Virgin Fest Returning To Canada

While Coachella boosters are salivating over this year's 3-day lineup, Canada can only hope that it gets something comparable when Richard Brandson's Virgin Festival makes it's inaugural debut in Vancouver at Thunderbird Stadium at the University of British Columbia Campus on May 20-21. Acts already confirmed are My Chemical Romance, Billy Talent, and Muse for May 20 and The Killers, AFI, and Hot Hot Heat for May 21. Rather than run the festival exclusively over the weekend, it's running over a Sunday and a Monday. Well, I guess if you're actually interested in going you'll have to book off the Monday from work. More details over at the Emerge Blog and JAM! Music who also point out that the festival will make it's second appearance in Toronto again at Toronto Island Park over the weekend of September 8-9. First, off I hope the Toronto lineup is much better than the Vancouver one, and second, September again? I'd wish they hold the festival in the summer, when it's almost guaranteed to be warm. Let's just all hope for the best.

The Concretes(who you by now all know are minus lead singer Victoria Bergsman who left for a solo career currently under the name Taken By Trees) have a new song, "Oh No", streaming at their MySpace. Taking over vocals is drummer Lisa Milberg. Kate reviews the song and doesn't hold the song up to the band's previous standards, but the song does have it's moments, and in my opinion will do little to sway the band's fans.

I'm looking forward to the Camera Obscura/Essex Green show at The Opera House next week. With Camera Obscura's last show at the Horseshoe Tavern back on July 4, 2006 and me being fairly up close to the stage, I could forgive their lack of stage presence by immersing myself in the music's melodies. I'm just wondering if they can pull it off again, but this time at the larger The Opera House. I hope so, although the following visual evidence from a few of their recent live shows doesn't show any progress in their stage presence:

YouTube: Camera Obscura - "I Love My Jean" (live @ 40 Watt in Athens, GA - Jan 19, 2007)
YouTube: Camera Obscura - "Lloyd, Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken" (live @ 9:30 Club in Washington, DC - Jan 22, 2007)

Philadelphia's Dr. Dog have a spring tour lined up from February through May which will make a stop in Toronto at Lee's Palace on May 2. Check out their MySpace for complete dates.

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