CMJ & New York City (October 22, 2011)

  Peelander Z @ Public Assembly, NYC: photo by Michael Ligon

Last day/night of my trip to New York City and CMJ back in October 2011. (Next year, if I do the NYC trip again, I think I'll just post updates on a daily basis - this is too much work after the fact.)

For my last day/night in The Big Apple I took it relatively easier than the other days:

- Starbucks near MOMA
- Radio City Music Hall
- General Electric Building
- Rockafeller Center Ice Rink
- Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
- Emmy The Great @ Spike Hill
- Born Gold & Peelander-Z @ Public Assembly (as part of Day 2 of the Brooklynvegan 'not a CMJ' party)
- Grand Central Terminal; while wandering around, a one Miss Rebecca Black (of "Friday" fame) was signing autographs and chatting with a few fans.
- back to MOMA only to find out that it closes earlier than I expected on Saturdays.
- raced on over to Central Park to check it out, especially Wollman Rink (although because the rink itself it was closed, I didn't get to renact the scene in the film Serendipity when John Cusack lies on the rink as snow flakes fall down. ;-)
- saw the Robert Indiana LOVE Sculpture
- raced across town to the World Financial Center for the Sonic Festival featuring the American Composers Orchestra with the headlining piece composed by The National's Bryce Dessner and featuring him as well as his brother Aaron on guitar [FREE things like this should so happen in Toronto more often].
- at this point, figuring what I'd do for the rest of the night, but nothing musically was really fancying me, nor was the prospect of traveling back to Brooklyn looking at all tempting on my last night in NYC.
- checked my Facebook on my iPhone using the free Wi-Fi @ Burger King (across the street from the Occupy Wall Street protest) and found that my cousin had just arrived in NYC for a week's stay for his birthday [too bad we could not get together since I was leaving the next morning].
- Starbucks, then Chinese Food near Canal St. and while I was in the area(near Lafayette St.) I saw that the show at Santos Party House (which I think was featuring a hardcore lineup) was just letting out; at that point I decided to call it a night.
- walked back down Broadway towards my hotel, to drop off my bag, and while waiting to get my key to the room, chatted with a cute Asian girl at the counter apparently having problems with her booking; wished her well and then left to explore the Bowery / Soho neighbourhood for the remainder of the night until a little after 1 am.
- pondered even going to one more CMJ set [Peelander-Z was in fact playing a set just down the street from my hotel at the Bowery Poetry Club] but since the band weren't set up yet when I passed by, I decided not to stick around; I did notice how busy the Bowery strip was on a Saturday night.
- called it a night.
- will it be a third year in a row for NYC / CMJ this October for me? We shall see.

Photos: CMJ & New York City (October 22, 2011)

CMJ & New York City (October 21, 2011)

  Emmy The Great @ Public Assembly, NYC: photo by Michael Ligon

- started out the morning exploring the neighbourhood around my hotel (walked down Bowery and then turned on Prince; nice Ralph Lauren and Gant Rugger shops on Prince St, although both way too expensive for what I was willing to pay (I've slowly become a clothes horse over the last few years, although I never buy regular price)
- walked to Lafayette for coffee at Dean & Deluca then went window shopping (David Z, Converse, Ben Sherman store @ Mercer St.)
- random chat with older dude I passed walking down the street, as we both looked back at the same cute girl who just passed us. ;-)
- logged on to the free Wi-Fi @ a Starbucks to check a few things on my iPhone.
- browsed the shops on Canal st.
- spent some time @ the Occupy Wall Street protest at Liberty Plaza (now known as Zuccotti Park)
- checked out the site around Ground Zero
- that afternoon headed to Public Assembly in Brooklyn for the Brooklynvegan "not a CMJ day party" feauturing sets varying from interesting to terrific, including sets by Young Magic, Emmy The Great, Silver Swans, A Place To Bury Strangers, Chelsea Wolfe, Hospitality, Xeno & Oaklander, and J Mascis
- the whole afternoon, Public Assembly was serving free booze courtesy of Sailor Jerry as well as giving away free organic snacks!!!
- one thing that stood out from Emmy The Great's set was when she mentioned that she'd also be playing the day after at a venue in Brooklyn who's name she couldn't recall and so I yelled out "Spike Hill" which she then queried whether I was a Fleetwood Mac fan (I'm still not sure what the reference is there) at which I was left speechless at that point.
- J Mascis played a cover of Edie Brickell's "Circle of Friends" and also a song called "Several Shades of Why" the title track of his first solo album released earlier this year; he also played Dino Jr. classics, "The Wagon" and "Get Me", video which you can see here.
- after that full afternoon of CMJ day partying, decided to try to check out the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) (which had free admission that night from 4 pm to 8 pm (as it does every Friday night) but in error I ended up going to Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMOA)
- I then hopped on the 5th avenue bus to head down to MOMA but got there just as it was closing.
- while I was in the vicinity, I went to check out the new Uniqlo Global Flagship store that just opened; it was effin' huge, and bright, and busy.
- hopped on the 5th avenue bus again to continue south to Madison Ave and East 23rd to go to, drumroll please...Shake Shack! Verdict? Not the tastiest burger I've ever had but it was pretty darn good, or perhaps I was just really hungry.
- for the night time portion of my CMJ festivities, I headed straight from Shake Shack to trek back down to Brooklyn to Glasslands Gallery where I checked out a terrific set from a new local act called Caveman (who are coming to Toronto in January!) and from our own Canadian act, Memoryhouse.
- however, it was such a cluster-fuck of people (who all seemed to be not over the age of 25) and it was too much for me to bear to stay for the rest of the bands on the bill (which was at least 2, maybe 3 more acts) and so I bailed.
- walked to Bedford and then down Bedford to the Bedford subway station, along the way picking up my only taco (from a Taco Truck) during my whole trip.
- it'd been a long day, and I was glad to call it a night relatively early (don't get me wrong it was still after midnight, I think closer to 1 am, by the time I got back to my hotel). Sleepy-time.

Photos: CMJ & New York City (October 20, 2011)

NYC & CMJ (October 23-24, 2010)

  School of Seven Bells @ Santos Party House, NYC: photo by Michael Ligon

For the record, let's wrap up my fifth and final day in NYC and CMJ, which took place over a month ago. Perusing some of the notes I jotted down in my iPhone, time and datestamped 2 am on October 24, I wrote:

"Today it was Broadway and back to Williamsburg, Brooklyn for the Brooklyn Vegan day party and wandering, the back to the Lower East Side to the Cake Shop, a walk on the QueensWilliamsburg Bridge at sunset, picking up dinner at Tiny's Giant Sandwiches ( http://bit.ly/ck3wVL ) then night time at Santos Party House. NYC and CMJ it's been swell."

While the previous four days all had it's high points, the fifth day/night was a near perfect experience to end off my trip. The Brooklyn Vegan day party at Public Assembly in Williamsburg began for me with a satisfying solo set from Ted Leo, with the added bonus of Ted asking me to hand him his drink part way through which I did successfully without dropping it and making a fool of myself. I stayed at Public Assembly for a few more set including a satisying though energetically muted set from Australian indiepop group The Crayon Fields with lead vocalist Geoff O'Connor mentioning that their setlist was written up on napkins then made a humourous remark (in his slightly fey, dry tone) that the set would be 'very clean' (or something along those lines). Injecting the festivities with a good dose of energy was Nashville's Heavy Cream featuring a 3/4 female membership who played a thoroughly enjoyable set of old school punk rock and a snarling female lead vocalist. Met a girl who worked at Criminal Records in Atlanta who I chatted with in between sets and then I headed out to the main room which was packed to catch what I could of Titus Andronicus' set. Back to the Lower East Side and Cake Shop I went to try to catch an afternoon set from A Classic Education who's set I either missed or never happened so I grabbed a beer before heading out to wander the neighbourhood. I took a relaxing walk to the middle of the Williamsburg Bridge as the sun went down, then grabbed a delicious pulled pork sandwich at Tiny's Giant Sandwich Shop part of which I'd scarf down as I waited for the first band to come on at Santos Party House, for The Windish Agency CMJ showcase.

That final night, while featuring some more than decent acts, also included some sporadic socializing and I guess when one's in a strange city all by one's self, it does somehow motivate one to come out of one's shell. So yes, I did get to talking briefly with a cute Asian local girl with a camera and then a lengthier conversation with a bubbly Chicagoan lovely who I was standing beside near the front of the stage. The music was almost an afterthought, but overall the band lineup made for a musically varied and satisfying evening. Although the first band Los Angeles' Superhumanoids I thought had a terrible name, they did prove to be a satisfying musical act with boy-girl vocals and a dreamy pop sound to boot. Knoxville, Tennessee trio Royal Bangs seemed hell-bent on bringing the rock after the first band, and somehow live seemed a little less interesting than what I'd heard on their MySpace. Local up and comers Cults were the first band I was interested (and as it seemed so were many others in the audience also eagerly awaiting them) this night in seeing live and their stripped down brand of Motown-ish indie pop did impress in the end.

Rounding out the night were two Brooklyn acts that really need no introduction to most of you, first with dream-pop shoegazers Asobi Seksu who played a blistering set with the stage enguled in purplish and reddish hues, then rounding out the night was School of Seven Bells(the duo of Alejandra Deheza and Benjamin Curtis, with touring drummer Zachary Saginaw) with their sultry, rhythmic, electro-fied, guitar driven dream pop, who could very well be my new favourite current band if only I ever get around to buying their most recent album, this year's Disconnect From Desires. The occasion was made even more special as the band's drummer Zachary Saginaw announced to the audience that he had something important to ask his girlfriend, and after several tense minutes of waiting for his girlfriend(who was apparently backstage somewhere) to come on to the stage, everyone knew what was about to happen and he asked her to marry him to which she did say yes. The band continued on with an encore, and then it was over. I decided to end things off on that high note, so no late night sets for me since I had to get up the next morning to pack and get to the airport. Much thanks to the random people I met, to all the bands I saw during the festival who put on great sets, and to well the New York City for being it's wonderful, diverse and spectacular self. We shall meet again.

Photos: NYC & CMJ (October 23-24, 2010)
MySpace: Ted Leo
MySpace: The Crayon Fields
MySpace: Heavy Cream
MySpace: Superhumanoids
MySpace: Royal Bangs
MySpace: Asobi Seksu
MySpace: School of Seven Bells

NYC & CMJ (October 22, 2010)

  Braids @ Cake Shop, NYC: photo by Michael Ligon

Ok it's been about a month since coming back from my 5-day long stay in New York City and I still have a couple of days to cover, so I do apologize if these next few posts seem rushed, because well they are. Day four started out with me packing as I unfortunately I had to check out of the Jane Hotel as I was unable to book it for the next few nights, but before checking out I took it as an opportunity to stroll and bike around area which later I'd find out is called the Meatpacking District given its origins at the beginning of last century as home to 250 slaughterhouses and packing plants and nowadays gentrified with boutiques, restaurants, lounges and even an Apple Store. I also got to stroll through the High Line. Other areas of NYC explored this day included Washington Square Park and Greenwich Village, the Kimmel Center at NYU, the Broadway shopping district including the Strand Bookstore (which bills itself as "Home of 18 miles of New, Used, Rare and Out of Print Books"), Union Square (which itself has a history as a site of political activism and on this day the site of the "October 22 Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation") and then it was back to Brooklyn to take in part of the day show at the Knitting Factory. Later I'd trek back to the Jane Hotel to pick up my luggage, head over to the Chinatown hotel where I'd been staying for the next few nights, grab some Chinatown eats and then head out for night four of CMJ. And I stil had one more day/night of NYC/CMJ to do.

And at this point I guess I should run down my CMJ happenings on this day but I'll keep it brief since I really I don't have the strength to do do an in depth review. Back in Brooklyn late afternoon, my first stop was Knitting Factory to catch Diamond Rings' set, this being the second time I'd catch Jon live during CMJ. Without the technical difficulties which plagued him during his set at Cake Shop a few days earlier, it was a much more fluid but still brief set. Sporting a Toronto Blue Jay Cap this time around, Jon alternated between keyboards, and guitar, and occasionally busted some enthusiatic, spastic dance moves. Although, the response was appreciative in the spacious(compared to Cake Shop), though only partially filled venue, I still wished the crowd had shown a little more energy.

I decided to stick around for a few more acts, with local Knitting Factory roster band Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers up next. The least 'indie rock' of the bands / artists I saw during the festival, while there were signs of some fans in the crowd, they didn't seem to correct with much of the crowd. I'll admit they do possess some musical merits, especially in the full-throttled vocals of Ms. Shilpa Ray. Instrumentally, Ms. Ray's harmonium playing lays a foundation for the rest of the band who competently contributed guitar, drums and bass. Elements of blues, folk and rock weaved their way through the band's songs so I'm hard-pressed to really categorize them. They weren't really up my alley but if it means anything to you, Nick Cave is a fan, so much so that he invited her and her band to join his band Grinderman for a few recent tour dates. Toronto wasn't one of them, but Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers will be in Toronto in the new year for a set at El Mocambo on April 8 according to The Windish Agency.

With still a little light out this early evening in Brooklyn, I decided to stay for one more act at Knitting Factory which was Wisconsin's Cotton Jones. Forming the core of the band is Page France alum Michael Nau and Whitney McGraw. Nau's and McGraw's vocals melded nicely, with the latter's sweet vocals adding a nice contrast to the former's laidback drawl. The band did have a nice, rustic, indie-folk quality, embellishing their tunes with, instruments like banjo and glockenspiel. The band's current album "Tall Hours in the Glowstream" is out through Suicide Squeeze and the band will be in Toronto for a show at the Horseshoe Tavern on February 26 opening for Nicole Atkins and The Black Sea.

With the day's light now dissipating, I headed back into Manhattan to check in to my hotel in Chinatown, grab a quick bite and then head out again for the night portion of CMJ, which I kept decidely low-key (ie. no club hopping this night. I planted myself at Cake Shop for the night (which was hosting a showcase for local Williamsburg, Brooklyn indie record label Kanine Records), getting there before 10 pm and catching only a bit of Pepper Rabbit's set and would catch only two full sets for the rest of the night before calling it quits. Having multiple opportunities during the festival to catch Montreal's Braids and with nothing else that night really interesting me at that time, seeing Braids was a no-brainer. I hadn't heard a note of them prior to that show, but I was quite aware of how keen some of you are of them, so that was my primary motivation to check them out. Combining an experimental approach with more conventional pop and anthemic qualities, think a marriage between Bjork and Arcade Fire. Definitely on the artier side of my musical tastes - if they ever play The Music Gallery in Toronto, I am there. A video of one of the band's performances at Cake Shop during CMJ surfaced on YouTube - really good stuff. They will be playing Toronto in the new year at El Mocambo on February 19 and I very possibly will be there.

And rounding out the night for me was a shoegaze band from San Francisco called Young Prisms. A genre band to the hilt, as shoegaze bands (or bands for that matter) go, they weren't particularly innovative, but their dreaminess was effective nonetheless. Immersed onstage in light and shadow with a video projection playing out against the band for most of the show, these were particularly fitting visuals for the band's hazy, shoegazey, guitar-drenched, pop music. Similarly, the band's vocals, alternating usualy between band member Stefanie Hodapp bassist Giovanni Betteo, were buried beneath the sonic mix, contributing to the overall dreamy, hazy quality of the music. The perfect soundtrack to play in my head as I left the venue to wander the streets of NYC before heading back to my hotel for a good night's sleep.

Photos: NYC & CMJ (October 22, 2010)
MySpace: Diamond Rings
MySpace: Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers
MySpace: Cotton Jones
MySpace: Pepper Rabbit
MySpace: Braids
MySpace: Young Prisms

CMJ Music Marathon - Official and Unofficial Parties

NYC-bound tomorrow and still in the midst of packing but I am looking forward to CMJ immensely. I'm a bit overwhelmed going through the CMJ schedule and deciding what to pick but fortunately I came across My Free Concert which has JUST ABOUT ALL the skinny on both official and unofficial parties happening during the CMJ Music Marathon this week. And not only that but My Free Concert have partnered with No Pulp Music to host their own 2-night [Tues Oct 19 & Fri Oct 22] shindig at Arlene's Grocery with a total of 16 bands over the two nights and My Free Concert is giving away goodie bags. I haven't even perused My Free Concert's CMJ links in depth - I have me some reading and RSVP'ing to do.

CMJ Artist Preview - Younge Empires

The minor media attention given to Toronto electro-dance pop trio Young Empires and their apparently fantastic NXNE show at the Dakota Tavern back in June some how evaded me but now I'm noticing. Actually to be more truthful, music blogger friend Ryan O'shaughnessy (of music site Tunes in T.O.) had mentioned to me back at the end of August that British music publication NME had contacted him for permission to use one of his photos of the band for an upcoming issue, and that was actually the first time the band's name was on my radar. And since their set at NXNE the press on the band has been heating up. More recently having seen that the band is slated to open up for Parisian act Jamaica at Wrongbar in Toronto on October 19 but then also realizing that both acts will be in New York City during the time I'm down there for CMJ, motivated me to sample some of Young Empires' wares. And the verdict? Great stuff. The trio consisting of Matthew Vlahovich, Robert Aaron Ellingson, and Jake Palahnuk, concoct a satisfying mix of guitar, bass, synths, and sampled beats, displaying their best in my opinion on their song "White Doves" a fully realized slice of melodic electro post-punk. Currently, the band remains unsigned but I'm fully impressed by the demos that are currently up on their MySpace site, even if none of the other songs quite match the brilliance of "White Doves". I'm also really impressed with the quality of their music videos which are conceptually interesting and well-shot. I don't forsee this band remaining unsigned for very long and it's quite likely I'll try to check them out during CMJ, sooner rather than later.

For those who'll be in New York City this week for CMJ, Young Empires will be playing a few shows[info from their MySpace]:

23 Oct 2010 - Arlenes /// CMJ
23 Oct 2010 - HypeM Afterhours /// CMJ PureVolume House

And for those of you back in Toronto here's where you can catch them[info from their MySpace]:

19 Oct 2010 - Wrongbar /// with Jamaica
19 Nov 2010 - Steamwhistle Brewery /// Unsigned Concert Series

MySpace: Young Empires
Video: Young Empires - "White Doves" (performance video)
Video: Young Empires - "White Doves" (music video)
Video: Young Empires - "Against The Wall" (music video)
Video: Young Empires - "Diamond Rings" (music video)
Video: Young Empires - "Glory Of The Night" (music video)
Video: Young Empires - "Rain Of Gold" (music video)

CMJ Artist Preview - No Joy

Of all the Canadian acts that are playing CMJ, I may actually make an effort to see Montreal duo No Joy. Made up of members Jasmine White-Gluz and Laura Lloyd the duo have already released a 7" through hip Brooklyn-based upstart Mexican Summer. The label is set to release the duo's debut full-length Ghost Blonde on November 16. With a bio that makes references about the band's sound to My Bloody Valentine and Lush, the first influence is particularly strong and as a lover of all things shoegaze-y, No Joy strongly establish themselves as the genuine article. There's an impending presence to first single "Heedless" as the song kicks off with a squall of guitar feedback, before fuzzy guitar strums chug along like a freight train, all the while the girls' vocals remaining buried in the mix almost fighting to get out.

Preorder the group's debut album here.



As an alternative you can also head over to Gorilla Vs. Bear to download the same song as well as an additional song("No Summer") by the group.

According to their MySpace, No Joy will be playing select North American dates through October and November and will be in Toronto on November 17 for show at Parts and Labor with Metz also on the bill. Don't forget your earplugs.

Update: Oops, I should have posted No Joy's CMJ dates the first time so here they are[swiped from their MySpace]:

20 Oct 2010 - CMJ (unofficial party) @ Shea Stadium(Brooklyn) set: 11:45pm
21 Oct 2010 - CO-OP 87 instore performance (Brooklyn), set: 3:00pm
21 Oct 2010 - CMJ x Mexican Summer showcase @ Knitting Factory (Brooklyn)
22 Oct 2010 - CMJ x KXSC, KVRX, CHUO + LA RECORD showcase @ Bruar Falls. set: 4:30pm
23 Oct 2010 - Brooklyn Vegan Daytime show @ Public Assembly (Brooklyn) w/Marnie Stern, Wild Nothing, Heavy Cream, more!!
23 Oct 2010 - CMJ x Gorilla vs. Bear @ 7 Extra Place FREE w/ RSVP set: 7:30pm
23 Oct 2010 - CMJ x Impose Magazine afterparty (open bar!) @ Don Pedro's (Brooklyn) set: 2:00am

Oh Canada - Canadian Acts To See During CMJ Music Marathon in NYC (October 19-23, 2010)

  Diamond Rings: photo by Michael Ligon

Having had a splendid week already with both Belle and Sebastian and Sufjan Stevens playing terrific shows at Massey Hall in Toronto, under normal circumstances that'd keep me content for a while. However, the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City is taking place next week from October 19 to the 23 and guess who'll be covering it? Yes, me! Covering it for this blog anyway. I'm not sure yet whether I'll be posting any updates from the front - it'll all depend on what sort of internet access I have available - but hopefully I'll drop a few comments or photos along the way. At any rate, this is my first time to The Big Apple and I am looking forward to some urban exploration, record shopping(The Thing), good eats and whatever nice little surprises might come my way. As a public service to mostly the non-Canadians out there who are attending this year's CMJ Music Marathon here is a sampling of some of the Canadian acts / showcases to check out at this year's festival:

If you are a CMJ Delegate or Badge Holder you could check out the Canadian Blast showcase at Arelene's Grocery (95 Stanton / Les NYC) on October 20 with the opening set kicking off at 8 pm. The showcase will feature pop experimentalist Rich Aucoin, hip hop / soul act Art of Fresh, alt-country outfit The Beauties, folk-rock band Yukon Blonde, and garage pop act Young Rival.

Via The Audio Perv, Toronto 102.1 FM The Edge DJ Alan Cross will host a free Oh Canada CMJ showcase at Fontana's on October 19 and FREE BLOODY CAESARS AND BEER are promised along with a lineup that includes In-Flight Safety, Whale Tooth, Freedom or Death, Gobble Gobble, and Kidstreet.

Not limited to just one showcase, Canadian Blast have a comprehensive list of Canadian acts they are showcasing during this year's festival, and so in addition to the acts above playing the Oh Canada showcase at Fontana's on the 19th, other Canadian acts playing include Spirits, Leeroy Stagger, Parallels, Priestess, New Look, Hot Panda, Quest For Fire, The Rest, No Joy, Red Mass, Suuns, The Pack A.D., Carolyn Mark, Radio Radio, Kate Rogers, Black Feelings, Parlovr, Priestess, Stef Lang, Egyptrixx, Keys N Krates, Two Hours Traffic, the High Dials, Woodhands, and AIDS Wolf. Check out the the individual show details here.

Canadian 'it' boy John O'Regan's alter ego Diamond Rings will be playing an CMJ unofficial day party at Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Ave) on Thursday 21 October, with doors at 12:30 pm with The Secret History, Takka Takka, Summer People and Submarine Bells also playing. It's a free show and it's all ages. Event info here.

Diamond Rings will ALSO play:
- Oct 20 CMJ (Stereo Gun Party) @ Santos Party House
- Oct 21 CMJ (Knitting Factory Day Party) @ Knitting Factory
- Oct 21 CMJ (NYC Taper Day Party) @ Cake Shop
- Oct 22 CMJ (Distiller Day Party) @ The Knitting Factory
- Oct 23 CMJ (Bowery Presents Day Party) @ Piano's
- Oct 23 CMJ (Pitchfork #Offline) @ Brooklyn Bowl

MTV Iggy names Montreal's Braids as one of the top ten bands with buzz to see during CMJ while fellow Montrealers the Luyas make About.com's top ten list to watch out for during the festival. Both acts play the M for Montreal showcase at Arlene's Grocery on October 21 along with fellow Montrealer Uncle Bad Touch and Kingston, Ontario's PS I Love You.

Braids will ALSO play:
- Oct 21 PIANOS - Birddog Unofficial CMJ Party w/ Gobble Gobble, Tiny Victories, Computer Magic
- Oct 22 CAKE SHOP - Kanine / Music Slut CMJ Party
- Oct 23 SOUTHPAW - Flavorpill and Pop Mondial CMJ Party w/ Lower Dens, Gold Panda, and Ladies of Storybook Burlesque
- Oct 23 BOWERY BALLROOM - VFW Showcase
- Oct 23 CAMEO GALLERY - CMJ w/ Buke and Gass, Gobble Gobble...

PS I Love You will ALSO play:
- 20 Oct 2010 20:00 Union Hall @ 8:15 (CMJ) [Union Hall Presents...]
- 20 Oct 2010 22:00 Webster Hall - The Marlin Room @ 10:30 (CMJ) [The Orchard Presents]
- 23 Oct 2010 13:00 Cameo Gallery @ 1:00 (CMJ) [twosyllable presents]
- 23 Oct 2010 23:00 Glasslands @ 11:00 (CMJ) [PopGun Presents]

2010 Polaris Prize nominee Dan Mangan plays a bunch of CMJ dates:
- Oct 21. The Mercury Lounge w/ John Vanderslice | 7pm
- Oct 22. Fontana's (Pirate Promotion Showcase) | 2pm
- Oct 22. Brooklyn Vegan / Daytrotter Loft Party
- Oct 23. Piano's (Bowery Presents Party) | 2pm

There's no guarantees I'll make it to most of these[since I'll probably be checking out mostly non-Canadian acts], but it doesn't mean you shouldn't. Although, the free beer and bloody caesars at Fontana's on October 19 is tempting.