toronto concerts

Hot Ticket: The Psychedelic Furs, The Lemonheads, Menomena, The Be Good Tanyas, Cat Power, The Mountain Goats

Live music picks for TUESDAY OCTOBER 16 through SATURDAY OCTOBER 20, 2012.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 16 / THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS / THE DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / 147 DANFORTH / $34.50 / ALL AGES

New Wave legends The Psychedelic Furs played Lee's Palace back in March, and by all accounts it was a spectacular show. This time around, they're playing a larger venue (the Danforth Music Hall), and it's an all-ages show. This band has a pretty substantial cult following, and while they may be best-known for their song "Pretty in Pink" and its use in the film of the same name, their catalogue is quite extensive. If you're a fan of post-punk, New Wave material, this one's a no-brainer. The Lemonheads will offer support.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 17 / MENOMENA / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 368 QUEEN W / $15 - $18 / 19+

Their name may remind you of the song from The Muppet Show (and, yes, it's pronounced the same way), but experimental indie rockers Menomena are far more than just a catchy little ditty. Comprised of Justin Harris and Danny Seim, the two take turns singing and often swap instruments throughout their shows. The result is a fairly awesome sound that is as catchy as it is unique. PVT will open.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 18 / THE BE GOOD TANYAS / THE GREAT HALL / 1087 QUEEN W / $25 / 19+

Now this....this is just awesome stuff. Folk trio The Be Good Tanyas, out of Vancouver, haven't released a fully brand new album in six years, but they're fresh off the release of their career retrospective A Collection. And seriously, what a career these ladies have had - three albums, and considerable exposure in the U.S. through the use of their music in TV shows (including the best show on TV, Breaking Bad). If you're a fan of folk, bluegrass, or country, you owe it to yourself to check this band out.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20 / CAT POWER / THE KOOL HAUS / 132 QUEENS QUAY E / $43.75 / ALL AGES

For whatever reason, I've never really given Cat Power much of a listen, even though several people that I know swear up and down that she's one of the best live acts out there. While I can't vouch for that, it certainly wouldn't surprise me - what I have heard from the Atlanta artist is actually pretty great. She's released nine albums in her storied career, including the recently-released Sun, her first album of new material in six years. If you're a fan, you've probably already got your tickets, and it's pretty safe to say that this one will be a sell-out.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20 / THE MOUNTAIN GOATS / THE PHOENIX / 410 SHERBOURNE / $21.50 - $24 / 19+

Founded by the great John Darnielle in 1991, The Mountain Goats have been a remarkably consistent group for their 20+ year run. They've released no less than 14 (!!) albums in that time, and they've graduated from so-called "militantly lo-fi" home recordings of their material in the 1990s to the more polished sound that they've embraced in recent years. This is indie folk at its finest, and you really can't argue with the price of the ticket at all - less than 25 bucks for a band like this is an absolute steal. Matthew E. White will offer support.

For more music listings, check out our events calendar.

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Photo of Menomena courtesy of _FXR on Flickr.


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