Words: Lizza Gebilagin Shutter: Will Sacks

KT Tunstall—March 1 at the Mod Club Canadian Music Week started off with a high at KT Tunstall's sold-out gig. Among those turned away from the packed Mod Club were annoyed members of the media who had passed on the Indie Awards to watch the singer play her Scottish take on bluesy folk. While they commiserated about the uselessness of their media passes, the fans inside the venue enjoyed the show.

Most of the songs that Tunstall and her band played were from her debut album, Eye To The Telescope. Before one song, she hinted to the crowd, "Here comes the horsey." Everyone immediately cheered as the first bar of "Black Horse and The Cherry Tree" began. She recreated the layers of her voice in the studio recording with a loop pedal on stage. And with all the stamping and clapping going on it felt like a barnyard hoedown.

She also played a couple of new tunes. "My tour bus is shiny," she sang, "I have too much money." She laughed and waited a moment for people to get the joke, and then started to sing the actual new song. But throughout the gig, it was obvious that the Brit Award-winning artist was grateful for her success. "Thank you for coming to this one [CMW gig] and buying all the tickets," she said. It was definitely the best choice of the night.

The Blue Van playing at the Drake Hotel in Toronto for Canadian Music Week.

The Blue Van—March 2 at the Drake The Blue Van accomplished the unthinkable—they succeeded in getting the crowd at the Drake Hotel, in Toronto's fashionable West Queen West area, to dance. The usually cool-conscious crowd were forced to drop all pretension and party to the Danish quartet's Kinks-influenced rock.

Clad in tight denim jeans, boots and scarves, the band got straight into the show with a pulsating energy that hit everyone immediately. Frontman Steffen Westmark, organist Soren V. Christensen, bassist Allan F. Villadsen and drummer Per M. Jorgenson tore through the songs from their debut album, The Art of Rolling. They jerked through "Revelation of Love" and they stamped across the stage during "I Want You." There were also a couple of slower tunes, including "Baby, I've Got Time." Before the song, Westmark joked, "All the guys go the bar and buy a drink and all the ladies stay and look star-struck."

By the last song the band was engrossed in an orgy of classic rock n' roll antics. Villadsen spat a mouthful of beer at Christensen, after Christensen threw a bottle at the bassist. Westmark did what all extroverted frontmen should do and took off his shirt but kept his vest on, while Villadsen stood on top of the Hammond organ and played the bass. It was live music at its best.

The Beautiful Unknown playing at the Drake Hotel in Toronto during Canadian Music Week.

The Beautiful Unknown—March 3 at the Drake During the international showcase at the Drake Hotel for CMW, Toronto band The Beautiful Unknown were a little stumped as to how they made it onto the lineup. "I'm from the 905," vocalist Tom Barlow said, "I think that qualifies me." But although they didn't fit in with the night's theme, the four-piece made every effort to entertain.

The Beautiful Unknown were the very image of mod rock in their matching black attire. They gave the punters a taste of the Beatle- influenced rock that will be on their album coming out in the summer, starting with the song, "Spinning In My Grave." With Barlow's sultry voice, which sounds like a mix of Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme and Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos, and Derek Downham's crazed playing on both the drums and guitar, the band impressed throughout their short 30-minute set. During "Riot in the House of Ruin," Downham was playing so fiercely he looked like he was going to break all of the strings of his guitar. They finished the set with a pounding version of "No Getting Through to You." The Beautiful Unknown's catchy songs and great live show will ensure they will be a prominent feature of the Toronto music scene.

People In Planes playing at the Mod Club in Toronto during Canadian Music Week.

People in Planes—March 4 at the Mod Club On the last night of Canadian Music Week, the audience was introduced to the newest commercial-friendly It band: People in Planes. The Welsh lads, whose grunge gear, stringy unwashed hair and formulaic sound could be easily mistaken for being American, seemed extremely excited to be playing at the Mod Club.

They gave it their all as they belted out power chord-driven rock tunes, off their debut album, As Far As The Eye Can See. Vocalist Gareth Jones looked tormented as he sang. While the rest of the band played impressive instrumentals that showed off their talent, Jones would grab a towel and dramatically wipe the sweat off his face with a look of intense emotion that was almost comical.

The crowd was made up of a huge, mostly indifferent, record-company guest list and a handful of screaming teenage fans. As People in Planes launched into the single "If You Talk Too Much (My Head Will Explode)" the girls up front joined their hands to form the loving shape of a heart. It was a sign of things to come for the band, whose music is set to be drowned out at gigs by high-pitched squealing from their fans.