This city is great at making vehicles, but also great at making music. Hamilton used Art is the New Steel as its slogan for cultural transition. For Oshawa, it could be Music is the New Truck. Music moves us all.
Speaking of moving, let's get you to the venues this week. It's a pretty packed weekend again.
London, Ontario, rockers Texas King are at the Biltmore Thursday, April 13. Opening for them is Boston Levi, aka Mike McNamee of Perth. He has great working-class spirituals, half Strumbellas, half Springsteen, and has been working with Jay Emmons of the Glorious Sons—one to keep an eye on, definitely an ear on.
Another band to keep the eyes and ears on are the Birds of Bellwoods. These frequent flyers to Oshawa return Friday, April 14, with the Royal Foundry, an alt-pop duo who have shared a stage with the aforementioned Strumbellas. Amanda and Steve are at the Wee Pub, and Double Trouble will be at Bollocks (formerly the Tartan) in Rossland Square. Frank Z Band, and the Tone Dogs, are at Simcoe
Down from the Biltmore at the Atria, the two-day Metalfest 2023 kicks off with Sentiment Dissolve, Nylist, Soulthief, Deadwood, and Eaten By Sharks. These are the events the Atria’s rep is built on, and local metalheads and punks dig. I’m partial to a bit of doom metal myself, but there’s none of the doom on this bill. Instead, it's more, you know, the scene in Last of Us where the school bus falls into the
sinkhole, thousands of clickers flood out, and there's a bloater; the bands on this fest sound like that. The fun continues Saturday, April 15, with A Particle Apart, Gravearth, ITAOV, and Seagrave.
At the Biltmore, there is a Van Halen tribute band plus Lucky 13, a covers band, opening.
The Ontario Philharmonic is at the Regent Theatre Saturday with An Enchanting Chopin Odyssey, billed as two piano concertos performed by Aljosa Jurinic in the manner Chopin himself would have in the salons of Paris.
On Sunday, it's a really big show at the Biltmore. Sean McCann of Great Big Sea is in, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the East Coast chart-busting stars’ legend and legacy. McCann, aka The Shantyman, tells the stories and songs of his native Newfoundland, along with some GBS classics. There’s a long history and association between Newfoundland and Oshawa, so I’m guessing this will be one heck of a kitchen party. Early show, too, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
