There's more to this weekend's Wavelength 14 festival than just four nights of awesome concerts. We're also hosting (or co-hosting) two afternoon in-store events at local independent record stores - both of which are FREE admission and open to ALL AGES.

On Saturday (February 15) at 4:00PM at June Records, we're chuffed to co-present the Toronto launch for Wyrd Distro - the new distribution service run by our friends at Weird Canada. The much-anticipated new service will allow music lovers and retailers across the country to #grip "limited edition physical releases and ephemera from Canada’s most exciting new artists and labels." Never ones to think small, the Wyrd braintrust are hosting a truly nationwide series of "launch gatherings" with simultaneous events happening in each and every one of the 10 provinces and 3 territories that make up this great nation. The Wyrd Distro launch will feature a talk by Weird Canada's Executive Director Marie Claire Flanagan and Creative Director Aaron Levin, live here in Toronto and broadcast nationally via interactive Google Hangout. The talk will then be followed by a live set by Carl Didur, the Toronto synth scholar and one-half of Zacht Automaat - live for only you lucky few at June Records. More info here.

Then on Sunday (February 16) at 3:00PM at Sonic Boom Music (Annex location), we're hosting a special event entitled "The Toronto Music Moment." This event is based around a group talk/discussion featuring Councillor Josh Colle (Toronto City Councillor, Ward 15), Dalton Higgins (author & independent concert promoter), Nadine McNulty (concert promoter, Batuki Music), Noah Mintz (Lacquer Channel Mastering), and Wavelength's own Jonny Dovercourt. The topic is framed as "Now that the world has officially discovered Toronto music, where does the scene go from here?" - and here is some context:

There's more to the story than just "Rob Ford goes to Austin." Music superstars like Drake proudly call Toronto home, and our independent, underground music community is steadily producing a stream of exports (such as WL14 performers Phedre, DIANA, Odonis Odonis, Petra Glynt and Greys) boasting to the rest of the world about our amazing and supportive scene. The city and province have recently, at long last, recognized the contributions of the music industry and community to our culture and economy, with the province's recent $45 million investment in the new Ontario Music Fund, and City Hall establishing a Toronto Music Industry Advisory Council. Music Canada has also established the 4479 Toronto initiative to boost local music.

This talk will include City Councillor Josh Colle, recently appointed as a Member at Large of the T.M.I.A.C. and the architect of the Toronto Austin Music City Alliance; musician and mastering engineer Noah Mintz, also recently appointed to the council; and two independent concert promoters, Dalton Higgins and
Nadine McNulty. The panel will be moderated by Wavelength's Founding Director, Jonny Dovercourt. Please join us for this informative, insightful discussion into the challenges and opportunities around Toronto's long-overdue "Music Moment."

Sunday afternoon will also feature live performances by Zimbabwean-Canadian Mbira duo Evelyn Mukwedeya & Memory Makuri (of Nhapitapi Mbira), lo-fi garage punks Mexican Slang, and sparkly electro-pop duo, Ark Analog. The show will be wrapped up around 6, in time for you to make it to the Garrison for the night-time show. More info here.

Thanks very much to Sonic Boom and June Records for hosting these two special events.

Photo of Dusted playing WL13 at Sonic Boom Music by Denise McMullen / BlogTO.