Not sure where to go for CMW? Don’t worry. We have you covered.

Kidstreet, feeling the love at Canadian Music Week 2011.

Jeff Loomis
The Opera House (735 Queen Street East)
Wednesday, 8:30 p.m.

Loomis is best known for his guitar wizardry in the progressive power-metal band Nevermore, where he reigned as lead guitarist for 20 years. But, since 2005, he has enjoyed a successful career on his own, resulting in two solo records. He’s currently writing a third, with Portland-based studio guitarist Keith Merrow.

This show should provide Loomis with the perfect opportunity to showcase some new material, as well as some songs from 2012′s Plains of Oblivion. He plays a seven-string guitar and is known for his intricate style, making tonight’s performance enticing for gearheads and technique junkies alike.

If seven-string gymnastics are your bag, this is not to be missed.

Go if: You want to see a genuine guitar gladiator go to work on the strings.

DIANA
The Mod Club (720 College Street)
Wednesday, 9 p.m.

DIANA—also known as Joseph Shabason (saxophonist for Destroyer), Kieran Adams (of Bonjay), and Carmen Elle (of Army Girls)—had a banner 2012. That’s not only because it was the trio’s first year as a full band (Adams and Shabason took their time finding Elle to provide the vocals), but also because they quickly became “Toronto’s next band to watch.” Their ’70s-inspired blend of chilled-out grooves, atmospheric tones, Elle’s soft vocals, and some killer brass is worthy of the hype. Be sure to show up early to the CHVRCHES show tonight at the Mod Club for some excellent homegrown chillwave.

Go if: You haven’t given your shoes a good stare in a while.

Raekwon
Sound Academy (11 Polson Pier)
Wednesday, 9 p.m.

If you have the chance to see a legend perform his most critically acclaimed album in its entirety, you jump on it. It’s a no brainer. As a result, we assume everyone will make the annoying trek down to Sound Academy tonight to see Raekwon perform Only Built 4 Cuban Linx from end-to-end. For those of you who are too young to remember, the almost cinematic album has been credited with starting the late-’90s subgenre of Mafioso Rap. It has been hailed as one of the best hip-hop albums of the past 20 years.

Go if: You know all the words to “Incarcerated Scarfaces.”

Outlaws and Gunslingers Americana Music Association Showcase
The Horseshoe Tavern (370 Queen Street West)
Wednesday, 9 p.m.

You won’t have to put much wear on your cowboy boots tonight, because an all-star country lineup at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern means all your down-home tunes are in one place. The Outlaws and Gunslingers Showcase boasts names like Toronto alt-country kings NQ Arbuckle, Americana queen Oh Susanna, acclaimed Latin guitarist Quique Escamilla, Blue Rodeo frontman Jim Cuddy, Danny Michel (no intro needed), and Toronto favourite Justin Rutledge, whose album Valleyheart came out last month.

Go if: You want to mix a bit of Americana with the Canadiana of this music week.

CHVRCHES
The Mod Club (720 College Street)
Wednesday, 10 p.m.

Scottish electropop act CHVRCHES is the definition of a buzz band. It hasn’t released anything that even remotely looks like an album. (The group’s debut EP, Recover, isn’t set to drop until next week.) Even so, the British music press is raving. CHVRCHES has received accolades from The Guardian, NME, and Huffington Post UK, and was even compared to Robyn by the BBC.

Go if: You want to see the next big thing.

Big Things Showcase with Sweatshop Union, Wordburglar
Global Village Backpackers (460 King Street West)
Wednesday, 12 a.m.

You could find “harder” rap acts at CMW, make no mistake (check out our hip-hop guide for some of them), but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone more playful and pop-culture savvy than Halifax-to-T-Dot transplant Wordburglar, or veteran Vancouver collective Sweatshop Union. These rappers are serious about their rhymes, but they don’t take themselves too seriously.

Go if: You like your rap more geek-chic than gangsta.

Chip-Fu
The Crawford (718 College Street)
Wednesday, 1 a.m.

Hip-hop reggae fusionist Chip-Fu kind of peaked in the early ’90s as part of The Fu-Schnickens, who were riding high on the rap charts until someone made the mistake of telling the group to do a hyper-gimmicky single with aspiring rapper Shaquille O’Neal. All that said, Chip-Fu is still a great, genre-bending MC, and he can rap really, really fast.

Go if: You want to hear some rapid-fire rhymes.

Image courtesy of The Great Canadian Burlesque.

The Great Canadian Girlesque Expo
Various locations
January 25–27
$20–$78

This coming weekend, Toronto will once again play host to the largest burlesque convention in Canada, The Great Canadian Girlesque Expo. An annual winter showcase now in its eighth year, it features legends of burlesque and active performers at the height of their power alongside local stars and emerging artists. Over three days, there will be more than 60 burlesque acts from across the country, as well as displays, vendors, and workshops.

The Girlesque Expo is put on by the Great Canadian Burlesque, an association of burlesque performers who also run the Canadian Burlesque Hall of Fame. Founded nearly a decade ago by Toronto-based mentalist, magician, and variety performer Mysterion, the Girlesque Expo is now setting the standard for grandeur in the Canadian burlesque scene.

During an interview, Mysterion immediately identifies the act he’s most excited to see this weekend: Tempest Storm. The pop-culture icon and burlesque legend will appear in Toronto for the first time in over 30 years. A contemporary of Bettie Page, Storm performed for well over 60 years, and her career has taken her as far as Hollywood. She retired in 1995, but still makes special appearances. Also coming: Tiffany Carter, another legend, who Mysterion says “has been performing since the 1960s and never retired.” Other performers will include Tanya Cheex, Jo Boobs Weldon, Burgundy Brixx, Coco Lectric, Fionna Flauntit, and Chaos Divine.

The appearances of legendary performers from the ’50s and ’60s alongside new and emerging performers is something that Mysterion is extremely proud of. Events like this, he says, “validate the Toronto burlesque scene.” He believes that Toronto’s burlesque performances “are at least on par, if not better than anything else out there.”

“[Toronto has] a nurturing scene,” he adds, “and is a city with a dance school on every corner, access to great cloth and crystals and costume makers. There are aerialists and circus schools. Toronto has so much that can allow people to become excellent performers.”

According to the Great Canadian Burlesque’s website, “Burlesque is not a synonym for stripping or exotic dancing. Burlesque is performance art that shines a spotlight on striptease that showcases skits, comedy, variety and seduction.” To this effect, Mysterion says part of the purpose of the expo is education, both for the performers and for the audience. The former have the opportunity to see their contemporaries at work. The latter get to see how far burlesque has come as an art form.

In addition to the performances, eight workshops will be offered over the course of the expo, on subjects ranging from costumes, to how to do a “glove peel.” There will even be a session with Tempest Storm on the psychology of burlesque.

Mysterion hopes audiences will come away with a new appreciation for their city’s steamy side. It’s important, he told us, to remember that “Toronto the Good” can also be naughty.

Last year's Cavalcade of Lights. Photo by {a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronnieyip/6423130583/"}ronnie.yip{/a} from the {a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/torontoist"}Torontoist Flickr Pool{/a}.

MUSIC: The music festival circuit always goes into a kind of hibernation come winter, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few options available. NuJazz Festival returns with another stellar lineup. Along with workshops and orchestral shows, you can also catch a variety of artists, including Billy Martin and Wil Blades, who will be playing a set this weekend. Runs to November 24, locations, times, and ticket prices vary.

DOGS: Let’s be honest, you could never get an army of cats to go along with something as adorable as this. So checkmate. Dogs win. Winter Woofstock returns for another year of doggie-inspired events such as a fashion show, costume contests, and a stupid dog trick contest. If you haven’t yet felt the true power of a dog wrapped up in the holiday spirit, go ahead and take a look at this. Direct Energy Centre (100 Princes’ Boulevard), Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., $10.

CAVALCADE OF LIGHTS: It’s the event that this Kanye West song was made for. For those who love amazing fireworks, giant Christmas trees, live music, and overall wintry/holiday goodness, look to the Cavalcade of Lights, which is entering its 47th year this weekend. Protip: Don’t forget your gloves and hot chocolate; it’s bound to be a chilly night. Nathan Phillips Square, Saturday, 7 p.m., FREE.

MUSIC: If you’re Canadian and you’re into music at all, you’ve probably come across Exclaim! at some point. For their 20th anniversary they’re asking some past cover artists to curate shows—and this weekend’s particular event, Exclaim! Magazine Destination Out Showcase, features bands handpicked by violinist extraordinaire Owen Pallett. The Music Gallery (197 John Street), Saturday, 8 p.m., $17.

PARTY: The Mod Club, famous for acting as a spring board for emerging or popular talent, is having a bash for its first decade and is bringing in a whole host of guests including DJs, Nightbox, and Dr. Draw. There will also be a red carpet and champagne to kick off the evening. Mod Club (722 College Street), 9:30 p.m., $10.

STAR WARS: By now you’ve probably heard the amazing news that Little Miss Sunshine/Toy Story 3 screenwriter Michael Arndt has been tapped to pen the next Star Wars movie. Here’s your excuse to go out and celebrate with breakdancing stormtroopers and hard-rocking Ewoks. Darkrave, this Star Wars themed party, invites all attendees to dress up in their intergalactic best and promises DJs, video projections, and lightsaber quality lasers. Pacha Lounge (1305 Dundas Street West), Saturday, 9 p.m., $10 for 19+, $20 for all ages.

SANTA CLAUS: It doesn’t matter if you were naughty or nice this year, you’ve still got a chance to catch Santa and friends shimmying on down for his annual parade. This year’s edition features many floats, an iPhone app that turns phones into jingle bells, and tie-ins to the much-hyped 100th Grey Cup. Check out our preview here. Parade starts at Christie Pits, Sunday, 12:30 p.m., FREE.

Urban Planner is Torontoist‘s guide to what’s on in Toronto, published every weekday morning, and in a weekend edition Friday afternoons. If you have an event you’d like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you’ve got any—to events@torontoist.com.

Forget compasses, GPS, or helpful Sherpas. From June 11 to 17, Torontoist is here to be your guide to everything NXNE.

Bad Religion's iconic logo on their drum kit at Yonge-Dundas Square.

Thursday night was undoubtedly buzz-band night at North by Northeast. Whether it was a quartet of attractive, Jack White–co-signed goths, a self-destructive Texan or a pair of haunting Albertan electro-popsters, if they had serious blog buzz, they were playing.

Nash
FROM: Montreal, Quebec
PERFORMED: June 14, 7 p.m. at the Mod Club

Pre-Show Hype: Minimal. 7 p.m. is a rough slot to fill—especially in a place as big as the Mod Club.

Performance: Excellent. It was impressive that that the vocal frontman was jumping up and down with his guitar and tambourine despite the fact that the room was only a quarter full when the set kicked off. These guys strive to be huge, and there are definitely echoes of bands like U2 in their music. They likely got a much better reaction at their 1 a.m. show later that night.

Best Moment: There was a stomping jam in the middle of the set that was a nice switch up from the previous numbers—and it finally got the audience engaged in the tunes.

Miscellaneous: This show was proof that rock stars can wake up early and still rock.

Verdict: Despite the early nature of the show—several of the audience members even looked like they might be nursing a hangover—it was a pretty solid set. Still, these guys deserved a much better time slot.

Good Riddance
FROM: Santa Cruz, California
PERFORMED: June 14, 8 p.m. at Yonge-Dundas Square

Good Riddance singer Russ Rankin expresses his frustration at the Devils recent Stanley Cup loss.

Pre-Show Hype: High. Considering that the band was playfully heckled by a fan in between songs for not returning to Toronto in seven years, it would be safe to assume there was an excitement in the air.

Performance: Songs started and ended at such a dizzying clip that, by the end, you could have sworn that they had played 20 of them in the 40 minutes they were on stage. Blasting out hard punk with a social and political bent, the group showed that time had not slowed them down—rather, it had further honed their skills. It was surprising how many people tightly packed into Yonge-Dundas Square were passionately belting out every lyric—almost as surprising is how well the material actually holds up.

Best Moment: Gloriously bald-headed bassist Chuck Platt was in especially fine form on this day, expressing his gratitude to the city’s enthusiastic reception with the promise that, “if you keep dancing, we’ll keep playing.”

Miscellaneous: One needlessly aggressive shirtless guy in the mosh pit had security putting on their plastic gloves.

Verdict: As part of an undercard for the night’s Bad Religion show, it almost felt like our own mini–Warped Tour in the heart of the city.

I Smell Blood
FROM: London, Ontario
PERFORMED: June 14, 8:45 p.m. at the Annex Live

Pre-Show Hype: Moderate. They were still setting up a few minutes after they were supposed to start, but the crowd was certainly ready for it.

Performance: Definitely a highlight of NXNE so far. You know when you hear a band’s first ridiculously loud riff and you just want it to last forever, without any of those silly vocals? Well, that’s what happened: no lyrics, just rock. To say that this drums-and-guitar duo blew the roof off the Annex Live would be understating the sheer power of their set.

Best Moment: Realizing that no one was going to be singing and that these two just came here to play—and hard.

Miscellaneous: Number of times it was forgotten that only two people were playing: too many to count.

Verdict: A must-see live act only bolstered by the fairly small space provided by the Annex Live. It’s hard to say what they’d sound like in a larger venue. For the time being, let’s just enjoy having our faces torn off by guitar-shredding just feet away from us.

Bad Religion
FROM: Los Angeles, California
PERFORMED: June 14, 9 p.m. at Yonge-Dundas Square

The smartest man in punk rock, Bad Religion's Greg Graffin.

Pre-Show Hype: Approaching fever pitch. They were already one of the biggest acts of the festival, and the anticipation was exponentially increased by the fact that punk fans are, without question, a loyal and enthusiastic bunch.

Performance: Bad Religion are considered legends, and by tearing through many favourites from their extensive catalogue for more than an hour and a half, they reminded the crowd why. From older material like “Fuck Armageddon… This Is Hell” to mainstream breakthrough “21st Century (Digital Boy),” virtually every one of the band’s eras was represented. In many cases, the political undertones that have always been present in Bad Religion’s music seem even more pertinent now than when the songs were released.

Best Moment: Not to discount the music, but all of lead singer Greg Graffin’s between-song banter. Like a great stand-up comedian, he bragged about the Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup victory before dismissing sports altogether. Later, he amusingly expressed his distaste for all of the advertisements surrounding the stage.

Miscellaneous: Though they omitted Toronto from their 30th anniversary tour a few years ago, the group did hint at a special treat for their Canadian fans in the near future.

Verdict: Punk shows can be judged by the quality of their mosh pit. By that measure, Bad Religion’s appearance was a success.

B L A C K I E
FROM: Houston, Texas
PERFORMED: June 14, 10 p.m. at the Drake Hotel Underground

Pre-Show Hype: Fairly high. B L A C K I E’s performance at South by Southwest definitely put him on the radar. There was a fair bit of curiosity about the man who will be playing three nights at North by Northeast.

Performance: When you strip away the hype about the homemade 5,000-watt sound system, B L A C K I E—whose music combines punk, hip-hop, metal and dubstep—is essentially just one guy who screams bad poetry over top of a prerecorded backing track (admittedly a very loud one) and is really picky about how his name is spelled. That said, his North by Northeast debut wasn’t a total waste of time. B L A C K I E is, if nothing else, deadly serious about his own ridiculousness. His performance was fascinating and kinetic, and had a Darby Crash–ish flair. He hung himself with the mic, screamed, stomped, humped the amps and flailed around as if he was on fire. He may not have been great to listen to, but he was certainly fun to watch.

Best Moment: B L A C K I E stood wordlessly for two and a half minutes, alternating beteween a Jesus Christ pose and the “Y” in “YMCA,” while the audience clapped and cheered.

Miscellaneous: There were roughly 50 people in the crowd. It looked as if more than 40 of them had either a media pass or an artist pass.

Verdict: Like most of the crowd, Torontoist was there with a press pass. If we had actually paid money to be there, we would have been annoyed.

Sarah MacDougall
FROM: Whitehorse, Yukon
PERFORMED: June 14, 10 p.m. at C’est What?

Pre-Show Hype: Strong. A set like this is basically prime-time. So in a packed venue filled with a still-chatty audience, everyone was looking toward the mic as 10 p.m. drew near.

Performance: Great. MacDougall’s no stranger to the touring scene, having spent the last three years on the road. She definitely knew how to work the audience. There were sing-alongs, songs that encouraged the crowd to make wolf noises at certain intervals, and charming audience banter.

Best Moment: There were many great ones (the out-of-nowhere howl that featured occasionally in her songs, for example), but maybe the most memorable was her between-songs story about how living in the Yukon had made her so scared of bears and wolves that she would pee in the sink to avoid going outside to use the outhouse.

Miscellaneous: The baseball cap she was wearing actually made her look cooler. Why don’t people wear those anymore?

Verdict: It’s hard to keep track of all the great singer-songwriters out there, but MacDougall managed to capture the audience’s attention.

Tre Nyce
FROM: Vancouver, British Columbia
PERFORMED: June 14, 11 p.m. at the Crawford

Pre-Show Hype: Zero. Nyce was supposed to be part of Wednesday’s cancelled hip-hop showcase at the Rivoli. No one expected him to be here.

Performance: The Scarborough-born, Vancouver-based MC/singer put on a high-energy, entertaining performance. His fast-paced rhyme style, his tenor voice and his ability to mix thought-provoking lyrics and straight party rhymes all bode well for him in a world where Kanye West and Childish Gambino are superstars. While Nyce will never be a full-time singer, he can belt out a hook better than most rappers who try.

Best Moment: When he gave a shout-out to Scarborough, half the crowd broke into cheers.

Miscellaneous: Apparently he had bronchitis, which makes his performance even more impressive.

Verdict: He kept repeating the phrase “Tre Nyce is the future” throughout his set. There may be something to that.

The Hundred in the Hands
FROM: Brooklyn, New York
PERFORMED: June 14, 12 a.m. at Wrongbar

Pre-Show Hype: Pretty high. They had a song on Gossip Girl.

Performance: The Hundred in the Hands’ brand of new wave–influenced, synth-heavy indietronica tends to go over well at North by Northeast, and they represent the sub-genre at its best. Keyboardist and vocalist Elanore Everdell’s haunting voice contrasted nicely with pulsing beats and catchy synth riffs, and guitarist/bassist/programmer Jason Friedman is a talented multi-instrumentalist who moves like a hyperactive scarecrow.

Best Moment: Excited Audience Member: “You’re my favourite!”

Everdell: “Well, you’re OUR favourite.”

Miscellaneous: The Hundred in the Hands have their own webzine, where they interview their fellow musicians, as well as other artists.

Verdict: When it’s done well, dark-but-danceable is hard to beat. The Hundred in the Hands do it very well.

The Black Belles
FROM: Nashville, Tennessee
PERFORMED: June 14, 12 a.m. at the Garrison

Pre-Show Hype: It was a packed house. People standing on chairs.

Performance: Goth garage rock at its finest. Good sound, great song delivery and cute head-to-toe black outfits.

Best Moment: Emily the Strange’s twin sister wailing on the drums like they owed her money.

Miscellaneous: The band appeared on an episode of The Colbert Report in 2011.

Verdict: They were discovered by Jack White, and he knows what he’s doing. If you don’t like what they sound like, at least they’re nice to look at.

Purity Ring
FROM: Edmonton, Alberta/Montreal, Quebec
PERFORMED: June 14, 1 a.m. at Wrongbar

Pre-Show Hype: High beyond reason and completely out of proportion. Wrongbar was positively packed to the gills, with the entire audience standing at rapt attention. All this for a band whose debut album hasn’t even come out.

Performance: Most blog-buzz bands would crack under the pressure of this sort of high-profile coming-out party. Purity Ring may actually have exceeded expectations. Even when performed live, their emotional, slowed-out variety of electronica has the sort of polish you’d expect from a veteran act, not from a pair of newcomers. Megan James’ vocals are absolutely captivating.

Best Moment: When James admitted they were “really nervous” to be there, and that the crowd was “really awesome.”

Miscellaneous: The entire show was sponsored by a shoe company, who had their own VIP area. If anyone knows what it takes to be a Converse VIP, please let us know.

Verdict: Purity Ring aren’t going to be massive stars. They already are.

Lovely Killbots
FROM: Toronto, Ontario
PERFORMED: Friday June 14, 2 a.m. at the Boat

Pre-Show Hype: Middling. Lovely Killbots were the last band scheduled as part of the HMV Digital Showcase. As of our arrival at The Boat at 2:10 a.m., there were half a dozen audience members on the dance floor (two were photographers), and another two dozen tired-looking spectators spread throughout the venue in chairs.

Performance: With such a small and tired crowd to perform for, and Lauralee Love having difficulty hearing her keyboard in the monitors (and consequently not always nailing the right pitch), we doubt this was a high-point show for Lovely Killbots, though they soldiered on.

Best Moment: The best song in the set was “Must Be Machine,” which got our toes tapping.

Miscellaneous: The video projection during the set was a nice touch.

Verdict: This duo, with “a penchant for heavy analogue synths and fun, catchy electro” has been making music together for five years, so by now they’ve surely learned to weather an off night. This was one of them.

“Burlesque” in the sense we’re talking about here is a vaudeville-era term used to describe a particular type of stage show characterized by bawdy humour and striptease. Most people who know of it these days are probably showtunes fans or close relatives of showtunes fans, because the last remaining mainstream documentary evidence of the genre is the musical Gypsy.
But there is something to be said for going out and seeing what’s left of the real thing. What you miss by watching the fictionalized version of the (relatively tame) 1930s version of burlesque represented in Gypsy is the guy whose stage name is Evil Hate Monkey, and who wears fake monkey ears, a waxed moustache, and a banana peel on his dick.
There was also a performer named Olive-or-Oliver who came out on stage in pink pajamas and a bib and started doing a hula-hoop routine with eyes wide and mouth agape, toward the end of which she was wearing only the bib and a tiny rubber penis attached to a g-string so minimal it could have been made of fishing line.
The whole thing was hosted by a trio of performers who go by Sexy Mark Brown, Wry, and Ginger. Wry and Ginger, a girl/guy duo, were dressed Pierre and Margaret Trudeau, and Brown was John A. Macdonald. Together, they did comedy routines. All this mocking of ultra-serious national legends between spates of bouncing body parts seemed pretty burlesquey to us, but was it authentic?
In the audience was one person whose opinion on that score wasn’t informed only by Broadway, a woman named April March, who is now 76 years old, but who was once known as the “first lady of burlesque,” because, when she was younger, she looked like Jackie Onasis. (We saw a picture, and it’s true.) She began performing, she said, in 1952. Here is her review of the show:
“There’s a lot of old style, but then there’s a lot of new style that they didn’t do back then,” she said. “And back then, they didn’t have tattoos.”
For information on Canadian burlesque throughout the year check out Great Canadian Burlesque.

Photos by Dean Bradley/Torontoist.