12 must-see concerts in Toronto this June

The must-see concerts in Toronto this June contain unexpected reunions, exciting pair-ups and summery jams to welcome the warmest season.

You probably already know about some big ones: U2 brings The Joshua Tree tour to the Rogers Centre; Thursday reunites at the Danforth; New Kids on the Block, Paula Abdul and Boyz II Men resurrect the 90s at ACC; Rise Against, Deftones and Thrice angst up Budweiser Stage.

Though festivals aren’t as heavily saturated as last year, we’ve still got Luminato, TD Jazz Festival, Field Trip and NXNE, the latter of which is smarting from a dropped headliner and unfortunate automated email, but can hopefully recover with a better shindig than last year.

Aside from those, here are the concerts that need to be on your radar for June.

Events you might want to check out:

Daughters (June 1 @ Hard Luck Bar)
This Rhode Island band reunited in 2013, but few have picked up on it - which is a shame, because their brew of noise/grind weirdness was inventive in its day and has long been missed. They'll assault ears with Odonis Odonis and Dalek.
Franz Ferdinand (June 2 @ The Danforth Music Hall)
Remember when fools were psyched for music to get punk and political again after the US election? Well, who’da thunk one of the first big anti-Trump protest jams would come from last decade’s dance-punk darlings? It’s weird, but I’m down.
Kehlani (June 4 @ REBEL)
The refreshingly honest, 90s-inspired R&B singer spent years doing her own thing and building a cult following. It finally paid off with last year's major-label debut, and now Torontonians get to see what all the buzz is about.
Girlpool (June 5 @ Horseshoe Tavern)
The creepy-sweet harmonies of this duo recently got beefed up with the addition of a drummer for new album Powerplant, which will add some extra oomph to their lullaby-esque songs at the ‘Shoe.
The Avalanches (June 8 @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre)
It took dang near 16 years, but was worth the wait. The masters of samples bring their patchwork electronic symphony to the Phoenix in a long-long-long-awaited live return.
It's Not U It's Me: NANO MUTEK T.O. (June 9 @ 2nd Floor Events)
Montreal’s MUTEK, one of the premiere electronic music and art festivals in Canada, has teamed up with Toronto party collective It’s Not U It’s Me for a special night of digital sound wizardry with Egyptrixx, CMD and more.
Princess Nokia (June 9 @ Velvet Underground)
This young NYC rapper is quickly turning heads for melding cultural consciousness, social awareness and female empowerment into lit-as-hell tracks. Witness Kathleen Hanna’s “girls to the front” mantra enacted in a whole new way.
Mary Timony plays Helium (June 12 @ Horseshoe Tavern)
Before stints in Wild Flag and Ex Hex, Mary Timony fronted Helium, one of the more underrated bands of disaffected 90s indie rock. Luckily Matador is reissuing all their albums, and Timony will perform those classics with members of Hospitality.
Chastity Belt (June 17 @ The Great Hall Toronto)
It’s summer now (I mean...right? Weather Network, plz confirm?), which means it’s a good time for some breezy, sun-drenched noise pop. Especially so with Chastity Belt releasing their third LP this month.
Carly Rae Jepsen (June 17 @ Roy Thompson Hall)
The current queen of perfect pop songs (step away Swifties, you know I’m right) teamed up with the TSO at the Polaris Prize gala last year, and apparently the collab was so successful, they’re joining forces again for a full concert.
Alexisonfire (June 18 @ The Danforth Music Hall)
Are these dudes still reuniting? Did they ever even break up? Is being a band just a social construct that's ultimately irrelevant to how hard they totally rip? Expect to ponder these questions in a generous four-night stint at the Danforth.
Arkells and July Talk (June 24 @ Budweiser Stage)
Securing the “Most Canadian Concert” title this month due to being announced on Coach’s Corner of all places, Arkells and July Talk will team up for one night at Budweiser Stage, as long as it’s not still flooded.

by Shazia Khan via blogTO