This week’s must-see Toronto shows

21C

Innovative composers making new works are the stars of the Royal Conservatory’s Twenty-First Century Music Festival, happening over five nights at Koerner Hall, Mazzoleni Hall and the Conservatory Theatre.

Highlights of the eight concerts (nine if you include both After Hours cabarets) include Friday’s Chilly Eve Of Lemon Cane show, featuring the world premieres of Uri Caine’s Jagged Edges, Javier Limón’s Requiem Flamenco and Chilly Gonzales’s Suite From The Shadow For Chamber Ensemble. Also: the Toronto premiere of Eve Egoyan & David Rokeby’s Surface Tension.

But don’t sleep on the other performances. Thursday celebrates R. Murray Schafer’s 80th birthday with works in the vein of Schafer Saturday’s Night Blooms sees Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon’s Dooryard Bloom get its Canadian premiere on Sunday, the Esprit Orchestra tackle recent music by European masters and new works by Canadians.

Sure to be electrifying.

To Sunday (May 25) at the Royal Conservatory of Music (273 Bloor West), various times and prices. 416-408-0208. performance.rcmusic.ca.

LAST GANG RECORDS 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

w/ MSTRKRFT, Ethan Kath and Purity Ring DJ sets, Houratron, Bear Mountain & others

Guvernment (132 Queens Quay East), Thursday (May 22)

See preview, page 38.

YOU’VE CHANGED RECORDS FIFTH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

w/ The Weather Station, Shotgun Jimmie, Richard Laviolette, Marine Dreams, Baby Eagle

Horseshoe (370 Queen West), Thursday (May 22)

See preview, page 38.

JESSY LANZA, SAINT PEPSI

Garrison (1197 Dundas West), Friday (May 23)

R&B/electro pop.

TIMBER TIMBRE, COLD SPECKS

Massey Hall (178 Victoria), Friday (May 23)

See preview, page 44.

SUNPARLOUR PLAYERS, EMILIE MOVER, KALLE MATTSON

Adelaide Hall (250 Adelaide West), Saturday (May 24)

Alt country Torontonians’ LP release.

CHAD VANGAALEN, COUSINS

Lee’s Palace (529 Bloor West), Saturday (May 24)

See preview, page 39.

ALL TORONTO’S PARTIES

w/ Darlene Shrugg, Frisch Kind, High World, Abra Cadaver, Castlevania, Isla Craig, Bong Water and many others

Kensington Market (Bellevue Square, 4 to 8 pm) and Comfort Zone (480 Spadina, 9 pm), Saturday (May 24)

Two parties in one day.

MØ

Wrongbar (1279 Queen West), Monday (May 26)

See preview, page 41.

EELS, CHELSEA WOLFE

Winter Garden Theatre (189 Yonge), Tuesday (May 27)

Old-school alt rock purveyors.

KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS, STEVE GUNN

Phoenix (410 Sherbourne), Wednesday (May 28)

Blissful, languid fuzz rock.