Musicians

Greetings!

I believe that one of Windsor's most cherished traits is its music scene. Despite our size, the frequency of our sound (such pun intended) is definitely comparable to that of larger cities. Scarcely does a week go by where you do not have the option to take your pals or to journey by your lonesome and enjoy live music. You do not even have the excuse that the genres Windsor provides are not to your taste, because I can guarantee there is some band from here that will have your fancy right tickled.

I am only so confident in saying this because of the extent of variety I have bore witness to in Windsor: Hard core, rock, math rock, folk, alternative, punk, jazz, a cappella, celtic, indie, classical, new age, r&b, techno, and just about any other that I have failed to mention.

Holden House

I was more or less introduced to the music scene when I started frequenting house shows. I discovered that people were renting this house, more or less isolated in the midst of an industrial area to avoid noise disturbance, for the sole purpose of having a place to let loose and enjoy hard core music. It is called Holden House and you don't need to pay one penny to get in. There are only pay-what-you-can donations collected for the travelling bands. When I first went, I found myself immersed in people unlike any others. Everyone there is exceptionally friendly. Even inside of the mosh pits, which I'll define as very aggressive dance circles, there is an amiable tone and if someone falls or gets injured, they don't go long without assistance. If not for the adrenaline of mind-numbing sound, it was the intoxicating feeling of being one with a group of people because we are all there for the very same reason that kept me coming back. Read more about Holden House here. New Song Church was also among one of my first venues, where I saw the same thing on a much larger scale as the shows take place inside of a huge Church because Pastor Kevin Rogers is as supportive as they come. Among these are bars such as Phog or The Dominion House or cafés such as Taloola's or Milk which host many musical evenings, most of which are free and range from Milk's Absynthe Jazz Improv Band to youngin's with hurting hearts and acoustic guitars.

The majority of these shows average to about three bands a night. This is not always the case, however. Just this November, there was something called the Syndicate Festival, which was a fifteen band soirée all organized by the locals themselves. You can hear all about it in the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgSHsmH_kBw (thumbnail not available)

Perhaps you'd rather hear about what you can do to make your transformation from spectator to performer. You can warm yourself up by volunteering at open mic nights at Phog on Mondays; Villains Beastro and Milk on Tuesdays; Green Bean Café and Maroon Brothers on Thursdays, and the Beer Exchange on Sundays. Many of the musicians I know believe in a do-it-yourself approach to booking and organizing shows. So if you believe that you have a sound that will appeal to many, you can simply go to a show and get in contact with the owner of the venue. If still you are too shy for confrontation, I have come across many busking bands that range from a solo flutist to a gang of six blue grass-esque individuals. As I have been stressing, you are bound to find a tune that makes you want to dance, cry and sing along!

I will finish the entry by mentioning that bands who come here from out of town often comment on how Windsor creates a wonderful experience for them. I vouch for them when I say that we tend to get moving at shows, encouragement which is sometimes lacking elsewhere. More likely than not, it is for this reason, for this passion that our melodies have yet to be stifled.

If you are interested, comment with a genre which you are curious about and, if applicable, I will respond with a respective band. Until then, cheerio!