Following a break from in-person festivities in 2021, Exclaim!'s Class Of concert series is officially back in Toronto with live audiences for 2022.
While we had to reschedule the series from our initial January plans — including the cancellation of our shows in Hamilton, Montreal and Edmonton — we here at Exclaim!, in collaboration with concert promoter Dan Burke, are excited to present showcases filled with your new favourite artists from the city and beyond.
The festivities begin on Saturday, February 5 at the Monarch Tavern with performances from hometown pop-rockers Vintage Boring and Montreal country outfit Nora Kelly Band (featuring members of DISHPIT and Fleece).
Then, on Thursday, February 10 at the Monarch Tavern, we'll see moccasin-gaze provocateur Zoon playing alongside psych-rockers the John Denver Airport Conspiracy and garage rocker boy wonder.
Industrial synth gets its time to shine on Friday, February 11 at the Monarch Tavern thanks to Pleasure Craft, Olga (Nic Waterman of Vypers) and Castle Frank.
Saturday, February 26 will call us back to the Monarch for Peeling's hypnotic noise pop, the post-punk synthwave stylings of Secret Sign, fresh-faced indie rockers Super Genius and the punk hurricane (with a post-rock eye) that is Sham Family.
Saturday, March 12 is a double-header. Choose wisely, friends — a pros and cons list might be necessary here: in one corner, at Lee's Palace, there's bedroom popster Your Hunni, confessional songwriter CJ Wiley (f.k.a. Prancer), nu-disco band Dumb Stupid Liars and hyperpop phenom 8485.
In the other corner, at the Horseshoe Tavern, get ready to rock with post-punks Bike Thiefs, Cat Clyde-fronted surf-rockers Shitbats, psych quintet Pretty and slack rockers Paste.
And finally, everything wraps up on April 23 at the Horseshoe with Josh Korody's Madchesterian Breeze, dancey Montreal art-rock trio Crasher (the new project from Airick Woodhead of Doldrums), punks Only God Forgives (featuring members of Class Of alum Tallies and WLMRT) and grunge rockers PACKS.
With the series launching this weekend, get to know the first two members of the Class of 2022 below, and keep scrolling for links to the Facebook events — where tickets are available for each show via Showclix — and to our Spotify playlist featuring this year's graduates. Keep your eyes on Exclaim! in the coming weeks as we'll be spotlighting each and every act in the Class of 2022, and check back here for forthcoming updates.
Vintage Boring
Toronto, ON
February 5 at the Monarch Tavern
Their name is a complete misnomer, as there's nothing vintage or boring about Vintage Boring's folk-rock. And people are taking notice — after releasing debut EP Small Space in 2021, they've amassed a devoted local following. According to singer-guitarist Jamie O'Halloran, "We sold out Lee's Palace and back-to-back nights at the Horseshoe Tavern. Now, our goal is to release more music so we can build our fanbase outside of Ontario and hit the road for future gigs. We are in the studio for most of January, so we feel like this is a pretty good place to start." Better give in and join the crowd while it's still early.
Nora Kelly Band
Montreal, QB
February 5 at the Monarch Tavern
Since they've yet to release their first single, you might not have heard of — or heard — Nora Kelly Band, but you know some of its members from Montreal post-punks DISHPIT and psych-rockers Fleece. This new alt-country outfit embodies both the rebellious spirit of a teenage punk and the sweet pastoralism of a baby cow, with a likewise dangerous daring and wholesome origin: "During the pandemic, our circle of friends would meet on the train tracks to sing country sounds," bandleader Nora Kelly explains. "This is where we met and honed our country chops." They're finally ready to "lay [their] golden egg" with their 2022 debut — and Kelly's already practicing her yodelling for album two.
Exclaim!'s Class of 2022:
02/05 Vintage Boring / Nora Kelly Band - Monarch Tavern
02/10 Zoon / the John Denver Airport Conspiracy / boy wonder - Monarch Tavern
02/11 Pleasure Craft / Olga / Castle Frank - Monarch Tavern
02/26 Peeling / Secret Sign / Super Genius / Sham Family - Monarch Tavern
03/12 Bike Thiefs / Shitbats / Paste / Pretty - Horseshoe Tavern
03/12 Your Hunni / CJ Wiley / Dumb Stupid Liars / 8485 - Lee's Palace
04/23 Breeze / Crasher / PACKS / Only God Forgives - Horseshoe Tavern
While we had to reschedule the series from our initial January plans — including the cancellation of our shows in Hamilton, Montreal and Edmonton — we here at Exclaim!, in collaboration with concert promoter Dan Burke, are excited to present showcases filled with your new favourite artists from the city and beyond.
The festivities begin on Saturday, February 5 at the Monarch Tavern with performances from hometown pop-rockers Vintage Boring and Montreal country outfit Nora Kelly Band (featuring members of DISHPIT and Fleece).
Then, on Thursday, February 10 at the Monarch Tavern, we'll see moccasin-gaze provocateur Zoon playing alongside psych-rockers the John Denver Airport Conspiracy and garage rocker boy wonder.
Industrial synth gets its time to shine on Friday, February 11 at the Monarch Tavern thanks to Pleasure Craft, Olga (Nic Waterman of Vypers) and Castle Frank.
Saturday, February 26 will call us back to the Monarch for Peeling's hypnotic noise pop, the post-punk synthwave stylings of Secret Sign, fresh-faced indie rockers Super Genius and the punk hurricane (with a post-rock eye) that is Sham Family.
Saturday, March 12 is a double-header. Choose wisely, friends — a pros and cons list might be necessary here: in one corner, at Lee's Palace, there's bedroom popster Your Hunni, confessional songwriter CJ Wiley (f.k.a. Prancer), nu-disco band Dumb Stupid Liars and hyperpop phenom 8485.
In the other corner, at the Horseshoe Tavern, get ready to rock with post-punks Bike Thiefs, Cat Clyde-fronted surf-rockers Shitbats, psych quintet Pretty and slack rockers Paste.
And finally, everything wraps up on April 23 at the Horseshoe with Josh Korody's Madchesterian Breeze, dancey Montreal art-rock trio Crasher (the new project from Airick Woodhead of Doldrums), punks Only God Forgives (featuring members of Class Of alum Tallies and WLMRT) and grunge rockers PACKS.
With the series launching this weekend, get to know the first two members of the Class of 2022 below, and keep scrolling for links to the Facebook events — where tickets are available for each show via Showclix — and to our Spotify playlist featuring this year's graduates. Keep your eyes on Exclaim! in the coming weeks as we'll be spotlighting each and every act in the Class of 2022, and check back here for forthcoming updates.
Vintage Boring
Toronto, ON
February 5 at the Monarch Tavern
Their name is a complete misnomer, as there's nothing vintage or boring about Vintage Boring's folk-rock. And people are taking notice — after releasing debut EP Small Space in 2021, they've amassed a devoted local following. According to singer-guitarist Jamie O'Halloran, "We sold out Lee's Palace and back-to-back nights at the Horseshoe Tavern. Now, our goal is to release more music so we can build our fanbase outside of Ontario and hit the road for future gigs. We are in the studio for most of January, so we feel like this is a pretty good place to start." Better give in and join the crowd while it's still early.
Nora Kelly Band
Montreal, QB
February 5 at the Monarch Tavern
Since they've yet to release their first single, you might not have heard of — or heard — Nora Kelly Band, but you know some of its members from Montreal post-punks DISHPIT and psych-rockers Fleece. This new alt-country outfit embodies both the rebellious spirit of a teenage punk and the sweet pastoralism of a baby cow, with a likewise dangerous daring and wholesome origin: "During the pandemic, our circle of friends would meet on the train tracks to sing country sounds," bandleader Nora Kelly explains. "This is where we met and honed our country chops." They're finally ready to "lay [their] golden egg" with their 2022 debut — and Kelly's already practicing her yodelling for album two.
Exclaim!'s Class of 2022:
02/05 Vintage Boring / Nora Kelly Band - Monarch Tavern
02/10 Zoon / the John Denver Airport Conspiracy / boy wonder - Monarch Tavern
02/11 Pleasure Craft / Olga / Castle Frank - Monarch Tavern
02/26 Peeling / Secret Sign / Super Genius / Sham Family - Monarch Tavern
03/12 Bike Thiefs / Shitbats / Paste / Pretty - Horseshoe Tavern
03/12 Your Hunni / CJ Wiley / Dumb Stupid Liars / 8485 - Lee's Palace
04/23 Breeze / Crasher / PACKS / Only God Forgives - Horseshoe Tavern