Women reigned supreme as CMW rolled into its second week.
JULLY BLACK at the Phoenix, Tuesday, May 5. Rating: NNNN
Jully Black came out sweating. Before her set had even truly started, she was ready. More than ready, in fact. She was on a serious mission.
That mission was to show the Phoenix audience a good time, and she accomplished it handily. Despite some slightly long dance interludes, the Toronto singer’s show was furious, beautiful and pulsating – righteous, unapologetic R&B from a place of zero pretension.
She ended the set by walking through the crowd and sitting down confidently at the merch table.
MATT WILLIAMS | @MattGeeWilliams
LAPSLEY at the Drake Underground, Tuesday, May 5. Rating: NNNN
UK singer/songwriter Låpsley has an undeniable presence that easily commanded the attention of the crowd at the Drake. While she didn’t move around a lot onstage and kept her stage patter to a minimum, her richly emotive voice and strong songwriting was all she needed to quiet the sold-out room to pin-drop silence.
Her electronic backing band wisely kept things simple and minimalist, giving her plenty of sonic room to do her thing. No wonder there’s such growing buzz behind the young artist.
BENJAMIN BOLES | @benjaminboles
TORONTO WOMEN IN MUSIC SHOWCASE at the Garrison, Tuesday, May 5. Rating: NNN
Megan Bonnell’s wintery and mellow piano ballads and newer acoustic guitar songs were the only singer/songwriter fare on offer at the Toronto Women In Music Showcase.
After that, the WAYO, initially appearing as restrained jazz nerds, gradually blew the room away with an increasingly ramped-up R&B set. Sax-playing lead singer Charlotte Day Wilson has an uncommonly expressive voice.
The channel switched completely for shoegaze-electronica band Programm, whose set unfortunately arched in the other direction – totally riveting when Jackie Game was singing, and not so much once Jacob Soma took over.
Then Dirty Frigs stormed through a swampy rock set while singer Bri Salmena shed clothing and inhibitions, alternating between growling and singing. “We have like four tapes for sale,” she said in true garage rock fashion. “Or you can barter.”
SARAH GREENE | @sarahegreene
