Hot Ticket: Mat Kearney, Patrick Watson & The Wooden Arms, Amy Millan, Coeur de Pirate, Arkona, LMFAO, Far East Movement, Natalia Kills

Live music picks for WEDNESDAY November 9 through MONDAY November 14, 2011.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 9 / MAT KEARNEY / THE OPERA HOUSE / 735 QUEEN E / $19.50 / ALL AGES

Even if you're not familiar with Nashville-based indie-rocker Mat Kearney, you've probably heard his music without even knowing it. His songs have been featured in several TV shows, including Friday Night Lights, 30 Rock, and Grey's Anatomy. He released his fourth album, Young Love, in August, and its first single, "Hey Mama," received significant airtime. Catch him at the Opera House on Wednesday night.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 10 / PATRICK WATSON + AMY MILLAN / KOERNER HALL / 273 BLOOR W / $40 / ALL AGES

A special night calls for a pair of very special musicians. To celebrate the North American Launch of the Cape Farewell Foundation, Patrick Watson & The Wooden Arms will take to the stage at Koerner Hall alongside Amy Millan. The foundation aims to draw attention to global climate change through the work of various artists, and with artists like Watson and Millan on board, you know it's a good cause. We'll have four pairs of tickets to giveaway to this show later today, so make sure to stay tuned to our Twitter account.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 11 / COEUR DE PIRATE / THE MOD CLUB / 722 COLLEGE / $21 / 19+

Coeur de Pirate, aka Beatrice Martin, is a young singer/songwriter from Quebec who has quietly made a name for herself in the Canadian music scene and beyond. I saw her perform at V-Fest in 2009, and trust me, she has an awesome stage presence and extremely catchy songs. She even sang a cover of Rihanna's "Umbrella," which, in my opinion, was far better than the original. This isn't a show to be missed.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 12 / ARKONA / ANNEX WRECK ROOM / 794 BATHURST/ $25.50 / 19+

Now, here's something you don't see every day - a Russian "pagan metal" band. I honestly didn't even know that genre of music existed. Arkona draws a lot of its inspiration from Slavic and Russian folklore, and while it's not as hard as other offshoots of the metal genre, it's definitely intense in its own way. It's rare to see a metal band with a female vocalist, but Maria "Masha Scream" Arhipova more than holds her own.

MONDAY NOVEMBER 14 / LMFAO / AIR CANADA CENTRE / 40 BAY / $50 - $62.50 / ALL AGES

Love it or hate it, the genre that LMFAO has spawned, something called "party rock," has blown up. It's not really my style, but hey, to each their own. Their biggest hit, the cleverly titled "Party Rock Anthem," has propelled them into the spotlight, and they've been featured on remixes of songs by artists such as Lady Gaga and Kanye West. Far East Movement, Natalia Kills, and others will offer support.

TICKET GIVEAWAY:

We have four (4) pairs of tickets to giveaway to the Patrick Watson & The Wooden Arms show with Amy Millan courtesy of the Cape Farewell Foundation.

HOW TO WIN
Want to win one of the pairs of tickets, just follow these instructions:

Step 1: On your Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, blog, web site (etc.) post why we should choose you as the winner. Make sure to include a link to this post as well as the tag #CapeFarewellTO

Step 2: Add a comment to this post with a link to your post/tweet from Step 1. Make sure to include your real email in the comment email form (this will not be visible to the public) so that we can contact you if you are selected as a winner. If you'd prefer not to use the comment form, you can email your name and link to contests [at] blogto [dotcom] instead.

And that's it! Make sure to complete the above two steps by 8pm EST tonight (November 8th). We will then select and contact the winners tomorrow morning. Winners will be selected at random from the entries that include the details listed above. Please note: this contest is only open to Toronto-area residents. Winners must provide us with a Toronto phone number and working email address.

UPDATE:

An email has now been sent out to the winners of this contest. Thanks for participating!

For more music listings, head on over to our events calendar.

Looking for tickets? Check out Rotate This or Soundscapes to avoid Ticketmaster robbery.

Have an event you'd like us to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO events calendar.

Photo of Amy Millan by Noah Markus in the blogTO Flickr pool