The 2008 Junction Arts Festival was a great success! Visit here for news and updates about site changes, thejunctioncity.com for continued programming throughout the year, and otherwise enjoy reading about the artists and performers that made this year's festival such a blast.

Live Stages

This year's festival featured more music than ever before with the addition of a Friday night concert and all day Saturday and Sunday performances on two stages.

On Friday night, Justin Rutledge was the main act for an evening of music that had a quiet excitment and an enthusiastic audience of supporters of an all home-town Junction line-up. Saturday featured world music, blues and rock culminating in a capacity crowd for headliner David Usher, who declared it his "most fun Toronto show ever." Sunday afternoon featured an all jazz retreat from the rain featuring the Brownman Electryc Trio. We also had great local bands all Saturday and Sunday afternoon on the GMC Junction Stage. Take a look below at all the acts that graced the stages and rocked the crowd.


MAIN STAGE - 2956-2960 Dundas Street West
JUNCTION STAGE - Dundas Street West at Mavety Street
Sponsored by General Motors

The Junction is home to literally hundreds of bands and musicians. In a rare display of Canadian pride we will highlight the local talent with The Junction Stage presenting only bands and musicians with a personal connect to the area. We could only fit a small percentage as we received well over 50 applications. Located at Mavety and Dundas west the street level stage will rock, roll, lull and sing on Saturday and Sunday all afternoon.

ARTIST INFORMATION
Julian Fauth

Set Time

7:00 pm, Friday September 5th - Main Stage

Biography

Julian Fauth is one of the most exciting and accomplished musicians on the North American blues scene today. A pianist par excellence, Julian is also a creative guitarist, a strong and soulful vocalist, and a highly original songwriter. He is a full time musician, playing at many music festivals as well as various blues, folk and jazz venues. He has residencies at several clubs in Toronto, his home base.

Julian Fauth was nominated for a 2006 JUNO award for Blues Recording of the Year for his CD Songs of Vice and Sorrow, released on the Electro-Fi Records label. That CD has received rave reviews, lots of radio air time and it has sold well. Julian has just released his second Electro-Fi CD, Ramblin’ Son, and it has received rave reviews, it is selling very well, and is getting wide radio airplay, particularly in the United States. It currently stands at Number 2 on the Bluesville chart on XM Satellite Radio.

julianfauth.com
Samantha Martin and the Haggard

Set Time

8:15 pm, Friday September 5th - Main Stage

Biography

A true "trucker's daughter" and a fellow Junction resident, Samantha Martin is continuously traveling, writing and performing. With early critical acclaim, and the completion of her latest release, Back Home (2008), she is certain to be catapulted in the upper echelon of the roots/country scene in Canada and The U.S.

samanthamartin.ca
Justin Rutledge

Set Time

9:30 pm, Friday September 5th - Main Stage

Biography

Justin Rutledge, who was credited as the “Best Toronto songwriter in 2006” by NOW, returns to the festival this year with his third album, Man Descending (2008); a collection of quieter, darker songs that were inspired by the 1982 book of the same name by Guy Vanderhaeghe. Rutledge’s debut album, No Never Alone (2005), was called “an incredible breakthrough,” by the UK’s NME and his sophomore release, The Devil On A Bench In Stanley Park (2006), earned him a Juno nomination and the Galaxie Rising Star Award at the Edmonton Folk Festival.

justinrutledge.com
myspace.com/justinrutledge
Revival Dear

Set Time

12:30 pm, Saturday September 6th - Main Stage

Biography

Revival Dear is a roots rock band who has found a way to pay homage to the past and to herald in the future at the same time. Imagine a marriage between classic rock legends The Band and Fleetwood Mac, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of their sound. Yet Revival Dear’s music is fresh, totally alive, and very relevant in today’s music scene.

revivaldear.com
myspace.com/revivaldear
The Foggy Hogtown Boys

Set Time

2:00pm, Saturday September 6th - Main Stage

Members

Andrew Collins on mandolin, Chris Coole on guitar, Max Heineman on bass, Chris Quinn on banjo and John Showman on fiddle.

Biography

From the band's inception, it was apparent that this particular group of musicians had a special chemistry that translated into some very powerful and entertaining music. This is not just five hot pickers in the same place at the same time. The Foggy Hogtown Boys are a band with a unique sound that is the sum of its members' personalities and musicianship. While instrumentally the band has the power to dazzle any audience, the song is always given top priority. This commitment is evident in the care taken to arrange each song in a way that allows the story and feeling of the lyrics to surface and not be overshadowed by pyrotechnics. Their latest album "The Golden West" (2008) is a mix of original and traditional bluegrass music with elements of old-time music and honky-tonk thrown in.

foggyhogtownboys.com
Anne Lindsay

Set Time

3:30 pm, Saturday September 6th - Main Stage

Biography

Anne Lindsay has established herself as one of the most engaging and versatile instrumentalists in Canada. In 2007 she was named Violinist of the Year at the National Jazz Awards and Solo Instrumentalist and Producer of the Year at the 2007 Canadian Folk Music Awards. In 2006 she won both the KM Hunter Award from the Ontario Arts Council and an OCFF Songs from the Heart award. With her all star band of cutting edge Toronto musicians she offers a dynamic show of captivating original songs and instrumentals - not to be missed!

anne-lindsay.com
Donné Roberts

Set Time

5:00 pm, Saturday September 6th - Main Stage

Biography

If the immortal sounds of Fela Kuti, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Peter Gabriel and Richie Havens were to come together as one, their torchbearer might very well be Madagascar-born, Russian-raised and now Toronto-based guitarist Donné Roberts. Effortlessly combining polyrhythmic African and European folk & groove and blazing North American funk, rock and blues influences, Roberts and his 6-piece band deliver a remarkably diverse, infectiously joyful and utterly unique live music experience.

donneroberts.com
myspace.com/donneroberts
Chris Bottomley & Brainfudge

Set Time

6:30 pm, Saturday September 6th - Main Stage

Biography

Chris Bottomley's Brainfudge is Toronto's original world-funk collective. Since 1990, more or less everybody who's been anybody in the Toronto's jazz-funk scene has joined the veteran bass thumper, singer and percussionist as part of Brainfudge at one time or another. Their live shows from Queen West's mid 90's glory days remain the stuff of legend, and a collection of those timeless parties will be released as a live album in the not-too-distant future. Chris Bottomley, bass player on fire, performs incredible hooks in a variety of genres to get you dancing! His live spirited, funk stuff, culled from labyrinths of the heart and soul, messes with the body and mind.

chrisbottomley.com
myspace.com/chrisbottomleymusic
Crash Parallel

Set Time

8:00 pm, Saturday September 6th - Main Stage

Members

Tim Edwards singer/songwriter, Dan Saitua songwriter/guitarist, Gary Rugula on bass, and John Vitellaro on drums.

Biography

Drawing comparisons to artists such as Coldplay, The Fray, David Gray and Counting Crows, Crash Parallel's debut album is a combination of strong melodies and intimate lyrics. The Toronto-based quartet was formed three years ago and to date the band has taken an organic, grassroots approach to their career while working on their debut album, World We Know, set for release May 6th, 2008. They garnered an early following through performing local area gigs, including NXNE where the response was outstanding which led to major buzz for the band at both college and online communities. Crash Parallel is currently in the studio gearing up for a cross country tour and looking forward to showcasing their live show to audiences across Canada in the upcoming months.

crashparallel.com
myspace.com/crashparallel
David Usher

Set Time

9:30 pm, Saturday September 6th - Main Stage

Biography

Born in Oxford, David is a Canadian who has lived in England, Canada, Thailand, and Malaysia, the East Village in New York and now Montreal. He has a degree in Political Science from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. With his band, and as a solo artist, David has sold over 1.3 million records. He has won 5 Junos (the Canadian Grammy) including 2002 Pop Album of the Year. Also in Canada, he has had 10 different singles hold the #1 spot on radio, and 10 singles in the top ten. David has also had "top ten" and "top twenty" radio singles in England, Germany, Switzerland, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Poland, Russia, Hungary, Sweden, Austria, Czech Republic, Israel, Greece, Italy, France, The Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan. David has traveled to Burma for WarChild to film a documentary on children affected by war. He has performed for Fashion Cares and is presently part of the campaign to Make Poverty History. David has also recently finished a cover version of John Lennon's "Watching the Wheels" for Amnesty International.

davidusher.com
myspace.com/davidushermusic
Ciara Adams

Set Time

1:00 pm, Sunday September 7th - Main Stage

Biography

Toronto based performer and singer/songwriter, Ciara Adams music is an infectious blend of pop and jazz melodies, grounded in contemporary groove. Well on her way to an outstanding career as a Jazz singer, Ciara made the bold decision to start writing her own songs, so she got busy and the result is her recent release Last of the Bohemians (Decadent Rare Records 2008). This new record has received rave reviews and recently garnered 4/5 stars from Target Magazine. Her debut release, Ciara Adams Live at Le Select Bistro has found it's way onto jazz top ten lists in Europe and Asia, and boasts over 15,000 in sales internationally. This versatile singer/songwriter's music has been praised for it's depth, originality, and eclectic sound, and her live show is not to be missed.

ciaraadams.com
myspace.com/ciaraadams
John Menegon & Inside Outside

Set Time

2:30 pm, Sunday September 7th - Main Stage

Biography

The John Menegon Group Inside Outside has just finished recording their first CD, Field Trip, made up of all original music. The core group is made up of George Muscatello - Guitar, Adrian Cohen - Piano/electric keyboards, Danny Whelchel - Drums and John Menegon -Bass/Vocals. The Band has been together for over two years and plays on a regular basis at Justins Jazz Club In Albany New York. The group explores different musical genres mixing funk,latin and swing. This anything goes approach gives the freedom to which makes for an exciting experience for the listener. John Menegon leads the group with his career starting in the mid 70's in Montreal where he honed his skills with the likes of guitarists Sonny Greenwhich, Peter Leach, Nelson Simonds and Mike Gauthier. Moving to New York City in the Mid eighties John has remained on the jazz scene playing and recording with Saxophonists Dewey Redman, David Fathead Newman,Joe Lovano,Frank Kimbrough,Matt Wilson and many others. The other members of the group are excellent young musicians playing and recording with musicians (Brian Patneaude, Dave Clarko, Adam Niewood) from Albany to New York City. They bring a wealth of talent and energy to the bandstand.

Brownman Electryc Trio

Set Time

4:00 pm, Sunday September 7th - Main Stage

Biography

Born "Nick Ali" on the small Caribbean island of Trinidad, schooled in New York City and now called "Canada's preeminent jazz trumpeter" by New York City's Village Voice magazine, the ever dynamic Brownman tirelessly leads no less than 7 highly respected ensembles of his own spanning be-bop to hip-hop. He is best known internationally for his work as the featured soloist with GURU's JAZZMATAZZ and as the leader of his electrified Miles Davis' influenced BROWNMAN ELECTRYC TRIO (2007 National Jazz Award winner for "Electric Group of the Year"). He is also one of the most called upon trumpet players in the studio industry, his recording credits sitting at just over 250 records to date. Since returning to Canada from NYC, he has been on the cutting edge of modern music in the nation for the last decade, winning multiple awards nationally, achieving international recognition while touring the globe, and widely considered to be a vanguard for the evolution of jazz in Canada.

Recently returning from Brazil to perform at the Junction Arts Festival, he is currently in the midst of a world-tour as the featured soloist with the legendary New York City jazz-hip-hop artist GURU (of Gangstarr fame) for his JAZZMATAZZ ensemble.

brownman.com
Shortwave

Set Time

12:30 pm, Saturday September 6th - General Motors Junction Stage

Biography

Shortwave has recorded their 2nd album with Grammy Award winning producer, Malcolm Burn. Heading into the studio, the band's ethos was to capture the live energy of five musicians recording their parts together; a rarity today. Focusing on the songs and the project's overall feel, Shortwave eschewed modern standards where every minutia is over-effected and over-dubbed, rather embracing the sonic philosophies of a bygone era. The product of dedication, hard work, happenstance and alchemical reaction, Shortwave's music is passionate and immediate in its theme and intensity.

myspace.com/shortwavetheband
The Framework

Set Time

2:00 pm, Saturday September 6th - General Motors Junction Stage

Biography

The Framework is a Toronto-based new-wave rock band formed in late 2006. At barely 3 months old, the band garnered national attention as a result of winning runner-up in the Mix 99.9's 2007 RadioStar Songwriting Contest, for the song, "She Thinks I'm Famous." The combination of buzz from the contest and the band's catchy synth-rock epics instantly set The Framework up with an extensive online international fan base and sparked the interest of media outlets such as Metro Daily and Inside E magazine. In the latter publication, the band was chosen as a hot ticket event for March 2008 amongst highly revered acts Foo Fighters and Sum 41.

Upon releasing their eagerly anticipated self-titled EP and playing to sold out crowds in Toronto, opening for DJ Champion in Ottawa and a stint at New York City’s Arlene’s Grocery, The Framework have become not only a local favorite but continue to be one of the most talked about Toronto independent acts by international music lovers and tastemakers alike.

Earlier this year, The Framework enlisted highly acclaimed international DJ's including Crookram of the RAC (Bloc Party/CSS/Tegan and Sara), Camp America (Athelete/Caves), and Vitaminsforyou (Emm Gryner/ Arcade Fire/Madrid) to remix original songs from their self-titled debut, released as The Framework Reworked in 2007.

Recently, The Framework was chosen by Inside E as one of the top 5 picks of the 2008 North by Northeast Festival in Toronto. The Framework was also chosen as one of the top five finalists for the Road to the Virgin Festival by judges such as Richard Branson. Currently The Framework is in the studio working on a full-length album encompassing all songs in their live set, to be released later this year.

myspace.com/songsintheframework
KlezFactor

Set Time

3:30 pm, Saturday September 6th - General Motors Junction Stage

Biography

Toronto's KlezFactor blends jazz, Klezmer, rock, disco, funk, Balkan and African styles for a modern fusion of musical worlds. Klexfactor's first album, The Golden of Bathurst Manor, has garnered critical and audience acclaim and was hailed by Wholenote Magazine as "daring and creative." KlezFactor's music has been around the world, on conventional and internet radio in Canada, Russia, the US, and Spain, as well as in viral videos and DJ sets.

myspace.com/klezfactor.com
Erin Ford and The Good Life

Set Time

5:00 pm, Saturday September 6th - General Motors Junction Stage

Biography

Erin Ford has been performing music since childhood but started to take the business seriously in 1991 when she became a Factor Award recipient for her own compositions. Erin honed her skills from 1991 to 1993 and 1995 to 2003 playing solo and in cover bands. She started forming her own band in 2003. The result, Erin Ford & The Good Life, has been actively gigging since summer 2005 including last year’s Junction Arts Festival. Starting with cover music the band developed their sound and have been arranging and working Erin’s original songs. They plan to release their first all-original CD. The band is now evolving with new members coming in and recording in the ELF Music (Erin’s own Indie label) Studio.

Erin & the band look forward to playing much more original music during their set this year at the Centennial Junction Arts Festival on the Junction stage. .

erinford.ca
The Flowers of Hell

Set Time

12:30 pm, Sunday September 7th - General Motors Junction Stage

Biography

Based in London and Toronto, The Flowers Of Hell are an international group of experimental independent musicians led by Greg Jarvis. The group mix orchestral instruments with drones and twanging guitars, creating a sound reminiscent of The Velvet Underground and early Spiritualized, while adding a classical twist. Amongst the band's notable ranks are members who also perform as side players for British Sea Power, Bat For Lashes, The Clientele and Tindersticks. Their name is taken from the old blues ideal that the misery and toil of musicians leads to the pleasure of the listeners.

flowersofhell.com
Heather Chappell

Set Time

1:45 pm, Sunday September 7th - General Motors Junction Stage

Biography

Toronto based singer-songwriter Heather Chappell has been developing her own brand of introspective folk/root music since her twenties. Her songs are lyrically deep, emotional and intimate, often calling to mind the sweetness of a familiar Celtic ballad or the hush of a sacred Sunday hymn. Over the years Heather has played at folk music venues and festivals throughout southern Ontario and Northern Ireland. Heather and her accordion Violet are currently accompanied by guitarist (and husband) Vincent Peets, vocalist (and sister) Margaret Chappell, drummer (and brother-in-law) Gerard Sternik and bassist Alexander Toth. Her debut solo album, The Moon a Bullethole, was released in November 2007.

myspace.com/heatherchappellmusic
The Outlanders

Set Time

3:00 pm, Sunday September 7th - General Motors Junction Stage

Biography

The Outlanders is a Toronto based instrumental jazz/folk group. It is comprised of guitarist Joel Schwartz, bassist Bret Higgins, keyboardist Joanna Borromeo and drummer Joshua Van Tassel. The Outlanders produce a fluid blend of folk, roots jazz that is at once melodic, biting and emotionally resonant. Whether dark and gritty or soaring and ethereal, the sound is fresh, yet visceral and accessible. The Outlanders will be releasing their debut album in September 2008 with the support of the Ontario Arts Council.

outlanders.ca