The most powerful and influential musical gatekeepers in 2017 are not labels or DJs or even artists – they’re playlists.
Take RapCaviar, the second-most popular playlist on Spotify (after Today’s Top Hits). There’s a reason it has most than 7.4 million followers: the ever-evolving stream doesn’t just represent the hottest tracks in hip-hop – it creates them.
You can argue the chicken-or-egg of it all day, but playlists are legit big business in today’s music industry, and there’s all sorts of politics – and, some surmise, payola – that goes into which songs get prime placement.
Artists as big as Lil Uzi Vert and Rae Sremmurd have credited RapCaviar for their overnight success, which pushes beyond streaming into Billboard charts and concert sales.
Lil Uzi Vert headlines the RapCaviar Live show at Rebel on September 28, the second in a six-city tour that replicates the playlist’s finger-on-the-pulse effect IRL. He’ll be joined by fellow overnight successes Playboi Carti and DJ Drama, along with some hometown flavour from recent OVO Sound signee Baka Not Nice.
The first RapCaviar show, this past Saturday in Atlanta, had a bit of an OVO Fest vibe, attracting surprise guests like Rae Sremmurd, Meek Mill and Rick Ross in addition to its announced lineup of Gucci Mane, Mike WiLL Made-It and 6lack. Don’t be shocked if you see a few unscheduled cameos shuffling in here, too.
At Rebel (11 Polson), September 28, doors 7 pm. $60-$100. On sale August 18. livenation.com, ticketmaster.ca.
Joydrop, The Matte Black Finish, Macolly Bovine Sex Club doors 9 pm. $12. ticketfly.com. August 25.
Nature Of Music Coda 10 pm. $15. codatoronto.com. August 26.
UB40 Legends Ali, Astro & Mickey Danforth Music Hall doors 7 pm, all ages. $49.50-$99.50. ticketmaster.ca. -September 5.
Hyukoh Opera House 8 pm. $45-$115. ticketfly.com. -September 8.
Hot Lips The Baby G 9 pm. $10. -September 8.
Indie88 Fourth Birthday Party: Mother Mother, Matt Mays, The Beaches, Sam Coffey And The Iron Lungs Phoenix Concert Theatre 7 pm. $8.81. –ticketweb.ca. September 9.
Declan O’Donovan, Lydia Persaud Burdock doors 8:30 pm. $13. burdockto.com. September 11.
Roberta Janzen Dakota Tavern doors 6 pm. $15-$20. classyafshow.com, ticketfly.com. September 13.
Grooz, Sandcatchers, Turkwaz Revival Small World Music Festival & PolyphonicGround Presents 9 pm. $20-$30. -smallworldmusic.com. September 14.
The Belle Game The Baby G doors 9 pm. $10. ticketfly.com, rotate.com. September 15.
Wizkid Rebel doors 8 pm, all ages. $55-$75. ticketmaster.ca. September 17.
Eli Sostre Adelaide Hall doors 7 pm. $15. ticketmaster.ca. September 23.
Power Trip, SHIT, Demolition, Vanilla Poppers Velvet Underground 8 pm. $19.50. ticketfly.com. -September 25.
Spencer Burton, Jessica Mitchell Drake Hotel 7 pm. $19.50. –masseyhall.com. -September 25.
RapCaviar, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, DJ Drama, Baka Not Nice Rebel 8 pm, all ages. $60-$100. On sale August 18. -ticketmaster.ca. -September 28.
Truckfighters, Telekinetic Yeti Hard Luck 7 pm. $20. soundscapesmusic.com, rotate.com, ticketfly.com. October 9.
Alex Calder, Lina Tullgren, Father Christmas The Baby G 8 pm. $10. ticketfly.com, rotate.com. October 11.
X Avant XII – Resistance: Chino Amobi, LAL, Man Forever, Anne Bourne, Avrha and others 918 Bathurst Centre & Tranzac Festival pass $50. musicgallery.org. October 11-15.
Little Coyote, Beyries Drake Hotel 7 pm. $12-$15. –ticketfly.com. -October 13.
Sons of Otis, Moths & Locusts, Hammerhands, Hawkeyes Bovine Sex Club doors 9 pm. $10. October 13.
Sorority Noise, Citizen, Great Grandpa Opera House 7 pm, all ages. $23. rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. October 20.
The Northern Pikes Mod Club 8 pm. $20-$25. ticketfly.com. October 22.
Susto & Esme Patterson Drake Hotel Details TBA. October 30.
Marlon Williams Drake Hotel doors 8 pm. $15. –ticketweb.ca. November 1.
Louis The Child Danforth Music Hall 7 pm. $12.50-$22. ticketmaster.ca. November 2.
Trippy Turtle Velvet Underground 11 pm. $21. –ticketweb.ca. November 3.
Macklemore Rebel 8 pm, all ages. $45-$59.50. ticketmaster.ca, soundscapesmusic.com, rotate.com. -November 8.
JD McPherson, Taylor Knox Lee’s Palace 9 pm. $20.50. soundscapesmusic.com, rotate.com, ticketfly.com. November 10.
Mary Lambert, MAl Blum Drake Hotel doors 8 pm. $20. –ticketweb.ca. November 12.
Kandace Springs The Great Hall doors 7 pm. $20. On sale August 18. livenation.com, ticketmaster.ca. November 12.
6LACK Danforth Music Hall doors 7 pm, all ages. $29.50-$39.50. ticketmaster.ca. -November 14.
Cut Copy Danforth Music Hall 7 pm. $26.50-$35. ticketmaster.ca. November 21.
Yelawolf Danforth Music Hall doors 8 pm, all ages. $30-$45. ticketmaster.ca. -November 22.
Jann Arden Massey Hall doors 7 pm. $49.50-$115. On sale August 18. livenation.com, ticketmaster.ca. November 29.
Wolf Alice Danforth Music Hall 7 pm. $15-$30. ticketmaster.ca. December 1.
Bearcubs Rivoli 9 pm. $15-$20. ticketfly.com. December 2.
The Rural Alberta Advantage, Yukon Blonde Danforth Music Hall doors 7 pm. $20-$30. On sale August 18. -rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. December 6.
Evanescence Sony Centre Synthesis Live With Orchestra, doors 7 pm, all ages. $42.50-$102.50. On sale August 18. livenation.com, -ticketmaster.ca. December 8.
Serena Ryder Danforth Music Hall 8 pm, all ages. $42.50-$102.50. On sale August 18. livenation.com, ticketmaster.ca. December 21.
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban Sony Centre Film Concert Series with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. $49-$99. On sale August 18. –sonycentre.ca, ticketmaster.ca. May 16 & 17, 2018.
