Dan Griffin of Arkells celebrates their one year anniversary of Jackson Square at the Chubby Pickle Oct. 28, 2009. The band will be opening for Canadian indie rockers Metric on April 4 at the Windsor Family Credit Union Centre.

Canadian indie rock stars Metric are set to play April 4 at the Windsor Family Credit Union Centre.

Recognized this year by the success of their singles Gold Guns Girls, Help I’m Alive and Stadium Love, Metric’s album Fantasies hit the Billboard Top 200 at 162.

METRIC comes to the WFCU Centre on April 4th

METRIC and the Arkells are coming to the WFCU Centre on April 4th at 8:00pm!

Get your tickets for METRIC right now with a presale from windsoriteDOTca!!

Visit www.wfcu-centre.com/password and enter the code FANTASIES

Hurry, this presale ends at 10 o’clock tonight!

Max Kerman & Nick Dika of The Arkells perform during "Phog Phest" on July 11th 2009

Canadian alternative rock band The Arkells are returning to Windsor this April for a gig at the Windsor Family Credit Union Centre.

The Arkells were the headling act for HOLY F%^* during Phog Phest – celebration for CBC Radio 3’s Best Live Music Venue in Canada -  last July.

The band will open for METRIC on Sunday April 4th 2010 at the WFCU Centre.

Phog Phest: HOLY FUCK! by westerntragedy

Last year, the Windsor music scene was thrust into the spotlight after winning the CBC Radio 3 Searchlight contest for the best live music venue in Canada. The venue was Phog Lounge, and the win was made possible by a loyal following of Phogheads that showed their dedication by voting (probably more than once) for their favourite watering hole/show stage.

The CBC radio Searchlight contest is an annual affair, and each year they choose a musically important endeavor. In its first year, Meow Records in Prince George, BC was elected the top independent music shop in the country. Last year, Phog Lounge won for best live music venue. This year, Windsor makes the long list again, with the annual film/art/music extravaganza FAMFest.

The Harvesting the FAM Fest evolved from an idea for a simple film screening/art show in 2006, into Windsor’s first independent mixed media art festival. The successful inaugural event took place in January of 2007, and since then, with help from the university/college, local business owners, and arts enthusiasts, the FAM Fest has gained a dedicated following of artistic minded individuals that look forward to the event each year.

With the Searchlight contest nomination, FAM Fest now has the chance to gain national attention. As witnessed by the Phog Lounge’s success following the contest last year, a win could mean great things for this local fest. It’s up to us, now. Vote now, vote daily, and we’ll see if lightening can strike the same place twice.

To vote in this year’s Searchlight contest, simply register on CBC Radio 3 (quick and easy), visit the contest website, click on FAM Fest and hit VOTE. You can cast a vote once per day.

Windsorite Jeff Azar will support important cancer causes when he lops off his locks. Photo by Sean Matthews of Rock Junkie Photography.

This Friday, Windsor graphic designer and drummer Jeff Azar will brave the shears in support of the Windsor & Essex County Cancer Centre Foundation. He’s participating in a program called Wigs for Kids, and he hopes his donation will help a suffering child look and feel better. He also hopes to inspire others to give their time (and money) to a good cause, and focus a spotlight on a terrible health issue that’s affected millions across the country.

I contacted Jeff today to ask him a few questions about the event, what his motivation has been, and how his bandmates will react to his new ‘do (he plays in the Windsor outfit Citizen Erased). Check out the interview after the jump…

Live music abounds in Windsor. Phog Phest: Arkells, by westerntragedy

When I ask my friends how they feel about living in Windsor, I get varied results. Some are positive, but most, unfortunately, are negative. One complaint that comes up often is, “There’s just nothing to DO in this city!”