In Music ,

There’s what happens pre-NXNE, and what happens during NXNE…

This weekend, Rock Plaza Central play a CD release show at Lee’s Palace on Saturday, and The Pink Mountaintops (the sunnier and stranger side project of Black Mountaintops’ founder Stephen McBean) play both an in-store show at Sonic Boom Sunday afternoon, and a headlining gig that night at the ‘Shoe. On Tuesday, pre-NXNE, the folks behind Ganglion Comics have another stellar show & comic book launch on Tuesday night at The Boat, with The Magic, Boxes & Bags, and a (mostly) reunited Henri Faberge & The Adorables.

Starting as of Wednesday, NXNE features free shows at Yonge & Dundas Square and at record stores all over town, plus regular showcases and concerts (of course!), featuring out of town acts like The Black Lips, Melissa Auf De Maur (former and current member of Hole), Burning Brides, and Matt & Kim. The best showcases though, IMO, combine great local acts, some of whom are getting rare to catch in town, like Woodhands, Hooded Fang, and Jason Collett.

(For Comedy, Theatre, Film, and the week’s picks, continue below.)

In Comedy,

Improv duo Iron Cobra guest this Sunday at Ghost Jail; Becky Johnson will be leaving town again soon, so it’s a rare opportunity to catch her and Graham Wagner in action (and of course, Ghost Jail is a great show on its own).

The Alt.Dot. and Sketch.Com shows at the Rivoli this week are being used to audition comics for the show “This Hour Has 22 Minutes”. Monday’s show features all Second City grads, and Tuesday’s show is all female comics.

Starting Tuesday, the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival has a four night preview run (and fundraiser), Sketch-Com-Ageddon, in preparation for the “main event” in November. Almost 50 troupes will compete over eight shows and four nights for bragging rights, a cash prize, and a guaranteed spot in the fall festival.

Next Friday, there’s a special Pride Festival edition of Andrew Johnston’s “Bitch Salad” comedy showcase. He’s got a number of his favourite female comics from the past few years of shows returning, and one very special guest; Jackie Burroughs, a Canadian icon for her portrayal of Aunt Hetty on “Road to Avonlea”.

In Theatre,

The Luminato Festival wraps up this weekend. Among the highlights are the last two marathon performances of Robert LePage’s “Lipsynch“, the final weekend of the New Waves series at the Young Centre, and the culmination on Sunday night of Cirque De Soleil’s original interactive work, commissioned and developed to interact with the patrons of the festival over the various areas of Harbourfront Centre, like their Music Garden, and along Queens Quay.

There’s also some theatre associated with the Pride Festival, such as a production of Jean Genet’s”Deathwatch“. playing at the Xpace Gallery on Ossington. Other openings this week include the remount of Fringe favourite Tracey Erin Smith’s “The Burning Bush“, joining Soulpepper’s own productions of “Loot” and “Awake and Sing” at the Young Centre. And the Festival of Ideas and Creation heads into it’s second week at Canstage Berkeley Theatre; the public performance to see there this week is a three night reading series of Tom Stoppard’s “The Coast of Utopia” trilogy, Tuesday to Thursday.

In Film,

There’s a film component to NXNE, too. Highlights include the Canadian premiere of the doc “Johnny Cash @ Folson Prison“, and the City Sonic series, with touring spotlights on Canadian artists like the Cancer Bats and Brian Borchedt.

The Worldwide Short Film Festival runs Tuesday to next Sunday, too; check www.shorterisbetter.com for the full slate of special programs.

Newly opening films this weekend include the Oscar winner “Departures“, a Japanese dramedy about the tradition of “encoffining”, and buzz indie flick “Away We Go“, from “American Beauty” and “Road to Perdition” director Sam Mendes.

Steve’s Weekly Picks for Jun. 12th - Jun. 19th, 2009:

FRIDAY June 5th:  12th: Luminato: “The Nightwood “, w/ Katarina Carey, Guy Doucette, Caitlin Morris-Caulfiled, more, @ Lillian H. Smith Library (239 College St.), 7pm, FREE (130 seat capacity)     /     “Body & Soul”, w/ Lois Fine, Barbara Nichol, Joanna Anaquod, more, @ Tarragon Theatre, 8pm, $25-$35 (limited $10 rush tickets @ 6pm)     /     One Hundred Dollars (12am), w/ Deep Dark United (11pm), Jason Benoit (10pm), @ The Horseshoe Tavern, $10     /      Malajube (12am), w/ Hollerado (11pm), Le Nombre (10pm), @ Lee’s Palace, FREE

SATURDAY June 13th Aft.: Luminato: “Lipsynch“, @ Bluma Appel Theatre, 1pm - 10pm ( incl. 4 intermissions), $75-$125     /     “Away we Go”, @  Scotiabank Cinemas, 3:30pm, $12.50

SATURDAY June 13th Eve: /     Rock Plaza Central CD release, w/ Suckers, The Weather Station, @ Lee’s Palace, 10pm, $12.50

SUNDAY June 14th Aft.:   Festival on Bloor, w/ The Element Choir (5pm) Jenny Omnichord (3:45pm), $100 (2pm), @ Brunswick and Bloor, FREE      / Pink Mountaintops in-store performance, @ Sonic Boom, 3pm, FREE     /     Luminato: Cirque De Soleil “Encounters”, @ the Harbourfront Centre Music Garden, 1:30pm - 8:30pm (every half hour), FREE      / Luminato New Waves Festival closing day, w/ Adam Paolozza, Melissa D’Agostino, Albert Schultz, many more, @ The Young Centre, 2pm-7pm, FREE

SUNDAY June 14th Eve: “Ghost Jail Theatre“, w/Iron Cobra, Michel Grajewski, Kayla Lorette, more, @ Clinton’s, 7:30pm, $5      /    LUMINATO: Cirque De Soleil final performance, @ Harbourfront Centre Music Garden, 9pm, FREE     /     “Sunday Night Live“, w/ The Sketchersons, host Boyd Banks, musical guests Wax Mannequin, @ Comedy Bar, 9:30pm, $8     /     Pink Mountaintops, w/ Great Aunt Ida, Megan Hamilton & The Volunteer Canola, @ The Horseshoe, 9:30pm, $11.50

MONDAY June 15th: “Loot“, w/ Matthew Edison, Nicole Underhay, Michael Hanrahan, more, @ The Young Centre, 7:30pm, $$28-$68 ($5-$20 rush tickets 1 hour b4 show - get there early!) /      “Waterworks” reading, w/ Brendan Gall, Shauna Black, Gord Bolan, more, @ Tapestry / Nightwood New Work Studio, 7:30pm, PWYC     /     “Alt.Dot.Comedy Lounge“, w/ Reid Janisse, Caitlin Howden, Soctt Montgomery, host Mark Forward, more, @ The Rivoli, 9pm, PWYC       /     “The Nine O’clock Show“, w/ Teresa Pavlinek, Grant Tilly, Nathan Fielder, host Albert Howell, musical guest Terra Hazelton, more, @ Bread and Circus, 9pm, $5

TUESDAY June 16th: Apostle of Hustle in-store performance, @ Criminal Records, 7pm, FREE      /     “Departures”, @ Cumberland Cinemas, 7pm, $7.95     /     “SketchComedyLounge“, w/ Ayumi Iizuka, Kathleen Phillips, Laura Cilevitz, host Trevor Boris, more, @ The Rivoli, 9pm, PWYC       /       Ganglion Comics Presents…”City Bride, Country Groom!”, w/ The Magic, Boxes and Bags, Henri Faberge and SOME Adorables, host Chris Locke, more, @ The Boat, 10pm, $5 (if you’re dressed for a wedding - $8 if you ain’t)

WEDNESDAY June 17th: Apostle of Hustle, MTV Live performance, @ The Masonic Temple, 5:30pm, FREE     /      Still Life Still, in-store performance @ Fred Perry Store (964 Queen St. W.), 6pm, FREE     /       Festival of Ideas and Creation: Tom Stoppard’s “The Coast of Utopia (Voyage)” reading, dir. by Ravi Jain, Natasha Myntowych, Claire Calnan, more, @ Canstage Berkeley Theatre, 7pm, $15 (all proceeds donated to The Actor’s Fund)     /     Ohbijou, in-store performance @ Soundscapes, 7pm, FREE      /     “The Burning Bush”, w/ Tracey Erin Smith, preview, @ The Young Centre, 8pm, $20   /    “Sketch-Com-Aggedon!” Night 2, w/ Impatient Theatre, Hot Garbage, Stick Figures, more, @ Comedy Bar, 8pm, $8 ($12 w/ 9:30pm show)     /    NXNE: Arts & Crafts Showcase, w/ Jason Collett (8pm), Charles Spearin’s Happiness Project (9pm), Apostle of Hustle (11pm), more, @ The Courthouse (57 Adelaide St. ), $10 (FREE w/ NXNE wristband) /     NXNE: Woodhands (12:30am), Lioness (11:30pm), D’Ubervilles (10:30am), more, @ The Drake Hotel Underground, $10 (FREE w/ NXNE wristband)

THURSDAY June 18th: NXNE: Dinosaur Bones, The Coast, Amos the Transparent, in-store performances, @ Sunrise Records (336 Yonge St. location), 5pm, FREE     /    NXNE: The Black Lips (10pm), Melissa Auf De Muer (8pm), Spiral Beach (6pm), more, @ Yonge and Dundas Square, 6pm-11pm, FREE     /     PRIDE Fest: “Deathwatch“, w/ Ryan Symington, Cole J. Alvis, Indrit Kasapi, more, @ Xpace, 8pm, $15     /      NXNE: Outlaws and Gunslingers Showcase, w/ Royal Wood & Jim Cuddy & Oh Susanna (9pm), Kevin Hearn & Jenn Grant & Jason Plumb (10pm), @ Lee’s Palace, $10 (FREE w/ NXNE wristband)     /        NXNE: I (heart) Music showcase, w/ Amos the Transparent (12am), Black Hat Brigade (11pm), Oh No Forest Fires (10pm), more, @ The Drake Hotel underground, 9pm, $10 (FREE w/ NXNE Wristband)         /      NXNE: Greeen Go (1am), w/ You Say Party! We Say Die! (12am), Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head (11pm), @ The El Mocambo, $10 (FEEE w/ NXNE Wristband)       /     NXNE: Fuzzy Logic Showcase, with Gravity Wave (2am), Dat Politics (1am), Peter Project (9pm), more, @ Wrong Bar, $10 (FREE w/ NXNE wristband)

FRIDAY June 19th: NNXE: Black Hat Brigade (5pm), Green Go (3pm), The Junction (1pm), more, @ The Mill St. Brew Pub (55 Mill St., Distillery District), FREE         /       NXNE: Matt and Kim (8pm), Spiral Beach (7pm), @ The Whippersnapper Gallery, $10 (FREE w/ NXNE Wristband) ALL AGES     /     NXNE Film Festival: “Johnny Cash @ Folsom Prison”, @ The Bloor Cinema, 7pm, $10 (FREE w/ NXNE film pass)      /      “Scorched”, w/ Valerie Bulghar, Fabrizio Filippo, Janick Hebert, more, 8pm, $$30-$45 ($15 rush tickets @ 6pm)     /     “Bitch Salad Gives Back!‘, w/ Debra Digiovanni, Katie Crown, Dini Dimakos, host Andrew Johnston, special guest Jackie Burroughs, more, @ Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 8pm, $15          /     NXNE: The Coast (12am), Hooded Fang (11pm), Coeur De Pirate (9pm), more, @ The Dakota Tavern, $10 (FREE w/ NXNE Wristband) /      NXNE: The Sadies(1am), Melissa Auf De Maur (12am), Burning Brides (11pm), more, @ The El Mocambo, $10 (FREE w/ NXNE Wristband)

Fine Print:

- All prices listed are advance ticket prices (where applicable). With many of these shows, especially music and theatre, if you show up at the door, you run the risk of being turned away due to a sell out.

- All times are start times, NOT door times. If you show up after the posted time, the show will likely already be underway.

- I typically cap the listed performers at three mentioned per show. The bill of bands / acts / performers is often much larger (particularly for comedy and theatre).

- Theatre and Comedy events are ALL AGES, unless otherwise noted. Music events are 19+, unless otherwise noted (FREE in-store and outdoor performances are ALL AGES, due to the lack of alcohol service).

Filed under: Uncategorized by Steve