"We need to drive to the environmental protest. We have to spend eight million dollars on the echo-chic pants. Our lattes cost $12 and we’re not giving the change to the people sitting outside the coffee shop. So ‘Street Names and Land Claims,’ even the song title is very time-appropriate as we tear down statues." - Adam Sturgeon, OMBIIGIZI
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Slowcity.ca Open Mic: The Halluci Nation, Aysanabee and Raye Zaragoza, Moonshine, Shannon and the Clams, Nubya Garcia, JJ Shiplett, and Real Estate
“This one had deep connection to us both, and I think it shows.” - Aysanabee.
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Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Orgone, Dead Root Revival, Kaia Kater, iskwē, Pony Girl, David Vertesi, Sweet Kill, and Dream Eater
Big fan of Orgone, so good - been groovin’ to their records past couple of years, looking forward to this new record.
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Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Dan Mangan, iskwē, Jeremy Dutcher, Allison Russell, Begonia, Kyle McKearney, Land of Talk, and Denzel Curry
“I needed to make a love letter to my teenage self by being more vulnerable and doing all the production myself.” - Lizzie Powell, Land of Talk
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Slow Leaves
Alt image: Hannah Georgas
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Slow Leaves, Evan Redsky, Terry Uyarak, Shane Ghostkeeper, Gord Downie and Bob Rock, Russell Louder, Helena Deland,and Hannah Georgas
“It’s about being less self-critical and accepting the side of me that’s weird, insecure and has faults.” - Hannah Georgas
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Spencer Burton
Alt image: Bros Landreth
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Mariposa Folk Festival part one
We give over the Open Mic to those artists we are excited to see at this year’s Mariposa. The festival runs July 7 through 9 2023 at Tudhope Park in Orillia. Our bucket list includes Spencer Burton, I the Mountain, Sam Polley & the Old Tomorrows, OKAN, PIQSIQ, Paul Langlois Band on the Saturday and Jack Barksdale, and Bros. Landreth on the Friday.
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Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Robyn Ottolini, Les Moontunes, David James Allen, The Americans, Ghostly Kisses, Deer Tick, Gov’t Mule, and Mark Bragg
“We write our songs inside-out. We grab hold of something minuscule and primitive—a simple turn of phrase or an unusual beat—and try to build a song around it. It's inefficient, but when it works, it works.” - Patrick Ferris, the Americans
“A change is taking place; abusive relationships can no longer stay silent, as well as many taboo topics that are now being more openly discussed and exposed in the public sphere.” - Margaux Sauvé, Ghostly Kisses
Black Budget
Alt image: Jessica Sevier
Slowcity.ca Open Mic x NXNE: Black Budget, Divine Sweater, Colatura, Jessica Sevier, Danny Toeman, and Techno Westerns
By Will McGuirk
Nerima
Alt image: Haddix
Slowcity.ca Open Mic x NXNE: Nerima, Please. . . Stand By, Haddix, J. Hutton, and Equal
NXNE, Canada’s discovery music festival, runs June 13 -18, 2023, in over 20 of Toronto’s best live music venues will again come alive with great new music! Festival passes are only $25 for five nights of music.and $15 single venue, one night admission! Some D-Rawk locals are on the schedule. Dig in.
Dizzy
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Dizzy, TEKE::TEKE, Jade Turner and Crystal Shawanda, Big Little Lions, Goodbye Karelle, Kenny Mason, and PUP
By Will McGuirk
“It’s a lesson in letting something dissolve without resistance, knowing when to let the finch out of the cage because you know it’s right thing to do.” - Dizzy
"Deadweight is about believing in yourself and finding the strength to let go of what happened. It's only you that can determine who you are." - Jade Turner
MOONRiiVR, photo by Colin Medley
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Half Moon Run, MOONRiiVR, JJ Shiplett, John Hewitt, Chris Velan, Amon Tobin, Vanity Mirror, and Jerry Sereda
"No matter how hard we try, you’ve got to adapt, you've got to grow, you’ve got to evolve, you’ve got to adjust. But in the end, you just gotta ride the wave because you never really know where you’re gonna go until you’re already there." - JJ Shiplett
Marcus Paquin, photo by Andy John
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Gord Downie and Bob Rock, Marcus Paquin, Living Hour, Eva Schubert, Ryan Hicks, Bodywash, and Zoe Sky Jordan
By Will McGuirk
“As we weave our way through this complicated thing called life, we can oscillate between an illuminated state of awareness in which the senses are fully engaged and a state of darkness where it is difficult to decipher even what is right in front of us.“ - Marcus Paquin
“Human to human and all the inner biological electricity involved, human to technology to human and the electricity involved there. Also about everything else in between that we cannot perceive that’s at work, like when you think about someone out of nowhere so deeply and intensely while driving, and get a text from them, or see them walking down the street.” - Sam Sarty, Living Hour
“It’s about all the funny and frustrating things I’ve been told to do and be in order to be successful. Be an undiscovered gem with the talent of a veteran, be a starving artist but release tons of music, know everyone, but be mysterious, create tons of online content while you feed your creativity, and perhaps most insidious, be self-made and stay young!” - Zoe Sky Jordan
Kyle McKearney, photo by Chris Doi
Slowcity Open Mic: John Borra, Redhill Valleys, JJ Voss, Cynthia Hamar, Youngtree & The Blooms, Sammy Volkov, Lily Frost, and Kyle McKearney
By Will McGuirk
This mic is brought to you by the letters JSM and the number awesome. JSM is Jason Schneider Media and the Jason in the title is an awesome supporter of music and an author. To mark his new book, ‘The Longest Suicide’, a biography of the equally awesome Art Bergman we are giving over this open mic to some of the artists Jason has been working with recently. Jason knows music and when he sends me artists I pay attention, as I think you should too. Thanks JSM for your support of Slowcity.ca.
