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Musicologist: May 12-18
Photo of Tyr Jami and Todd MacDonald of The Winks by Jasa Baka
Vancouver-born, Montreal-settled The Winks will be passing through Toronto this Sunday, May 18 (with Vancouver’s Secret Mommy Quintet) at Sneaky Dee’s. The cello- and mandolin-fused band welcomed 2008 with the end of a “63 shows in 71 days” tour of North America to promote the release of their EP Chours Girls, and this coming Toronto stop is one of many on a multi-city Ontario tour for the month of May.
The Winks have been lingering around the Canadian music realm for almost a decade now, and have seen many rotating members, with Tyr Jami and Todd MacDonald (cello and mandolin players, respectively) as the two constants. Their sideshow art pop is brought to life with the band’s well-known, colourful performances—with over-the-top visuals and dressed-at-their-best band members (conveniently, Jami is also a costume designer). And in addition to incredible live shows, The Winks continuously demonstrate their ripened musicianship: Tyr Jami, for example, has been playing cello since she was 7 years old and has a voice as sinfully strange and beautiful as Anni Rossi and Bjork—and the lady knows how to dance!
The band’s early days were spent hosting their own shows in their loft space in Vancouver when the music community just wouldn’t do it for them, and their DIY spirit has kept them sustainable to this day. Always innovating their sound, producing records upon records (3 full-lengths and 7 limited-edition EPs to date, to be exact), and creating a live show that is always unexpected, The Winks are a band that Toronto can always look forward to having.
Full listings after the jump.
This Week
Monday, May 12
Mars Volta @ Sound Academy, $44
Teitur @ Courthouse, $20
Sweet Jelly Roller @ The Boat, $5
Tuesday, May 13
Zaki Ibrahim @ Mod Club, $13
Hamell on Trial @ Hugh’s Room, $15
Franziska Baumann, Matthias Ziegler, and others @ Music Gallery, $10-$20
Feist and Great Lake Swimmers @ Sony Centre, $32-$42
Wednesday, May 14
As I Lay Dying @ Phoenix, SOLD OUT
Panic at the Disco @ Phoenix, SOLD OUT
Sleep the Season, Ministry of the Environment, and Save September @ The Boat, $5
Hush Money @ Tiger Bar, $5
Nif-D and Tropics @ The Drake, $5
The Eddies feat. Marshall Dane, Running Red Lights and Staylefish @ Hugh’s Room, $59
Wordburglar, More or Les, Red Ants, Noah 23, and Royce Birth @ Rivoli, $5
Lindi Ortega and Robert Hedge @ Supermarket, $5
Chris Brown @ Czehoski, FREE
Thursday, May 15
Irshad Khan @ Lula Lounge, $15
Lymbic Systym @ Silver Dollar, $7
BA Johnston, Jeff Peers, and Vincat @ The Boat, $5
Lily Frost @ Tranzac
People in Planes @ Rivoli, $12
Slow News Day @ El Mocambo
Rae Billing @ Dakota Tavern
Abhijit Pohankar @ Lula Lounge, $20
Friday, May 16
Arch Enemy @ Opera House, $33.50
Augustana @ Mod Club, $20
British Sea Power @ Lee’s Palace, $15
Tokio Hotel @ Sound Academy, $36
Dinosaur Bones, Great Bloomers, and Still Life Still @ The Boat, $5
Eric Voice @ Rivoli, $12
Saturday, May 17
Make It Funky @ Revival, $12
Spiral Beach @ Opera House, $12
Two Hours Traffic @ Horseshoe, $12
My Shaky Jane, The Ryde, and others @ Horseshoe, $6
Satkirin Kaur @ The Centre, $25-$30
Sunday, May 18
The Winks, Secret Mommy Music, and The Cleef @ Sneaky Dee’s, PWYC
The Casualties @ Kathedral, $15
KTL, Nemeth, and Sleep Research Facility @ Music Gallery, $20
dUTERVIL, Hamilton Trading Co., and David Simard @ The Boat, PWYC
Frankie Knuckles @ Mod Club, $20
Just Announced
June 20: Nina Nastasia @ Drake, $15
June 21: Brian Melo @ Mod Club, $20
July 2: TV on the Radio @ Kool Haus, $26.50
July 6: Calexico @ Mod Club, $22.50
July 24: Baskery @ Dakota Tavern, $12
August 5: Nine Inch Nails @ Air Canada Centre, $59.50-$69.50
August 10: Boy George @ Kool Haus, $46
September 10: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds @ Kool Haus, $36.50
September 21: New Kids on the Block @ Air Canada Centre, $39.50-$75
September 25: My Bloody Valentine @ Ricoh Coliseum, $48.75
October 4: Amorphis @ Opera House, $28.50