Why is The Boat getting all the best shows lately? Interesting shows to look out for include include a Sloan Tribute Night happening on February 16 and 'œJust Bohemian Rhapsody'?, a benefit for the AIDS Committee in Toronto, on February 2.

Femme Generation release their debut LP, Brothers and Sisters, Alone We Explode, on Permafrost Records, at The Horseshoe, February 18.

The Bagel might be changing hands soon. Mike Harland of 10,000 Watt Head is talking about turning it into a community space to rival anything we currently have in Toronto. Things are early and plans are sketchy, but we'll write more about it when we hear that things are starting to happen.

Our friends over at the Music Gallery just got a fancy new website. Check it out at www.musicgallery.org.

Wavelength 300 is fast approaching. A key addition to this years' festivities is the first ever Wavelength Panel Discussion, which is starting at 7pm sharp on the first night of the Anniversary, Thursday, February 9th at the Speakeasy. The panel is going to be divided into three sections, with each section lasting 30 minutes. There will be a break at 9pm and the first band goes on at 10pm on the nose.

Here's the rundown of each section of the panel and who will be speaking.

Section 1: What is "indie"?

Panelists: Stuart Berman (Two Koreas, eye Weekly), Amy Hersenhoren (RMS Concerts, Lee's Palace), James Klassen (Tradition), Doc Pickles (Wavelength, Your Band Sucks)

Moderated by: Misha Glouberman (Trampoline Hall, Diplomatic Immunities)

Wavelength and many of the bands that play it are often described as "indie". In a year when "indie" became a mainstream term thanks to the likes of The Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, and Franz Ferdinand, the term has never been so popular. But what does it even mean? Is "indie" just a stepping stone for any band on the pathway to success, or is it something to aspire to outside of an economic context? Can a band be successful and still "indie", or does that word imply a certain refusal to be popular and to make a living off your art? At what point does NOT selling out become just a glorification of life below the poverty line? What role does "indie" play within our community and is it even a viable description of anything? What are "indie" aesthetics outside of just a musical context? Is "indie" just another misused and meaningless marketing term, like "emo", or does it represent a set of values and principles agreed on by a community of like-minded individuals?

Section 2: Torontopia vs. Dystopia

Panelists: Trevor Coleman (The Boat), Jonny Dovercourt (Republic of Safety, The Music Gallery, Wavelength), Bernard Kadosh (Femme Generation, Stille Post), Dan Vila (No Dynamics, Bush League)

Moderated by Dylan Reibling (Wavelength, Skullfuckx10)

Talk to any number of musicians that play Wavelength, either local or from out of town, about the local music scene and a common theme will appear: Toronto is a positive city with a large, supportive music community. Many people have worked to foster and nurture that kind of environment, like Wavelength, Three Gut Records and the Blocks Recording Club. Many people inside the independent music scene not only work together towards common goals, but they are friends. Mosh pits at some shows have more closely resembled group hugs than anything violent. But is this changing? Within the last year there have been a few violent incidents at shows and hard drugs have infiltrated the indie music scene in a way never seen before. As well, Torontopia isn't as prominently espoused as it was back in 2003. Is there a correlation? Not everyone may be keen on creating an environment of positivity and goodwill out of fear of stagnating creativity and innovation. But then, what are we trying to create? Are there united community goals? It's possible that the previous years of Torontopia are being revolted against with a kind of nihilistic dystopia, or this could just be the natural progression of an expanding music community. Is an excess of hedonism and isolationist mentalities threatening to undo all the good work of the last 5-10 years, or is this a reaction to back patting and self-aggrandizing for the sake of fostering community?

Section 3: Where do we go from here?

Panelists: Liz Forsberg (The Phonemes, York University's Faculty of Environmental Studies), Ryan McLaren (Wavelength), Carl Wilson (Zoilus, The Globe and Mail), Christina Zeidler (The Gladstone Hotel)

Moderated by James Anderson (Singing Saw Shadow Show, Lenin I Shumov)

In 2003, Torontopia was a common word around the Toronto music community. That year ushered in a wave of optimism and positive-minded people who brought focus on local art, music especially, and said "Yes, this city is great, and we can make it the place we want it to be." That sentiment seems to have quieted down since then, and some have called the last two years an outright slump, but the launch of uTOpia: Towards a New Toronto by Coach House Press has reinvigorated that sensibility and applied it to many more disciplines than just music. We are at still at a point where we can choose our future. We can fix what we don't like and create what we don't have but desire. The question is: where do we go from here? What are we looking for? What do we want this music community to be, and what role do we want it to play in this city? What specific projects need to be worked on, and how do we rally that can-do spirit? What's holding us back and how do we move forward?