Canadian Music Week to rock Toronto
Tyler Munro
In two days, Canadian Music Week will take over the clubs and venues of downtown Toronto for the 28th consecutive year.
Sheer strength in numbers marks this year’s event, which runs from the Mar. 10 until Mar. 14. It’s expected to feature over 700 artists playing in 45 venues throughout the city. For $60, willing fans can buy a five-day festival wristband that gives them cover-free access to virtually every show throughout the event.
At its core, this year’s Canadian Music Week is much the same as it has been for over a decade. It still features an overwhelming amount of music crammed into a relatively short time frame. The only real difference this time comes with the inauguration of Canadian Music Fest, an event within an event that separates the week’s performances from its corporate side, which is set to feature lectures and conferences held by various industry figureheads.
Arif Mirabdolbaghi, bassist and lyricist for Whitby-bred metal group Protest the Hero, was just 17 when the band won the award for “Best Indie Metal Band” during Canadian Music Week in 2004, beating out Quebec legends Voivod for the honours. He still remembers when they won, saying he was too young to realize what it meant at the time. He also remembers it was a school night.
Five years later, in 2009, Protest the Hero won the Indie Award for “Favourite Punk/Hardcore Artist/Group”. This year they’re nominated for the “Favourite Metal Artist/Group” award.
In spite of all the awards and accolades, Mirabdolbaghi approaches Canadian Music Week with cautious optimism. “I don’t like the industry booze and schmooze,” he says, adding that, “from a band’s perspective, or from a player’s perspective, it’s important to pay homage to those festivals but not make them bigger than they really are.”
Rob Janson is decidedly more optimistic about the event. Sandman Viper Command, the Burlington, Ontario band for which he provides vocals and guitar, make their Canadian Music Week debut on Mar.11 when they close the Audio Blood Media Showcase with a 2 a.m. performance of their raucous, bluesy brand of indie rock.
Like Mirabdolbaghi, Janson sees Canadian Music Week as an opportunity to gain experience.
He says he’s excited to hit the stage with his label-mates.
“Anytime you’re playing with great bands on one of Canada’s premiere music showcases,” Janson says, “it’s going to be a good place to cut your chops.”
