A Fucked Up Christmas
Local punk superstars Fucked Up seem hell-bent on showcasing how noble hardcore can be. We long ago lost count of how much money they’ve channelled to worthwhile charities, but their two upcoming Christmas shows are their most impressive yet.
The first night features Fucked Up performing their entire rock opera, David Comes To Life (which recently received rave concert reviews in NYC and Brooklyn), alongside the psychedelic garage country of the Sadies, the pummellingly loud guitar pop of PS I Love You and the sludgy stoner rock of Quest for Fire.
There’s no punk rock the second night, but you can catch Canadian power pop heroes Sloan, the soaring indie rock of the Rural Alberta Advantage, the glistening future folk of Ohbijou and the soulful techno dancehall of Bonjay. All proceeds from both nights go to the Barriere Lake Legal Defense Fund and COUNTERfit Harm Reduction Services.
December 20 and 21 at the Great Hall. Rotate This, Soundscapes. 416-826-3330.
Andy Kim Christmas Show
Now in its seventh year, Andy Kim’s Christmas Show is always one of the biggest holiday charity rock concerts. As usual, it features some pretty huge names. On the bill this year are Sam Roberts, Ron Sexsmith, Lights, Rush’s Alex Lifeson, Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, Buck 65, Sarah Harmer, Honeymoon Suite and many more. All proceeds go to Julliette’s Place, a refuge for abused women and their children.
Wednesday (December 14), at the Phoenix. Rotate This, Soundscapes, Ticketweb. 416-323-1251.
What’s In The Box
Now in its sixth year, the annual What’s In The Box Festival (December 26 to 30) helps fill up that boring post-Christmas holiday stretch with five eclectic evenings of music for $5 a night. Highlights include the eclectic hip-hop of Buck 65 (December 26), local indie heroes Hooded Fang (December 28), noisy garage rockers Odonis Odonis (December 29), live remix band Keys n Krates (December 30) and the forward-thinking dance music of Nautiluss (December 27).
December 26 to 30 at the Drake Hotel. 416-531-5042.
