The Complex Guide to Canadian Music Week

7 days. 800+ bands. 50+ venues. Are you ready?

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Big things are happening in Toronto right now. VIEWS just dropped. The Toronto Maple Leafs just scored the first overall draft pick. The Toronto Raptors have advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Most importantly, Canadian Music Week is getting underway between May 2nd and May 8th.

Over 800 bands are showcasing at 50+ venues at this year’s festival, including Skepta, Tegan & Sara, KROY, Kevin Abstract, Nao, and more. These pro-tips will help you get the most out of your CMW wristband. If you don’t have one yet, you can grab one here.

Here’s the Complex Canada guide to surviving Canadian Music Week.

Bars with 4AM last call

The 300 Club (old Rancho Relaxo)
Adelaide Hall
Bovine Sex Club
Cadillac Lounge
Cameron House
The Cave
Cherry Cola's
Dakota Tavern
Drake Underground
The Garrison
Handlebar
Hard Luck
Hideout
Horseshoe
Lee's Palace
Mod Club
The Nest/The Den
Painted Lady
The Phoenix
Revival
Rivoli
Silver Dollar
Smiling Buddha
Sneaky Dee's
Supermarket
Underground Garage
Velvet Underground

Best drink special

Bovine Sex Club at Queen and Bathurst is the reigning champ in this category, two years running. The Bovine is Toronto’s ultimate punk dive—they have $4 domestic bottles every night, a 4AM last call, and an offering of live, loud music every night of the festival.

Feast while you fest

Is the lineup for Drake-approved hotspot Fring’s too daunting? Perhaps we can interest you in a few more, uh, practical options. Time is precious, and multi-tasking is key. These official CMW venues have some decent food options for anyone hoping to fuel up while catching a show.

The Garrison (Tacos)
Cadillac Lounge (Pub fare)
Burdock (Upscale comfort food)
Sneaky Dee’s (Tex-Mex)
The Piston (BBQ)

Best hangover cure

Inexplicably, sometimes the only thing that can help you snap out of that post-binge fog is...clam juice. There are at least three known Build Your Own Caesar bars in Toronto: the Pour House, The Foggy Dew and Pogue Mahone. They’re all under $4 each, and assembling your own hangover cure with unlimited garnish makes you feel productive in your boozy haze.

Best daytime patio scene

Loveless Cafe at 1430 Dundas St W is the place to be on a sunny weekend afternoon, before you head out to your show of choice. It’s got endless vibes, a crucial patio, and it’s just a couple of blocks away from The Garrison, which host to shows by La Sera, Grounders, Rainer & Grimm, and more.

Hottest tickets vs. biggest lineups

If you’re not about the wrap-around-the-block lineup life, be sure to show up early for these shows. Skepta, Bob Mould, Tegan & Sara, Eagles Of Death Metal, and Lapsley are all going to be packed out. If you’re feeling lucky, you can visit CMW’s Win To Get In series to guarantee entry to these popular shows, without worrying about capacity issues.

Bands who traveled pretty, pretty far to be at CMW

Adée - Kalmar, Sweden
Annette Gil - Oslo, Norway
Avalanche City - Tauranga, New Zealand
Axel Flovent - Reykjavik, Iceland
Bear Culture - Singapore, Singapore
Big Phony - Seoul, South Korea
Blocked Bones - Belem, Brazil
Fire Department Club - Porto Alegre, Brazil
FLAT FOOT - Falun, Sweden
Kvav - Gothenburg, Sweden
lightcraft - Jakarta, Indonesia
Lu Horta - San Paulo, Brazil
Mieux - Vienna, Austria
OKRAA - Bogotá, Colombia
On-The-Go - Moscow, Russia
Prateek Kuhad - New Delhi, India
Sturle Dagsland - Stavanger, Norway
TABASCOS - porto alegre, Brazil
The Magnettes - Pajala, Sweden
This Drama - La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
Yen-j - Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Yuna - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Best hip-hop show

Keita Juma, Sha, Skepta @ Danforth Music Hall. 8PM. (Details)

Best indie show

KROY, Caveboy, For Esme, & She-Devils (POP Montreal/NeXT Showcase​) @ The Silver Dollar. Saturday May 7th (Details)

Best electronic show

Nao, Mura Masa, bonzai @ The Mod Club. Friday, May 6th. (Details)

Best late-night party

Stay Woke w/ Bambii, Chippy Nonstop, NDMA, & Happy Boy Tona @ Drake Underground. Saturday May 7th (12AM-4AM) (Details)

More can't-miss shows

7 days. 800+ bands. 50+ venues. It’s a lot to handle, and there’s no shame in admitting you need a little help with your schedule. You can view the full lineup here, but these are the acts you simply can’t-miss at this year’s CMW.

Monday, May 2nd
Max Frost @ The Drake Underground. 10PM. (Details)
DCF & LIGHTS @ The Danforth Music Hall. 9PM. (Details)

Tuesday, May 3rd
Tori Kelly @ Massey Hall. 8PM. (Details)
Fake Palms & Bob Mould. 9:15PM. (Details)
Lapsley @ The Mod Club. 8:30PM. (Details)
JD Era @ The Nest. 12AM. (Details)
Remix Project (JellyTooFly, Leila Dey, Adria Kain, DJ hustleGRL). 10PM (Details)

Wednesday, May 4th
Partner @ The Silver Dollar. 11:00PM. (Details)

Thursday, May 5th
Yuna @ The Mod Club. 6:30PM. (Details)
Kaydee & Kevin Abstract @ Adelaide Hall. 11PM. (Details)
No Joy @ Velvet Underground. 11PM. (Details)
Jimmy B @ Revival. 11PM. (Details)

Friday, May 6th
White Lung @ Velvet Underground. 11PM. (Details)
Dead Obies @ The Great Hall. 12AM. (Details)
Busty & The Bass, John River, Heartstreets @ The Opera House. 8PM. (Details)
H09909 @ Comfort Zone. 10PM. (Details)
Tremayne @ FUSE. 11PM. (Details)

Saturday, May 7th
M For Montreal Showcase (Ragers, Wasiu, The Posterz, Dutchess Says) @ Adelaide Hall. 8:00PM. (Details)
Amir Obe @ The Mod Club. 11PM. (Details)
Dilly Dally @ Lee's Palace. 12AM. (Details)
Drezus & Rich Kidd @ The Silver Dollar. 3AM. (Details)

Sunday May 8th
WILDE @ Adelaide Hall. 8PM. (Details)

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