Bitter Dregs Magazine

Yes, we’re well into it and already doing an unseemly amount of hibernation as if we were bored teenagers who had no earthly idea, and would never believe, how fleeting, finite, and fatal time would become in later years. So fight the fatigue, get out and support local venues, vendors and makers, see some legendary, still rocking musicians, meet (or ignore) your people, make a romantically hopeless missed connection, and slip into the dark comfort of the beat right out loud. Ignore the going rate of Toronto beer can prices, some of these events are free admission.

Guild Festival Theatre in the once-hidden secret Scarborough Guild’s sculpture garden has announced its summer season: Bronte: The World Without (July 16-Aug 2) Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey (August 6-23) “Inspired by Gothic literature and the great women writers of the 19th century, these are an original theatrical imagining of the lives of the beloved Brontë sisters and an irreverent new adaptation of a Jane Austen classic.” https://www.guildfestivaltheatre.ca/

Festival of Friends July 31-Aug 2 (Gage Park, Hamilton – Free Admission) With Feist, Dallas Smith Chantal Kreviazuk, Hawksley Workma, Teenage Head and more. https://festivaloffriends.ca/

The singular wordsmith/salem hewitch descendent? comedy original Chris Fleming, hot off his first (and Emmy nominated!) HBO special Chris Fleming: Live at the Palace is performing in Montreal, Quebec (Le National – July 29) and London, Ontario (Centennial Hall – November 7) chrisflemingfleming.com

MidSummer* Retro Long Weekend – August 2 – The Piston, with CFNY live-to-air DJs Paul Dhingra and Dwight Hybrid. Playing 80s, 90s, 2000s, Britpop, Synthpop, New Wave, Post-Punk, Indie, Alternative, Requests https://www.torontogothevents.com/events/saigon-sundays-retro-midsummer-longwknd/

Church Rave with Lars Huismann – August 2 https://www.instagram.com/stage.004/

Rush Fest: A Fan Event – August 6, The El Mocambo, Toronto. Featuring live music in support of Brain Cancer Research at Sunnybrook Hospital https://ticketscene.ca/events/57293/

Punk Rock Flea Market – August 9 (Hard Luck Bar, Toronto) https://www.instagram.com/p/Dak7tWMDjFF/?igsh=bWptd3Z0NjZqcTJq

Project Nowhere – October 1-3 (The Garrison, The BabyG, and other venues) With Death, Tobacco, US Girls, A Place to Bury Strangers and more https://www.projectnowhere.org/

History Toronto Upcoming Calendar: August 4 – Old Crow Medicine Show, September 24 – Brandon Flowers, September 27 – Pennywise https://www.historytoronto.com/events

If you can get outta town:

Dinosaur Jr has announced a new US tour (October – November dates now on sale) to give their upcoming new album there near an airing (out Aug 28) https://www.dinosaurjr.com/

Darker Waves Festival – November 14 – Huntington Beach, CA has a huge, postpunk-heartwarming lineup with: Morrissey, Smashing Pumpkins, Simple Minds, Bad Religion, Adam Ant, The Psychedelic Furs, Soft Cell, The Damned, Manic Street Preachers, Gary Numan, Silversun Pickups, EMF and more https://www.darkerwavesfest.com/

*Not to be confused with MidSOMMAR