EVENT PREVIEW: Oh what a night! Tonight is Rich with Amazing Local Talent!

Windsor usually has good weeks of music to offer up to music fans, from the casual to the die hard, but this week has been/will be phenomenal. And the night with the richest pool of talent is easily tonight - so much great stuff going on, that I hope you can attend at least one of these tonight. There are three really big events going on, all for a great reason, and although all deserve your support, at least choose one of them - it'll be fantastic!

First up, The Golden Eagles will be the special guests of Randi Irving's on the radio version of The Windsor Scene on CJAM 91.5 FM tonight at 6pm. These guys are having their CD release party on Saturday, but tune in tonight where you'll hear a little interview and some preview music from their new CD (which is great, by the way). There's also still a couple days left in the Golden Eagles Contest I'm doing right now, so enter your comments for a chance to win two (2) tickets to their CD Release party plus other great prizes.

Tonight marks the first night of the third annual Smash The Glass Festival. Wow, three years. I remember when this started, it was a low-key couple of nights featuring a lot of familiar local ladies performing a diverse array of music. Well, now in it's third installment, it's blown up and now features national and international acts joining the fray. A celebration of women in music, both locally and on a grander stage, Sonia and her crew have done an amazing job in not only keeping the festival alive each year, but expanding upon it and watching it flourish. Tonight's kick off event is at Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West) and features an eclectic smattering of bands, headlined by the electro-pop of Toronto's Lioness. The rest of the bill includes local electro-diva Perilelle, Toronto's post-punk A Young Wife, and locals The Floral Prints and Erica Di Maio.

Speaking of local women in music, the beloved Tara Watts is having her heavily anticipated CD Release Party for About Love tonight at The Room (255 Ouellette Ave., above Chanoso's). You can read my review of her CD to get an inkling of what to expect musically (although the contest is now over!), but it'll be a grand affair, with locals The Locusts Have No King and 87 Things For The Future opening the show. Tara's been all over the media this week, appearing in The Windsor Star and various radio shows to promote this, so this looks to be a sell out. That means make sure you get there early to ensure your spot for this event. Doors open at 9pm.

The last big show for the evening is a Battle of the Bands-style event at The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.) in conjunction with the Cutting Edge Music Festival. A boat load of Windsor bands will be vying for the local winner slot to play this festival on Friday April 24th at Sound Academy in Toronto as part of the festival. It will also be broadcast live as part of The Edge 102.1's Friday Night Live. A great opportunity for a local band to get some great exposure, so if one of your favourites is on the bill, make sure you make it out to cheer them on! Your voice counts in this! Bands include Explode When They Bloom, Hello Bella, Assassinate The Following, Radio Adelaide, Sinnocence, The Oath of Ares, The Unthinking Majority and Falling With Glory.