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  • The 66th annual Mariposa Folk Festival brought big talent to Tudhope Park

    The 66th annual Mariposa Folk Festival brought big talent to Tudhope Park

    By Lisa Gillan

    The Mariposa Folk Festival has done it again, bringing an amazing weekend of folk, rock, and more, to the little city of Orillia, ON.

    From Friday, July 3, to Sunday, July 5, 2026, more than 60 musical acts took to the eight stages set up on the shores of Lake Couchiching at Tudhope Park, to bring attendees a weekend they won’t soon forget.

    This was the 66th annual Mariposa Folk Fest, and the third I’ve been fortunate enough to attend.

    I signed up to volunteer with the audio/video team, capturing footage of attendees enjoying everything the event has to offer, for archival and promotional purposes.

    The festival actually kicked off Thursday, July 2, with a few free evening performances on a stage in downtown Orillia, helping set the tone for the weekend in the city.

    I live an hour away, however, and was only scheduled to volunteer Saturday and Sunday, so I didn’t catch any of Thursday night’s free action, but I think it’s a great idea to allow people in the community who might not be able to attend the festival itself, to connect with the experience, to some degree at least.

    Although I wasn’t scheduled for the Friday of the festival, I headed down that night after work to take in the show, especially as I was pretty stoked about the evening’s line up.

    The first act I caught as I arrived was a band out of Regina, Sask., called Foxwarren. I’d never heard of them before, so I hadn’t been deliberately trying to make it in time to catch them, but I’m always happy to check out new bands, and they had a funky, easy-flowing indie style that I enjoyed.

    Although I could hear it, I wasn’t able to watch much of this particular performance, however, as I had to go sign in at the volunteer desk and pick up my wrist band and t-shirt for the weekend, and then check in with my team to go over some logistics for the next day.

    I did, however, strategically plan my timing to be there in time to catch the act that was on after them, being Ocie Elliott.

    Ocie Elliott performs on the Lightfoot stage at the Mariposa Folk Festival on July 3, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Ocie Elliott is a soft folk duo from Victoria, B.C., consisting of Jon Middleton and Sierra Lundy. Middleton sings soft and low, while Lundy harmonizes with even softer, but much higher, breathier vocals, that I couldn’t emulate if I tried. They played my favourite of their songs, being “Like a River,” as well as their hits “Be Around,” and the first song they wrote together “Down by the Water”.

    Although their musical styling is not my usual go-to, I do reach for it every now and then, when I’m craving something soft and sweet, and watching them did get me into Mariposa-mode, as I could feel the stress of my work week float away on their soundwaves.

    I did go close up near the front of the stage for a few of their songs, but then I found a little spot not far away, to spread out the blanket I’d brought, and relax a bit more, as there were many acts to come, and the night was just getting started.

    I still had a great view of the stage pretty close up, but even the sky seemed to want to participate in the artistry of it all, as a huge group of dense but bright little white clouds (cirrocumulus) spread across it, painting a perfect picture for those interested in laying on the grass, and staring at the sky, while the sweet, soft music filled the air.

    A cluster of cirrocumulus clouds adds art to the sky as Ocie Elliott perform at the Mariposa Folk Festival on Friday, July 3, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    There were other artists performing on other stages that I would have liked to check out Friday night as well, but the main stage lineup was the most interesting to me, so that is where I stayed for the evening.

    The main stage has been dubbed the “Lightfoot stage” in honour of the late Gordon Lightfoot, who was born in Orillia, and played Mariposa many times throughout his career.

    After the main acts on the Lightfoot stage, there were bands who would play on an attached stage, right off to the left-hand side, who were dubbed “’Tweeners,” as they played short sets while the gear got swapped on the main part of the stage, for the next artist. This was a great way to give big exposure to some lesser known artists, who were also slated for full performances on other stages later on in the festival, and it helped keep the crowd engaged between the headlining performances.

    Chuck Coles and his band performing at the Mariposa Folk Festival on Friday, July 3, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    The ‘Tweener slated for after Ocie Elliott was another act I was excited to see that night, being Chuck Coles.

    Coles played Buddies Fest in Tillsonburg, ON, last year, which I attended, but I didn’t catch his performance there, because it was on the Sunday, and I was already headed home. I did check out his music, however, as I was interested in all the groups that played that festival, and I found his voice strong with an appealing, deep cadence, and his messaging important, so I was excited to catch him at Mariposa.  I was also happy he brought something a little grittier than normal, perhaps, for many festival-goers.

    Coles brought with him a band that included a drummer, keyboardist, upright bass player, and a fiddler. I think the fiddler was my favourite part, as it’s been a while since I’ve seen a fiddle played so punk-rock in person, and I do love a good folk-punk blend.

    After Coles, back on the main part of the Lightfoot stage, was the act I was most excited for going into the evening; folk-punk legend Billy Bragg.

    Billy Bragg performs on the Lightfoot stage at the Mariposa Folk Festival on July 3, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    I’d seen Bragg once before, at one of the Newport Folk Festival afterparties hosted by Deer Tick that I mentioned in my last post, actually! I remember he said hello as I was waiting on the curb to get into that show at the Newport Blues Café that night, (he must have seen me staring,) and then he stood right beside me in the venue as the other acts performed. It was a special night, to be sure, and I was happy to be seeing him perform live again.

    Bragg is famous for his decades long career of speaking and singing out in support of the working class, unions, LGBTQIA+ issues, and more, and so his involvement in the festival this year was very timely indeed, given the state of affairs around the globe right now.

    Bragg of course did not disappoint, and used his time on stage in the best and most valuable ways that night, talking about the importance of speaking up for marginalized people, including the trans community, and pointing out how allowing violence against one group only leads to more violence against more groups.

    He also spoke to the role of music, not to fight fascism directly, but to inspire people to step up and get involved, and do the things that need to be done to actually make a change. He instilled in everyone that, despite what Woody Guthrie had said, guitars don’t kill fascists, but they can lead people to believe they can do what needs to be done to defeat it.

    He sang hits meant to inspire and change people’s perspectives, including “There is Power in a Union,” “Sexuality,” “Waiting for the Great Leap Forward,” his cover of the Woody Guthrie song “All you Fascists” and a new song of his own about the colonization and genocide in Palestine, called “Hundred Year Hunger.”

    Before singing that last one, he spoke about British and French state actions that opened the door for Israel to establish itself and begin its genocidal reign in the region.

    “Our failure to deliver to the Palestinian people a secure homeland before 1948 makes us complicit in the genocide that is happening in Gaza,” he said. “Undoubtedly.”

    He said he was inspired to write the song particularly after seeing the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) shooting people who’d come to provide food to starving Palestinians.

    “This is, in my view, a war crime,” he said.

    He then pointed to his shirt which read “SUMUD” and explained it was the Arabic word for steadfastness, and was one of a few Arabic words included in the song, with the others being “lan nughadir,” which translates to “we will not leave.”

    The song, in its earnestness, almost brought me to tears at times, and to my knees at others, particularly as he sang the English words “existence is resistance.”

    I so admire Bragg and other artists who continue to use their platforms to speak on these issues, and love the Mariposa Folk Festival organizers for providing him and others the stage(s) to do it.

    Kelly McMichael performs at the Mariposa Folk Festival on Friday, July 3, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    While I pulled myself together, the next act took to the ‘Tweener stage, which was up-and-coming Canadian artist Kelly McMichael, who I’d never heard of before. Although she played alone, she brought a loop pedal and creatively laid down tracks of her own beats and harmonies while on stage, to sing along to. It was fun to watch, and she shared music that was sweet and powerful in her own unique way.

    The final act on the Lightfoot stage for the evening, was American crooner, satirist, and song-writing superstar, Father John Misty, a.k.a. Josh Tillman.

    Josh Tillman, a.k.a. Father John Misty performs on the Lightfoot stage at the Mariposa Folk Festival on Friday, July 3, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Funny enough, I’d also caught a Father John Misty performance of sorts at one of the aforementioned Newport Folk Fest afterparties. A quick look back through my photo catalogue actually revealed he performed at the very same afterparty as Bragg, on Sunday, July 30, 2017, which is quite a coincidence, because there were three afterparties at each Newport Folk Festival I went to, and I went twice. What are the odds that out of the six I went to total, these two performers who had been there on the same night, would be headlining a folk fest in my own neck of the woods nine years later!

    What’s even more funny about that night in Newport, is that although Father John Misty was there, on stage, as far as I can remember he did not sing a single song. Instead, if memory serves me correctly, he was there to perform stand-up comedy, of sorts. (I don’t remember the routine, but I’m sure it was more social commentary than actual stand-up, but that’s what it was touted as.)

    It seemed so absurd, looking back, but yet this was the memory I had.

    In fact, I had to double check my photos and verify with friends who’d been in attendance that night, but when I pieced together that that was also the year he’d released the album “Pure Comedy,” I felt much more confident that I was actually remembering things accurately.

    The Newport Blues Café, where those afterparties took place, had a bit of an odd setup, in that the second floor has an opening in the middle (with railings etc.) where people could sit and look down on the stage below. The main thing I remember happening that night, was someone dropping something onto the stage from the floor above, and Father John Misty looking at me, standing near the front, on the main floor, as if I’d been the one to throw it at him. I did my best to make it clear that it’d come from above, pointing up and mouthing something along the lines of “it came from up there,” but I’m not sure whether he believed me or not.

    Anyway, although I had seen Father John Misty perform, in a sense, before, I don’t believe I’d ever actually seen him sing or play any of his music in person.

    At the same time, because of his antics in Newport that night, I felt I understood his schtick – and that was essentially that, although on first encounter he may appear quite serious, from his name to his lyrics, a lot of what he presents to the world is not to be taken literally. And although a number of his songs, including the one I was most familiar with, and believe is likely his most commercially successful, “Real Love Baby,” may not fit that generalization, that fact itself kind of does, because you just never know what you’re going to get with him. Which, in a way, is the most un-schtick like way to be, because he basically just seems to create whatever suits the moment, rather than fit some kind of mould.

    The diversity of his songs puts him in a category a bit hard to define, to me, ranging from sappy cute love songs to social criticisms, set to beats including disco, folk, rock, and more. But then I guess that’s kind of what folk music is, at its heart; lively, full of soul, and inspired by real life, including all the ups and downs.

    All that said, although I was somewhat aware of who he is, how he is, and some of his musical offerings, I must admit I was not fully prepared for the stellar live performance Tillman put on that night in Orillia. 

    To me, his appearance is somewhat reminiscent of a ‘70’s era Don Henley, but that may be a comparison I land on in part because of his previous role as the drummer for Fleet Foxes. Or maybe it’s just the whole Americana-rock look, with long hair and a bushy beard that reminds me of bands from that time.

    I was expecting him to dance and groove a bit on stage, which of course he did.

    But I was not prepared for the size of the band he brought along with him – including a saxophonist, who, in my opinion, pushed the performance right over the top, in the best way.

    As a whole, the band, and the energy and antics Tillman himself brought to the stage, delivered in a big way, showing exactly why his act deserved to headline this and many other festivals this summer.

    And the thing about it is, he makes it all look and sound so easy, as if anyone could do it.

    His songs don’t seem particularly complex, maybe especially to me, because I’m used to listening to fast, complex, technical heavier music a lot of the time.

    But I also think this is in part because the songs are so well written and composed, and deliberately not over-complicated, and the musicians he brings along so practiced and talented in their crafts, that it all comes together so seamlessly and almost makes you forget about the composition at all.

    Josh Tillman, a.k.a. Father John Misty, performs on the Lightfoot stage at the Mariposa Folk Festival on Friday, July 3, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    In the same way, Tillman looks so at ease on stage. He makes it seem, at times, like anyone can do what he does, if they just relax and have fun with it.

    In fact, I’m sure the reason he’s able to relax and make it look so easy, however, is that he has been in the game for so long, and practiced it all to the point of perfection. He is, undoubtedly, a master of performance art.

    The set opened with the disco-esque “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All,” but as the song was wrapping up, he warned the audience it would be their last chance to dance for the evening.

    I wasn’t overly surprised at the comment, as I think I was expecting his set to be mostly soft love songs after that, and while he did play a couple of those, including “Real Love Baby,” and “I Love You Honeybear,” the songs I enjoyed most were the aforementioned opener, as well as “Mental Health,” (during which I felt like Tillman was talking to me directly, telling me to quit my day job,) “The Old Law,” which seems to me to be a critique of both America and Israel at the moment, and “She Cleans Up,” which builds from a bit of a jazzy rock song to an all-out explosive ending, woven with themes of female empowerment, that I am now hooked on.

    I left that night with a whole new appreciation for Father John Misty both as a performer and social critic, and played those last two songs on repeat a few times over the course of my one-hour drive home (and my drive back in the next day).

    His set and performance was completely incredible, and I was once again so pleased by the Mariposa Folk Foundations’ choice in headliners for the evening. If anyone hasn’t delved into the Father John Misty catalogue, beyond his love songs, please do yourself a favour and check it out.

    After Friday I had volunteer duties, so I didn’t get to take in many other acts in full, but I was ok with that, given that most of the bands I’d wanted to see had played Friday night.

    At one point on Saturday, however, I did kind of get stuck at the pub tent stage, because it was raining and I was trying to protect my camera, so didn’t want to move on. The set at the time was a workshop with Nixon Boyd of Hollerado, Chuck Coles and his band, Wax Mannequin, who I’d been hoping to catch at the festival, and one of the singers from a band called Ducks Ltd. (which was the only one of the four I’d never heard of,) so I was really not too upset about being stuck in that one location for a little while! The performance was great as they moved down the line a couple of times playing songs of their own, and then jammed together for a track or two, including a Chuck Coles song where he had a few of the performers ad-lib solos in the middle. It was great fun, and the rain was a nice little refresher on such a hot day.

    Part of my job was also to relieve operators for one hour on each of the days, at one of the stationary cameras set up at one of the ancillary stages (i.e. not the Lightfoot stage).

    On Saturday I was slated to do this at the children’s performers’ stage, and as such got to take in an act called Splash’N Boots, who I otherwise never would’ve heard of.

    They seemed to be well known and loved by the children, however, and I have to say I was thoroughly entertained and impressed by their performance, which was fun and genuine, with just the right amount of goofiness for the children, and laughs for the adults too.

    But perhaps one of the most memorable moments of the whole festival, for me, and the second time I almost cried, was when Splash’N Boots recognized a young fan in a wheelchair, who they’d met last year, who had travelled with her family from Pennsylvania to be there for the show this year as well.

    This young fan got particularly excited when they announced they were going to sing a song called “Antelopes Love Cantaloupes,” and she danced along in her chair with the biggest grin on her face the entire time.

    The whole interaction just really moved me, from the performers remembering her, to the joy it brought her to be there, and the happiness on her family’s faces, as they watched her enjoy her life to the fullest in those moments. They also asked if she wanted to participate in another song, but she politely declined, acknowledging that she’d done so at the show last year, and was ok with giving another child a turn. The whole interaction was just so sweet, and I’m tearing up again now, just thinking about it!

    Later that day I was able to catch another act from Wax Mannequin, a.k.a Chris Adeney, this time as a ‘Tweener on the main stage.

    Chris Adeney, a.k.a. Wax Mannequin performs at the Mariposa Folk Festival, on Saturday, July 4, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    I’d wanted to see him perform, as I knew he had opened for one of my favourite bands, Propagandhi, at their second Toronto show, the night after I saw them on their last tour. I had checked out some of his music since then and was looking forward to seeing him there.

    I was certainly not disappointed, as he brought a rocking, edgy sound to the festival which I and many others appreciated. He even broke a string during this performance, but finished out the song flawlessly, and then switched guitars for the rest of the set – expertly demonstrating the importance of preparedness when it comes to live performance.

    My shift wrapped up at 7 p.m., and there were still lots of bands to come, but I was so tired from running around in the hot sun capturing videos all day, and there were no more bands slated that I’d been particularly keen about catching, so I headed home as soon as Wax Mannequin’s set was done.

    The next day I did it all over again, but took a little time out of my shift (with the approval of my supervisor) to play a couple of my own original songs on the open mic stage in the “Alice’s Patio” pub area of the festival.

    I didn’t have much time to prepare, since I’d spent the weekend either at the festival, getting ready to be at the festival, or recovering from being at the festival, but I did a quick run through of each song before leaving the house that morning, hoping to make a go of it if it worked out.

    You have to get there kind of early in the day to sign up, as I think the open mic slots fill pretty quickly, but luckily for me, when I checked in around 12:30, there were still a couple options available, including one that worked well with my schedule for the day.

    This was actually the second time that I performed on the open mic stage at Mariposa, with the first being the first year I volunteered, back in 2019.

    I mostly did it because it scared me, and I want to face my fears and get over them as much as reasonably possible in this life.

    It didn’t go off perfectly, (I used the house guitar, which is a classical guitar and has wider gaps between the strings than either of my acoustics; plus my nerves made my arm seize up a bit, impacting my strumming; and I forgot the words to the chorus of one of my songs at one point!) but everyone was so nice, and even complimentary, with a few people coming up to me afterwards to tell me I did well. So that was a nice little extra part of the festival I got to take part in.

    Before and after that, however, I was running around getting videos with my camera, except, again, for one hour when I got to relieve a stationary camera operator once more.

    I enjoy this part of volunteering too, in part because it’s a chance for me to sit in the shade and take in a whole set of whatever band happens to be playing in that slot. In this case it happened to be Great Lake Swimmers, who I was hoping to catch at the festival as well, so it couldn’t have worked out better.

    Their set was very soothing, and I quite enjoyed it, though I was overheating at this point, and kept having to dump water from my water bottle onto my neck. I was just glad the festival has refillable water stations to make sure no one runs out!

    Once again, my scheduled time ended at 7 p.m., but that also worked out very well, because the final performer I was hoping to catch of the weekend was Canadian darling, Dan Mangan. He played at 6 p.m. on the Lightfoot stage, and I had lots of time to grab some food and get some more shots before making my way over to capture clips of the crowd enjoying the show, while also taking it in for my own enjoyment.

    I’ve seen Mangan perform a couple of times before, and have been a fan for somewhere around two decades now, so I was very happy to cap my weekend off with a performance of his.

    He also has little bits of insight, wisdom, and social justice messaging to share along with his lovely music, and though some of the topics he covers do get into heavy territory, I always feel a little lighter after hearing his tunes.

    Mangan had also performed at some of the workshops throughout the weekend, and had been hanging out the whole festival, and I guess at one point a teenage boy who saw him wandering the grounds had asked if he would play “Road Regrets.” He obliged, and dedicated it to the kid, who made his way to the front of the crowd to take it in. He also played “Diminishing Returns,” which was released last year, crowd favourite “Robots,” a favourite of one of my friend’s, who also loves his music, being “Basket,” and one of my favourites of his tracks, “Lay Low.”

    Unfortunately, apparently, I was too tired to think to capture any photos of Mangan’s performance (though I did capture a few videos), but it was a very nice way to wrap up the day for me.

    There were still a number of acts to play after Mangan, and if I’d had any energy left at all I would have stayed to catch Lemon Bucket Orchestra, and/or The Free Label, who were closing out the festival with overlapping shows on the pub stage and Lightfoot stage respectively, but I was ready for a big dinner and a long sleep, and still had an hour drive to get home, so I decided to call it a day.

    And just like that, it was a wrap on another Mariposa Folk Festival. I’m sure the memories will linger for those who attended for many days to come, and I hope the messages of solidarity many of the musicians spoke out on will continue to help inspire people to engage in issues bigger than themselves, and know that there are still many caring people, and rays of light in this world, despite how dark it may seem at times.

    I already can’t wait to see who they line up for next year!

  • Deer Tick takes over the Toronto Opera House

    Deer Tick takes over the Toronto Opera House

    By Lisa Gillan

    Deer Tick has been spotted in Toronto for the first time in three years.

    No, not the bug, but the much more beloved American folk-rock band out of Providence, R.I., U.S.

    On Sunday, June 21, 2026, the group returned to the Opera House in downtown Toronto, ON, to perform for a bunch of Tickheads, as their loyal fanbase is often called.

    They brought with them a collection of new songs, all thematically centred around their home city of Providence, from their new album Coin-O-Matic, released June 5, and of course played some old favourites for the crowd as well.

    Jobi Riccio opens the show for Deer Tick at the Opera House in Toronto, ON, on Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Opening the set for the Sunday evening show was Nashville-based country/folk artist Jobi Riccio, and her band.

    Riccio has a captivating, sweet yet powerful voice, sounding like a well-trained and practiced performer. This isn’t surprising given that she’s a professional musician living in one of the biggest music-making cities of the world, but I still found it impressive, particularly given her plainclothes appearance and down-to-Earth vibes. The quality of her performance spoke for itself.

    This was reminiscent, for me, of other female folk artists I’ve been introduced to thanks to Deer Tick, in particular, including The Wild Reeds, and Brandi Carlile.

    In fact, I’ve been introduced to many incredibly talented acts as a result of Deer Tick’s efforts, and though her style of music was a little more country-based than my usual taste, I would still say, without hesitation, Riccio was no exception – but more on that later.

    Deer Tick performs at the Opera House in downtown Toronto, ON, on Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Deer Tick themselves opened their set with the first two songs off their new album, being the slower-paced Dog Years, and the somewhat more upbeat (music-wise, though not so much lyrically) Mary Singletary.

    The two songs do seem to feed into each other, as Dog Years references a woman named Mary, and both songs seem to imply Mary was a religious woman. And although on first listen they may seem like relaxing soft rock songs, with Dog Years especially evoking images of sitting by a river on a relaxing day, as with many Deer Tick songs, once you look a little deeper, there is a certain dark sadness woven in.

    I’d never heard of a Mary Singletary before, but according to this obituary, a woman by that name was very involved in civil rights efforts in the United States and abroad, throughout her life. Since I’m not from New England, and not completely up to speed on my American folk heroes, I can’t say for sure if she would be the namesake of the song, but I’d wager a guess that she is.

    The song’s writer, lead singer and guitarist, John McCauley, said in an interview with Ocean State Media, that it’s about “…this teenage love story with a little bit of Looney Tunes-style violence in it, just imagining a very vengeful god cutting you down for having premarital sex and having an interfaith relationship.” If the Mary Singletary mentioned above is who the song got its name from, my guess would be that it’s a reflection of her non-denominational contributions to society, including perhaps her involvement with Planned Parenthood, in particular, that connects her to the interfaith love story theme.

    From there the band went into a couple classics from their older records, being Baltimore Blues No. 1, and the dance-inducing Miss K, before getting back to their new releases with one of co-guitarist and singer Ian O’Neil’s songs, Endless Loop. Later in the night O’Neil played one of my favourites of his songs, being The Dream’s in the Ditch.

    Deer Tick is no doubt best known for lead singer John McCauley’s distinctive growl, and he put it to great use that night performing some of my other favourites by the band, including Easy, Dirty Dishes, and my top track off the new album (so far), Candy Cigarettes.

    One of the great things about the band, however, is that song-writing and singing duties are shared amongst not only both guitarists, but also drummer, Dennis Ryan.

    Songs written and led by Ryan performed that night included Running from Love from the band’s 2023 album Emotional Contracts, and 507 Smith from the new release.

    John McCauley, of Deer Tick literally bends over backwards for fans at their show at the Opera House in Toronto, ON, on Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Although the songs fluctuate in tempo from slow to some more rocking hits, the band members kept it interesting, with McCauley, especially, physically performing theatrics including back bends while playing guitar, that made my quads hurt just watching, and at one point placing his guitar on the ground and using an empty beer can as a slide.

    Guitarists John McCauley and Ian O’Neil kneel before drummer Dennis Ryan as they perform on Sunday, June 21, 2026 at the Opera House in Toronto, ON. McCauley can be seen using a beer can as a guitar slide. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Bassist Christopher Ryan (who is the half-brother of drummer Dennis,) mixed things up as he always does, switching from a regular bass guitar to a standing bass (my favourite instrument that I don’t know how to play) for different songs.

    This time around they also brought a friend (whose name I didn’t catch) who contributed both keyboard and saxophone at different points in the show, adding a bit of jazz to their live sound.

    After the main set was done, the band switched things up a bit more, with an intimate, un-amplified set, with McCauley and O’Neil on acoustic guitars, C. Ryan playing his upright bass, and D. Ryan switching to maracas.

    They began the acoustic portion with Let’s All Go to the Bar. As they started into their next song, McCauley jokingly began singing the lyrics to You’re the One That I Want from the Grease soundtrack, and as the crowd joined in he stuck with it for a few lines, before getting into their own classic crowd favourite, These Old Shoes.

    Deer Tick closes out the set with an un-amplified acoustic set at the Opera House in Toronto, ON, on Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Included in their acoustic set was another of my favourites of O’Neil’s songs, being Hope is Big, and the much-loved McCauley song, Ashamed, which the whole crowd helped belt out (as always) before finally closing things out with D. Ryan’s creepy but catchy Clownin’ Around, which I’m just not going to discuss, due to the gruesome subject matter.

    I think because the band had changed the vibe up from electric to acoustic for the end of their act, people weren’t quite sure whether or not to try to get them to play an encore after it ended. Things seemed too mellow to me after the acoustic act, and I think many others felt the same, because although a few people stood around and tried to get the crowd to rally a little, most had already begun to make their way to the door – no doubt, in part, due to the fact that it was a Sunday night, and the work week was only hours away from beginning.

    I personally had to make the drive back up to the northern edge of Muskoka, so was a bit eager to hit the road, but also glad to have seen the band so close to home, since most of the Deer Tick shows I’ve seen were much longer drives than that!

    I discovered Deer Tick through a former colleague of mine, when we were both working as reporters for a newspaper. I wouldn’t listen to them, however, for the longest time, because the band name grossed me out. I finally caved when I was working in a new job, and after I did, I sent my friend and former colleague a message saying I’d finally checked them out, and I actually really liked some of their stuff.

    There was something about the sadness I was experiencing in my own life at the time, that McCauley had captured in so many of his songs, that helped me lean into and process my own feelings around loss and dissapointment in life. I was also kind of just getting into some softer music than my usual taste at the time, as my nervous system needed soothing, as opposed to amping up, so the mix of softer-rock/folk and McCauley’s gritty voice drew me in even more.

    Once I told my friend I’d been converted to a fan, he invited me to join his wife and another friend on a bit of an annual road-trip they made to the band’s neck of the woods, for the Newport Folk Festival, and in particular, three nights of after-parties hosted by Deer Tick, where they would bring a number of performers from the festival to play at a more intimate venue in the later hours of the days, and then close out each set themselves.

    I was invited, in part, because one of the usual attendees couldn’t go, and they needed someone to fill the spot. The first year I did it, I didn’t even have a ticket for anything, but was told the bar held a few for release at the door, the day of the show, and if I sat in line early enough, would likely get in.

    I was at a point in my life where I needed an adventure, so I accepted, and rode along for the 11(-ish) hour road trip to Newport R.I. without a single ticket to anything. There was also a pre-party at the same bar the night before the festival, which was a bit easier to get into without purchasing a ticket in advance, but I atually ended up getting into every after-party show and seeing four stellar, intimate concerts over the course of the August long weekend at the Newport Blues Café.

    And in fact I had so much fun that I did it all over again the next year.

    We saw many incredible acts, including Father John Misty, Tyler Childers, Caamp, Big Thief, Brandi Carlile, and even Billy Bragg, in a bar with a little stage, because of these after parties organized by Deer Tick. I have so many great memories from those trips, that every time I hear the band I’m instantly transported back to Newport and all the little adventures we had in our times there. I’ve even written a movie script based on those adventures that I basically just want to re-write the ending for, before I put any effort into potentially getting made into a movie one day. So seeing the band again, especially with my friends who brought me along for their trip, was a night I couldn’t miss.

    Unfortunately, none of us are up for making the trip down south under the current administration, and I don’t think Deer Tick hosts those afterparties every night of the Folk Fest anymore, but I do think we all hope to return, one day.

    Either way I cherish the memories made with those friends and that band, and was so happy to make a few more on that lovely summer Sunday evening in Toronto.

  • Arkells Return to The Kee to Bala

    Southern Ontario’s all-star Arkells are on tour now in support of their newly released album, Between Us, playing a number of intimate venues alongside some huge stadium shows.

    Arkells perform for a packed house at The Kee to Bala on June 4, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    It was not too much of a surprise then, when, similar to last summer, they announced a last-minute gig at Muskoka’s famous summer concert venue, The Kee to Bala.

    In fact, the June 4, 2026 show was announced just three weeks prior, on Wednesday, May 13, with pre-sale codes going out the very next day for those who signed up via a link from the band’s social media pages.

    Clayton White and John Muirhead performing on the Kee to Bala's stage.
    John Muirhead (right) accompanied by Clayton White (left) opening the show on June 4, 2026 at The Kee to Bala. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Kicking off the Thursday evening show was Canadian indie folk artist, John Muirhead, who has opened for the band on a few dates this tour, and actually played The Kee last summer as an opener for Canadian Music Hall of Famers, Glass Tiger. Muirhead was joined on stage by multi-instrumentalist Clayton White, who helped out on both keyboard and guitar for different songs. I arrived a few minutes later than the opener start time of 8 p.m., but I enjoyed what I heard of the duo, who played soft but rocking indie songs. In fact, the only complaint I had about the whole night was that the pair only played for about half an hour, and I would have liked to hear more!

    The Arkells hit the stage pretty promptly at 9 p.m., which was especially great given that it was a work night for myself and my friend.

    I was, admittedly, slightly stressed before heading to this show, as my friend and I had both been slightly assaulted by a guy at last year’s Arkells show at The Kee, and then spent the rest of the night being harassed by three of his female friends who thought their best move was to defend his honour and try to pick a fight with us, after we reported him to security. I was with the same friend this time around, and only slightly worried we would run into the same group, but if they were there, we didn’t see them, so that was a major win! Luckily this time around we made fast friends with a couple in the crowd beside us, and once the band was a few songs in, my tension had completely melted away, and I was happy to be able to fully enjoy the show.

    Arkells performing at the Kee to Bala on June 4, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    They spent the first hour playing their entire new album, front to back, starting with dance-inducing tracks ‘Next Summer’ and ‘What Good?’. The band is always lively on stage, and this night was no exception, with singer Max Kerman incorporating some theatrics into the act by throwing (fake) stacks of money into the crowd for their song ‘Money’, and giving the audience some cute choregraphy for the chorus of ‘Two Hearts’. They did, however, also slow things down, with Kerman sitting on the edge of the stage to better connect with fans for the slow song ‘Desire’s Got Some Questions’.

    I’ve only listened to the album twice through so far, but I would say my early favourites are ‘Ride’, and the aforementioned ‘Two Hearts,’ which is reminiscent, to me, of some of their other cute love songs such as ‘My Heart’s Always Yours’ and ‘And Then Some’ (which they played a small portion of a scaled back version of, as a favour to someone in the crowd).

    Once they finished the play-through of the new album, the band spent the next hour and then some playing favourites from their hit-filled back catalogue, including ‘You Can Get It,’ ‘Relentless,’ ‘A Little Rain,’ ‘Leatherjacket,’ and my personal favourites, ‘Oh, The Boss is Coming!,’ and ‘Whistleblower.’

    Bachelorette attendees join the band on stage for a song at The Kee to Bala on June 4, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Kerman went above and beyond to connect with fans, as he often does, not only by moving around the stage and making eye contact with many members of the audience while singing, but also by jumping down and immersing himself in the crowd, to walk/dance through while performing on more than one occasion (including walking right past me at one point, but I didn’t have the camera ready on my phone, and also didn’t just want to shove a phone in his face while he walked by, so I only caught a pic of the back of his head after the fact), and later inviting anyone who was there as part of a bachelorette/bachelor party onstage to dance while they played a cover of ABBA’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight). One of the friend’s we’d made in the crowd was trying to convince my friend and I, and another girl, to go up and pretend to be part of a bachelorette party of our own, and I considered it for a second, but I quickly remembered I’m not really comfortable dancing unless I’m about eight drinks in (which I wasn’t) and neither my friend or I really like being the centre of attention – so although it may have made for a memorable moment, we decided to pass.

    After the band had played their more than two-hour show, including an encore, Kerman and a few members kept the party going on the front lawn, just like last year, playing an acoustic version of their hit ’11:11’ with horn accompaniment, and then wrapping things up with a cover of the Bruce Springsteen classic ‘Dancing in the Dark.’

    The Arkells’ horn section took to the front of the stage for part of the performance at The Kee to Bala on June 4, 2026. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    I have to give a shout out to the whole band, including especially the horn section, who definitely help give the songs an extra umph, as well as keyboardist Anthony Carone, for adding a whole lot of energy of their own to the show. Carone, especially always looks like he’s so excited to be playing, that he might just topple over his keyboard with intensity. I noted in my blog post from last year’s Arkells show that I interviewed Carone when I was in journalism school, as he had been a Humber graduate, and I actually found an email from that time still in my inbox when I was pulling information together to write this piece! He was so humble at the time, stating he would only do the interview if it was about him, and not the Arkells since this was *just* before he became an official member of the band, and it’s a little bit extra special for me to see him now more than 10 years later as an integral part of the group.

    I also feel spoiled that I’ve seen the Arkells at The Kee a number of times, since it is such an intimate venue, and they’ve become so popular over the years – but lucky for fans, as noted, they are playing a number of shows at smaller venues throughout this tour, so others will have the chance to experience the same intimacy, despite the band’s success and popularity.

    Given the energy they put into shows, the care they put into connecting with fans, and the feel-good vibes of so many of their songs, I think it’s easy to see why so many people have come to enjoy this band over the years. I wish them nothing but continued success in the future, and can’t wait for the next opportunity to catch them at The Kee.

  • Thrash Metal icons Sacrifice perform in Toronto for the first time in nine years

    Canadian Thrash Metal icons, Sacrifice, have once again graced the stage at 888 Yonge Street (a.k.a. The Concert Hall, a.k.a. the old masonic temple) in downtown Toronto, 39 years after opening for Slayer at the same venue.

    On Saturday, October 11, 2025, they returned to that same stage of their first big break, to the delight of many a metalhead, supported by three other Toronto bands, who had undoubtedly been inspired by the Canadian masters of the craft over the years.

    Considering I was a literal baby when Sacrifice opened for Slayer in 1986, I barely feel qualified to talk about the band that seems to mean so much to so many people – many of whom were likely in attendance on that day back when I was still in diapers – but I’ll do my best.

    Similar to how, in my last post, I mentioned finding The Dreggs through hearing other artists speak about them, and/or collaborate with them, I found Sacrifice because of the admiration members of Propagandhi have expressed for them, and the split they collaborated on. (I’ve always found a great way to find more good bands to listen to is of course to check out those that have inspired ones you already like.)

    The first of the openers to play was a young act formed in 2023 known as Debellation.

    Unfortunately, I did not make it in time for their set, as general life stuff and the three-hour drive into the city didn’t allow for it, and they were slated to begin less than an hour after the doors were opened. (Definitely not the norm, and not what I’d originally planned for, but understandable since they had four bands on a bill with a headliner who was already pretty much expected to play a little longer-than-your-average-set.)

    I arrived feeling only slightly out of my element, and maybe a tiny bit nervous, as metalheads are a little bit of a different crowd than my usual concert-going companions, but I know and love many metal fans, and can usually hold my own amongst most crowds (or so I like to think) so I wasn’t too worried about it.  The first thing I did, of course, was head to the washrooms, where I met a man in line who was feeling a bit out of his element in his own way, and was happy to have someone to talk to about it – while I was happy to have my first interaction with another member of the crowd be such a friendly one.

    He opened with a smile and a “hi, how are you?” before telling me he was 57 and hadn’t been to a concert in years. I asked if he’d caught the first opener, and he said he had, and that the excited concert-going feelings were all starting to come back to him. I was happy for him, and, after he said he felt a bit old to be staying out so late, I assured him he wasn’t, and wished him a great night.

    Honestly though, I could relate to that feeling of being too old, in a way, despite being more than a decade younger than him, as there have definitely been times at concerts over the years where I’ve felt like an old lady amongst a group of youngins, (or been worried about whether my back would last the night, or if I’m wearing comfortable enough shoes, etc.,) but this was not the concert for that, in my case, or in his.

    I would say the crowd ranged in age from early 20’s to people in their 60’s at least, so I was pretty much smack dab in the middle. I wasn’t feeling super spry that night myself, however, so I opted to check out the view from the balcony, and wound up with a great spot right against the railing, with a perfect view both of the stage, and mosh pit. (It also came with the added perk of giving me something to hold onto so I could stretch out my back a few times throughout the night, which I laughed to myself about having to do, since the people standing around me were mostly all probably at least 10 years older than me too – but it was what it was!)

    Maldita helping get the crowd warmed up for Sacrifice at The Concert Hall in Toronto, ON, on Saturday, October 11, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Shortly after I got settled, the second band of the night, Maldita, took the stage. I couldn’t understand a word they were saying, mostly because singer Rosa Venenosa sings in Spanish, but based on an article I found here about the band from 2022, I wished I could, as it seems like the themes of their songs (“the pitfalls of patriarchy… Messages of encouragement towards taking action to make this world a better place and battle apathy,”) would be right up my alley. I did look up some of their lyrics online , but it didn’t help much, as I wasn’t really up for sitting in front of my computer for several hours putting them into Google Translate. (I consider myself a bit of a nerd, but maybe not that big of a nerd).

    Maldita describe themselves as a hardcore punk band, and it seems a fair description to me. They put on a raucous performance, in the best way, and had quite a few people in the pit fired up, with one girl headbanging and fully rocking out in high heeled boots (that I wouldn’t be able to wear on a good day). It was awesome, and I wanted to be friends with both the singer and the high-heeled boot wearing girl. (Though I made no attempt to connect with either of them, being the shy, somewhat awkward, sober-cause-I-have-to-drive-three-hours-home, person that I was/am.)

    Before the next band took the stage chants of “Korrosive” filled the air, and the already respectably sized crowd increased, with more people arriving and pushing closer to the stage.

    Singer Rad Zarei was evidently pumped to be opening for Sacrifice that night, and no doubt fueled even more by the evident enthusiasm of the fans for his band in addition to the headliners.

    I also could not understand most/any of what he was singing, but in this case, it was largely because of the thrash metal vocal stylings of Zarei, which of course fit the genre perfectly.

    Truth be told, these types of vocals are why I tend to choose other genres over metal most of the time, but I have to say, I definitely do appreciate the insane talent of the musicians who perform this style, and I was completely blown away by the skills of all the musicians in this band. I watched the guitar players’ hands hit the strings faster than my eyes could follow, for pretty much the whole set. It reminded of a time when I had a “friend” in high school who asked me if I thought his band played fast. I can’t remember if I said yes or no, but I do remember, whatever I said was the wrong answer, with “fuck you Lisa” being the response I got. (This was also the person who taught me that maybe falling for brooding band boys wasn’t the best idea).

    Either way, thinking back on the moment while watching Korrosive perform, I knew my “friend’s” band from back in the day would not have held a candle to the speed of these absolute machines. To top it off, at one point the two guitarists, the bassist, and the lead singer, were all headbanging their long flowing locks in almost circular unison, while performing at supersonic speeds, and it truly was an impressive sight to behold.

    Next up was the main event, and if the crowd had been excited for Korrosive, they were beyond thrilled to be witnessing Sacrifice take the stage in Toronto a purported 9 years since the last time they’d played in their hometown city.

    Some audience members had travelled from other parts of the country to catch the action, as it sounded like the group beside me had come in from out somewhere out east, and were talking about others they knew throughout the crowd who had apparently travelled some great distances to be there for the night’s events as well. (It also sounded like these guys beside me were in a band of some sort themselves, but I didn’t recognize them, and didn’t ask. I got the sense they might have been kind of a big deal in some capacity, and so it felt almost wasted on me to be the one standing beside them, but they were seemingly just as excited to be fans taking in the show that night as any others in the crowd.)

    The crowd and circle pit while Sacrifice performed at The Concert Hall in Toronto, ON, on Saturday, October 11, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    As the band took the stage, I clung tightly to my spot on the banister, and made myself as small as possible to allow the crowd that had gathered beside and behind me, even up on the balcony, to have as good a view as possible. Any remaining space on the floor area below was also pretty much filled in, save and except for the very back, and the circle pit area, which was going pretty good for most, if not all, of the performance.

    The crowd’s excitement and energy was well deserved, as the nine years away had apparently not affected the skills of the seasoned pros in the band. The breakneck speed of their music, from the guitar riffs, to the double bass drum attacks and the power of Rob Urbinati’s growling vocals, are all incredibly impressive things to take in, especially in person.

    They played songs from across their discography, opening with Forward to Termination from their 1987 album of the same name, then covering tracks from different albums throughout the decades.

    At one point near the end, they invited a guest on stage, being Brian Taylor, to help sing their cover of Trapped in a World, which is also featured on their 2025 album, “Volume Six,” with Taylor’s vocals, and is a cover of the song from the ’80’s originally written and performed by Toronto hardcore band Direct Action.

    They finished right around midnight and wrapped things up with crowd favourite “Re-Animation,” also from their 1987 album.

    Sacrifice performing at The Concert Hall in Toronto, ON, on Saturday, October 11, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    During the performance, Urbinati left things open ended as to whether they would ever play a show in the city again, as it seems the band is taking things one day at a time as the years press on. It took a while, even after they had finished performing, for fans to dissipate, as if wanting to take in the air of the night, and savour it, as much as possible, before returning to the regularly scheduled shit-show that is the year 2025.

    For me, personally, it was a rare opportunity to see some Canadian legends in action, and they definitely put on a stellar performance, but I’m sure for many in the crowd, who’ve been fans of the band potentially as long as I’ve been alive, the night meant so much more.

    It’s an incredible feeling when bands of your youth continue to put out music and perform, and I imagine it becomes that much more special the older you get. The pure unabashed thrill that many in the crowd experienced that night was completely palpable, from the first guy I encountered in the bathroom line, to the man who ended up beside me at the railing upstairs, looking at me and definitively stating “we’re not leaving” when the band first left the stage, before returning for their encore. The electric energy of the show and the long-standing fans was evident and powerful, even now, as I think back on it over a week later. I do hope the band continues to perform for years to come, if only to give those fans who “haven’t been to a concert in years,” a reason to get back out there and keep the thrill of seeing their favourite bands live going for as long as possible.

  • The Dreggs delight at The Drake Underground

    Australian indie-folk duo The Dreggs are growing their audiences across the globe, with a tour hitting many countries – including Canada – for the first time.

    Paddy Macrae and Zane Harris, a.k.a. The Dreggs performing at The Drake Underground on Sunday, September 21, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    On Sunday, September 21, the pair made their Toronto debut at the Drake Underground, expanding to a three piece by adding a friend on drums, helping amp up their live sound.

    It was the band’s first time touring in North America, with a few stops in both Canada and the U.S.A., and while they didn’t speak much on politics, they did note they had a harder time bringing merch into a certain country (i.e. not Canada).

    Unfortunately, finding parking was a true exercise in frustration, made worse in my case by thinking that a green P parking symbol I saw on my map and decided to set my navigation destination to was gonna be within walking distance of the venue. After parking and realizing it would be a walk of over an hour to get there from where I had left my car, I hopped back in and had about another 15 minute drive to actually get to the venue.

    I drove up and down Queen West, and nearby side streets, attempting to park in several spots, including a nearby grocery store, before seeing signs labelled “For permit holders only” or “Max. 15 minute parking,” and all of them threatening to tow violators. Not something I wanted to deal with on what was already going to be a late Sunday night, so I kept going until I found a lucky empty spot a few twists and turns down a couple of side roads, with no obvious signage.

    Suffice it to say, I missed the opening act.

    Fortunately, however, The Dreggs had not yet taken the stage, so I got there in just enough time to hit up the bathroom and grab a drink at the bar before making my way closer to the stage.

    I’d initially heard about The Dreggs through listening to Ziggy Alberts, who in turn I’d heard about by listening to Hollow Coves… who in turn I’d found through some YouTube acoustic folk playlist that I put on at work to help me chill out and try not to lose my mind over things that really do not matter. My most listened to music stylings oscillate between hard, fast and angry punk/rock, and soft, soothing, acoustic folk, and for a few years there I went through a time where my nervous system could not handle the fast, angry stuff at all anymore (long story), so I turned more heavily to folk for quite some time. Usually I do like a bit of grit in my folk though, and The Dreggs offer that in some of their songs, including “Give Myself to You,” which they played that night.

    I will admit, there was no way this was going to compare to seeing Propagandhi the weekend before for me, so I maybe wasn’t quite as hyped for this show as I otherwise would have been – not wanting to move on so fast from one of the best concerts I’d been to in a long time (though I have been very spoiled this year in that sense) – but to their credit, The Dreggs put on an excellent, intimate evening, and I was quite happy to take it in – and that I made it in time to catch all of their set.

    The Drake Underground’s max. standing capacity is only about 150 people, so it was easy to get a decent view from pretty much anywhere – just had to find an angle looking between people’s heads, but I wound up only about 3 rows back from the stage, so I was good with that. There were a few Aussies in the crowd, who were some of the most pumped fans in attendance, given that, from what I gather, these guys are a pretty big deal back in Australia, and I can imagine seeing them in such an intimate setting would be quite a treat for those that know them in that capacity. In fact, the band referenced their larger-scale success back home a bit on stage, saying they usually had guitar techs, etc., to tune and hand them their gear, as I guess they felt a bit less polished while lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Paddy Macrae switched between guitar and banjo for different songs throughout their set.

    The Dreggs performing at The Drake Underground with Macrae having switched to playing banjo for part of the set on Sunday, September 21, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Macrae said he was struggling with his voice a bit, as he was getting over some kind of chest infection, and they were only 5 days into a 12-day Canada/U.S. tour, so he encouraged the crowd to sing along several times throughout the night. The band also kept egging the crowd on, comparing audience participation between us and the people in Montreal where they’d played the day before. They did say a couple who’d been right up front the night before had looked at each other, shrugged, and left after they played one of their biggest hits, and co-guitarist/co-songwriter Zane Harris joked that he would chase anyone down the street if they repeated that behaviour on this night.

    In the end, I think the Toronto crowd did enough to re-energize them and make up for the half-hearted Montreal couple, however, as they ended up finishing the set with a song they said they weren’t initially going to play, being another of their biggest hits, “Take a Little Time,” which they explained had been written about performing at an indie showcase/competition of sorts in Australia, after which no one had clapped. In spite of this, they kept pushing and found success on their own, and then wrote a song about the whole ordeal, which as far as I can tell has become one of their most successful tracks. (I wouldn’t have guessed that to be the meaning of the lyrics, having assumed them to be about rebuilding after a relationship fallout of some kind, but we (I) tend to interpret songs to fit our (my) own circumstances when we (I) don’t know the backstory, and of course the lyrics perfectly suit their struggles in finding success as independent musicians.) While that particular situation may not be the most relatable to most of us, I think it can still be taken as a general idea of having to fight for the life you want in this world – which is still something I’m trying to figure out/find energy for, and love to be inspired in hearing of others’ success.

    The band stuck around to sell what they had of merch at a table at the back, but I high-tailed it out of there to head back up north to Huntsville to try to catch some sleep before work the next day (and in case there was going to be any kind of ticket/tow situation to deal with with my car – which thankfully there wasn’t). I’m also considering that my anxiety has taken me out of so many situations of potentially chatting with musicians, since I’m not actually doing the journalism thing professionally at the moment, and I feel a bit out of my element just talking to people as a fan rather than an interviewer. Maybe I will look back and regret not having taken the chance to have a chat, but I was quite happy just to see the set and hit the road back home again – though it was not lost on me that, if these guys continue to grow in popularity around the world as they have back in their home of Australia, the next time I see them may be in a bigger venue with less potential for interaction. So I will cherish the night for the opportunity to have seen such an intimate set with talented performers, and keep an eye on what I’m sure will be their continued success throughout the years.

  • Canadian legends Propagandhi rock The Concert Hall in Toronto

    Canadian legends Propagandhi are continuing to bring anti-fascist anthems to the masses with their new album At Peace, and current Canadian tour, nearly four decades after their initial formation.

    On Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, the band played its first of two shows at The Concert Hall (a.k.a. the old masonic temple) at 888 Yonge Street in Toronto, ON. The second show on Saturday, Sept. 13 was actually the first one booked, but sold out so fast that they added the Friday show later, to the good fortune of many fans (myself included).

    I was really excited to see this show, as the last time I’d seen them live was back in 2006 at the Fun Haus in Toronto, in support of their new-at-the-time album, Potemkin City Limits. I was in university in the city at that time, so getting out to concerts was a bit easier, whereas now I have to drive 2-3 hours to make it downtown; but I really have no one to blame but myself for my hiatus from attending their shows, as they have played in Toronto in recent years, and there have definitely been opportunities I could have taken to catch them. I think part of it, for me, was just remembering how some of the crowd were such assholes at that show at the Fun Haus back 19 years ago now, seemingly because one of the opening acts wasn’t what they wanted or expected. I just remember leaving thinking, I love the band, but maybe not the fans. That was a bit of a theme with some other Toronto shows I attended for a while there, that I think left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. So admittedly I was a bit leery (just a little) to attend this one alone; but I’ve been to lots of shows alone, and it had been way too long of a gap since I’d last seen them, so I was overall really excited to make it out.

    Being that I did have a bit of a long drive to get there, and a few things to do at home Friday before leaving, I debated going down late and not worrying about catching the opening acts, but I’m glad that I nixed this idea and ended up getting there just in time to catch a few songs of the first opener, Brutal Youth. 

    Brutal Youth opening the show at The Concert Hall in Toronto, ON, on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    I wound up walking right up to the front and finding a spot at the barrier, despite there being an already decently sized crowd gathered. Brutal Youth were fast and lively, and just seemed like a lot of fun. I’m not sure if I’ve heard of or seen them before – something about them was very familiar, but I can honestly say, watching them this time was the first time I’ve ever seen a lead singer attempt a cartwheel on stage, mid-performance, if that tells you anything about the energy level he brought. All in all, they were a lot of fun, and put on a hyperactive show for those early enough to take it in. I was kinda bummed I didn’t catch more of their set – but happy I didn’t miss it entirely.

    The OBGMs getting the crowd riled up at The Concert Hall on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Next up was local Toronto band, The OBGMs. I had never heard of them before, and had no idea what to expect from them, but they very quickly turned myself – and probably many others – into a fan that night. At one point they asked someone from the crowd for the name of an ex they hated, and then had everyone yell “Fuck Josh” before launching into a song about having an ex that sucks. They also had the crowd sing a quick Happy Birthday to drummer Colanthony Humphrey, and bassist Joe Brosnan, who had both had birthdays within the past couple days. They noted that earlier in the year, guitarist Simon Outhit had said if he could name one band he wanted their band to share a stage with, it would be Propagandhi, and here it was happening. You could tell they were excited to be there, but also just a really good, talented act. They brought a real intensity to the stage, from the pace of their songs, to the power of their vocals, and the physicality of their performance. They did a great job at getting the crowd hyped, and the mosh pit warmed up for the main event, with lead singer Densil McFarlane immersing himself in the crowd on several occasions to really get people moving. I’ll definitely be following them and looking for more opportunities to catch them live.

    By this point I already got the sense that the crowd was much better than what I’d encountered back in ’06, and more in line with how I thought punk crowds should be. So when they wrapped up, I did consider asking people around me to hold down my spot, so I could try to run to the washroom, and not be interrupted by the need to pee while Propagandhi performed, but I ultimately decided it wasn’t worth risking losing my place against the barrier, with a perfect, unobstructed view of the stage. (The hardest part of going to shows alone is not having someone to save your spot when you gotta run to the washroom!!) But the second Propagandhi singer/guitarist Chris Hannah stepped out while setting up for their performance, all thoughts of going to the bathroom went away. I was locked in and so pumped to be there.

    Propaganda rocking the stage at The Concert Hall on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Pretty early on, singer/bassist Todd Kowalski warned the audience that they weren’t going to be playing very many old songs, as it’s not fun to play the same things over and over again, but they did play an old favourite I was hoping for, which is unfortunately all too apt for the times at hand, being “The Only Good Fascist is a Very Dead Fascist”. Other old favourites that they incorporated into their set included “And We Thought Nation States Were a Bad Idea,” and “Back to the Motor League,” which I think everybody was pretty pumped about. They also played lots from their new album, of course, including “Cat Guy” (which I was really stoked for), the title track “At Peace,” and “Stargazing,” which seems to me to be the most relatable song about the end of a long term relationship that I’ve found to suit my experience of having one that imploded many moons ago.

    I have been a fan of Propagandhi for most of my life, with their albums “How to Clean Everything,” “Less Talk, More Rock” and “Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes” being mainstays of my high school and university days. They’re a hugely influential band to so many people, and I don’t think I’d contemplated their effect on my life for many years now, until seeing them again this day. I was initially drawn to them in part because of the catchiness of their first albums, but even more so because of the content of their lyrics. I think Hannah’s lyrics in many ways aligned so well with my line of thinking and viewing what I knew of the world, even back then, and in other ways was very formative in how I came to understand certain other aspects of the world I was living in. It’s admittedly hard to separate the two, looking back.

    I may have mentioned this in previous posts about punk rock and politics, but I was just in my first few weeks of tenth grade on September 11, 2001, when the whole 9/11 thing happened, and that day definitely opened my eyes to bigger things going on in the world than I had ever been exposed to before that point. The main thing I wondered was, “what could possibly make people living on the other side of the planet so angry,” as to carry out the events that unfolded in the states that day? I’d already gotten into punk rock a bit, with songs like “Time Bomb” by Rancid and “Soda” by Gob pulling me in, more for just the energy of the music than any real meaning behind it, but this day set me on a search for understanding that intertwined with the types of things more serious bands were singing about, and really sealed the deal for me that the ideas and ideals the people in these bands were speaking/singing about were important and more insightful than a lot of things I was learning about in high school at the time. 

    I also really appreciated Hannah’s take on sexism as demonstrated in songs like “Fuck Machine” and “Refusing to be a Man” which, as a young teen tomboy getting unwanted attention for having developed breasts before most of my classmates, made me feel seen and understood in a way a lot of the people I went to school with didn’t. Before that time I’d always seen myself as an equal amongst peers in school, but when puberty hit, there was this weird division and expected submission that seemed to amplify as I got older – which was basically being called out in these songs. I also became a vegetarian in high school, probably around 2002, which I can’t say was solely due to the band’s influence, but I would say was definitely helped along as a result of it, despite my parents’ protests. 

    So yeah, these guys are a pretty big deal to me, and I was really hyped to see them again after so long. And while I had been braced a bit for some assholes to be in the crowd, that didn’t end up being the case at all, at least not in my experience. There was even a girl kind of just behind me in the crowd who occasionally bumped into me and at one point wanted to put her phone on the barrier, but was so exceedingly apologetic for doing so, despite the fact that it didn’t bother me a bit, that I made sure to smile at her and tell her it was all good. (I also couldn’t help but wonder if she had, in the back of her mind, the same concerns I’d had about the crowd, based on previous encounters.) 

    A very fuzzy picture of Chris Hannah of Propagandhi, and I after the show at The Concert Hall on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    After the set Hannah immediately jumped down and started fist bumping and taking photos with anyone and everyone who came up to the barrier at the front of the stage. He started at the far side from me and made his way along, stopping for a quick pic and fist bump with me as well, of course. I thanked him for a great set, and would have absolutely loved to chat more, but there were so many people around wanting the same, and I did have a three-hour drive home and a puppy dog waiting to be let out when I got back, so I pretty swiftly made my way out of there after our quick little interaction. Honestly though, I think he’s an absolute gem of a human, and, not to go too off topic, but probably the reason I’ve remained single for so long is, after the end of my relationship that I relate to that song, “Stargazing,” I decided not to compromise myself or my ideals ever again to fit into a relationship, or situation, that wasn’t right for me – and the standard I look for very much comes from what Hannah and the band have set, through the lyrics of their songs, as the standard of human I look for now in a partner. 

    Sadly with recent resurgences of ethnocentrism, sexism, and transphobia (and maybe especially because I do live in a small town) it seems like the trend is in the opposite direction from what I’d hoped for the world during my high school and university days. But that’s why I think, at times like this more than ever, the punk scene, and bands like Propagandhi continuing to come together, put out music, and put on shows, are so important. Where else can you confidently feel that you are gathered in a space, full of people who not only accept others for their differences, but will also actually stand up and say or do something when injustices and ugly things are happening in this world, all around us? And who else is going to influence the next generations against the hate and idiocy spewing out online and all over the world? Especially with the lunacy happening to the south of us right now, and the atrocities going on all over the world, with the apparent rise of fascist patriarchal supporters, when they should be receding, sometimes the only thing keeping me from completely losing my mind is knowing I can still find like-minded individuals through bands like Propagandhi and the political punk scene in general. So this show was more than just a show for me, but a small reset for my soul; a reminder that, although it may feel draining and isolating at times to fight the good fight (like when I’m arguing in the bar after ball hockey with a whole bunch of guys I just played with, about why the conservatives would have been the worst potential outcome to win the recent federal election) I’m actually not alone in this fight.

    So I’m grateful to the band for stopping in Toronto, and adding a second show, and also the fans for being such a stand up crowd. I already can’t wait for the next chance to catch these guys in action. (I seriously considered driving to Ottawa for their show there next Friday, but I don’t think I’m gonna be able to make it happen, sadly.) Until then I’ll just keep putting their albums on every time I need a little encouragement to keep fighting the good fight.

  • Tall Pines brings live tunes to Gravenhurst, ON

    The Tall Pines music festival has continued its tradition of bringing big name Canadian bands to the little town of Gravenhurst, ON.

    This year’s festival was held July 18 and 19 at Gull Lake Park in Gravenhurst, ON. It was the fourth year of the festival, which has been a big hit since its start in 2022. Tall Pines actually evolved from a free livestreaming festival called The Summer House Party which began during the Covid-19 lockdowns, bringing live performances from popular Canadian bands into people’s homes via the internet, for the first two years of the pandemic. The second Summer House Party festival was filmed in Algonquin Park, and the organizers loved the atmosphere so much, that when things opened back up and they were able to host an in-person event, they decided Muskoka was the perfect place for it.

    I was able to score tickets for this year’s festival back in October of 2024, when it was announced that a concert would be held in neighbouring Bracebridge, ON, and anyone who bought a ticket for that show would get a free weekend pass to Tall Pines. We didn’t know which bands would be performing at the festival at that time, but it was a bit of a no-brainer to buy a $30 ticket to the small Bracebridge concert, to save the door price of $199 for a weekend full of music, regardless of who would be performing! Past years have brought a number of fun acts to the area, including Tokyo Police Club, K-OS, Bedouin Soundclash, I Mother Earth, and many, many more.

    When this year’s lineup was announced, I was looking forward to seeing headliners Strumbellas, Choclair, and Moist, as well as Loviet, and Georgia Harmer. There were two stages setup this year – well three, if you include the Kids Zone, which offered periodic performances for youngsters to sing, dance and interact. The main stage was setup in the outfield of the park’s ball diamond, and another stage, dubbed the “Unplugged North” stage was a big stage over the water that the Town of Gravenhurst has been using for decades to host weekly “Music on the Barge” nights in the summer – which just made sense to make use of for this event.

    Female rocker Loviet with her band performing on the main stage at the Tall Pines music festival in Gravenhurst, ON, on Friday, July 18, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    I arrived Friday, just in time to catch Loviet’s set on the main stage, which I was looking forward to especially because I had missed her at Büddies Fest the weekend before. To be honest, I was expecting her sound to be a bit more punk rock than it was, given the festival she’d performed at the weekend before, but I wouldn’t really say she fit that genre specifically. Still, she delivered a high-energy performance, and is definitely a talented singer and performer, so lots of fun to watch, and great to see a girl taking charge of the stage the way she does.

    After Loviet I caught Nixon Boyd of indie-rock band Hollerado performing on the Unplugged North stage (though he was, in fact, plugged in; it was a solo set played on an acoustic guitar). It was cool to catch a performer from a pretty successful band on the Gravenhurst barge, where I remember seeing, I think it was Eric Nagler, or some other famous children’s performer when I was a small child, and where my parents also used to catch shows, I believe, back in the ‘70’s. I’m pretty sure there are pictures of my sister and I, and our family friends, with balloons painted on our faces, and the barge stage in the background, from the time Nagler played, down in my dad’s basement.

    Nixon Boyd of Hollerado performing on the barge in Gravenhurst, ON, dubbed the Unplugged North stage, for the Tall Pines music festival on Friday, July 18, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    I didn’t have plans to attend this festival with anyone per se, but knew that, being a local event, I would see people I knew there – as I had every year in the past. I had chatted about it beforehand with some friends, however, who fortunately agreed to let me crash their hang-outs throughout the weekend, which just made things even more fun. I mean, I would have been fine enough on my own, but good company always makes good times even better.

    One of the friends (who I hadn’t mentioned I was going to) invited me to join them back at his place for some dinner before catching the Strumbellas, and I happily obliged. He lives within walking distance of the festival, and had already cooked a bunch of food, which he was so kind to share with me, so I got a great dinner and didn’t have to spend extra money at the festival. (I ended up buying a unique tye-dyed pair of black jean overalls, with roses on the pockets instead, because they were really cute, and I just couldn’t help myself. And with the money I’d saved on entry and now dinner, I didn’t feel too too guilty about it!)

    I had been looking forward to catching Georgia Harmer, who I’d previously seen open for Dan Mangan at the Algonquin Theatre in Huntsville, ON, back in 2022. Harmer actually also opened the first ever Tall Pines festival in 2022 as well, so she was one of a few returning artists to perform at the event, also including Saturday night headliners Sloan. Harmer has a very sweet, soothing voice, and music to match, which just runs through the ears and into the brain like melted butter, and was a perfect fit for festival goers to take in at the barge stage overlooking Gull Lake. I ended up missing it, however, because of being at my friend’s for dinner, but I know those that caught her got a real treat that night.

    The Strumbellas performing on the main stage at Tall Pines on Friday, July 18, 2025 (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    After dinner we rushed back to catch most of the Strumbellas set. They’re a really fun group, but I have to say, I think violinist Isabel Ritchie kinda stole the show, as I’ve never seen a violin player perform like such a rock star before (even though I have seen the Strumbellas in concert before)! To be fair though, the whole band put on a great, lively set. They were a pleasure to watch, and definitely dialed in as a band. They of course played their hit Spirits, but also did a fantastic cover of the Paul McCartney and Wings’ classic, Band on the Run, with keyboardist David Ritter nailing the distinctive synthesizer bit in the intro, and the whole song coming together so well – it was just a captivating pleasure to witness.

    After the Strumbellas, my friends and I hung around at the back/near the bar while the last band closed out the night. Little side story, but stay with me here; interestingly enough, one of the friend’s I was hanging out with and I have both met I Mother Earth bassist, Bruce Gordon, in different capacities. For me, it was a phone interview for a story I was writing, while my friend actually met him in person while biking in Toronto. Fast forward to Friday night, and that same friend tells me he had run into IME drummer, Christian Tanna, when I had separated from them to get closer to the stage during the Strumbellas set. I was a little bummed to have missed out, but was ready to move on with my life when that same friend and I both had to go to the washroom. On the way there, standing right in our path, was none other than Tanna himself, with his unmistakable long red dreads, taking in the show. Happy to have not missed the opportunity, I went over and said hello, and told him I was a fan. He was so polite, and introduced me to his wife and son, and even gave me a hug. I have to say both he and Gordon have been some of the nicest musicians I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.

    After the show we headed back to my friend’s for a bit of a fire and some more socializing before heading home to catch some sleep and prepare for day two.

    I arrived Saturday just before five, and caught Natasha Fisher performing on the main stage as I parked and walked past on my way to my friend’s. (I parked near the festival so I could leave things in my car and retrieve them if needed, rather than walk the couple blocks back to my friend’s). She sounded really fun, and was a great vocalist, with a very strong voice. I will definitely be checking out more of her stuff.

    Margaritas and snacks to start day two of the festival on July 19, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Back at my friend’s we had masterfully mixed margaritas, and some snacks before heading back to the festival to catch Choclair. There seemed to have been a bit of confusion with the set times, and when we heard Choclair’s set starting from my friend’s place, we hauled ass to get back in time to catch most of it at the stage. He performed Northern Touch just before we reached the gate, so a couple of us were dancing and singing along on the (closed) street, to the entertainment of a few people leaving the festival, before reaching the gate. We were able to catch a good portion of his set, which was very uplifting and fun, with the crowd demanding an encore despite there being more acts to come.

    Choclair performing on the main stage at Tall Pines on Saturday, July 19, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Following Choclair’s set we headed over to the barge to catch Jordan MacDonald of the band Texas King. I had never heard of him or his band before, but let me tell you, this man’s voice was so captivating I was immediately a fan, and couldn’t turn away. Although he wasn’t one of the performers I’d been looking forward to, I would say his performance was probably the highlight of the event for me. I’ve listened to Texas King since, and while they are good, there was something really special about this near-solo set (he was accompanied by another guitarist and back-up vocalist) that I won’t soon forget.

    Jordan MacDonald of the band Texas King performs on the Unplugged North stage at Tall Pines on Saturday, July 19, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Next up was Sloan on the main stage, and with them came a little bit of rain. To be honest, I’m not the biggest Sloan fan, but I do know some of their songs, and I found myself singing, and even dancing along to some of their set. I’d brought a couple disposable ponchos (I know, bad for the environment, but I had them already from a previous event, and my actual rain jacket was locked in my office at work) that I could fit in my purse, and busted them out for myself and one of my friends who had come unprepared, and when it started raining we just embraced it and started dancing around in our ponchos while Sloan played. We caught the attention of one of the festival videographers who asked to capture a couple takes of us being dancing fools for his footage. We agreed and pretended to dance like no-one was watching while being filmed. It was an interesting reverse of roles for me, but I didn’t mind – I was having a great time. (My friend and I also decided to start a band, and even came up with a band and album name inspired by the night’s events.)

    There was a slight gap between Sloan’s set and the final headliner, Moist, and the chips I’d had earlier weren’t quite cutting it for me, so I went and got some food from one of the food trucks on the ball diamond. I met a man in line who had come from the states to take it in and we had a nice conversation about how he and his friends were enjoying themselves, but left their chairs at the festival overnight, only to find they had been collected/claimed by someone else while they were gone. He was easy-going about it though. We also talked about music, of course, and he recommended I get my newly formed band on an NPR show in Detroit that features indie artists. I don’t know if they will still exist under Trump’s rule, unfortunately, but once we have some tunes together, I just might try.

    Moist closing out the Tall Pines music festival on Saturday, July 19, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Finally, headliners Moist came on, bringing their hits from the ‘90’s that everyone remembers, including Push and Silver. I always liked Moist, but my sister, more than myself, was a huge fan back in the day, so I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry she wasn’t there for the event. I do believe Moist’s biggest fan ever was in the crowd that night though, standing right beside us for a time, singing along to every word, and doing his best to get the crowd as pumped as he was to watch them perform. His enthusiasm was definitely contagious, and I was happy for him to be having the time of his life.

    Mother Nature, however, decided it would be punny to bring on the worst of the rain while Moist performed. While a few people packed it in, the majority of the crowd stuck around despite the near torrential downpour. Lead singer David Usher, who said it had been the first time the band had performed after a three-year break, kept reassuring the crowd that as long as the fans were sticking it out, they would perform. They remained true to their word, though they had to pause for a moment to get the keyboards working again, and move things back to be better protected by the roof of the stage. Ultimately they kept going for most of their allotted time, only being cut-off by the sound guy in the midst of what became their final song due to lightning in the sky. There was only about ten minutes left in their set time anyway, so I don’t think any of the fans really felt robbed of the experience, but it was a quick end and exit to get everyone out of the park as quickly as possible once the lightning started.

    And just like that, Tall Pines was done for another year, as was my run of back-to-back summer weekend music festivals. It’s always fun to take this one in so close to home, and you can bet I’ll be looking forward to who they bring to the area next year.

  • Büddies Fest takes over Tillsonburg

    Dillinger Four closing out the outdoor stage of Büddies Fest in Tillsonburg, ON, on Friday, July 11, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Tillsonburg, ON, may best be known for that Stompin’ Tom song about working in the tobacco fields, but its latest claim to music history fame involves a few punk rock legends, and a bunch of good buddies.

    And man, what a weekend it was.

    I first saw Büddies Fest advertised in the small southern Ontario town when one of my absolute favourite bands, Dillinger Four, shared a post on their Instagram showing they’d be headlining the first of the three night festival, happening July 11-13. I didn’t need to know what other bands would be playing – I was sold then and there. I immediately messaged my friend, Tyler, who is also a D4 fan, and who I’d last seen the band with live the last time they played in Toronto, which was a shocking 17 years ago! I hadn’t seen them perform since, but he and his partner, Lori, have gone down to see them at Punk Rock Bowling in Vegas once since then, and we’d talked about going other places in the states to see them over the years, so getting to see them closer to home was a no-brainer.

    Büddies Fest started just before 4 p.m. on Friday, July 11. The main festival area had two stages going – one inside, in a venue called “Paddy’s Underground” which was the basement of a restaurant called “The Mill,” and then an outdoor stage on the same property, with a beer tent, merch table, a couple of food trucks, and even a little vendor selling jewelry and candles, set up nearby. 

    I brought my dog along (not to the festival itself, as dogs weren’t permitted, and she wouldn’t have enjoyed that anyway – she just chilled in the hotel room while we went to watch) so I drove separately from Tyler and Lori. I got going a little later than I’d hoped, but we arrived just in time to hear the very end of female rocker, Loviet, performing on the main stage outside as we walked up. I’d never heard of her before, but I had kinda wanted to catch her set. (I love a female rocker.) Still, I wasn’t too upset to have missed it, because I knew she was also going to be playing the Tall Pines music festival in Gravenhurst, ON, this coming weekend, which I already had tickets for!

    Next up outside was Pkew Pkew Pkew, who put on a really fun, high energy set, including the song Asshole Pandemic, which had me singing along with the lyrics “this is a building” even though I’d never heard it before. (Full disclosure, my friend listened to them ahead of time and told me that was one of the lines. But it was a really fun, catchy song, and I couldn’t help but sing along.)

    After Pkew Pkew Pkew we started walking towards the indoor basement stage at Paddy’s Underground, but got waylaid by a tattoo artist set up on the grounds on the way there. One of my friend’s ended up getting a tattoo, being the first Büddie’s Fest attendee to do so on site. My other friend and I were supposed to both get one too, but we were trying to get inside to catch Flatliner’s lead singer, Chris Creswell’s solo set, so we put off our tattoos (and didn’t end up making it back to the guy – but he looked like he had customers every time we walked by after that anyway).

    Of course being acoustic, Creswell’s Friday night set was a bit more mellow than the acts going on outside, and the variety was nice.

    Single Mothers performing on the outdoor stage at Büddies Fest in Tillsonburg, ON, on Friday, July 11, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Afterwards we went back outside and caught London, ON based band, Single Mothers, who put on a great, heavy, energetic set. I’ll definitely be checking out more of their music – though they’ve been around since about 2008, (according to the internet).

    After that, former Hüsker Dü bassist Greg Norton and Büddies (a.k.a. a bunch of musicians from a bunch of the other acts performing over the weekend, including Colorado-based musician and Büddies Fest co-creator, Jon Snodgrass) performed inside. 

    But the main event of the whole weekend, for me, was of course, the aforementioned Friday night headliners, Dillinger Four. They started playing their sound check and it sounded so good that a bunch of people – including me – started gathering around the front of the stage, claiming our spots. The band basically laughed at us and told us to come back later when they were ready to play, so we spread out a little bit, but hovered nearby in anticipation. When their soundcheck was done and they were ready to go I still got a great spot, right at the front, with a pretty unobstructed view of the band, despite my relatively small stature.

    Erik Funk with drummer Lane Pederson in the background, performing at Büddies Fest on Friday, July 11, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    The set was amazing, but not long enough, given the length of time I’d been waiting to see them again!! They played a bunch of my favourites, including Doubleswhiskeycokenoice, Maximum Piss and Vinegar, A Jingle for the Product, and ¡¡Noble Stabbings!!, with a fan who’d travelled all the way from Japan to take in the festival getting up on stage at the encouragement of co-guitarist/co-singer Erik Funk to do the intro for the latter, in Japanese, just like the album version.

    Left to right: Bill Morrisette and Patrick “Paddy” Costello of Dillinger Four performing at Büddies Fest in Tillsonburg, ON, on Friday, July 11, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    The day was hot and sweaty, and bassist/co-singer Patrick “Paddy” Costello joked on stage more than once about the possibility he might die up there, due to the heat. Fortunately, the band all made it through the set without any incidents.

    Immediately following their performance, Costello’s wife, Christy Costello, was playing with her band in the underground venue, so my friends and I hurried in that direction, right past a security guard who was trying to stop us, (even though we were walking the same route we’d taken earlier in the day where the tattoo artist had been setup). One of my friend’s made an excuse about needing to use the bathroom, and told the security guard that was why we had to go that way. He kind of protested as we continued on our way, but didn’t really stop us. There were a few guys sitting under the tent where the tattoo artist had been earlier and they overheard the exchange and were laughing about it, when I turned back around and realized them to be three of the four members of Dillinger Four, i.e. Costello, Bill Morrisette who also plays guitar and shares vocal duties in the band, and drummer Lane Pederson. Of course, once we realized this, we circled back to chat with them (which was probably exactly the reason the security guard hadn’t wanted us to go that way). Costello had already gotten up when we went back, but we sat and chatted with Morisette and Pederson for a couple of minutes, which was super cool, before continuing on downstairs. After not too long Costello came down to watch his wife play, and my friends and I chatted with (i.e. slightly harassed) him, doing shots, and getting photos with the guy. No apologies, they’re our favourite band, it had been 17 years since we last saw them, and we were pumped.

    Christy Costello performing with her band at Paddy’s Underground as part of Büddies Fest on Friday, July 11, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Christy Costello and her band put on a really great performance too. She even had a small horn section, and at one point had somehow rigged up an old phone (like the kind that plugs into the wall) to do some vocals through, which gave a really cool effect (and I’m still trying to figure out the setup for). Her set was definitely a good time, and I’ll be looking into more of her music too.

    That was it for night one at the main venue, but the party continued just a little down the road at a Tillsonburg bar called The Copper Mug.

    Because I had my dog waiting at the hotel, however, and being the anxious little Egyptian (former) street dog that she is, she hadn’t gone to the bathroom since we left home that morning (though not for lack of opportunity) I felt like I needed to go back to the hotel to take her out before heading to the afterparty. Before separating from my friends though, we’d (they’d) started chatting with a couple of guys walking just a little ahead of us (my friends are much more social than I am, especially when drinking) and they were headed back to our same hotel, so I walked with them, as they seemed more confident than me of which way to go.

    It turned out they were also in a band from Minneapolis (i.e. where D4, and presumably Christy Costello and her band are from), called Rad Owl, and were gonna be wrapping up the show at Paddy’s Underground the next night.

    By the time I finished walking my dog, my friends were already headed back to the hotel, so I didn’t catch any of the afterparty on Friday, but that was ok, as I was still basking in the glow of D4’s set.

    On Saturday, July 12, the music didn’t start up again until about 4 p.m., which was probably a good thing for a lot of people, giving time to clear the worst of the hangovers from the night before. My friends and I found some things to do in Tillsonburg, including checking out the dog park with my pup, getting ice cream, hitting up a thrift store, and another local shop.

    There were people in the crowd on Saturday who were even more pumped to see ALL, than I had been to see Dillinger Four the day before – and that’s saying a lot.

    ALL is essentially all the members of pop-punk pioneers, Descendents, minus lead singer Milo Auckerman, swapping in other singers including Scott Reynolds, who sang with the group that night, and Chad Price, who sang with the group the next night; both of whom had performed with the band for different stints throughout the years.

    ALL performing with Scott Reynolds on vocals at Büddies Fest on Saturday, July 12, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    These guys have been rocking literally longer than I’ve been alive – and although I had never seen ALL perform live before, in any rendition, I did catch Descendents at Riot Fest in Toronto, back in 2012. I remember thinking that was a big deal at the time, since the band members were aging, and they’d been around so long already, I had thought at the time that it wasn’t likely they’d keep going much longer. I actually contributed to an article for an online magazine covering that show, (which I looked up before writing this,) and it turns out, on that day in 2012 it was drummer Bill Stevenson’s 49th birthday. I’m not going to do the math for you, but suffice it to say, I was impressed they were still going at that time, and it’s been quite a few years since then (although not as long as the gap between when I’d last seen D4, which continues to blow my mind)!

    So much to the delight of many of the old school punks in attendance, Saturday’s outdoor stage was almost all about ALL. This time my friends and I arrived in time to catch most of the first outdoor act, which was Chad Price and the Peace Coalition. Next up, on the outdoor stage was Snodgrass and Stevenson(s), being ALL/Descendents drummer Bill Stevenson and his son Miles, with organizer Jon Snodgrass. Then came ALL with Reynolds on vocals, and this is when I fully realized just how special the whole thing was, to a lot of people in attendance that day. Fans were singing their hearts out, dancing, and all the usual stuff, but I also saw multiple people wiping tears from their eyes during the set, including a pretty hardcore gutter punk looking guy with a bunch of tattoos, and a little lady with a head full of grey hair who was singing along to every word at the front of the stage.

    The more we (my friends) talked to people in the crowd, and saw posts on social media, the more we realized just how many people had made major treks to be there for the weekend event. We talked to a guy from Saskatchewan in the merch line; some people posted online about their trips up from the states; and as previously mentioned, at least one fan flew all the way from Japan, just to be at Büddies Fest in little old Tillsonburg.

    After ALL, the older crowd stepped aside so the slightly younger (but still been-around-for-quite-a-while) fan-base for local Toronto-area legends, The Flatliners, could get closer to the stage. It was kind of a cool thing to see the crowd around the front taking shifts based around their favourite bands, and then dispersing amongst the lawn so the biggest fans of the next act could take their post closer to the stage.

    The Flatliners closing out the outdoor stage at Büddies Fest on Saturday, July 12, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    The Flatliners are no strangers to success in the scene, having formed in 2002 and continued a successful career since, but even lead singer Chris Creswell admitted it felt odd to him to have the legendary ALL play before his band that night.

    Rad Owl performing at Paddy’s Underground for Büddies Fest on Saturday, July 12, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Of course following the Flatliners’ performance I had to head down to Paddy’s Underground to watch Rad Owl play, after having chatted with them on the walk back to the hotel the night before. It turned out one of the two guys I walked with was a fill-in for their usual guitar player who couldn’t make the trip, but you wouldn’t have known it to watch the set, as he played his parts seemingly perfectly (to my untrained ears in the very least). The other guy from the walk back the night before was Rad Owl lead singer, Jeremy Jessen.  The set was really fun to watch, especially the last song, as a favourite musician of the band members, being Brock Pytel, (singing-drummer of the Doughboys,) came out to sing a cover of the Doughboys’ “I Won’t Write you a Letter” with them. Keeping in the trend of musicians mixing in with other acts performing throughout the weekend, Pytel was around as his current band, SLIP~ons, were slated to open the outdoor stage the next day.

    I had been able to get my dog to take a bathroom break outside shortly before heading to the festival on Saturday, so I was able to head over to The Copper Mug to catch some of the after party before heading back to the hotel this time around. The first band up was Welland, ON, based Dealbreaker who were really energetic, loud, and interactive, and just a ton of fun. There isn’t really a stage, per se, at The Copper Mug, which made it that much easier for the band and crowd to interact, adding to the fun. Unfortunately, my phone was almost out of battery power at this point, so I wasn’t able to get any photos or videos, but I enjoyed the set so much I went over to their merch table and bought a … tape? They didn’t have vinyl, or even CDs; just good old fashioned cassette tapes, but I was sure I had an old tape deck laying around somewhere, so I am now the proud owner of a Dealbreaker EP on cassette tape. I thought it was pretty cool, actually, to have bought my first new cassette tape in a couple of decades at least!

    The Dealbreaker cassette I bought on Saturday, July 12, 2025 at Büddies Fest. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Then came Montreal-based four-piece The Lookout. They’re a female fronted band, which I loved, of course, and a high-octane, powerhouse. At one point lead singer, Martha Rockhard, noted to the guys at the front of the crowd that, while she loved them all, she really wanted to see the girls up closer. The men obliged and stepped aside to make room for some female fans to come to the front, which is the exact kind of female love-for-one-another the world needs more of.

    I didn’t stick around for the last band of the night, The Penske File, because I knew my dog would be waiting for me to get her outside once again, but from the clips I’ve seen it looked like a great end to a great day.

    My friends were leaving Sunday morning, and I could have either a) paid $200 for a hotel room for myself and my dog for one more night, b) gone to my sister’s about an hour away, left the dog there while I went back to night three of the festival, and then gone back to my sister’s to sleep, or c) headed home. I really debated between b and c, even making plans and changing them a couple times as I started driving out of Tillsonburg, but in the end I decided my dog had already been stressed enough, and re-locating her to my sister’s place for a night wasn’t gonna help the situation. There were so many other performances I would have loved to see on Sunday, but I had an amazing time regardless. In fact, that was probably the best time I’ve had in a very long time, and really something my soul needed, especially during these crazy times when pop culture and politics are trending towards a major social decline, in so, so, many ways.

    It’s good to be reminded that the bands, culture, and people, who gave me so much hope for a better world are still out there – though it’s so sad to see things regressing as they have so much lately in the world.

    We are not currently living in the future I had envisioned when I was first inspired by the punk scene as a teen so many years ago, and although it’s overwhelming at times to think about what the world is up against right now, it’s so good to know there are people like the Büddies Fest organizers and participants who I can continue to look to for inspiration when my spirit’s getting low.

    I do believe the plan is to make Büddies Fest an annual event, and I read somewhere online they’re already scoping out bands for next year, so I’ll be keeping my eyes on the Büddies Fest social media pages for more info on that, and I suggest anyone interested do the same!

  • Mariposa Folk Festival rocks on for its 65th year

    A crowd is gathered for The Sheepdogs’ performance at the Mariposa Folk Festival on Friday, July 4, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Orillia’s Mariposa Folk Festival has continued its long tradition of bringing a multitude of impressive more-than-just-folk musical acts to the big festival in the small southern Ontario city.

    The 65th annual Mariposa Folk Festival took place in the town’s Tudhope Park from Friday, July 4 to Sunday, July 6, with more than a little something for just about everyone, and was a sellout success by Sunday.

    As always, with the event’s many stages (eight this year), plus events including yoga and craft sessions for all ages, vendors, and food trucks, it would be completely impossible for one person to catch all of the action that goes on over the course of the weekend event, but with many of the artists performing multiple sets on different stages, festival goers stood a good chance of being able to catch all their favourites in attendance at least once.

    Performers ranged from open mic acts – with one stage offering the opportunity for attendees to sign up and perform a small set of their own – and local bands, to long standing legends including Ron Sexsmith, and children’s performer Sharon Hampson, of Elephant Show/Sharon, Lois, and Bram fame, who purportedly originally linked up as a trio through an educational music program organized by the Mariposa Folk Festival back in the ‘70’s!

    I signed up to volunteer as a videographer for the event, as a fun way to get involved and make use of some of the skills I picked up in my journalism school days, while taking in some great musical acts. My shifts were Saturday and Sunday, but I drove down Friday night to pick up my wrist band, meet my team leads, and take in some of the shows, of course!

    I timed my arrival perfectly to coincide with The Paper Kites performance on the main stage, known as the Lightfoot Stage (in honour of Gordon Lightfoot). The Paper Kites hail from Australia and have a soft, poetic, almost lullaby-esque sound to them which soothes my heart, whether singing sad lyrics, as in their song “Paint”, or happy, as in “Bloom”, (both of which are great songs which you should check out if unfamiliar with the band).

    Following The Paper Kites’ set, I made my way to the Pub Stage to try to check out The East Pointers, only to find most people in the park, it seemed, had the same idea, as the fenced-off pub area was at capacity before I got there, with a long line of people at the entrance hoping to get in, or at least stand outside the gate and listen. I think The East Pointers were the surprise stars of this year’s festival in a way, as both of their performances drew much larger crowds than it seemed the festival organizers had anticipated. I’m thinking they may be back as main stage performers in the not-too-distant future. 

    I wasn’t too disappointed though, as I knew they were performing another set later in the weekend, sharing the stage with festival darlings My Son the Hurricane, who I saw perform at my first Mariposa back in 2019 (which was also the last time I attended the festival, until this year, but more on that later). Plus it meant I got to catch all of Langhorne Slim’s set, which I knew was going to be great.

    Langhorne Slim mingling with the crowd while singing during his performance on Friday, July 4, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    I met Langhorne, a.k.a. Sean Scolnick, once before, in 2017, down at the Newport Folk Festival, in Newport, Rhode Island, in the United States, where he performed at a festival pre-party. A guy I met in line waiting to get in seemed to know him (or at least knew where to go to chat with him) and when the show was done he brought me around to the back of the building and introduced me, which was pretty rad. (I also got a hug from Charles Bradley that night, who blew me away with his performance at the same party, particularly of the song “Changes”, originally by Black Sabbath. Bradley sadly passed away later that year.) It was a memorable night, and so I was excited to catch Langhorne Slim perform live again. He’s definitely a natural entertainer, and draws a crowd with his enthusiastic performances. If you don’t know who he is before seeing him, you won’t soon forget him after. He even took it upon himself to hop down off the main stage and sing one of his songs while mingling with the crowd, sharing handshakes, hugs and just true authentic humanity with the crowd gathered to see him; interacting with as many people as he could, before returning to the stage to close out the song. On his second-to-last song, the high e string on his guitar broke, but he kept playing like a true pro, only looking like he might have wanted to smash the instrument for a split second at the end of the song. His very last song didn’t include himself on guitar, so it all worked out in the end anyway (and there was no guitar smashing, which was definitely for the best in the long run. It looked like a nice guitar).

    Friday’s headliners were Canadian rockers, The Sheepdogs, who played for an hour and a half, despite the swarms of bugs that came out as the sun went down. I don’t think anyone in the crowd was getting bitten too badly by the bugs, but the band, unfortunately, suffered as the main feast to the flies, which admittedly did look kind of pretty, lit up and dancing like stars under the bright stage lights, but I’m sure were VERY annoying to deal with. I remember the same scene watching Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit perform when they headlined one of the nights of the 2019 Mariposa Festival. Sheepdogs’ lead singer Ewan Currie did comment on the bugs, but the band continued to perform like the true professionals they are, displaying their impressive talent. The Sheepdogs have played the Kee before, but I’ve never gone to see them, as the shows I believe usually either sold out before I got around to checking for tickets, or just weren’t in the budget for me at the time. And even knowing that they’re a solid, popular rock band, I didn’t realize the extent of their talent as musicians until seeing them live that night. Although I was sort of near the front of the crowd for the performance, I was way off to one side, so I didn’t have the best angle for capturing pictures, as there was a tall fence and one of the big Mariposa side stage flags kind of screening my view. It was fine for watching the show, but definitely didn’t make for great photos. Luckily for me, however, one of the people with a media access pass had me pass my phone to him through the fence, so he could snap some picture for me, unobstructed, front and centre.

    The Sheepdogs closed out night one of the Mariposa Folk Festival on Friday, July 4, 2025. (Photo taken on my phone by a kind media tech whose name I didn’t get!)

    Saturday and Sunday I got to work capturing videos of the crowd starting a little after noon, so I didn’t have as much time to sit and enjoy any of the shows, or catch the little details of what was happening with the performers as much. I’m not complaining though; I had a lot of fun, and was able to make time to see some special performances.

    On Saturday, I had my first shift as a camera operator, and with this I had an all-access pass, and was able to get into all of the venues-within-the-venue to capture footage at whatever stage I wanted, so I of course jumped at the opportunity to capture footage of The East Pointers’ performance that day, which was just as popular as the day before, and I knew would also give me some great B-roll for the festival organizers. This time they were setup at the Bohemian Stage, which was also fenced off, down by the shore of Lake Couchiching. The popularity of this performance was likely amplified by the fact that many people also wanted to catch – and dance to – My Son the Hurricane, as well as The East Pointers, and fortunately there was lots of room for people to sit around the outside of the fenced off area to still hear, and in some cases see, the show. The set started out with high-energy instrumental pieces by each band, and continued to bring the energy with light-hearted dance-inducing songs throughout. As it was wrapping up, I noticed a guy on the other side of the fence trying to capture a photo with his phone, and looking disappointed that he couldn’t seem to get a good one, so much like the media personnel had done for me the day before, I had him pass me his phone through the fence so I could run up to the stage and capture a few close-ups for him – which he appreciated just as much, if not more, as I had when it was done for me. I was quite happy to have been able to pay it forward!

    Basia Bulat performing at the Mariposa Folk Festival on Saturday, July 5, 2025, just before a huge rain storm set in. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Following that show, I made my way to the main stage to catch Basia Bulat’s beautiful, bewitching voice and unique, Polish-inspired, folk-personified performance. I have been a fan of hers for at least the last decade and was quite happy to finally have the chance to catch her live. (She’s played many places throughout Ontario over the years, but the timing or location never quite worked out for me, until that day.) Unfortunately a heavy rainstorm hit partway through her set, and as I was operating a fairly expensive, NOT-water-resistant camera, I quickly made my way to our little media-team tent to keep myself, and it, dry. Bulat finished her performance, however, and many in the crowd stuck around for the whole set, in spite of the drenching downfall. Our team waited the rain out in the tent for close to an hour, though the performances continued pretty much as regularly scheduled, but after quite some time we decided to call it a day, knowing we had the day tomorrow – weather pending, of course – to capture more B-roll.

    The rain did ease up, and eventually stop, and as the temperature that day was somewhere above the 30 degree Celsius mark, it wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened, but by the time we had called it a day it was about 7 p.m. The only other group I had really wanted to see that day was the headliner, Iron & Wine, but at this point I was soaked (with sweat, not rain), and sore from running around capturing footage all day, and I had an hour drive home, with my dog waiting to be let out – and me knowing I had to do it all over again tomorrow – so I decided to drive home, eat something, and walk the dog. I told myself, if I really wanted, I had enough time to do all of that and come back for the 10 p.m. performance – but I knew it wasn’t likely going to happen, and it didn’t. I can only imagine they put on an excellent set though.

    Sunday there were less performances I was personally eager to make sure I caught, though I did want to see Benjamin Doerksen, as I had heard him perform a little bit from a distance on Friday night as a “tweener,” (which is what they were calling acts who performed a small set on the main stage between the main acts) and I wanted to hear more.

    Doerksen’s full set was really good; he has a solid, powerful voice and he and his bandmates sound like seasoned pros together. I think he has what it takes to become a big name in the Canadian country/folk circuit, which he already seems to be making great strides in.

    Rock/folk artist Hayden, whose music I’d come to know as a teenager, with a number of songs I was quite into for a period of time, also played Sunday, so I wanted to catch some of his set as well. It was of course a nice, mellow set, and the crowd loved him, with many fans from his more than 30 years of making music, collected on the grass, mesmerized as he told stories about and through his songs.

    After Hayden’s set I didn’t have any specific agenda, other than to keep capturing video, but I could hear a big, dance-inducing beat coming from across the park, and just had to follow the sound. There, at the Bohemian Stage I caught a set called “Folkin’ Rude Boys” which was a collaboration of two bands, being Danny Rebel & the KGB, and Melbourne Ska Orchestra. If you couldn’t guess from the title, they were putting on a clinic in ska music – and the crowd was loving it. This was the biggest crowd of dancing people I saw the entire time. (To be fair though, both of these bands had performed elsewhere earlier in the festival, and I hadn’t caught those sets, but I bet there was lots of dancing happening then too.) During this particular performance, they were talking a bit about how they came to find ska music for themselves, and as bands, and then giving a bit of a history/music lesson on where it came from, and the fundamentals of playing it. It was a really fun set, and these are two bands I would definitely recommend checking out if ever given the opportunity.

    Danny Rebel and the KGB, and Melbourne Ska Orchestra performing together on Sunday, July 6, 2025 at the Mariposa Folk Festival. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    After that I wandered over to where another huge crowd was gathered at the Pub Stage and caught a bit of Corook’s set. I have to be honest here, when I saw Corook on the schedule, I didn’t know who they were, but once I started listening I recognized them as being a social media star (as far as I know) with viral hits including “It’s OK” (you know, the one that goes “hey, hey, it’s ok; everybody feels kinda weird some days”) and “If I Were a Fish”. It was definitely a beloved act by many fans, and I caught a few different people asking to take a photo with them a little later on in the day.

    I then caught a bit of some of the big Sunday acts on the main stage, including Ron Sexsmith, and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, while I captured some final footage for the day.

    I finished my volunteer hours at 7 p.m., and went to sit in my car for a few minutes, contemplating if I should stay and enjoy a little of the festival in my free time, or just head home and rest my weary bones. Fortunately I convinced myself I should definitely take just a little time to enjoy myself and take in the festival without any responsibilities, before heading back to my regular job the next day, so I headed back in to catch Born Ruffians before hitting the road. I definitely made the right choice, as it was a fun, rocking, free-spirited boost of energy, and just what I needed to wake myself up for the drive home.

    The festival was a huge success as always, and I was happy to be a part of it. My first time volunteering was back in 2019, on the greening crew, where I helped ensure people put their waste in the right receptacles to keep the least amount possible from going into the actual garbage, making maximum use of the compost and recycling options.

    Mariposa is a green-focused festival, in that they require all of their food vendors to use compostable containers and cutlery. This year they were able to divert 90% of festival waste from the landfill, so I’d say that’s a huge success, and they had refillable water stations throughout the grounds, which was especially necessary given the heat of the weekend.

    There were also booths of all kinds of information and groups, including mental health assistance, Parks Canada, Simcoe County Black Coalition, LGBTQ+ Simcoe County, Indigenous activist groups, and more.

    All-in-all, it really is such a well-run festival, which is no surprise, considering this was its 65th year; you don’t last that long without the people at the helm knowing a thing or two about what they’re doing. I’m sure lessons are passed on to younger generations throughout the years, as more than 700 volunteers help keep the festival going, and many, I’m sure, are enthusiastic to ensure it continues to be a success for many years to come.

    I can’t wait to see who they line up for next year, but in the meantime, I’m already headed to another festival this weekend, being the first ever Buddies Fest, down in Tillsonburg, Ontario, and I hope to post an update on that soon!

  • Billy Corgan and The Machines of God rock the Kee to Bala

    The Kee to Bala has delivered, once again, bringing an epic performance to its near century-old stage, in the little town of Bala, ON, and proving itself to be one of the best places to catch a concert.

    On Wednesday, June 11, Billy Corgan and The Machines of God rocked the Kee with their Return to Zero tour.

    And it was awesome.

    Billy Corgan performs with The Machines of God, at the Kee to Bala, in Bala, ON on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Corgan’s better known band, The Smashing Pumpkins, made their Kee debut in the summer of 2024, as a surprise bombshell announcement following Live Nation’s takeover of the venue. That show sold out immediately, with re-sale tickets going for $700 and up. As a long-time Pumpkins fan, I was absolutely heartbroken not to have scored tickets – but as a broke single lady, paying $700 to be a part of it wasn’t really an option. I did consider sitting outside on the lawn just to hear it, but in the end decided it might just break my heart that much more to be so close, yet still so out of reach.

    When I first heard Billy Corgan would be playing the Kee again this summer, but without the Pumpkins, I, like many others I’m sure, was intrigued, but unsure of what to expect. Would it be Corgan and an acoustic guitar doing his cover of Landslide and maybe some SP songs? Was he releasing a solo album and touring in support of all new material?

    I think the fact that many people were in the same boat as me in terms of not knowing what this tour meant, at first anyway, is why tickets didn’t sell out immediately – and I was still able to get one at a reasonable rate, even after they were first released. The fact that the Kee was just the third stop on the tour, and that the show was on a Wednesday night, likely also kept it from selling out completely, but to be honest, I think mostly people just didn’t know what they were missing.

    Being a huge Smashing Pumpkins – and Corgan – fan for almost three decades now, I was stoked to get a ticket regardless, but admittedly I did keep checking the internet, and especially social media sites, for updates on what to expect. As details were revealed, including the setlist, I got more and more excited for what was to come: a full, four-piece band (two guitars, a bass and drums), playing electric/close-to-original versions of Smashing Pumpkins’ songs from select albums (Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness; Machina/The Machines of God; Machina II/The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music; and their latest release, 2024’s Aghori Mhori Mei), with Corgan of course remaining at the helm.

    L.A. Based band Return to Dust opening for Billy Corgan and The Machines of God at the Kee to Bala on June 11, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    L.A. based rockers Return to Dust have had the privilege of opening for the Machines of God on this tour. With their long-haired, head-banging performance, rife with guitar riffs and powerful vocals, they were definitely a great fit to get fans in the mood for the show to come, and reminiscent of the 90’s grunge era the Pumpkins were a part of.

    As a long time Pumpkins fan, but also a fan of music in general, I was not in the least bit disappointed by the performance or song selection Corgan and The Machines of God put on. In fact, I was thrilled.

    Billy Corgan performs with The Machines of God at the Kee to Bala on June 11, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    They played a full two-hour set, opening with tracks Le Deux Machina, Glass, and Heavy Metal Machine from the second Machina album, before getting into Where Boys Fear to Tread from the Mellon Collie double album, and then Pentagrams from the recent Aghori Mhori Mei. They continued on, alternating through tracks from the various albums, taking a pause near the end of the set only for Corgan to pretend to play an acoustic cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s Sundown, before actually performing an acoustic rendition of his own Tonight, Tonight.

    My favourite tracks from the show included Porcelina of the Vast Oceans, Muzzle, and Bodies, all from the Mellon Collie double album, as well as the encore, The Everlasting Gaze, from the first Machina album. Just so well done, and impressive to see the sounds from the albums carried forward so well with the live performance. My only disappointment – though I hesitate to call it that, because the show was truly incredible – was that I know they played longer encores with a few more songs at other venues in larger cities. But really, I can’t complain because these guys did give it their all, for a full two-hour set, and may have been bound by time given that they didn’t finish until just after midnight as it was, on a Wednesday night, in little old Bala, ON.

    Kiki Wong on guitar for Billy Corgan and The Machines of God at the Kee to Bala on June 11, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    I’ve seen some reviews from the tour in general lamenting the lack of Jimmy Chamberlin’s more artistic and less methodical approach to drumming, and James Iha’s expert shoegaze-style guitar sound, but to me, The Machines of God performed an outstanding live set, layering their sound phenomenally, and hitting their marks like true pros. The showmanship of guitarist Kiki Wong was a great fit, and it’s easy to see why Corgan would select her, not only to perform as one of The Machines of God, but also as a touring guitarist with the Pumpkins. Even as a hetero-sexual female in the audience, I adored watching her and would have been completely captivated by her, had it not been for the fact that Corgan himself was also there, in front of my very eyes, for the first time in the 29 years since I was first entranced by him.

    Corgan and The Machines of God bassist Jenna Fournier, a.k.a. Kid Tigrrr performing at the Kee to Bala on June 11, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    Rounding out The Machines of God were L.A. based session and touring drummer Jake Hayden, and shoegaze indie rocker Jenna Fournier, a.k.a. Kid Tigrrr, on bass, whose soft dreamy presence (and outfit) countered Wong’s embodiment of devilish heavy metal in a perfect symbiosis of good vs. it-feels-good-to-be-bad influences over each of Corgan’s shoulders. Corgan of course donned a trench-coat, a mainstay since the Pumpkins 1998 album Adore, though this one was silver and gave more mad-scientist vibes than his earlier Nosferatu-leaning versions of the look. The outfits and showmanship definitely added to the feeling that we were in the presence of true rock stars, or at least a band having fun with embodying that idea, and definitely added a little something to an already epic show.

    The alternate band name – The Machines of God – came out of the Pumpkins’ 2000 albums “Machina/the Machines of God,” and “Machina II/The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music,” and follows a theme that really started to emerge on 1995’s “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” double album, where Billy Corgan first refers to himself as Zero. From what I gather through reading various articles, Zero is basically Corgan’s public persona, as his band became somewhat larger than life, and public assumptions and interpretations created a caricature of the man behind the music. From there, within the Machina albums, the storyline of Zero is furthered, as he is influenced by the voice of God he believes himself to be hearing, and renames himself from Zero to Glass, and his band to The Machines of God, as they are essentially a conduit of what Zero (now Glass) is receiving as downloads from a higher power. Even on the track Zero, from the Mellon Collie album, however, Corgan sings “I’m the face in your dreams of Glass” hinting that the concept was already at play in his mind long before the Machina albums were compiled. To delve a little further, Corgan has apparently said his experience of the writing process feels like this in a sense, as he’s sometimes unsure of where and how the songs are coming from within him.

    Though the concept may be lost on some, it’s certainly not necessary to wrap your head around it to enjoy the music or the shows that Corgan and The Machines of God are bringing on this tour. That being said, I do think it’s highly relatable as a creative person, and especially as a writer myself; we often hear of musicians and other writers feeling as though they’re plucking lines from the sky, or that come to them in dreams, seemingly from somewhere outside their own psyche. Understanding this definitely adds layers of appreciation to what Corgan was going for with this tour, but as noted, is not essential to enjoying the songs, sound, or showmanship the band is delivering.

    Since my first introduction to the Smashing Pumpkins’ music, they’ve always seemed to me to be these huge, beyond human entities. Probably, in part, because I was so young (about 10 years old) when I first got into them, under the influence of my older sister and some of her friends. But even the description ‘rock star’ doesn’t seem to do justice to the way I have viewed the Smashing Pumpkins, and Corgan himself, over the years. If the Arkells, as described in my previous post, are seemingly some of the most relatable, down-to-earth musicians to have reached huge levels of success in the industry (albeit more-so in Canada than the states, and maybe that’s part of the difference), the Smashing Pumpkins always seemed so out of reach to me, as both musicians and people. In fact, thinking of them as just people like everyone else is still something my brain struggles with.

    Billy Corgan surrounding by a glow of green light at the Kee to Bala on June 11, 2025. (Photo by Lisa Gillan)

    It could be due, in part, to the fact that the same year I was first getting into them (1996) they were immortalized in cartoon form on one of my – and the world’s – favourite TV shows, being The Simpsons.

    A couple years later (1998), I remember they visited Much Music in Toronto, ON for a show called “Intimate & Interactive,” where the station would have a band come in and play songs, be interviewed by one of the resident VJ’s, and also take questions from the audience. I was so excited, I think I even had goosebumps just knowing the band was in Toronto, despite the fact that that was still about two hours away, and at 12 years old, my mom was not driving me to the city for something like this.

    But they were seemingly still so close, and I so badly wanted to call in with a question, yet I remember feeling so intimidated that they would think I was just some dumb kid. I have this vision of me, phone in hand, half dialing the number for the station, and then hanging up before going through with it, because the anxiety had gotten the better of me. Still, I sat and watched the whole thing, in awe that they were in a city so close to me (in rural Ontario terms, anyway).

    I figured I would never have the chance to see them live because by the time I grew up, they wouldn’t be a band anymore. Although that didn’t end up being the case exactly, and there have been chances, here and there for me to see them as an adult, I think this Machines of God show in particular, with its focus on songs from that initial era of my familiarity with the Pumpkins, and in such an intimate venue as the Kee, was such a fitting first time for me to see Corgan and these songs performed live, and I couldn’t be happier that I finally got to do it!