The Main Thing (Live) @ Super Soul Sound Funk Revue
WITH SOUND ONE, THE SPANDETTES, DJ DOUBLE K. THU, FEB 4. WRONGBAR, 1279 QUEEN W. $10.
Offering an irresistible blend of live bands and DJed grooves, the new monthly Super Soul Funk Revue is a welcome addition to Wrongbar’s roster. Musically, the focus is on vintage soul, funk, R&B, reggae and ska, with resident seven-piece ensemble The Main Thing joined at this launch by featured vocalist Barbara Mamabolo, vocal trio The Spandettes and others. Nine-member band Sound One will show off their love of true-school ska, performing both covers and originals, while Parkdale Funk DJ Double K spins rare soul singles through the eve.
Synkro WITH DJS LINK VS. SIDENOTE, JAWBONE VS SUBHUMAN, SPYNE, LAZERBOY, BASILISK, DAVEY BOOM, T-MINUS, HANS OHM, MC ENLIGHT. FRI, FEB 5. NOCTURNE, 550 QUEEN W. $10 BEFORE 11:30PM WITH RSVP, $15 AFTER.In just three years, Manchester’s Joe Synkro has released more than a dozen EPs of deep-bass music for labels including Smokin Sessions, Dubbed Out and Mindset. His sound is far from obvious; nodding to dubstep, D&B, house and soul, Synkro creates an atmospheric, vocal-laced whole that demands headphone listening as much as it commands the dancefloor. He’s already had radio support from the likes of Rinse FM and BBC Radio1 and makes his Toronto debut, alongside members of the One Off, Dubslingers and Archi-textures crews, at this two-room affair.
Heartthrob (live) @ Breakandenter WITH JOHN OVERFIEND, ARTHUR OSKAN (LIVE), MARTIN FAZEKAS. SAT, FEB 6. BREAKANDENTER, 860B COLLEGE. $20 ADVANCE TICKETS AT SLINKY MUSIC, EARTH & FIRE, PLASTIK WRAP. Techno producer and Michigan native Jesse Siminski, a.k.a. Heartthrob, became part of Richie Hawtin’s M_nus family while living in New York. Since then, he’s relocated to Paris and then Berlin, has released four EPs on M_nus (one of them including various mixes of his underground smash “Baby Kate”) and crafted dozens of remixes for artists like The Knife, Depeche Mode and Audion. Heartthrob’s funky basslines put a hedonistic spin on the minimal approach, and word has it his live sets are aimed directly at the body. Further evidence of Heartthrob’s allure can be found in the coming M_nus tour documentary, Making Contakt.
Kwame Young @ (The Real) Soul On Ice WITH DJ CARL ALLEN. SAT, FEB 6. HARBOURFRONT CENTRE, 235 QUEENS QUAY W. FREE. 8-11PM.Harbourfront Centre gave city skaters and music lovers a gift this winter when they increased the popular DJ Skate Nights program to a weekly affair, running through to February 13. (Full disclosure: I DJ alongside Cozmic Cat on the 13th.) Here, longtime DJs and soul-loving gentlemen Carl Allen and Kwame Young offer three hours of funk, reggae, disco, house, soca and classics, making the ice extra nice as part of Kuumba, Harbourfront’s Black History Month celebrations. Both men have deep music collections and the ability to play to any crowd, which comes in handy when courting an all-ages audience.
Anané & Louie Vega
WITH DJS GROOVE INSTITUTE, CURTIS SMITH, JASON PALMA, JOHNNY LOPEZ AND JEFF GRAHAM, PERCUSSION BY CHICO PACHECO. SAT, FEB 6. REVIVAL, 783 COLLEGE. $20 ADVANCE TICKETS AT http://ananesworldalbumtour.eventbrite.com/ MORE AT DOOR.
The men behind Solid Garage bring DJ/producer and Grammy award-winning master at work Louie Vega back to town, who’s touring in support of Ananésworld, the sophomore album by Vega’s wife Anané. Raised in Cape Verde, Anané is a singer-songwriter, producer and DJ who was tapped to be a part of Vega’s Elements of Life Collective soon after she moved to New York. Since then, Anané’s talents have taken her to high profile stages around the world. Here, she’ll both DJ and perform live.