For many, this is the concert event of the summer. Fresh off an innovative release of their most recent album – In Rainbows – Radiohead will marvel, confuse, dazzle and amaze tomorrow night at the Molson Amphitheatre.

Don’t have tickets? Unfortunately, tomorrow nights show is not a ‘pay what you want’ and tickets are sold out, so if you’re planning on getting scalper tickets, bring both of your wallets.

But one thing will be certain…this show will be worth every penny.

New York’s Grizzly Bear will open the show with their experimental/acoustic/indie brand of music. They’ll set a cool vibe…show up early.

Send your reviews and opinions – favorite track, best moment, number of beers…

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Stay tuned to Toronto Unplugged throughout the day tomorrow as we will be updating the blog throughout the day with an ongoing diary of the events and happenings at the Jack Johnson concert at Burl’s Creek.  With a forecast calling for rain, a solid line-up including Rogue Wave, Neil Halstead and Mason Jennings, and a very unique venue, there is no doubt it will be an interesting and entertaining day.

We will bring you all of the onsite info.  Pictures will follow on Monday and Tuesday.

If you are going to the show, feel free to comment on any of the diary posts and please provide your own stories/experiences.

Cheers and stay tuned…

Image Credit:  Jack Johnson

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From their 1994 self titled debut, through (my favorite) Clarity, to their latest offering 2007’s Chase The Light, Jimmy Eat World have grown from a stumble upon band to a mainstream favorite.

If you’re a fan of the band, this should be a solid show as they will be trying out some new material as well as falling back on some of their old (but great) stuff. As well, JEW will be joined by special guest MONEEN.

If you hit the show, let us know your thoughts.

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In an overall slumping time for record sales, Coldplay has shown that it can still be done – you just need to be a global musical power.

Since this album’s launch it seems to be available for purchase everywhere – at the cash of the pharmacy, grocery store, coffee shop…etc. This is smart, but also a luxury that only the biggest bands have. The marketing costs a fortune but…

This marks the first time since March 2005 that the Billboard 200 was led by a 700,000-plus sum in consecutive weeks. The last occasion happened when 50 Cent’s “The Massacre” sold 1.1 million in its first frame, then 771,000 in its second.

The band’s “Viva” goes No. 1 in 18 of the global territories tracked by Billboard. With 15 of those aces notched in Europe, the set also leads the Euro Albums chart.

Coldplay will visit Toronto on July 30th and July 31st playing the ACC 

Image Credit:  Wikipedia

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Decemberists front man Colin Meloy played a solo acoustic performance at the Phoenix last night. The stage consisted of Meloy, 4 acoustic guitars, a glass of wine and a bottle of wine. Simple and honest. Meloy is an extremely talented and intelligent singer songwriter and with the recent buzzing success of the Decemberists, he has been hitting the road touring with his own material as well as playing some songs from the band. A great musician entertaining a Toronto crowd at solid venue, how can one go wrong?

Colin Meloy is touring in support of his solo album aptly titled Colin Meloy Sings Live! Released just a little more than a week ago, this gig was an early chance for fans to hear some of the new tracks live. The end contrast was that the new album consists of 17 tracks there is a good size list of older material and yet the concert seemed very short. Perhaps in reality it wasn’t short, but with Meloy engaging the crowd it just seemed to have a short list of tracks played.

Meloy’s stage presence and storytelling was pleasant, frequent and welcoming – adding to the intimacy of the venue and to the short set as well. In between songs, Meloy’s banter with the crowd provoked laughter, cheers, requests and more laughter. His ability to carry a song with nothing more than his guitar backing his voice is phenomenal entertainment and the songs that you know well are astonishing to watch live. A few times Meloy would stop mid-song to remember a lyric and correct a chord progression – it further distanced the show from anything manufactured. Meloy reminds you why solo acoustic shows are a much needed change of pace. Simple and honest.

Highlights included tracks O Valencia, Everyday is Like Sunday, a cover of Sam Cook’s Cupid and Meloy’s knack for storytelling.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

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Hawaiian-born musician, filmmaker and surfer Jack Johnson will perform the inaugural concert at Burl’s Creek Park on Sunday August 3, in support of his worldwide #1 record, Sleep Through the Static.

As part of one of the most anticipated tours of the summer, Jack Johnson fans will get the chance to experience him live in a unique outdoor setting just north of Barrie, Ontario. Conveniently located off Highway 11, just 15 minutes north of Park Place (the former Molson Park), Burl’s Creek Park offers free parking as well as camping options for this long weekend event.

Jack Johnson and his crew are passionately committed to greening every aspect of this tour in order to minimize environmental impact. Burl’s Creek Park and event promoter Live Nation are joining in these efforts to create what is believed to be the greenest major music event ever produced in Canada.

Tickets for the show went on sale on March 15th at 10am.
Tickets (while available) can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or bought in person at any Ticketmaster outlet, or at the Rotate This and Sonic Temple record shops in Toronto.

This will be one of the top music event of the year.

Have you seen Jack before? If so, let us know where and what you thought of the show.

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From the opening track Long Haul Driver it was evident that the band was playing at a very high level – they’ve played 26 shows since December 27th – they sounded great.

The band is roughly 2/3rds through their 3 month Canada/Austin tour promoting their new album Blood’s Too Rich.

Doucet was accompanied by The White Falcon, which includes Doucet’s wife: guitarist and successful solo musician Melissa McClelland

During the riffed up Take You Home, Doucet maintained his praise as a great guitarist with a juicy little solo. Local Juno nominee and well known multi-instrumentalist Danny Michel joined the band on stage playing the piano. He added some very unique sounds and solos to tracks and you could tell it was a real kick for the band.

“I know it’s not a big deal for you guys because he lives around the corner, but I don’t see Danny often, so I’m a bit starstruck.” Doucet commented with a nod.

The band played through It’s Only Tuesday and Michel added some very cool variety to the track, which has such a great Neil Young vibe to it. Just as Michel thought his duty was done Doucet (speaking to both the band and the crowd) said, “this should be interesting because I don’t think he knows any of these songs”

Danny Michel played another 2-3 songs adding improvised piano sounds and solos that made the gig a very unique experience.

The encore included a great cover of Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues that blended into an even more impressive Bruce Springsteen’s I’m On Fire.

The encore was one of the high points of the show, but it might not have outdone the version of The Comandante from the new album…

The opening act, the Spider Dogs had some familiar faces – they’re a spin off project involving members from three reputable local bands: The Stars Here, The Droops, and The Lucas Stagg Band…

The Spider Dogs started with Good Love and played through a handful of songs that they are testing before releasing their debut album. The band pulls off the early Rolling Stones sound and even the vibe reminiscent of The Band, but their Pop/Punk numbers don’t quite fit.

The band has a great sound and I look forward to their upcoming album.

For the rest of Luke Doucet’s and the White Falcon, visit their Myspace page.

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