Wavelength #1 still remains the stuff of legend. The following facts are certain: the date was Feb. 13, 2000, the place was Ted's Wrecking Yard (R.I.P. — and 549 College St. remains vacant to this day), the admission was PWYC and collected in a plastic pig not yet christened Henri, and the bands were Neck (soon to be re-christened Christiana) and Mean Red Spiders. Contrary to more generous reports, there were probably less than 40 people in attendance; roughly the same as the slightly-more-legendary Sex Pistols/Buzzcocks gig at Manchester's Lesser Free Trade Hall 24 years earlier.

In 2000, Mean Red Spiders were Toronto's Great Shoegaze Hope, our own Great White North equivalent of My Bloody Valentine, Stereolab and the Thirteenth Floor Elevator rolled into one. They had just released their second album, Stars and Sons — their second for Toronto label teenage USA (the predecessor to weewerk) and second produced in collaboration with Dave Newfeld, who two years later would go on to help create a rather well-received record by another band, that at that point had yet to form...

MRS would only produce one more record this decade, 2003's Still Life Fast Moving, recorded with Jeff McMurrich (now of 6 Nassau fame) before trading the indignities of the indie touring circuit for the more dignified sacrifices of parenthood. Not that they stopped making music; for the latter half of the 2000's, most of the same group of musicians explored their free-form improv side as Ghostlight, with various special guests and collaborators.

Tonight, 17 years after they first got together, Mean Red Spiders will release their fourth album, I Am the Sea, at Wavelength 511 at The Garrison. It was recorded at Spiders' guitarist and founding member Greg Chambers' home studio, Pod Studios, over the last couple of years, and features "basically everyone who has been in the band." The eight song album will be available on CD for $5 tonight, but you can also hear the whole things for free on the MRS Facebook page.

So, yes, tonight is one of those historic occasions, don't be a chump and stay home, all right? Ben Gunning (once of Local Rabbits and "Sally Ann's Style Denial" fame), Vanessa's Entire Heart (feat. Vanessa Hanson of Antler) and accordionist Willow Rutherford round out the bill. The Garrison, 9pm, PWYC. Here's the Facebook invite.