD, Henry Chadwick, and Sampa The Great
By Will McGuirk
"all dressed up" is a fever dream of isolation and claustrophobia, circumscribed by all these obsolete media machines -- but with a semi-hopeful note, too, about making the best of an absurd situation, or at least, 'this too shall pass'.” - Abigail Lapell
“The only thing to do is ride out your last few moments with the people you love.” - Ken Yates
"We’re not going to stay in one lane, we’re going to create multiple ones. . . My truest self encourages me to explore different lanes, and go beyond what I think I know of myself.” - Sampa The Great
Ada Lea @ the Axis Club, Toronto Tuesday May 10 2022
Ken Yates @ the Cameron House Toronto Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Jerry Leger, photo by Laura Proctor
Slowcity Open Mic: Jerry Leger, Georgia Harmer, Abigail Lapell, Handsome Jack, the Bros Landreth, Marc Jordan and Amy Sky, and Amy Nelson
By Will McGuirk
“Every morning we’d sit on the roof of the neighbouring house as the sun rose and drink our coffee, eat our breakfast, and bask in the rising light. We were very connected at the time and had a telepathic quality to our communication. This song is essentially about the telepathy and mind-reading that goes on between close friends.” - Georgia Harmer
“It’s a pretty straightforward love song that tries to answer the question — what would I do without you in my life?" - Dave, Landreth, Bros Landreth
Abigail Lapell, photo by Jen Squires
Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Abigail Lapell, Silver Pools, Jordana Talsky, Mikayla Menzies, Seyblu, Matthew E. White, The Stars of Disaster, and Sunshine and the Blue Moon,
By Will McGuirk
“A sunny morning a few years ago I opened my windows to let in some fresh spring air. CBC Radio was playing a lovely Ravel piece and then a news announcement came on that a toxic bleach cloud had escaped a factory in the west end of Toronto. I closed my window and wrote the first few lines of this song which are also inspired by feelings of frustration and hopelessness at the rise of populist political leaders.” - Todd, MacDonald, Silver Pools
“How often do we actively reflect on our life happening?” - Jordana Talsky
“The goal was to be able to cut across between the two pieces, and/or layer them and have them fit together in wild ways.” - Matthew E. White