Canadian Music Week (CMW) aka Canada’s biggest week of new music starts in two months. If you have ever planned an event, this is probably giving you anxiety right now. Two months is not a long time for organizers, but lucky for you, it gives you some minutes get your tickets (wristbands are currently on sale) and trip in order! So, get out your pen or start-up your virtual calendar because you’re taking a long weekend in March (really, it’s a music holiday).
This year CMW will be held from March 9 to 13 in Toronto. CMW brings together thousands of delegates from all over the planet. They hold numerous conferences, present awards, host shows of the trade and of course zillions of music performances and some fun films. Here’s the numbers for Canadian Music Fest (the performance section): 800 artists and 55 venues over a five day span. It’s a music salad and you could be the fork.
CMW focuses on connecting the heard and unheard artists for one week to help share music of all genres with the Canadian public and world. Another great thing about this week is networking potential opportunities for artists, music biz professionals, media and everyone else sitting at the table. Oh the conversations to be had! It’s the one week in our nation where groups of music lovers and music money makers, usually divided by their profession, come together in Canada’s version of New York City (which is said to be Toronto) for good times .
Information session begins now. CMW was born in 1981 and has become the leader of music festivals in Canada. This year it’s turning 29 years old. Last year it was coined the longest running multi-day Canadian music and media event in our country. While camping isn’t really an option (thank god) and everyone’s professional party skills must shine (keep yer composure!), the festival has increased the dialogue of music within Canada, the marketplace and the world. It’s the go-to of new music. Combining conferences, innovative trade and award shows, and performances throughout Toronto’s popular Torontonian venues, loved dive bars, clothing stores and cafes. It pretty much takes over the city for a week – a week of straight ballin’ music (I’m getting butterflies in my stomach right now thinking about this).
A unique feature of CMW is its dedication to exposing independent artists in Canada and aboard. Their section The Indies has been deemed “the Grammys-of-the-indie scene”, and is the one event that you need to attend (or just go to all of them…sleep is for weak). Even though “indie” has become as overused as “love”, this section gives gold star stickers/awards to those hard-working, deserving and wave-making artists that our ears may not have heard yet. It’s basically like saying, “We really like your music and we think you’ve got a good thing going. Here’s an award to show you how special you are. Now go out into the world and break some ear drums.” Make sure you bring your ear plugs, but for now check out the podcast.
So, here are some of the goods that will be performing:
- Bravestation
- Gentleman Reg
- Imaginary Cities
- Land of Talk
- Mother, Mother
- Serena Ryder
- Still Life Still
- VALLEYS
- Violent Kin
- Yukon Blonde
If that list doesn’t get you excited, the complete CMW lineup will point you in the right direction.
Here’s the websites you’re gonna need to peruse Canadian Music Fest and CMW.
Cool.
Hope you got informed and are now going to get deformed (I don’t know where that came from, it was the only thing I could think of/it’s Friday night…guess sleep is for the sane).
Canadian Music Week starts March 9 and goes until the 13. Tickets went on sale today. It’s in Toronto. Craigslist has some pretty cheap ride shares and thanks to couch surfing options, you’ll have somewhere to say. Meaning, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be there…unless you’re having a baby or something.
