Hot Concert Picks for July

Here are our picks for the hottest concerts in Toronto this July.

Black Lips

July 9 and 10 at The Horseshoe Tavern (370 Queen St. W.)

Atlanta garage rockers Black Lips will be in Toronto for two nights in support of their seventh studio album, Underneath the Rainbow, which was released last year. Local bands Teenager and Pow Pows will join them for the Friday show, while Milk Lines and The Beverleys offer their support on Saturday.

$22.50 advance tickets available at Rotate This, Soundscapes, and Ticketfly

Death From Above 1979

July 12 at Nathan Phillips Square (100 Queen St. W.)

Death From Above 1979 are back and we couldn’t be happier. Before kicking off their summer tour with the Deftones, the reunited duo of Sebastien Grainger and Jesse F. Keeler will play a free show at Nathan Phillip’s Square as part of Panamania. They’re also recording a live album at Jack White’s Third Man Records, so stay tuned for that.

FREE!

Interpol

July 14 and 15 at The Danforth Music Hall (147 Danforth Ave.)

Interpol were forced to cancel November’s show at the Kool Haus after a snowstorm left them trapped on their tour bus for more than 40 hours (what troopers!), so they’re making up for it with two Toronto dates this summer. The New York trio released their fifth album, El Pintor, in September to rave reviews.

$28.50-35 advance tickets available at Rotate This, Soundscapes, and Ticketmaster

Penguin Prison

July 15 at The Drake Hotel Underground (1150 Queen St. W.)

New York singer-songwriter/DJ Chris Glover (a.k.a. Penguin Prison) has garnered a lot of attention for his remixes of artists like Ellie Goulding, Lana Del Rey, and Miike Snow, but he’s also produced some catchy original work. His latest album, Lost in New York, is packed full of dance-worthy songs, which should make for a fun show.

$15 tickets available at Rotate This, Soundscapes, Ticketweb, and at the door

The Flaming Lips

July 19 at Nathan Phillips Square (100 Queen St. W.)

If you haven’t been to a Flaming Lips show before, prepare to have your mind blown. The Oklahoma psych-rock group is known for their elaborate live performances, which feature costumes, video projections, lots and lots of confetti, balloons, and frontman Wayne Coyne traversing the crowd in a man-sized plastic bubble. They’ll be playing Nathan Phillips Square for free as part of Panamania.

FREE!

WayHome Music Festival

July 24-26 at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte

The brainchild of Bonnaroo co-founders AC Entertainment and local promoters Republic Live, WayHome is a three-day music and arts festival taking place on the beautiful grounds of Burl’s Creek, just north of Barrie. Neil Young + The Promise of the Real, Sam Smith, Kendrick Lamar, Alt-J, Modest Mouse, The Decemberists, Bassnectar, Girl Talk, St. Vincent, Future Islands, and Danny Brown are just some of the artists playing the fest. There will also be 30 food vendors ranging from gourmet food trucks and restaurant pop-ups to local comfort food classics, The WayMarket by Etsy, several large-scale installations, a “late-night forest,” and more.

$249.99 weekend passes available through Eventbrite

Cayucas

July 26 at The Garrison (1197 Dundas St. W.)

Hot off the heels of the release of their sophomore album Dancing at the Blue Lagoon, Santa Monica-based indie pop group Cayucas hit the road for a massive 30+ city tour. The brother duo drew from the nostalgia of their childhood for their latest effort, the result of which is quintessentially Californian and perfect for a lazy summer day.

$15 tickets available at Rotate This, Soundscapes, and Ticketweb