\ TO DOWNTOWN \

There are open stages and there are jams and then there are the interesting amorphous combinations of the two, wherein talents come out to perform their own thing but often end up jamming together, as, for example, regularly happens when Nicola Vaughan hosts her weekly Sunday afternoon events at Hirut Café and Wednesday evenings at Black Swan Tavern.

The venerable and 35-years-old-and-counting Monday night open stage at Free Time Café is normally pretty much just that performers come out, sign up starting at 7 p.m. and then proceed to do their own thing one after another until the list is exhausted or its time for the room to turn out the lights.  But tonight’s edition could end up being a little different.

Tonight’s host in the room at 320 College St. is making his debut there in that role and I believe it may also be the first time he’s hosted such an event anywhere.  But as a frequent participant at other open stages, and as a feature act doing gigs with his own Amazing Tubular Orchestra band, Wayne ‘Neon’ Smith has proven to be singularly adept at backing other players with a variety of instruments on which he’s quite proficient.

As I reported previously, Wayne was able to do some fills on flute for me during an open stage even though he’d never heard my originals before or even seen me perform.  As a guitarist he performs both with his own band and acoustically at open stages.  And as sax player he’s much in demand as a freelancer and is also part of several combos including, among others, the Mississauga Big Band Jazz Ensemble and the Gordon’s Acoustic Living Room group that appears about once a month at the Free Times and is a regular at the “Fourth Thursdays” and “First Fridays” jams at Grossman’s.

As a respectful host naturally he’s not going to be just jumping in to back up performers without them requesting it.  But I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see some of the talents he’s jammed with at various open stages and maybe guests who’ve joined him on stage at his own shows, all of whom are well familiar with his prowess, come out tonight to make for a potentially very interesting edition of the event.

There’s no cover, there’s usually a $5 craft beer pint special on offer and the food here is yummy.

-Gary 17, TorontoMoon.ca

SHOW LISTINGS for Monday, January 02, 2022

Listings are organized by area in which the shows occur and within each area field shows are listed chronologically.

Listings preceded by an asterisk (*) are repeating weekly events. (Double asterisk indicates repeating event with different hosts/guest/etc.). Events preceded by question mark (?) usually take place but have not been confirmed. Admission prices followed by a slash and minus (/-) after the amount indicates door charge with availability of cheaper rates for some purchases. /+ indicates stated price is minimum.

Names of subscribers appear in bold, are underlined and, where applicable, include a live link to their websites. Advertisers’ listings are in larger highlighted type, include live link to website and also have ad icon included in listings.

ON AIR/ONLINE

*6> “Underplayed and Underpaid” interviews and performances by Guelph area bands on CFRU 93.3 broadcast and online.

416 – TORONTO CENTRAL

**7-1 (sign-up at 7, show starts 7:30)> open stage with host Wayne Neon @ Free Times Café, 320 College St., TO

*7-10> open stage with Brad Scott @ Lola, 40 Kensington Ave., TO

7> Tiny Kingdoms; Godfinch; Romancer; Pfloog; Incase we Crash; Bill Morton @ The Central, 603 Markham St., TO ~indie

7:30> Peter Hill Quintet @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz; $

7:30> Terry Jones & guests @ Tranzac Lounge (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO

7:30> Advocats Big band @ Seven44, 744 Mount Pleasant Road, TO North ~R&B/Swing

8> Ukulele jam @ Tranzac Lounge (Main Hall), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO

**9-1:30> jam with No Band Required @ Grossman’s, 379 Spadina Ave., TO

*9:30> open mic with host Mark Villamor at Amsterdam Bicycle Club, 54 The Esplanade, TO

10> Jordan John @ The Orbit Room, 580 College St., TO ~R&B/Blues; $

**10> open mic (2 songs; sign-up starts 8 p.m.) with host Chris Banks @ Tranzac Lounge (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO

416 - TORONTO EAST

7-10> Smokey Folk @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., Toronto East ~Bluegrass; 0$

8:30-10:30> Rob London @ Castro’s, 2116 Queen St. E., TO East

*9-12> The Out of Towners @ Sauce on Danforth, 1376 Danforth Ave., TO East

*9:30-2> Sebastian Agnello & friends @ Black Swan (ground floor), 154 Danforth Ave., TO East; 0$

416 – TORONTO SCARBOROUGH

*8-11> open stage with Dan Walek @ McGradie’s, 2167 Victoria Park Ave., Scarborough

416 – TORONTO WEST

5-8> Mike & Jill Daley Jazz Duo @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz

7> Jab Fung feat. Kirk MacDonald on sax @ The Emmet Ray, 924 College St., TO West ~Jazz; pwyc

*7:30> Balfolk @ La Rev, 2848 Dundas St. W., TO West ~French Folk music & dance; $5-10/pwyc

8-12> Avery Florence & The Everyones @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West ~songwriter; $10

*9-1> Hamstrung Stringband @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Bluegrass

*9-1> eclectic open stage/jam with host Nelson Sobral @ The Painted Lady, 218 Ossington Ave., TO West

9-1> Tim Hamel Trio & guests @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz

9:30> Lucian Gray/Adam Arruda Quintet @ The Emmet Ray, 924 College St., TO West ~Jazz; pwyc

519

7-11:30> monthly first Monday open mic @ The Cornerstone, 1 Wyndham St. N., Guelph

*8-12> open stage @ The Boathouse, 97 Jubilee Drive, Kitchener

*8-2> Matt Weidinger @ Jimmy Jazz, 52 Macdonell St., Guelph ~acoustic originals & covers

705

*7> Rick & Gailie @ Black Horse Pub, 452 George St. N., Peterborough

9?> jam night with Rob Drake @ Sticky Fingers Dunlop, 199 Essa Rd.

905 EAST

*8-11> open stage @ Simcoe Blues & Jazz, 926 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa

905 NORTH

9:25-1:05> jam/open stage with backline @ Sneakers Uptown, 18025 Yonge St., Newmarket

905 SOUTH

*8:30-12:30> The New Rebel Westerners @ Cat ‘n’ Fiddle, 174 John St. S., Hamilton ~Country

905 WEST

*7-10> open mic with Chris Partland @ The Purple Heather, 3600 Dundas St. W., Burlington

**8-12> BBQ & jam night with Mimico Bill @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St., Oakville; ($8.95 with BBQ dinner special starts at 6)

*9:30-1> jam with Tom Barlow @ Shore Grill, 71 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit

-Copyright © 2017 by Gary “17” Webb-Proctor & TorontoMoon,ca. All Rights Reserved