SPILL NEWS: THE WAVELENGTH WINTER FESTIVAL 2023 LINEUP IS HERE!

THE WAVELENGTH WINTER FESTIVAL 2023 LINEUP IS HERE!

Wavelength ushers in 2023 with the first in-person edition of the Wavelength Winter Festival in three years. Curated by Daniel Monkman (Zoon, Ombiigizi), the festival champions the resilience of grassroots artists, puts the spotlight on Indigenous creativity, animates both new and iconic spaces for live music in Toronto, and celebrates the ongoing influence of Canadian independent record label Constellation Records. Taking place over the second weekend of March at a new pop-up venue at 805 Dovercourt Road along with two larger special events later in the month, the Wavelength Winter Festival is sure to warm the ears of sonic adventurers in the waning weeks of the chilly season.

Announcing our 2023 lineup:

Curated by Daniel Monkman

DO MAKE SAY THINK ● DEERHOOF
JULIE DOIRON ● JOE RAINEY ● JESSICA MOSS
EVAN REDSKY ● SISTER RAY ● KEE AVIL
LUNE TRÈS BELLE ● REBECCA FOON x LIGHT CONDUCTOR
EVE PARKER FINLEY ● MARKUS FLOATS
JASON SHARP ● BAD WAITRESS ● INDIAN GIVER

Plus an exhibition of films by Constellation Records artists
+ More TBA

“I’m really excited to see different generations of artists coming together for this year’s Wavelength Winter Festival,” says Artistic Associate and curator Daniel Monkman. “All the artists share a sense of authenticity around their art Julie Doiron’s music has always been really inspirational to me, and Eric’s Trip were the first Canadian band ever signed to Sub Pop I grew up on Constellation Records, ever since I heard Godspeed on the soundtrack to 28 Days Later. And I’m a huge fan of Joe Rainey, so it’s a dream of mine to have his part of the festival, and support Indigenous artists who are taking a futurism approach.”

“I’m blown away by Daniel’s lineup, and this year is shaping up to be one of my favourite Wavelength festivals of our 23 years,” says Artistic/Executive Director and Wavelength co-founder Jonny Dovercourt. “Creating new spaces for the community to gather is what we’ve always been passionate about, and as we gradually recover from the pandemic, it’s a thrill to host our own pop-up venue at 805 Dovercourt for our first in-person Winter Fest weekend in three years. And it’s also encouraging to see new venues opening up in Toronto, so we are grateful to be part of the first slate of shows at Massey Hall’s new TD Music Hall. With personal faves Deerhoof, no less! And it feels like a historic occasion to host Wavelength’s first-ever show at the Danforth, marking the return of Do Make Say Think, a band so important to the Toronto music community.”

Wavelength Winter Music & Arts Festival highlights include:

★ Two major concerts with indie music trailblazers at iconic Toronto venues: Do Make Say Think March 25 at the Danforth Music Hall and Deerhoof March 31 at TD Music Hall, one of the first shows at Massey Hall’s new club venue

★ Two-night celebration (March 11 & 25) of pioneering Montreal-based independent record label, Constellation Records. Best known as the home of post-rock icons Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Constellation continues to break new ground in modern music with a roster encompassing ambient, avant-rock, electronica, freak folk, and beyond. The stacked lineup March 11 with Jessica Moss, Kee Avil and others is not to be missed.

★ Spotlighting Indigenous creativity (March 9-10) with Joe Rainey (Pitchfork-praised, Red Lake Ojibwe pow wow experimentalist), Evan Redsky (Mississaugi First Nation singer/songwriter) and Sister Ray (Métis indie folk)

★ Launching a new pop-up venue (March 9-11) in a historic building at 805 Dovercourt Road in Toronto’s west end – the space formerly known as dance hub Dovercourt House.

★ Francophone artists à l’honneur (March 9) with Canadian indie music legend Julie Doiron dueting with Dany Placard plus Montreal art-folk supergroup Lune très belle.

For more information and artist bios, please visit WavelengthMusic.ca

FESTIVAL LINEUP & SCHEDULE

March 9-11, 2023 @ 805 Dovercourt:

Thursday March 9
JULIE DOIRON (Sackville NB – Canadian indie music legend, bilingual duets with Dany Placard)
EVAN REDSKY (Toronto – truth-telling singer-songwriter from Mississaugi First Nation)
LUNE TRÈS BELLE (Montreal – Francophone indie-folk lullabies / Boiled Records / feat. members of Bernice)
@ 805 Dovercourt Rd. – All Ages – Doors 7pm – Tickets $18 advance / weekend pass $44

Friday March 10
JOE RAINEY (Minneapolis – Pitchfork-praised, Red Lake Ojibwe pow wow experimentalist)
SISTER RAY (Toronto – Métis indie-folk singer “examines trauma with unflinching honesty”)
EVE PARKER FINLEY (Montreal – ethereal, multi-instrumental stringscapes)
@ 805 Dovercourt Rd. – All Ages – Doors 7pm – Tickets $18 advance / weekend pass $44

Saturday March 11 – Constellation Records Celebration, Part I
JESSICA MOSS (Montreal – post-classical violin minimalism, A Silver Mt. Zion + Black Ox Orkestar co-founder)
KEE AVIL (Montreal – fractured post-punk folk + cracked electronics)
REBECCA FOON x LIGHT CONDUCTOR (Montreal – cello meets deep space analog synth & drone from members of Esmerine, The Besnard Lakes & Young Galaxy)
MARKUS FLOATS (Montreal – digital soundscapes with samples from the Black literary canon)
GLISSANDRO 70 – DJ set (Toronto – deep dance floor cuts from Sandro Perri + Craig Dunsmuir)
@ 805 Dovercourt Rd. – All Ages – Doors 7pm – Tickets $22 advance / weekend pass $44

Plus: Exhibition of films by Constellation Records artists (all three nights)
Tickets on sale @ ShowClix.com & wavelengthmusic.ca

Winter Festival Special Events:

Saturday March 25 – Constellation Records Celebration, Part II
DO MAKE SAY THINK (Toronto – cinematic post-rock pioneers & Juno winners’ first show in six years w/ visuals by Bryce Kushnier)
JASON SHARP (Montreal – heartbeat-driven bass sax + electronic atmospherics w/ visuals by Guillaume Vallée)
@ The Danforth Music Hall, 147 Danforth Ave. – All Ages – Doors 7pm – Tickets $27 advance (Ticketmaster – admission not included in weekend pass)

Friday March 31
DEERHOOF (San Francisco – indie art-rock innovators since 1994 – touring in support of their Winnipeg-produced 19th album, Miracle-Level)
BAD WAITRESS (Toronto – all-womxn queer punk rockers)
INDIAN GIVER (Toronto – Ojibway/Chippewa/Mohawk metalcore)
@ TD Music Hall, 178 Victoria St. – All Ages – Doors 8pm – Tickets $29.50 advance (Ticketmaster – admission not included in weekend pass)

About Wavelength 

Wavelength Music is a curated concert series designed to champion creativity, co-operation and collaboration in the independent music and arts scenes. A non-profit arts organization that puts artists and the community first, Wavelength started as a grassroots, artist-run concert series and community hub, presenting its first of over 800 shows in 2000. A cornerstone of the Toronto music scene, Wavelength Music has championed thousands of emerging artists during its 20+ year run and two decades later, is thriving as one of the city’s foremost independent, non-profit arts organizations presenting two annual festivals, a monthly music series, talk/discussion events, and multiple collaborations with other arts organizations.

The Wavelength Winter Music & Arts Festival is supported by the Government of Ontario, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts, FACTOR, The SOCAN Foundation, Exclaim, Collective Arts Brewing, and Trip to the Moon.

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