Canadian Music Week 2011 may have just wrapped up, but this year it also made a big statement about the state of our industry. Maybe it’s a sign of the exciting/changing times, but everyone at CMW (from fans to artists to big wigs) seemed to have a lot of questions (and a lot of great answers) about the future of the Canadian industry. That and a lot of really, really really good music.

Supernova helped kick off Canadian Music Fest earlier last week, with Wednesday’s Road to CMF Showcase at the Hard Rock. However we also stuck around to catch some of the highlights from the rest of the fest, including several late 4am last call nights out partying with the serious CMF music fans.


Thursday night saw The Darcys at The Silver Dollar, captured by some decent fan video (above) while Rich Aucoin (who we missed, but heard so much about we had to mention the set) hit the Horseshoe with a glowing musical assault.


Rich Aucoin also joined the fold of artists playing at The Institute for the Enjoyment of Music, like Hands & Teeth and Behind Sapphire (below).



Friday night saw a stacked line up at the Horseshoe, but unfortunately the crowds proved too much for our photo efforts… however, we managed to catch some amazing performances from The Sheepdogs and Hooded Fang. Previous Seeds contenders Static in the Stars closed the night at The Hideout – always fun when the audience can drink ‘till the end of the night.

Chasing Eve also performed as part of the EMI showcase on Friday, adding to the list of Supernova alumnae bands and artists at CMF this year. It’s been amazing for us to see bands like Down with Webster, Ill Scarlett, Finger Eleven and others who have shared our stage taking such a prominent place at CMW, including the emerging acts like Chasing Eve and others.

Saturday saw big names taking the panel stage at the Royal York, including Melissa Etheridge and Sammy Hagar. Despite all the buzz around the celebrities, Saturday’s highlight was the INDIES– which is to say independent, not indie genre – an awards show that really does promote some of the best music that is about to break on the scene. A hearty night of music with lots of big performances including Janelle Monáe, Hollerado and (a personal favourite) Shad, artists took the stage in support of the indie scene.



Big winners of the evening, also bands to watch as they explode on to the Canadian scene in the year ahead, include Favourite Rock Group of the Year Neverending White Lights, and Favourite Punk/Hardcore Artist of the Year Silverstein – another band that’s shared the Supernova stage, amazing!

We totally missed this but thought it worth mentioning that the legendary Fred Penner (yeah, that guy!) played the Drake Underground at some point on Saturday night. This is just a small example of the weird surprises a festival brings to even the most seasoned of us music folks. In the words of the Torontoist piece: “Well played, Penner!”

We did however catch a couple local favourites at The Dakota on Saturday, capping the evening off with The Schomberg Fair who we recognized from Indie Online!

Although Sunday was officially still part of the CMW party, we had to take a bit of a breather. The night included the big ticket event of this year’s fest: Janet Jackson at the Sony Center, as well as a smattering of showcase events around the city. The wind down was a welcome break from the flurry of shows over the past week, giving us just enough time to
dry out our gear and review everything we’d heard.

The 2011 Canadian Music Week conference and festival has really taken on a massive role in connecting and motivating the Canadian industry, and if this year’s musical offering is any indication… CMW has no plans to slow down.

Did we miss something awesome? Did you have a memorable encounter or a life altering musical experience at CMW 2011? Share it below!