Awesome autumn festivals get under way this week: Riot Fest at Downsview Park (see Drive Like Jehu feature), the Toronto Urban Roots Festival, hip-hop-plus fest Manifesto.
And here are a few more that’ll take you right up to winter:
Bloor Ossington Folk Festival
Nothing’s better than free – and listening to live music outdoors is pretty great, too. The fifth edition of BOFF, taking place at Christie Pits Park (779 Crawford) all weekend (September 19 and 20), includes sets by psych-doom band Crosss, indie folk rocker Julie Doiron, Halifax indie rock duo Cousins, neo soul singer Shi Wisdom and many others. bloorossingtonfolkfestival.ca.
X Avant X
You’re missing out if you’ve yet to take in a show at the Music Gallery (197 John), which celebrates its 40th season with X Avant X MG40. The three-day fest, running October 15 to 18, focuses on progressive, thought-provoking new music. Rapper/producer Keita Juma, Kraut-psych rockers Absolutely Free, Filipino kulingtang ensemble Pantayo, free improv group CCMC, which includes Michael Snow, and Montreal clarinetist Lori Freedman all take part. musicgallery.org/category/x-avant-x.
Not Dead Yet
Stuck in the City/S.H.I.T.’s Greg Benedetto always knocks it out of the park with his annual global punk and hardcore festival. Taking place in venues across the city October 22-25, the fifth edition includes Barcelona’s Una Bèstia Incontrolable, power violence Aussies Extortion, Mexico’s Zotz, France’s Rixe plus tons of acts from closer to home (VCR are among the -local faces). Plus: art shows, a record swap and a discussion on punk documentation by Damian Abraham. notdeadyettoronto.tumblr.com/NDY2015.
