Ah, February — the short king of months. It's a welcome change after dragging ourselves through the 90-some days of January, and the concert bounty in the city of Toronto really is about to deliver us from the bleak midwinter. Each week of this month, we're rounding up five concerts you can't miss in the 416, and things are starting strong. See our full Canadian concert listings here, as well as our tour announcements.
Soccer Mommy
The Concert Hall, February 4
Buy tickets here
Hitting the road behind her latest record, Evergreen, Sophie Allison is honing in on that album's title as a definitive element of her songcraft. With gems spanning her prolific discography and support from the incomparable Tomberlin, this is a not-to-be-missed night of future indie classics.
070 Shake
History, February 5
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The rapper-singer born Danielle Balbuena has been consistently stealing the show on high-profile collaborations for years now, but her shadowy tracks proved that they have grown to establish fully fleshed-out worldbuilding with last year's Petrichor.
Jack White
History and Massey Hall, February 6–8
Buy tickets here, here and here
Every rock 'n' roll man of a certain age you know will inevitably be checking out at least one of White's three Toronto concerts behind No Name. (If you don't fit the profile, try not to let that deter you; it'll definitely be good.)
Lauren Mayberry
The Concert Hall, February 7
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The CHVRCHES frontwoman is stepping out on her own behind her solo debut Vicious Creature. She's always been a powerhouse behind the mic despite her delicate and airy vocal delivery, and seems to be using her solo project to dig in her heels with raw reflections on womanhood with a newfound level of empowerment.
Hippo Campus
History, February 9
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Four albums deep into their career, Hippo Campus hit the reset button for Flood. While they've always been adept at turning complicated coming-of-age realities into irresistibly buoyant indie pop, there's a sense of hard-won wisdom colouring their latest output — which is sure to translate to a transcendent live show.