Sloan Bring Their Decades-Spanning Discography to Ottawa and Montreal: Canadian Concerts of the Week

This week, Sloan are coming to Ottawa and Montreal. The band, who emerged in the '90s in Halifax, have been on the road since last year, in support of their latest album, Based on the Best Seller.

Rising Toronto artist Alex Coles plays a special hometown show to celebrate his debut EP. Over in Brossard, Les Cowboy Fringants member JF Pauzé performs his solo work in his home province. Emerging folk stars Braden Lam and School House are hitting multiple cities, while Toronto’s July Talk heads to the west coast to perform their high-energy hits for two nights in Vancouver later this week.

Concert of the Week

Sloan, The Bronson, Ottawa – March 5; Le Studio TD, Montreal — March 6

Sloan are a force in Canadian music.

Throughout the past year, the long-running rock band has been touring the country in support of the recent LP, Based on the Best Seller. The group’s 14th studio album garnered the single “Dream Destroyer,” which debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard Canada Modern Rock Airplay chart. Now, fans will get to hear it live, as Sloan makes back-to-back stops in Ottawa and Montreal.

For over three decades, the east coast natives have been a cornerstone of Canadian rock. The rock quartet — consisting of Chris Murphy, Jay Ferguson, Patrick Pentland and Andrew Scott — has a unique show set-up, often rotating lead vocal duties and, at times, instruments. In recent years, they’ve opted for a no-opening-act format, playing nearly two-hour sets that allow them to dig deep into their extensive album catalogue, with hits like “Money City Maniacs," "Underwhelmed" and "The Other Man."

"Our band has the capability to perform different styles within the rock-pop sphere, but it's often hard to harness the group to adhere to one particular style or theme. That's okay though,” Ferguson said of Based on the Best Seller’s release. “With four songwriters, we tend to make music that perhaps doesn't naturally hang together under one (opened) umbrella, but that's our style."

This month, the group will continue on their trek across Canada, playing in a string of venues across Ontario, before wrapping up on March 21 at a sold-out show in Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall.

Tickets are available here.

More Canadian Concerts of the Week

Alex Coles, Longboat Hall, Toronto — March 5

It’s only fitting for Alex Coles to celebrate the release of his EP, When The Lights Go Out, in his hometown. Released in February, it marks the first extended body of work from the pop-rock singer, who has released a drip of singles over the past four years, including viral hits “I Hate Your Friends” and “Crybaby.” With a string of new material under his belt, fans will get to see Coles perform one of his first-ever headlining shows in a 400-capacity venue.

Tickets are available here.

JF Pauzé, Théâtre Manuvie, Brossard — March 5

Last year, JF Pauzé, guitarist and lyricist of Québécois folk-rock heroes Les Cowboys Fringants, made his solo debut with the release of Les Amours De Seconde Main. The record peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart and garnered the single “Ballon-Sonde,” another charting moment for the Francophone singer. Now, listeners can experience Pauzé’s captivating foray into music live as he plays his first set of shows in over two years.

Tickets are available here.

Braden Lam and School House, Seahorse Tavern, Halifax — March 5; The Guild, Charlottetown — March 8; Xeroz Arcade Bar, Moncton — March 10

Two emerging folk acts are teaming up to hit multiple Canadian cities. Halifax singer-songwriter Braden Lam is on a hot streak, following his signing with Universal Music Canada. Fusing nostalgic sounds with modern songwriting, his sound is instantly captivating and pairs well with recent Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase winners, Ottawa trio School House, tapped for their high-energy tunes and campfire-style harmonies.

Tickets are available here.

July Talk, Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver — March 11-12

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of their acclaimed sophomore album, Touch, alt-rock band July Talk are hitting the road. They've promised to play the album in full — including fan favourite “Push + Pull” — followed by a set of "yer favourites and a few surprises/" It’s set to be a night filled with nostalgia as the Toronto group’s music truly comes alive on stage.

Tickets are available here.