Live Music Reviews and Photographs / NYC, Buffalo, Toronto, Pittsburgh
When indie pop artist dodie (aka Dorothy Miranda Clark) announced her "Not For Lack of Trying Tour", I was excited since it's been over six years since she last performed in Toronto. I had first heard her music in the interim but her 2022 show in Toronto was cancelled so I've had to wait patiently …
Continue reading "Joy and devotion accompany dodie to Toronto – Mar 3, 2026"
It's been ten years since British rock band The Struts released their debut studio album Everybody Wants on July 28, 2015. Since then, the band has collected a dedicated following across the globe with their 70s glam style rock and energetic, almost theatrical, live shows. In April, they announced that they would be embarking on …
There was a time when Upstairs at Eric's stayed at repeat in my household. Ah, those high school days when New Wave was dominant and electronic bands like Yaz (Yazoo for those not in North America) permeated the airwaves. Fast forward to 2025 and vocalist Alison Moyet (aka Geneviève Alison Jane Ballard aka Alf) is …
Continue reading "80s star Alison Moyet sounds as good as ever – May 5, 2025"
We've been following mxmtoon (aka Maia) since we photographed her at the Paste Studio in 2019, after the release of her debut studio album "The Masquerade". We then caught her at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto in 2022 after she released her second album. Now that she has released her third studio album "Liminal …
Continue reading "mxmtoon stops in Toronto on Liminal Space Tour – Mar 31, 2025"
As R&B singer/songwriter JoJo (aka Joanna Noëlle Levesque) embarked on her "Too Much to Say" Tour in 2025, it seemed like she has been around forever and maybe that's because she was only thirteen when her 2004 debut single "Leave (Get Out)" hit number one on Billboard's US pop chart. While her first three studio …
Continue reading "JoJo captivates Toronto at the Danforth Music Hall – Mar 19, 2025"
It’s been a magical run for the Warning since the world re-opened after the pandemic. Since they first gained a measure of fame when their cover to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” went viral when sisters Daniel, Paulina, and Alejandra Villarreal were just 14, 11, and 9 respectively. They had released their second album and were gaining …
Continue reading "The Warning put on an epic show in Toronto to close out tour – Oct 30, 2024"
In 2017, Ukrainian metalcore band Jinjer was just another act trying to make it after complete lineup changes and had just released their second studio album “King of Everything” in 2016, a make it or break it moment for the band. Then they uploaded a “live” performance of “Pisces” that went viral and everything changed. …
Continue reading "Jinjer headlines a great night of metalcore in Toronto – Sept 23, 2024"
NOTE: All photographs are copyright Howard Shiau Photography 2024. Apologies to drummers Colanthony Humphrey and Jon Kereliuk who I somehow missed College students meet and decide to form a band, start playing some gigs, and through hard work and gigging non-stop, they make a name for themselves and get popular. In this day and age, …
Continue reading "Geeks of Toronto unite! Good Kid is in town – May 10, 2024"
In the early mornings, when I'm staring out of the window with a coffee cup in hand, the silky voice and chill vibe of English singer/songwriter Arlo Parks (aka Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho) is the perfect soundtrack to those mornings. She was well on her way to success with her first single "Cola" in 2018, …
It's been almost eight years since the Kills embarked on a major tour. After touring in support of their fifth studio album "Ash and Ice" in 2016, it makes sense that the duo, made up of Alison Mosshart (vocals) and Jamie Hince (guitar), are finally back on the road after releasing their sixth record "God …
Continue reading "The Kills return to Danforth Music Hall – Feb 20, 2024"
It's been six months since the Japanese House (aka Amber Bain) released her sophomore LP "In the End it Always Does". Keeping in line with the somewhat depressing lyrical topics of her first album, the most recent record somehow makes these sad songs more upbeat and dance-able. "Sad to Breathe" is a perfect example. It …
Continue reading "The Japanese House hit a sold out Danforth Music Hall – Dec 6, 2023"
Electronic pop band Cannons can be a bit of an enigma musically. On the one hand, it's wonderful to listen to them poolside, letting Michelle Joy's soothing voice put you into a relaxed mood. On the other hand, while you're relaxed, somehow your feet start bouncing and you want to dance, your body not quite …
Continue reading "Cannons partied with Toronto at the Danforth Music Hall – Sept 6, 2023"
It’s been a busy couple of years for Tegan & Sara (Tegan and Sara Quin) , the twin musicians from Calgary. They signed with Mom and Pop records, released their latest studio album “Crybaby”, debuted “High School”, a TV show based on their memoir, toured North America supporting “Crybaby”, and recently released a graphic novel …
Continue reading "Tegan & Sara play make-up show at Danforth Music Hall – June 15, 2023"
It was the afternoon of November 19, 2019 when I peeked out the door at the Paste Studio in NYC to see if the next band had arrived yet and I saw two kids sitting on the floor in the hallway like they were in high school. It turns out those “kids” were Lili Trifilio …
Continue reading "Beach Bunny wraps up tour with triumphant return to Toronto – May 27, 2022"
When I arrived early for mxmtoon's show at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto on May 4th, I knew it was going to be a wild ride. The line several hours before the show was already almost two city blocks long! I had met mxmtoon (aka Maia) in 2019 at a session at the Paste …