February 2012
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Video
We are in need of videographers to help us put together some short music videos for online purposes and for projecting at future shows. If you or someone you know is good at that sort of thing, e-mail us.
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Living Culture tomorrow
Tomorrow night Living Culture take their weekly Thursday night showcase over to Murphy’s Pub for an all-ages evening featuring Chris & Cassy, Watershed Hour, the return of HeSaid SheSaid, and more. Free and bands at 8:30 p.m. More details here.
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Horizons turned upside-down.
Our gift to you today comes from your family at Broken Arts in the form of a very special announcement.
We at Broken Arts have been doing our thing for just over two and a half years. Two years, seven months, and four days to be precise. We’ve done quite a bit in that time: concerts, craft fairs, workshops, games, buskerfests… We started Oshawa’s first zine distro in order to...
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WatchHeather Luckhart performing live at Soundtracked 25 this past Friday.
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Sold Out
Tonight is Soundtracked 25 and we are sold out.
If you have a ticket, doors are at 8 p.m. with Darling Meadow going on at 8:15, followed by Heather Luckhart, Stereo Moon, and Julie Doiron.
If you don’t have a ticket, we’ll be capturing live footage of performances from all four artists and making that content available on our Vimeo page over the next few weeks.
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What Blog
Over at our Facebook page we’ve thrown up a poll asking what you would like to see in this space. More interviews and reviews? Art, fiction, and poetry from local folks? Downloadable mixtapes? DIY craft ideas? Or something else? Go over there and vote or add your own option to the poll. If you don’t have a Facebook account you can just comment directly on this post here. Let us...
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Soundtracked 25 is two days away.
Our big 25th Soundtracked show is this Friday evening and there are only two tickets left. If you hope to attend you need to get to Mad Cafe as soon as possible and be sure to snatch them up as we will not be selling any at the door.
The pre-show yoga class that Julie Doiron will be running at Bola! does have a couple spaces remaining as well. Tickets for that are $20 and include admission to...
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All-Ages Venues
If you’re a musician or promoter looking to put on an all-ages show we recommend talking to the following places: Stuttering John’s Bistro Bar
(19 Simcoe St. S.) Mad Cafe
(38 King St. E.) Cocoa & Joe
(44 Simcoe St. N.) The following places are also available for all-ages shows though they tend to run upwards of $300/night to use their spaces: The Music Scene
(1150 Champlain...
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Broken Arts Fair: Table Available
Our next Broken Arts Fair is March 3 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the auditorium of the McLaughlin branch of the Oshawa Public Libraries. We’ve got 16 vendors, 8 readers, 7 bands, an art show, and a charity raffle confirmed so far.
One table has just become free. If you are interested in selling your crafts, art, fashion, zines, comics, jewelery, or band merch it can be yours for $15 or you...
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OshaWhat 2
Head back to OshaWhat and you can now check out a couple film columns by our friend Patty. Broken Arts’ Erin provides illustrations.
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Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste →
OshaWhat has just posted the first music column by Broken Arts founder Harley. Head over and read his take on the importance of all-ages shows to a community. Why do Broken Arts refuse to do 19+ concerts? Featuring Watershed Hour, Chris & Cassy, and more. Photos by Soundtracked doorperson Mercedes Cant.
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Blog Contributors
We try to update this place every day so that you’ve got good reason to keep coming back but some days just aren’t very newsworthy.
If you would like to contribute to this blog, drop us a line at info@brokenarts.ca
Local show reviews, cool links, band & artist profiles, comics, photography, fiction, poetry… whatever. If it loosely relates to Oshawa, all-ages culture, or...
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Oshawha?
It’s Sunday. You probably slept in. Now you’re thinking of just laying around the house in your pajamas, reading the newspaper, and eating some breakfast. Well, don’t. Put down that newspaper. Do you really care that the local sports team lost another game or that a bridge is being built somewhere or that some kid you don’t know did something cute? Not really. If you...
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Top 10 Reasons The Robert McLaughlin Gallery's...
1. They’re all-ages. All ages. Little kids, senior citizens, and everyone in between.
2. They’re free.
3. They wrap by 9 p.m.
4. Every show has a fun theme, like Hawaii, The 1920’s, or Back To School.
5. They’re always changing up the genres. Jazz, rock, hip-hop, folk, electro, country, and soul are just some of the sounds they’ve had.
6. They always...
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SlowFriday
Tomorrow is Friday, February 3 which means it’s the first Friday of the month.
Come on out to The Robert McLaughlin Gallery for 7 p.m. as they celebrate one year of First Fridays. Gord Richards will croon, Gibbran will provide some soul, some kids from So You Think You Can Dance Canada will dance, Chris Jackson will make you a magnet, and plenty of art. Free and all-ages, yo....
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Living Culture Thursdays
Tomorrow evening Living Culture are back at Cocoa & Joe with their weekly event series. This installment features performances from Elephant Shoes, Darling Meadow, and Johnathan Sloan amongst others. All-ages and only a $2 cover.
January 2012
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Broken Pencil reviews Now Or Never
The new issue of Broken Pencil, the magazine of zine culture and the independent arts, is now on sale across Canada and our zine, Now Or Never #1, was reviewed: Zine, Broken Arts, Issue 1, info@brokenarts.ca, $4
Toronto’s suburban music scene has produced some of Canada’s most well known musicians including Ajax’s Sum 41 and Whitby’s K-OS. But Broken Arts’ Now Or...
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Write-on
A few months ago a new writing group started up in Oshawa. The Write-on crew meet every Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in downtown Oshawa and anyone is welcome. Participants share their work, critique each other, and do writing exercises. Any kind of writing is welcomed with poetry, short prose, non-fiction, and comics regularly shared.
This Tuesday the group is meeting at Joe Bean (28...
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All-Ages
You know…
If you’re running a show and it’s all-ages, let us know and we’ll help promote it on here and over at our Facebook. Anywhere in Durham is cool with us. Concerts, fairs, or whatever else.
E-mail info@brokenarts.ca
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Public Meeting
It’s Thursday again which means we’re back with our weekly public meeting at Mad Cafe (38 King St. E.)
This week we’ll be meeting at 5:30 so drop by and join us as we’ll be discussing all our spring Broken Arts plans including a couple secret projects that we haven’t told anyone about yet.
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"Specimens" Art Show
In addition to all the vendors, readers, and musicians performing at our Broken Arts Fair on March 3 we will also be running an art show. specimen - a portion or quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study (Meriam Webster online dictionary)
Artists are asked to interpret, express, and/or define “specimen” in any medium of their choosing. Size: no larger than 12x12...
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Soundtracked 25
On February 17 we’ll be celebrating our 25th Soundtracked concert at Mad Cafe with a co-presentation by SlowCity Magazine.
The night will be headlined by Canadian indie legend Julie Doiron and also feature performances from Stereo Moon, Heather Luckhart, and
Darling Meadow.
Photographer Marina Osmond will be exhibiting her work.
Cover is $10 and doors are at 8 p.m. There are no advance...
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Call For Hands
As a not-for-profit, community-focused, all-ages arts group we’re always looking for new people. Currently we are looking for:
-artists to help make decorations, props, and other set designs
-writers to read their work at our Broken Arts Fair on March 3
-makeup artists and costume designers to assist with an event on April 13
-illustrators to contribute to our zine Now Or Never
-street...
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Broken Arts Fair IV update
On Saturday, March 3 we’re running our fourth Broken Arts Fair from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the auditorium of the McLaughlin branch of the Oshawa Public Libraries.
The event will feature art, crafts, zines, fashion, jewelry, photography, CD’s, and food for sale from Jeanette Bartosik, Beestung Kisses, Broken Arts Zine Distro, Dani Crosby, Tina & Chris Delong, Funky Monkey’s...
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Welcome, Cassy!
As announced at our show this past Friday, we would like to officially welcome Cassandra Goulding to Broken Arts.
Cassy becomes the current sixth member of the team, joining Harley, Lori-Anne, Erin, Defne, and Ashley. She also becomes the 18th member overall in Broken Arts history. Broken Arts & Cassy:
early 2010 - Broken Arts first meets Cassy at shows around Isabella’s
May 15,...
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The Best Of 2011
For three weeks in December we ran our second year-end music poll about the best in the greater Oshawa area in 2011. 171 people voted in 9 categories. For many of the categories we provided options to select from. In every category, however, we allowed the option for voters to add their own selections if they felt we overlooked someone.
It was really interesting watching the results coming in....
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Artist Of The Year: #1 - Watershed Hour
You voted and your 2011 Artists Of The Year are Watershed Hour.
The Whitby alternative rock trio of 17 year-olds played their first proper show last September at Broken Arts: Soundtracked 18 and went on to play Broken Arts’ Christmas show, a couple sets with Living Culture, and a show at Rancho Relaxo in Toronto. They also released their debut Bend Your Knees EP this past December....
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Soundtracked 24
Tonight is our first event of the year - Broken Arts: Soundtracked, Vol. 24!
Join us at Mad Cafe at 8 p.m. for an Andy Warhol/’60s-themed bash featuring live music from Viva Mars, The Cane Toads, and Chris & Cassy. There will be costume prizes for people who want to dress up in Warhol or ’60s-style garb and Cassy Goulding will be displaying her art.
Tonight also features the...
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Artist Of The Year: #2 - The Stone Sparrows
Your second place finishers are Bowmanville folk/country quartet The Stone Sparrows.
It was only January 10 of last year when The Sparrows officially formed and played their first show at The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. Within the span of one year they went from obscurity to signing with Get Bent Records, releasing one of the most popular albums of the year (their self-titled debut), and...
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Artist Of The Year: #3 - Viva Mars
Your third favorite band of 2011 was Oshawa indie band Viva Mars.
Thomas, Chris, Jordan, and Jonathan kicked off the year with a spring release of their debut EP, Smile With Viva Mars, and finished off the year with a winter release of their debut album, More And More/Better And Better. They played a number of shows in Oshawa and Toronto, released a music video for their song “Always By...
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Artist Of The Year: #4 - The BoneDevil
In fourth place are the creators of your favorite single/EP of the year, Oshawa plague-speaders The BoneDevil.
It was only last February that Abel Renton (The Micronite Filters, Cry Wolf), Angel Valenciano (The Recroom, The Micronite Filters), Anthony Howell (solo), and Chris Jackson (The Robots, Baker Muck Rattlers) made their debut as The BoneDevil. One month later they released their...
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Artist Of The Year: #5 - Patrick Dorie
In fifth place, up eight spots from last year, is Oshawa folk musician Patrick Dorie.
In addition to releasing your favorite album of the year, his debut Goodbye Expectations, Patrick spent the year playing shows in Oshawa, Toronto, Montreal, and at the Canadian Country Music Association’s New Artist Showcase - a gig that got him interviewed on the television channel CMT. He also played...
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Artist Of The Year: #6 - Katrina James
In sixth place is Whitby pop singer-songwriter Katrina James.
Last June Katrina released her EP Everything Is Relative with a CD release party at The Thirsty Monk. She made busking appearances at both the City of Oshawa Canada Day celebrations and the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, appeared on the Rogers Daytime television program, and made it to the second round of auditions for...
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Artist Of The Year: #7 - The Micronite Filters
Your seventh-favorite artists of 2011 are blues-rockers The Micronite Filters.
2011 was a relatively quiet year for the Filters following 2010, which saw the release of their last album Puff Go The Dragon’s Mystic Fires. 2011 did see the boys release their Rise Of The Machines 7” single but much of the year for Abel, Angel, Dan, and Bruce was spent playing with their many side...
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Artist Of The Year: #8 - Matthew James
In eighth place is Oshawa saxophonist Matthew James.
Tourmate of Kenny G and leader of numerous charitable causes, James just released his third album, Generations, last October. The instrumental smooth jazz album launched with an event at The Junction and was followed by a show at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto.
Matthew James plays The Regent Theatre February 11. http://www.matthewjames.ca/
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Artist Of The Year: #9 - Elephant Shoes
Your ninth favorite artists of 2011 are Whitby alternapop duo Elephant Shoes.
Elephant Shoes is principally Cat Jones - singer, guitarist, DJ, and producer - though Steff Vickery currently joins her on drums. Influenced by the likes of Los Campesinos! and Tegan & Sara they spent 2011 playing shows at The Rivoli in Toronto and the Brooklin Harvest Festival as well as Broken Arts’ beach...
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Artist Of The Year: #10 - Hairy Holler
Up five spots from last year, beating out 80 other artists, is your tenth favorite local band of 2011 - Oshawa’s resident gypsy collective, Hairy Holler.
Myke, Jay, Mandy, Seann, Cab, Yamek, Bruce, Casey, Keni, Rae, and Angel are just some of the family members you might see on stage at a Holler show singing, dancing, or playing any variety of instrument. You can catch the Holler crew...
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Album Of The Year - Goodbye Expectations
Artist: Patrick Dorie Album: Goodbye Expectations Released: February 19, 2011 Label: Volt Music Group Tracklisting:
1. Tough Love
2. Spider And The Lie
3. Hope In High Places
4. Sleep Where Dead Dogs Lie
5. Cheap Motel Lights
6. Beware Of Dawn
7. Levelheaded Lullaby
8. Lie In Bed Till It Hurts
9. Margaret
10. Goodbye Expectations (The Stomp Song)
In the closest category...
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Single or EP Of The Year - The BoneDevil
Artist: The BoneDevil Single: The BoneDevil [7” Single] Released: March 2011 Label: Get Bent Records Tracklisting:
Side A: “The BoneDevil”
Side B: “Chickenpox”
On a slice of green vinyl comes two tracks and the debut release from Oshawa supergroup The BoneDevil. More proof that having something cool that you can get your hands on will win out over a couple...
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Venue Of The Year - Murphy's Pub
Ladies and gentlemen, we present the first category with a new winner this year. Ousting The Atria as your favorite music venue of 2011 is Murphy’s Pub.
With 21 different venues nominated Murphy’s was only able to take in 10% of the votes but that was enough to take the top spot. For the pub located at 15 Simcoe St. N. in downtown Oshawa 2011 was the first full year they were in...