New Toronto Lakeside Venue Echo Beach Opens Free Concert Series

[Photo: Robyn rocks the inaugural concert at Echo Beach]

We hope Martha Muffin kept the rights to the name because Echo Beach is looking like a mighty sweet location to catch some hot sounds this summer, all for free.

Sloan, Third Eye Blind, Platinum Blonde, and Andy Kim are the acts so far announced to play Ontario Place's sandy outdoor venue, which comes with beer garden attached.

The inaugural concert Jun.3, featuring Swedish electro-pop star Robyn generated the usual growing pains problems such as too few portable toilets and line ups at the beer tent but the excellent sightlines, great location, decent sound and generally laidback vibe promises good things for Echo Beach gigs.

Third Eye Blind takes the stage (Jul.28)

Andy Kim croons tonight(Jul.15)The current string of free shows kicks off tonight (Jul.15) with Seventies  pop icon Andy Kim & Friends, and continues with’80s glam-rockers Platinum Blonde (July 23), rejuvenated ’90s pop-rock band Third Eye Blind (July 28) and defining alt-rock mainstays Sloan (August 5)

Live Nation organizers say a number of other shows at the 4,000 capacity venue are in the works. Expect announcements in the  next couple of weeks.

Cashbox Canada

Grunge gods Sloan play their classics (Aug.5)