Blog Archives
Bad Decisions @ Manny’s Place – Oct 19

Make the right decision, choose Bad Decision.
Decisions, decisions. What to do? Where to go?
Friday, October 19th, let Bad Decisions guide you.
Listen to some great live music. Go to Manny’s Place.
Great nights start with Bad Decisions.
Bad Decisions covering “Rebel Yell“ by Billy Idol
https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F741569552633714%2Fvideos%2F1891745681132073%2F&width=220&show_text=false&height=393&appId
Who? | Bad Decisions |
Where? | Manny’s Place |
Date? | Friday, October 19th |
Time? | 10:00pm – 1:00am |
Cost? | free |
Age limit? | 19+ |
#brantfordrocks #supportlocalmusic
Hit the Spot: Knee Deep at Manny’s Place

The boys are back in town.
BrantfordBands was live on location at Manny’s Place, one of Brantford’s finest venues for live music in the city, and caught another great performance from the guys in Knee Deep.
Manny’s Place hosts many of the greatest bands in the city; with a top-notch sound system, a flashback inducing light setup and plenty of space to get your groove on while the entertainers entertain; there’s no shortage of talent taking the stage. Manny designed his Place to cater to live music, and his attention to detail shows.
Knee Deep proceeded to play a plethora of prime picks from the 1990’s, with just enough modern hits mixed in to keep the party going all night long.

We salute you!
They say if you remember the 90’s, you probably smoked sh**ty weed. Regardless of whether or not you recall the 90’s (or were even born yet, you young whipper-snappers) the undeniable truth is that a lot of wicked music came out of that particular era. Whether it was grunge, alternative rock, punk rock or hip-hop, the 90’s were a time when some of the greatest songs ever were presented to our eager ears by bands who transformed the music scene.
How doth one of the modern era go forth and enjoy the live experience of such a wide selection of great music? Knee Deep is the answer.
(bonus question: where in the world is Carmen Santiago?*)

A drummer’s smile makes the world go round.
Knee Deep took to the stage with a fervor and proceeded to burn the damn building down.
(metaphorically burned it down: no Colborne Street insurance “accidents” here).
Singer Eric Mills brought a raw intensity that rode magnificently upon duel guitarists Jay Cutaia and JM Singaram’s pure power, with Vinnie Milosevich’s precision percussion and Chris Kowalsky’s deep melodic bass providing the perfect stream to keep the flow flowing and the crowd dancing.
The musicians of Knee Deep have a deep rooted respect for music and it shine’s through in their cut-for-cut reproduction of great songs such as Lenny Kravitz’ Are You Gonna Go My Way, Finger 11’s Paralyzer or The Clash’s London Calling.
Knee Deep in talent and head over heels in love with playing awesome live music to entertain the people. But don’t take my word for it, check out their facebook, their ReverbNation page, or just get off your keister and watch Knee Deep live the next time they take the stage in a venue near you.
Head over to BrantfordBands facebook page for some more great shots of the band captured on film
(hah, film, there’s a pain in the rear we’ll never have to deal with again).

Film waves goodbye to the people
Open Mic w/ Less Than Three – Tuesdays @ Manny’s Place

mike check one two
Whatever your entertainment needs may be,
you’re going to have a great time at the acoustic Open Mic.
Comedians, acoustic musicians, poets and more are all welcome to take to their turn presenting their art.
Make Tuesdays memorable with a journey down to Manny’s Place for their Open Mic with Less Than Three.
from facebook:
Many people ask what the difference is between “open mic” and “open jam.”
An open jam will typically have a drum kit, musicians will band together and rock out together on stage.
Sometimes bands will entertain you.
An open mic is typically acoustic acts, stand up comedy, slam poetry, etc.
Come out and play some tunes, maybe make people laugh or think a little!
Whatever it is you do, if you’re looking for some stage time, we’ve got it!Don’t forget!! The final Tuesday of each month is your chance to win a cash prize for your awesomeness!
Interested in booking YOUR act? Just email Less Than Three to grab a spot for an upcoming night.
Who? | Less Than Three plus special guests |
Where? | Manny’s Place |
Date? | Tuesdays |
Time? | 10pm – 2am |
Cost? | No Cover (free) |
Age limit? | 19+ |
#brantfordrocks #supportlocal #openmic
X-Press Yourself an evening showcasing women in entertainment @ Manny’s Place – Sept 19

Give it up for the ladies!
Fantastic music, hilarious comedy, captivating slam poetry,
burlesque dancing and henna body art
all under one roof!
One night only at Manny’s Place!
Local females are coming together on Saturday, September 19th
to rock your socks, paint your hands, tickle your funny bone,
electrify your mind and do other things to your body that I won’t get into detail about.
from facebook
Come out to support our sisters as we take the stage
to bring you live music, comedy, slam poetry and burlesque!Tickets are $8 in advance and will be available at
Manny’s Place, The Music Academy, or from
Waking Life band members, Dan Taylor or Nikole Taylor.There will be live music performances from:
High Heels Lo Fi (Toronto)
Sarah Halabecki Band (London)
Waking Life – Band Page (Brantford)
The Ache (Brantford)
Velvet & The Vibe (Brantford)Stand-up Comedy by:
Abby McWhirter (Brantford)
Rachel Matheson (Toronto)Slam Poetry by:
Jaded (Paris)Burlesque by:
Ruby Krueger (Hamilton)
Simple‘ by Sarah Halabecki Band
‘Happy Purple Unicorn‘ by The Ache
Waking Life performing ‘Love Interruption‘ by Jack White
Who? | High Heels Lo Fi | Sarah Halabecki Band Waking Life | The Ache | Velvet & The Vibe |
Where? | Manny’s Place |
Date? | Saturday, September 19th |
Time? | 9pm-2am |
Cost? | $8 (advance) $10 (door) |
Age Limit? | 19+ |
#brantfordrocks #supportlocaltalent #chicksrock
1st Manniversary featuring BrAiN jAmMaGe, Chris Strei, Mctease and MORE! – New Pictures and Videos from BrantfordBands

Manniversary – photos and videos by BrantfordBands
Many of you may have noticed pics have been online for a while now, but the videos were…in need of adjustments.
Most of the video are now online, though I did have to bring a few outback and put them out of their misery.
I apologize in advance to anyone and everyone for the quality, fuzziness, sound pops, random monkeys, rain on your parade, and various other inexcusable excuses.
All photos / videos were taken at Manny’s Place in Brantford on June 5th & 6th 2015.
Hit the Spot: One Year Manniversary at Manny’s Place

BrantfordBands’ Hit the Spot
From June 3rd – 6th, 2015, Manny celebrated the first anniversary of his haven for local live music.
Opening in 2014, Manny’s Place has been consistently showcasing local bands from Brantford.
From Open Jams (every Thursday) to rocking Saturday nights (and often Friday nights as well), this has quickly become one of the best venues in the area to catch some great live music.
If you haven’t made your way down to the corner of Grey and Stanley yet, you damn well should.
Gone for good is Goodfellas, in fact it’s barely recognizable as the same place. Completely renovated from the get go, Manny has continued to make improvements to an already great setup.
Manny has poured his soul into every aspect of the establishment, the awesome stage and PA system, the custom-made tables and chairs, the lighting system and smoke machine, and every detail in between.

Happy Manniversary
Manny Capinding has had a long tour in the music scene, from DJing to running nightclubs, but his true passion is live local music. All of the performers I spoke with agreed that he is one of the most helpful and caring hosts, always making sure that the bands are happy and doing all he can to improve their experience, while always working to make sure the crowds have a fantastic time out.
This year saw a number of upgrades and changes, but Manny isn’t done yet. He already has plans to continue to improve, always taking the suggestions of his patrons and performers to heart.
On Friday night we caught the reunion of BrAiN jAmMaGe as part of the ongoing Manniversary celebrations. As soon as I saw the unique (and ever-evolving) stand-up drum set that Rich Wilkes set up I knew this was going to be a great set, and they did not disappoint. With Chris Brown’s killer guitar work on acoustic and electric guitar, Chris Mulligan smacking out the deep bass riffs and Rich smashing out the drum lines (so violently in fact that he managed to break a couple pieces of his kit), BrAiN jAmMaGe delivers favorites from a wide variety of rock genres with a passion that had me floored.

Jammaging your Brain
The bass lines are consistently tight, the guitar solos are awe inspiring, the drums are energetically booming, while Chris’ vocals are rich and full. Occasionally, Rich took the vocals into the deep guttural bowels of hardcore for their excursions into the world of punk, which gave the audience an idea what to expect from the next band.
Against the Grain is a decidedly harder musical offering, presenting metal legends in their thrash and burn entirety. They rocked. Hard! Bringing out the headbanger in all of us.

Hard and fast. just like your mom
Their driving force changed the dance floor into a veritable mosh pit, with plenty of deep bass lines, rapid drums and epic guitar work. They held back nothing, and delivered a smashing show for those of us who love some hardcore rock.
Saturday started off early, with the sun still shining outside as Chris Strei climbed up on the stage with his acoustic guitar and delivered his brand of smooth rock to the masses filtering in from Brantford’s crooks and crannies.

Chris Strei soothes the soul
Chris Strei‘s originals are crowd favorites, soulful experiences that he shares with the world.
Delivered in his crooner meets pop-star style, he transports you into a beautiful meadow of sound where he gently takes your hand and puts it on his heart.
Carl Mulligan was next to rock the crowds, initially alone with his guitar and soothing voice but soon joined by John Lama on guitar and Mikie Bray on conga drum. They presented a number of beautiful renditions of their favorite songs, all superbly executed.

Soulful alternative rockers
Carl’s energy and excitement was consistent as he strode about the stage, at times hanging from the rafters while delivering his uniquely masculine and sonically superb vocals. Mikie kept up a steady pace on the drums, perfectly accenting the fervent style of John’s guitar.
Up next on Manny’s Stage was the crowd favorite McTease.
With Trevor Cobb on acoustic guitar and singing while Mick Montgomery bashed out the feverish drums lines on the conga drum, their unity and passion had everyone stomping along with them.

McTeasing the crowds
Funky southern fried originals and an eclectic mix of cover songs temporarily transformed Manny’s Place into a big ol’ bonfire party, Mick’s rapidly pulsating beats along with Trevor’s impassioned vocals and guitar work feeding the fires ever higher.
The Tryst took the stage for the grand finale, their devoted Tryster-Sisters in the crowd screaming in excitement and the rest of the audience soon joining in.
Those who hadn’t yet witnessed the epic female-powered rock show that The Tryst consistently delivers were blown away.

The Tryst rock
Every member of the band is dedicated to bringing the rock to life, with more than enough talent and passion to get the job done. This is obviously more than a job for these ladies, this is a passion that they transfer into each and every note of their classic rock and pop tributes.
It was a fantastic weekend full to the brim with excited local music aficionados celebrating the first year of Manny’s Place. After having already built up a great venue for local artists, we’re excited to see what the future holds.

Great rocking Manniversary
We’ve added a few photo galleries taken at this year’s Manniversary
to the BrantfordBands on facebook.
- Photos of the One Year Manniversary
- BrAiN jAmMaGe live at Manny’s
- Against the Grain live at Manny’s
- Chris Strei live at Manny’s
- The Carl Mulligan Experience live at Manny’s
- McTease live at Manny’s
- The Tryst live at Manny’s
Watch the BrantfordBands youtube channel for upcoming videos from the event!
1 Year Anniversary! @ Manny’s Place – June 3rd to June 6th

Great live music plus giveaways and specials!
How all anniversary’s should be celebrated: with great live local music!
Add in nightly drink specials and giveaways (including a raffle for a Corona fridge!)
and you’re gonna have a good time.
The party gets started when Manny’s Place re-opens on Wednesday, June 3rd with Dj Shrek hosting the Wacky Wednesday Karaoke.
Thursday Trevor Cobb will be hosting a special Mannyversary Loud & Proud Open Jam.
Friday night BrAiN jAmMaGe and Against the Grain take the stage
with Dj Fedora spinning between sets!
Saturday Chris Strei, Carl Mulligan, Trevor Cobb and The Tryst will be coming out to rock the house
with Dj Fedora to help keep the party going all night!
from facebook:
Our first year has come to an end and now the fun begins.
Thank you to everyone that has supported us especially our staff, regulars and all the talented musicians that have rocked our stage.
Tuesday, June 2nd we are closed for the day to give a little TLC and you will all love the changes.
For those that haven’t been here, come out to see what you’ve missed.
Wednesday is the beginning of the next phase and will definitely be a wicked party.
Anniversary celebrations all week with nightly drink specials and giveaways. For every Corona you get a raffle ticket for a Special edition Corona fridge giveaway which will be drawn Saturday night.
Video courtesy of Paul Divitio
Please note this video is almost as old as Manny’s Place and
the information contained within may not be valid at this time (ie: kitchen being open until 1am)
Who? | Dj Shrek | BrAiN jAmMaGe | Against the Grain Chris Strei | Carl Mulligan | Trevor Cobb The Tryst | Dj Fedora |
Where? | Manny’s Place |
Date? | Wednesday June 3rd until Saturday June 6th |
Time? | various (usually 7pm or later) |
Cost? | No Cover (free) |
Age limit? | 19+ |
#brantfordrocks #supportlocalmusic #Mannyversary
Knee Deep @ Manny’s Place – April 11

Music you love played by guys who love to play it
Brantford band Knee Deep were born from a love of the 90’s Alternative Rock
and a general passion for rock and roll.
Knee Deep rocks across Southern Ontario,
bringing the crowds alive whenever they take the stage.
Playing the greatest from the 90’s as well as modern jams,
they’ll be jamming out some new tunes this Saturday at Manny’s!
from reverbnation.com:
Bringing back all the 90’s alternative rock you remember and love…
Knee Deep (with their previous singer) covering ‘Thunderkiss ’65‘ by White Zombie
Knee Deep | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Who? | Knee Deep |
Where? | Manny’s Place |
Date? | Saturday, April 11th |
Time? | 10pm – 2am |
#brantfordbands #90s #alternative
Chris Strei @ Manny’s Place – April 2

Folk-rock originals and classic covers
Folk rocker Chris Strei will be belting out his smooth originals and classic covers down at Manny’s, with possible special guests and a special announcement!
Be the first Strei fan to find out details about this year’s Strei Formal!
Chris has invited his fellow musicians to get up and jam (or marmalade) with him, anyone interested should get in touch, or surprise him the night of. Everyone loves surprises.
from brantfordbands.com:
Sporting a slightly disheveled dedicated artist look, Chris Strei‘s smooth and vibrantly melodic voice lends itself beautifully to his pop-tinged folk rock originals.
Chris eats, sleeps and breathes music and it certainly shows. His commitment to the craft comes through in each composition, musical expressions of the vast tapestry of emotion and life experiences.
[youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oai-zqK9ymQ&theme=dark&w=420%5D
‘Wrong‘ written and composed by Chris Strei
Innersha | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Who? | Chris Strei |
Where? | Manny’s Place |
Date? | Thursday, April 2nd |
Time? | 9pm |
Cost? | No Cover (free) |
Age limit? | 19+ |
#brantfordrocks #supportlocalmusic #folkrock