The Words & Music of Dave Bookman @ The Horseshoe, Tuesday

Dave's musician pals perform the 13 songs of The Bookmen's Volume 1: Delicatessen with original guitarist Tim Mech. 

ARC Sound play The Horseshoe, August 7

Gord Cumming's ARC Sound are playing their rescheduled gig on Saturday. Limited reserved seating available. Get tickets here. 

Watch the video for Scott B. Sympathy's "I Remember Again"

"I Remember Again" is off Scott B. Sympathy's classic debut Neil Yonge Street just reissued by Curve Music. 

Iconic T.O. roots rockers Scott B Sympathy enter digital age... finally!

The classic first two Scott B. Sympathy albums, Neil Yonge Street and Drinking With The Poet are being reissued May 7th

Here's the scoop from Curve Music...

The late 1980s and early ‘90s on the Queen Street West scene was a golden age in Toronto’s music history. Free-spirited and imaginative songwriters and musicians were creating work on their own terms, regardless of commercial imperatives.

At the heart of this vibrant musical community was Scott B. Sympathy, a group built around the formidable songwriting chops of leader Scott B. aka Scott Bradshaw, and comprising some of the most original and talented young players in the city.

The first two Scott B. Sympathy albums, 1990’s Neil Yonge Street and 1992’s Drinking with The Poet, captured this compelling combo in full flight. The records garnered critical acclaim and substantial campus radio airplay upon their release, while the passage of time has added a burnished glow to their major achievements.

Three decades on, these records sound just as fresh and vital today. That will be reaffirmed now with the very welcome reissue of both albums, via Toronto independent label Curve Music.  Both records have been freshly mastered by Joao Carvalho, with assistance from Walter Sobczak, the producer of both albums.

Curve Music head Brian Hetherman is thrilled at the opportunity to give the two seminal records new exposure. “To me, Scott B Sympathy’s Neil Yonge Street is the birth of Americana/roots music in Canada, the same way that Uncle Tupelo was in the U.S.,” he declares. “Before Scott B. Sympathy there was lots of incredible folk music in Canada, but they ushered in Americana/roots here.”

Scott Bradshaw is outstanding in his field

After moving to Toronto from Brantford, Ontario, at age 20, Scott Bradshaw began playing the local clubs, both solo (as Scott B.) and with a group he dubbed Scott B. Sympathy. Their late ‘80s shows quickly attracted an enthusiastic following, and local indie label Smokeshow Records signed the band.

Armed with a collection of road-tested Bradshaw songs, Scott B. Sympathy headed into top local studio Wellesley Sound with producer Sobczak to record Neil Yonge Street.

Accompanying Bradshaw in the studio for Neil Yonge Street were guitarist/backing vocalist Ian Blurton, slide guitarist/backing vocalist Gord Cumming, bassist John Borra, and drummer Terry Carter, all Toronto players already making a name for themselves.

Now a revered veteran of Canadian indie rock as a musician and producer, Blurton then headed Change of Heart (a band Borra would later join), and he and Borra had played together in post-punk band A Neon Rome, while Cumming fronted The Lawn.

The band’s sound was a compelling and original hybrid style that incorporated folk, rock ‘n roll, country and punk elements. The clever pun of the album title, Neil Yonge Street (coined by William New of Groovy Religion), alludes to this by referencing one of Bradshaw’s musical heroes.

On both these albums, Scott B.’s poetic songwriting and ruggedly authentic vocals provided a firm foundation upon which the band constructed a thrilling guitar-based sound. Many of the tracks feature a fluctuating combination of Bradshaw’s acoustic, Cumming’s shimmeringly atmospheric slide, and Blurton’s potent and visceral electric guitar playing. Add in the tight rhythm section of Borra and Carter and backing vocals from Cumming and Blurton, and you have a broad musical canvas.

Looking back on the sound of those records, John Borra notes that “this was definitely before the whole Americana thing became a genre, but I wouldn’t say it was out of place in the post-punk ‘80s. Back then it seemed like bands were doing anything and everything as long as it was artistically minded and didn’t have overt commercial aspirations. There weren’t a lot people on the Toronto scene playing acoustic guitars but there were some, like Handsome Ned and Blue Rodeo, so Scott wasn’t alone in that department.”

Upon its release in September 1990, Neil Yonge Street quickly met with critical approval. “Repeated listening reveals the rough, haunting brilliance of this debut album,” wrote The Toronto Star, while NOW noted that “Scott Bradshaw is capable of colouring his songs with totally descriptive narratives.”

Neil Yonge Street also soon became a favourite on campus and community radio stations across Canada. It remained on the NCRA National Chart (for campus radio) for four months, peaking at No. 5 in Nov. 1990. Tracks received some commercial airplay, CBC radio offered support on a variety of its programs, and videos received solid rotation on MuchMusic. Scott recalls that “a bunch of the songs on Poet were written after Neil Yonge Street, though some came from before. That is why the two records seem connected to me. They fit together. The sound is a touch booted up on the second record. There’s a bit more production, and everyone’s playing is a little better.”

Upon its release, Drinking With The Poet scored strong national campus airplay, significant MuchMusic and CBC exposure, and glowing reviews, including a 4-star rating in NOW and positive notices in The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star.

DWTP leads off with the title track, a full-blooded rocker that shows the band firing on all cylinders and features both a fluent mandolin solo and searing electric lines from Ian Blurton.

Powerful ballads “Watching You,” “Memory Fades,” and “Coming Home To You” showcase Scott’s convincingly passionate vocals, while “Hiatus” is one of many tunes demonstrating his clever wordsmithery (“one day I thought I had a vision, but it turned out I was just seeing things”).

A revamped lineup of Scott B. Sympathy went on to release two more albums, 1996’s Long Way Down and 1999’s Unfinished Sympathy, followed by Bradshaw’s 2006 solo album Home Movies. He later reunited with Gord Cumming as the band Massey-Harris, and their 2020 self-titled EP has received a positive response.

News of the reissues of the timeless Neil Yonge Street and Drinking With The Poet caught Scott by surprise, but he declares “I’m very glad and honoured by it. This is part of my legacy. I always did have a sense these songs would age well.”

This is a legacy well worth exploring. You won’t regret it.

You can now pre-order Scott B Sympathy's fantastic Neil Yonge Street and Drinking With The Poet albums via Curve Music's merch page right here. 

Check out Scott B Sympathy's videos for "I Remember Again" and "Hiatus" followed by the CBC's Ear To The Ground special on Scott B Sympathy from the early 90s. 

The ARC Sound salutes Toronto's legendary Horseshoe Tavern with "The 'Shoe"

The ARC Sound's charming tribute namechecks Teddy Fury, Dave Porter, Mary Margaret O'Hara and others. Listen right here.  

Get tickets for the ARC Sound's Horseshoe show on Saturday, November 14 right here.

Here's the scoop on The Horseshoe's live room...

The Horseshoe Tavern live room will be reopening on Saturday, November 14th for the first time since mid-March 2020.

We'll be taking extra steps to maintain health standards as required in Provincial Regulation 364-20 and the November COVID-19 Response Framework, in ensuring physical distancing to keep everyone safe while being back in the venue listening to live bands, including contact tracing and completing a health questionnaire.

Advance tickets are now available for all upcoming shows at horseshoetavern.com, and are available for purchase on the night of the show. All tickets are seated at tables spaced 2 meters apart, and are sold in bundles of 1, 2, 3 or 4. The stage will be surrounded by a clear plexiglass barrier and our capacity has been reduced to 50. Artists will be mostly performing two 60 minute sets, with doors at 6:30pm (with some exceptions) and sets at 7:15pm & 8:45pm. Alcohol service will end at 9:00pm, and the venue will close at 10:00pm.

The venue's expanded front patio, equipped with heaters and wind barriers, is open under the expanded CafeTO program, and the venue front bar also re-opens on Saturday, November 14th. For now we are only operating the front bar washrooms and seating is first come, first serve, with limited capacity. Please note our updated patio/bar hours: Monday-Thursday: 12pm to 9pm, Friday/Saturday: 12pm to 11pm, closed Sunday.

Regarding postponed and cancelled shows, please see our website for any updates. All purchasers will continue to be informed via email. We encourage you to hold onto your tickets for any of the postponed shows as all tickets will be honoured for the new dates. We appreciate your patience as we continue to work to schedule new dates. Refunds will be issued for any cancelled shows. If you purchased tickets online, they will be refunded automatically, but please be patient as it will take time to process each refund. Physical tickets can be refunded in store.

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this crazy time and hope everyone is safe and sound. Please email shows@collectiveconcerts.com with any questions or concerns.

Cabana Room Electric Reunion @ Hugh's Room, Sunday

The Lawn's Gord Cumming and Richard & Patrick Gregory will be joined by John MacDonald for two songs Sunday.

Cabana Room Electric Reunion
at Hugh's Room (2261 Dundas St. West)
Sunday, June 16, 2019 | 8:00PM
Tickets: $25.00 advance, $30.00 at the door.

The second night of an a two-night reunion of the regulars from a legendary music room in the heart of Toronto. The Cabana Room – atop the Spadina Hotel – was the incubator of Toronto's Queen West  music scene of the 80s, and Jimmy Scopes was the host. He’s not here to hear it but we’re gathering to pay musical tribute. Thank you, Jimmy Scopes!

On Sunday (June 16), the mostly electric shenanigans are hosted by Arlene Bishop and feature some of Jimmy’s favourite music: Gord Cumming, Richard & Patrick Gregory (The Lawn, The Woods are Full of Cuckoos), The Dave Howard Singers, Dave Dysart (The Supreme Bagg Team),  Garage Baby, Fergus Hambleton (The Basics, The Sattalites),  Steve Ellis, Steve Ranger, and Bob Vezpaziani (API), Tony Malone (Drastic Measures, Basketcase), Blair Packham (The Jitters), Gordon Shawcross (Monkey Trial), and Mr! Mouray (Jaimie Vernon w/ Simon Bedford-James).

The ARC Sound @ The Gaslight, Sunday

Since it's Canadian Music Week, go see Gord Cumming shake some action with Tim Armour and Gerry Rozon starting at 8:30 pm.  

The ARC Sound @ Trinity Common, Sunday

Shake Some Action with Gord Cumming and his ARC Sound crew at 303 Augusta tonight at 9 pm.

No Flash, Please! book launch w/The Lawn, The Dundrells, Adam Faux @ The Horseshoe, Sunday

Check out some fantastic 80s vintage photos of The Lawn shot by Rick McGinnis right here.

Behind The Scenes: Gregorian Chat

The Lawn's Richard & Patrick Gregory aren't discussing the No Flash, Please! launch at The Horseshoe May 15.

Happy Birthday Gord Cumming!

Raising a glass to Gord Cumming of The Arc Sound with two performances you may have missed.

Massey-Harris @ The Local, tonight

Check out Scott Bradshaw, Gord Cumming and the whole Massey-Harris crew perform Aquamarine Blue.

Check out Massey-Harris at the Local Tuesday

Here's Scott Dobson's fab video for Scott B Sympathy's I Remember Again, now a Massey-Harris set fave.

Massey-Harris @ The Local tonight!

Check out the Massey-Harris treatment of Scott B's tune Waiting in the Wings.

Massey-Harris @ Duke Of Gloucester, Sunday

Gord Cumming, Scott Bradshaw and the rest of the Massey-Harris crew hit the stage at 10 pm. 

Woods Are Full Of Cuckoos live @ The Cabana Room '82-'83

When the Cuckoos played the Cabana Room in the 80s, it was at the Spadina Hotel, now a Second Cup. 

See Massey-Harris @ Sauce, Saturday

Gord, Scott and crew will tear it up at Sauce (1376 Danforth) on Saturday from 4 to 7 pm. 

Happy Birthday Gord Cumming!

You can wish Gord a happy birthday at one of the various Massey-Harris gigs this weekend.

Massey-Harris is playing...
Friday March 21 @ The Duke Of Gloucester (649 Yonge St), 10 pm
Saturday March 22 @ Sauce on Danforth (1376 Danforth), 4 pm
Saturday March 22 @ Relish (2152 Danforth), 9:30pm to 11:30pm
Sunday March 23 @ The Duke Of Gloucester (649 Yonge St), 10 pm

Massey-Harris salutes James Gray

Happy Birthday Scott B!

Scott B Sympathy with Ian Blurton, John Borra and Gord Cumming rock the Slither Club in '89