All the excitement leading up to Sonic Youth's show on Tuesday nearly gave me an aneurysm. As I'm somewhat prone to do, I'd been deliberately panicking since my photo pass was approved the week before. Why? Because it's f@&^ing Sonic Youth.

Massey Hall is an odd choice of venue for these guys, but once the show started, I figured it out - the acoustics blew my mind... and my eardrums as well.

Every memory I have of seeing Ohbijou play live is a good one. Before Thursday night, the show that stuck out the most was last year's co-headlining performance with the Acorn at Lee's Palace. (Incidentally, that was the experience that really piqued my interest in covering live music. I blame you, Ohbijou, for all the late nights in muggy clubs, and for the constant stream of ink stains on the back my right hand that never seem to wash off.)

I'd been looking forward to this show for months. The band was originally slotted to play in April, but the show was rescheduled for June 25th as part of the CD launch for their new album, Beacons. It was worth the two-month wait, however; visually, artistically and musically, Ohbijou never disappoints.

If you haven't seen The Parlor Mob play live before, you'll get the chance tonight as they open for Theory of a Deadman at the Sound Academy. In a word, their live performances are legendary. Expect straight-up, no holds barred rock and roll when they hit the stage.

A little bit of history on these guys: the Jersey-born five-piece got their start back in 2004 as What about Frank, before changing to their current incarnation as The Parlor Mob. Their debut album, And You Were a Crow, was released on May 6th, 2008 and contains twelve energetic and progressive tracks.

I recently had the chance to chat with bassist Nick Villapiano about the band, future albums, fantasy venues... and Paula Abdul.

Until recently, I hadn't been to Toronto Island in almost a year. Last weekend a few friends and I headed out on bikes with a fine selection of cheese, meat and cupcakes for Isla Craig's show and album launch at St. Andrew-by-the-Lake Church.

Isla couldn't have picked a better venue... or a better location, for that matter. The Church of St. Andrew-by-the-Lake sits by a wee river at the end of a winding bike path on Ward's Island. We arrived to the sight of dozens of sunburned, blissed out show-goers (the Island has a way of doing that to you), and their dozens upon dozens of bikes. (I've never had to look so hard for bike parking before.)

I'm unofficially calling it Summer now. Especially after experiencing the hot and humid heights that Hugh's Room reached last Thursday night during Royal Wood's performance. I had to jump outside a few times in between songs to avoid passing out onto someone's pita platter. It was worth it, though, to catch Royal's live show - his songs ring with a level of sincerity and understated romanticism that mark him as a true and lasting talent.

In case you missed Thursday night's sold out show, you now have a chance to win tickets to catch Royal again in Toronto, at an intimate invite-only show at Harlem on June 3rd. Want to be on the list? Keep reading for details on how to win.

Ben Harper and Relentless 7 were arguably the hottest ticket in Toronto on Wednesday night - a testament to Ben Harper's enduring popularity and career longevity. Every available square inch of the Phoenix was packed with overheated (and possibly overdressed) fans, and even though I was relegated to the extreme right of the venue for most of the show, I could still physically feel the intensity from the performance on stage.

We all know of Ben Harper, but we might not all be as familiar with his current project, Relentless 7. During the recording of Harper's album Both Sides of the Gun, guitarist Jason Mozersky (who had been invited to contribute), brought along bassist Jesse Ingalls and drummer Jordan Richardson. A few short years later, the four were able to come together to record White Lies For Dark Times, their first official (and brand new) release as Relentless 7.