Toronto concerts, October 2012

Toronto concerts worth knowing about in October, 2012.

It's October? Three days ago it was July. In between making soup, snuggling with cats, appreciating the pumpkin, and being all-round annoyingly cute you should make time to see some shows. Whether you're 50 and stoked for Rush's one millionth and one millionth and one show on the 14th and 16th respectively, or you're a hip young thing who already has tickets to Sic Alps on the 22nd, or a complex whatever-aged nerd and attending both — October listings have something for everyone.

HOT TICKETS

THE RAVEONETTES / OCTOBER 2 / 8:30PM / THE PHOENIX / $18.50
Danish rock duo with cute names (Sune Rose, Sharin Foo!), they released their 6th studio album last month — a record inspired by Sune's three-day bender at Venice Beach and subsequently recorded at Sunset Sound where the Doors did some good stuff (if sporadically). Unsurprisingly, it's decidedly more gloomy — will be interesting to see if they stick to their poppier tunes while playing live or show this new side.

JASON COLLETT / OCTOBER 2 / 8PM / THE GREAT HALL / $15
This is the record release party for his 8th (8th!) solo album Reckon. He'll be joined throughout the night by some of his Broken Social Scene friends as well as Bahamas, Zeus AND MORE. Collett's a great storyteller and this is sure to be a powerful evening.

JACK WHITE / OCTOBER 3 & OCTOBER 4 / 7PM / SONY CENTRE / $45-75
A true rockstar and enormous talent — model (ex) wives, booze, cigarettes and meltdowns — he can get away with being a bit of a shit. Coming through town for the first time on the back of his debut solo album Blunderbuss, for "$45-75" let's hope he plays for more than 45 minutes.

TEENAGE KICKS / OCTOBER 5 / 9PM / LEE'S PALACE / $10
Toronto boys playing good old fashioned rock n' roll — in bigger venues! They released a new song "Houdini" just in time for this Friday's show. NOT ONLY THAT but they are recording and filming the show for a live album.

DJ SHADOW / OCTOBER 6 / 10PM / THE DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / $24
AKA Josh Paul Davis is a songwriter, producer and sampling hero. Before the Avalanches (where's that second album again, guys?) and eventually Girl Talk would make unfettered sampling culture so popular (outside the confines of hip hop), DJ Shadow was laying the foundation of the craft. And it's not as if he stopped with Entroducing. Taking place at the recently revamped Danforth Music Hall, this is one not to miss.

FRIGHTENED RABBIT / OCTOBER 10 / 8PM / THE MOD CLUB / $21.50
Scottish lads with the saddest/cutest band name, Frightened Rabbit are a better Mumford and Sons — and they were around BEFORE them (which is childish to point out, but I couldn't resist) They've just released a new EP and their 2007 album The Midnight Organ Fight is worth revisiting and maybe crying to.

METZ / OCTOBER 12 / 9PM / THE HORSESHOE / $12
Recently signed to Sub Pop, they're one of the most exciting Toronto bands right now. They're going to blow up, you guys. So get to The Horseshoe for this show. Their latest single "Wet Blanket" makes me want to fight someone.

BEACH HOUSE / OCTOBER 13 / 8:30PM / KOOL HAUS / $23.50 ADVANCE $28.50 DOOR
I think their latest album Bloom is their best and I'm usually one of those annoying people that are like "no! their self-titled debut in 2004 was the shit" (I am actually never like that, thank god). I mean "Master of None" was great but they've been increasing in complexity and richness ever since and the resulting culmination of (the aptly named) Bloom makes me excited for what's next.

RUSH / OCTOBER 14 &16 / 7PM / AIR CANADA CENTRE / $59-139
One might argue this concert does not fall into our core "demo" (hip slang I just learned which is used in the biz for "demographic), and I would agree. However, these hometown oldies released their 19th album in June and a dude is writing a novel based on it, and they/this is all too epic not to mention.

MENOMENA / OCTOBER 17 / 8:30PM / THE HORSESHOE / $15
Menomena are a couple of nerds (down from three nerds) making rock music which hugely features a saxophone. Their latest release Moms has such heavy lyrical content that I cannot continue to make fun of them. To continue this emotional roller coaster I will conclude by saying you should check them out.

SIC ALPS / OCTOBER 22 / DOUBLE DOUBLE LAND / 9 PM / $10 /
One of those cool garage rock bands from California. They've collaborated with Ty Segall (who just played one of the best shows of the year) and you can expect the same kind of uninhibited trashy rock. Also it's at one of the most underrated (and hard to find) venues in the city which adds to the excitement. I think.

LADYHAWK / OCTOBER 25 / 8:30PM / THE HORSESHOE / $15
If you don't know how much I love this band by now that means you don't know me — which is very likely because I only have about three friends (and none of them read my stupid shit.) Exclaim! has their new album No Can Do up for your streaming pleasure. The long awaited release is sure to make their live show even crazier.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY CONCERTS

• ALABAMA SHAKES / OCTOBER 2 / 8PM / KOOL HAUS / $26.50
• A$AP ROCKY / OCTOBER 2 / 8PM / SOUND ACADEMY / $46.50
• AFGHAN WHIGS AND CROCODILES / OCTOBER 3 / 8PM / THE PHOENIX / $35
• JENS LEKMAN / OCTOBER 4 / 8PM / THE PHOENIX / $20
• HOW TO DRESS WELL / OCTOBER 4 / 8PM / THE GREAT HALL / $15
• DIPLO / OCTOBER 4 / 10PM / THE HOXTON / $30
• MATT & KIM / OCTOBER 5 / 10PM / THE PHOENIX / $TBA
• PERFUME GENIUS & DUSTED / OCTOBER 5 / 8PM / 918 BATHURST / $22.50
• TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB / OCTOBER 5 / 7PM / THE DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / $29.50-36.50
• JOSS STONE / OCTOBER 9 / 7PM / SOUND ACADEMY / $32.50-55
• REGINA SPEKTOR / OCTOBER 11 / 7PM / SONY CENTRE / $29.50-49.50
• CADENCE WEAPON / OCTOBER 12 / 7PM / WRONGBAR / $12
• DR.DOG / OCTOBER 13 / 8:30PM / THE OPERA HOUSE / $20 ADVANCE $25 DOOR
• ELLIE GOULDING / OCTOBER 14 / 7PM / SOUND ACADEMY / $25
• BEN GIBBARD / OCTOBER 14 / 7:15PM / THE DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / $25.50
• BEN FOLDS FIVE / OCTOBER 15 / 7PM / KOOL HAUS / $37.50
• ALANIS MORISETTE / OCTOBER 15 / 6:30PM / SOUND ACADEMY / $42.50-60
• THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS & THE LEMONHEADS / OCTOBER 16 / 8PM / THE DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / $34.50
• WAKA FLOCKA FLAME / OCTOBER 17 / 7PM / KOOL HAUS / $28.50
• DRAGONETTE / OCTOBER 18 / 7PM / SOUND ACADEMY / $18.50
• THE SEA AND CAKE / OCTOBER 18 / 8:30PM / LEE'S PALACE / $16.50
• THE BE GOOD TANYAS / OCTOBER 18 / 7PM / THE GREAT HALL / $25
• ERASERHEADS / OCTOBER 19 / 7PM / KOOL HAUS / $70 ADVANCE $80 DOOR
• CAT POWER / OCTOBER 20 / 8:30PM / KOOL HAUS / $34.50
• SOCIAL DISTORTION / OCTOBER 20 / 7:30PM / SOUND ACADEMY / $37.50-50
• THE MOUNTAIN GOATS / OCTOBER 20 / 8:30PM / THE PHOENIX / $21.50
• ELLIOTT BROOD & WINTERSLEEP / OCTOBER 21 / 6:30PM / THE DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / $25.50-29.50
• AC NEWMAN / OCTOBER 21 / 8PM / LEE'S PALACE / $16.50
• BLITZEN TRAPPER / OCTOBER 22 / 8PM / LEE'S PALACE / $17.50
• OFF! / OCTOBER 23 / 9PM / WRONGBAR / $19
• NEW ORDER / OCTOBER 23 / 8PM / SONY CENTRE / $58.60-102.60
• THE XX / OCTOBER 23 / 7:15PM / MASSEY HALL / $39.50-59.50
• BLACK LABEL SOCIETY / OCTOBER 24 / 6:30PM / KOOL HAUS / $49
• SAINT ETIENNE / OCTOBER 24 / 8PM / THE MOD CLUB / $28.50
• SWANS / OCTOBER 25 / 8:30PM / LEE'S PALACE / $26.60 ADVANCE $30 DOOR
• THE SMASHING PUMPKINS / OCTOBER 25 / 7PM / AIR CANADA CENTRE / $39.50-79.50
• DAN MANGAN & RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE / OCTOBER 25 / 7PM / THE DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / $32.50-39.50
• MISFITS / OCTOBER 25 / 6:30PM / THE OPERA HOUSE / $40
• KIMBRA / OCTOBER 27 / 8PM / THE DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / $25
• FATHER JOHN MISTY / OCTOBER 27 / 9PM / LEE'S PALACE / $14.50
• CHRIS ISAAK / OCTOBER 29 / MASSEY HALL / $69.50
• FOZZY / OCTOBER 29 / 7PM / THE MOD CLUB / $20
• THE GRAPES OF WRATH / OCTOBER 30 / 8PM / THE MOD CLUB / $20
• EPICA / OCTOBER 31 / 7PM / THE OPERA HOUSE / $27.50-65

Photo by Sam Javanrouh