Concerts in Toronto this February range from folk festivals to deafening goth rock to art gallery hip hop shows, with a new Long Winter street fair, the annual Wavelength Fest, rap battles, and experimental sessions in between.

Fleetwood Mac is back again (I've started picturing Fleetwood Mac shows as regular singles meet ups for lonesome baby boomers, is that inaccurate?), Ani's here in a few days, then Speedy Ortiz plays Feb 12 at The Garrison with HSY and Wish, Father John Misty is at the Danforth Feb 18, and David Bazan plays a living room Feb 23.

There's also this, taking peek indieTM Toronto and stretching it out over the lake until the snap of the rubber breaking permanently deafens us all.

February is supposed to be a month of romance, so our top Toronto music Craigslist Missed Connection of the month is this Backstreet Boy fan/co-worker of a Backstreet Boy Fan. Do you want it that way? They still think about you, just like you still think about Nick. There are no missed connections from the Guvernment's last parties, which makes me smile - you all lived your hookup dreams to their end.

Here are my picks for February's can't-miss concerts in Toronto.

Marilyn Manson (February 2, Sound Academy)
The beautiful people are in the eye of the beholder. This might be one of the very last unbearable Sound Academy shows!

First Thursday w/ Grandmaster Flash (February 5, AGO)
On February 7 the AGO opens their posthumous retrospective of NYC graffiti/fine art artist Basquiat. On February 5, Grandmaster Flash will DJ as part of the Basquiat-tied First Thursday event. (Best of luck snagging tickets).

Black History Month Concert Series (February 7, Gladstone)
As part of Black History Month, the Gladstone will host free concerts each Saturday night at 9pm. This week features Young Stars de Montreal (Congo).

Exquisite Beat Theatre (February 8, Huntclub)
If you've yet to see sci-fi influenced electronic artist Slowpitch work his turntable wizardry, this show with Pursuit Grooves and LIBYDO at the Wavelength pop up gallery is the perfect opportunity.

Blackout5 (February 7-8, Queen Elizabeth Theatre)
Battle rap has taken the world by storm. Leagues have popped up all over the world, but arguably the biggest one of all is Toronto's own King of the Dot (KOTD). On February 7-8 they'll be hosting their biggest event to date: Blackout 5. Check out the line up here, though who knows who the special guests will be. M

Long Winter Fair (February 13)
Long Winter Fair, part of Toronto's monthly music, performance and art festival, is taking over the street, expanding outside of The Great Hall along Queen St. West to the Theatre Centre and 99 Sudbury. See the neighbourhood come alive with a street market complete with local crafts and warm treats. Check out our preview here. SSZ

Wavelength 15 (February 13-15)
For the first time ever the local-focused indie music fest will stretch across multiple venues as it celebrates its 15th year with a theme of Past, Present and Future. The intriguing Huntclub pop-up programming is actually on already, while the fest proper runs over Valentine's Day weekend. Learn more about the Broken Social Scene covers sets (lol) and Controller Controller reunions and stuff here or wait for our preview.

Winterfolk Music Festival (February 13-15, The Danforth)
Winterfolk's 13th will give Toronto's down home music fans the chance to see 150 urban, blues, rock, jazz, country, folk and roots music artists performing on multiple stages in the Danforth and Broadview area. Get a peek of the performers on their website or wait for our full preview.

Century Palm (February 14, The Cavern)
The vibe at this PWYC show will likely be as romantic as a bunch of people who once loved Weezer and then experienced the true heartbreak and disillusionment only a Weezer fan can know and then moved on with their lives thanks to loud guitars can be.

Ariel Pink (February 19, Phoenix)
When he takes a break from saying gross things about women, Ariel Pink can actually be a talented songwriter and fascinating performer. He's just released newest effort Pom Pom to yet more critical praise, and though it's his first in a while without the "Haunted Graffiti" moniker, the regular backing band still accompanies him on tour. SK

Swans (February 20, Phoenix)
Three decades on, no wave legends Swans are still a force to be reckoned with live. Michael Gira and co. put building codes to the test with their increasingly visceral, earth-shaking music. Sonically experimental and epically loud, it'll be quite a 180 from Ariel Pink's set the day before at the Phoenix. SK

Somewhere There Creative Music Festival (February 20-22, Tranzac)
While Somewhere There have regularly booked gigs around the city since losing their home, weekend-long Somewhere There Creative Music Festival is a chance for weirdo musicians from varying scenes to come together. For the festival's third year, over 60 performers and speakers include Marie LeBlanc-Flanagan (Weird Canada) and groups as diverse as Friendly Rich and the JunctQĂ­n Keyboard Collective.

Kaki King (February 26, Geary Lane)
Whether you're a fan of psychfolk, electronic, or drone, don't miss the magic of Kaki King's guitar-based The Neck Is A Bridge To The Body project in the cavernous yet somehow intimate warehouse space on Geary (at the dead end). Loom is also on the bill.

See also

The top 5 dance parties in Toronto February 2015
Just Shows

What did I miss? Leave details about your vastly superior music events in the comments.

Contributions by Shazia Khan, Markit, Sima Sahar Zerehi