The Toronto Scene

This email was sent to
Bob Lefsetz He emailed it out to his subscriber list. I don't know that it is posted online, so I am putting it here. I'm going to guess that neither Bob nor its author will mind.

The email touches upon something that I think will come to shape live music, and perhaps our perception of who is successful and who isn't.

Given the increased costs of touring, and the shrinking number of label deals, I think a lot of bands probably will never move beyond their local scenes, but that is fine. It's about creativity and community. So the definition of "the next big thing" may change from who has a national impact to who has a local impact.

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I've been meaning to write you for a while but only found some time today. I'm at work and everybody else is in meetings so I'm stealing time to do what I want. I'm a musician living in Toronto, trying to balance a full-time job with an obsession with music. This is pretty common practice for me and a lot of folks I know. We all spend 40 hours a week doing jobs that we don't care too much about, dreaming of the whistle at the end of the day when we can go home and create. Nobody I know considers working a day job to be a hold-over before we get rich and famous (as I'm sure a lot of musicians do); most of us have come to terms with the fact that this is the way its going to be for the rest of our lives. And I think, for the most part, we're all okay with that.

I would never assume that we were the only ones who felt this way but I can say that I feel Toronto has a pretty unique thing going on. Let me give you a little background on what it's like to play music here...

This city has experienced a cultural renaissance over the last few years and, even though I only moved here in 1999 and am by no means an authority, it's generally agreed that Toronto's music scene has never been as healthy as it is now. I'm not talking about Nu-Metal bands playing for a line of teenagers at the Reverb. I'm not talking about shined-up rockers who brag about the A&R reps that were at their Friday night showcase at the Horseshoe. I'm not talking about buzz bands that swing through town for a one-off at the Phoenix. I'm talking about the real homegrown community that exists here, that peculates below the surface, sustained entirely by the people who create, contribute to and take part in it.

My introduction to this world came thanks to the Wavelength music series. As a freshly minted Torontonian, the weekly series gave me a window into what was really going on in the city. You could always count on unique and interesting bands on Sunday nights and, as time wore on, I could see what it was doing to help plant the seeds for a vibrant climate for independent music in Toronto. Partly inspired by Jonny Dovercourt and the other folks who helped kick off Wavelength, it seemed that every forward-thinking guitar player or show-goer started to try their hand at putting on shows, putting out records and generally throwing their two cents in the pile. It's continued exponentially since then and now there's almost too much to see or do in the city every week.

Labels like Blocks Recording Club and Fig Records have made it possible to work with like-minded people that live where you live, venues like Sneaky Dee's, the Boat and the Tranzac have opened their doors to the weird and wonderful underbelly, promoters/booking agents like Eric Warner, Keith Hamilton and Steve Himmelfarb have ensured that good bills are happening all the time and new series like the All Caps all-ages shows (booked by Ryan McLaren) and the Poor Pilgrim experimental weekly (booked by Matt Cully) have provided a consistent supply of amazing live music. Surrounding cities like Hamilton and Brantford have come on board too, building strong communities of their own and providing more outlets for people just like us to play.

The masses don't know about this stuff and the weekly papers only just scratch the surface of it but the people who are surrounded by it rarely think of anything else... and I think you'd be surprised how many of us there are. Shows by local bands are constantly sold-out, hand-crafted CDs are flying off the shelves at Soundscapes and Rotate This and people who just live down the street are responsible for the most important pieces in our record collections. Records by Glissandro 70, the Constantines, Rockets Red Glare, Les Mouches and many more are far more important to us then what would normally be considered a "classic" record.

Aspirations for the big-time just don't come into play. Truthfully, the real big-time seems pretty ugly to most of us. In Toronto, we aspire to impress our peers. We set up shows with our favourite local bands and try to out-do one another. Most of the people who show up in the audience are other musicians and the mutual enthusiasm for each other's work is what keeps us coming back. If we do look outside of Toronto, we look to similar communities and people around the world (something like this exists, to varying visibility, in ever city) to latch onto what we're doing and visa versa.

There's been a lot of international attention put on people like Feist, Broken Social Scene, and Final Fantasy lately but I don't think that would have happened if those people didn't get their hands dirty in this community first. Sure, a couple favourable write-ups in Eye can give way to some coverage on CBC, which can give way to a Pitchfork review (and from there, world adoration), but all of those musicians would tell you that it was the local support that truly launched them. And that's why you still see Kevin Drew or Leslie Feist or Owen Pallett at the Boat on a Friday night or watching some new band at Sneaky Dee's on a Wednesday. They know the terrain and, I think, they're just as eager to boost up Toronto as anybody still operating within it. And the cycle will continue... when the world starts talking about Jon-Rae and the River, Oh Bijou, Great Lake Swimmers or any number of local bands poised to take things to that next level, those bands aren't going to forget where they came from. In fact, they're gonna try their hardest to bring their friend's bands along for the ride.

It's this support system and overall good vibration in the city that makes it easier to play music without making tons of money. Nobody really makes any significant dollars around here, a lot of people lose some with every show, but the reaction that we receive from the crowds or the encouragement we get when somebody says "Hey, I want to help you put out a record" is more than enough.

I guess I just wanted to give you a glimpse of what's going on here, if for nothing else than the fact that it's a pretty remarkable model of where I think things could go in the music "industry". We buy locally, we go out and support our friends, we don't wait for somebody else to put things together for us, we just try it out for ourselves...

Without that, I'm sure we'd all be left wondering why we spend 40 hours at our jobs and another 40 at home recording or practicing every week. With it though, there's really no other way to live. I could work a shitty job for the rest of my life, just as long as I got to play for friends and peers in the city every few weeks.

I don't doubt that this phenomenon is happening in cities all over the world - an alternate music industry that never wanted much to do with the old model. The more that this localization and collaboration spreads, the less relevant big time marketing and publicity stunts seem to matter. I could avoid ever listening to a mainstream pop act again if I wanted to and I couldn't be more thrilled about that. I'm interested in seeing what this community and other like-minded people in suburbs and cities elsewhere have to offer and I spend my time scouring the Internet for the chance. I haven't been into an HMV in 4 or 5 years and I haven't paid $50 for a ticket to a show or a t-shirt since I was 15. It's going to stay that way and I know that there are a lot of people who have made a similar vow.

Anybody that thinks they need marketing dollars and radio plays to feel successful is missing the point entirely. To really feel like you made it, all you need is some supportive people around you and a local community that cherishes its own.

Best regards,
Neil Haverty (of Bruce Peninsula, www.bruce-peninsula.com)

PS - if I've piqued your interest about Toronto, check out these links...

Wavelength Toronto - http://www.wavelengthtoronto.com - weekly music series still going strong

Stillepost.ca - http://www.stillepost.ca - local message board, responsible for a lot of community bonding/bickering

Poor Pilgrim - http://www.myspace.com/poorpilgrim - local avant-garde music series

All Caps - http://www.allcaps.ca - all-ages show promoter Ryan McLaren

Aperture Enzyme - http://www.apertureenzyme.com - local photo galleries

Over the Top - http://www.overthetopfest.com - Eric Warner's annual music festival

Fig Records - http://www.figrecords.com - new label with lots of local releases coming up

Blocks Recording Club - http://www.blocksblocksblocks.com - well-known Toronto-loving label

The Ford Plant - http://www.thefp.ca - amazing all-ages venue in Brantford, ON

Oh Bijou - http://www.ohbijou.ca

Great Lake Swimmers - http://www.greatlakeswimmers.com

Jon-Rae and the River - http://www.theriversings.com

Toronto versus New York

So New York compares itself to London, and Toronto compares itself to New York.

Torontoist: Marketing Toronto: Work vs. Play: "We are lightyears ahead of New York's nightlife, with its draconian Cabaret Law (dancing in a NYC club that lacks a dancing permit is illegal, fewer than 300 such permits exist), stringent noise laws, regular police stings and frequent padlocking of venues. At the same time, most Americans have no idea that Toronto regularly attracts many more famous international DJs and bands to its hundreds of bars, concert venues and clubs where one may drink at 19 and perhaps indulge in less-than-legal intoxicants with relative impunity, free from the American government's (and New York City government's) failed war on freedom. Are we implying that Toronto is a bit of a Sin City? Maybe just a liberated one. ...

And when asked the question, 'What more could we be doing to promote our city?' There are a number of steps we can take:

* Award more grants to nightlife event promoters. Sometimes venue rentals or flying famous artists in is just too expensive.

* Start talking about nightlife in promotional materials for the city. Maybe those purple, teardrop-shaped musical notes should be turntables and speakers.

* Allow all night dance parties on city property once again. This ban singlehandedly ended the 15,000 person dance music gatherings that characterized pre-2001 Toronto, leading to the current venue loss crisis.

* Work more closely with event promoters to help promote their larger events.

* Make it less legally risky for property owners to allow a nightlife event on their property.

* Stop crackdowns against nightlife before they start. The recent Docks liquor license suspension was scary enough.
* Repeal the curfew. Seriously. Those kids have money!

* Loosen up alcohol laws; Montréal didn't get its 'fun' reputation among Americans by closing the bars at 2."

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How to open a new jazz club

This article discusses how a new jazz club in Toronto plans to avoid the problems which closed two others. Three differences: (1) The new club will not try to be a restaurant, which doomed one club. (2) It will not be hit with rising rents, which closed the other club. (3) It has been designed to provide great sound and ambiance. "Instead of looking like a restaurant or bar, its cavernous ceiling, muted lighting and working fireplaces create an ambience that's somewhere between a concert hall and a private club."

globeandmail.com: The rebirth of cool: "When long-time jazz club the Montreal Bistro shut its doors last July, a year after fellow jazz joint the Top o' the Senator went dark, a lot of fans felt the closings marked a downturn for jazz in Toronto.

Nick Di Donato, on the other hand, felt it was the perfect time to get into the jazz business."

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Where music is headed

The concept of building a community -- in its many forms -- makes a great deal of sense.

TheStar.com - Hipsters put their cool brand on the local scene: "Ukula includes but is not limited to: a lifestyle concept; a website community; a free magazine; a dj night; a party spot featuring emerging Toronto bands such as Born Ruffians; and a store that sells one-off handbags. This four-city, two-continent, interconnected project was dreamed up in 2002 by two enterprising lads from Edinburgh.

"Graeme Maclean and Kevin Renton built this online/real-life community to link the music, fashion and literature scenes in Toronto, Montreal, New York and London. The goal is to provide 'an independent global network for communication and exposure like no other,' according to ukula.com.

"And the network is expanding, with last month's opening of the Ukula store on College St.

"... It's also a coffee shop and hang-out spot for whoever happens to drop by.

"'It's not just about the clothes,' says 30-year-old Maclean. 'It's a cafe, it's a music lounge, a place to meet people. Our music editor's very happy because now he's got a place to meet bands and he's here every night.'"

The importance of "authenticity" in venues

In Denver, certain venues have become closely associated with indie rock (most notably the Hi-Dive and the Larimer Lounge). A combination of the bands that have played there and continue to play their, the dive atmosphere, and the hipster audiences, give these venues a cache that bands seek out when trying to establish and maintain their indie credentials.

This article talks about venue authenticity in reference to a famous Toronto music club.

The El Mocambo Tavern and the Toronto music scene: "Despite its illusory quality, Allan Moore argues, pop audiences feel the need to ascribe authenticity to particular artists. The same can be said of the public spaces that prove so important in the history of pop music. Just like artists, they may win or lose their credits of that strange, volatile currency that regulates their fates: authenticity. Looking deeper into this matter, Andrew Scott here analyzes the final chapter of Toronto's rock temple, the famous El Mocambo."

Advice from a music promoter

Advice from Jacob Smid, of Emerge Entertainment, which staged the Toronto V Fest.

TheStar.com - Local promoter lands the big gig: "'It's a combination of things,' Smid says. 'The first one is experience and reputation. In this business, all you have is your reputation. Until you are in a position to call someone in L.A. who will vouch for you to three of their friends, it's hard to get anyone to take your calls there.'

"Today, Emerge has five full-time employees, including Smid. Another 200 workers will be contracted for V Fest, including technicians and stagehands....

"'The reality is that once you get bigger, it gets easier,' he says. 'The hardest thing is trying to pull off a club gig by yourself. That's a lot of work. When you have a big project and you have a lot of time and you can hire people who excel at what they do, it makes it easier.'...

"Risk, however, is in the nature of the business.

"'I always say that if you took your business plan as a concert promoter to a bank, nobody would ever lend you a penny,' Smid says.

"'The risk-to-reward ratio is pretty vast. It's very easy to lose $10,000. It's very difficult to make $1,000. But if you're overly cautious, you're not going to do 80 per cent of the deals. At the end of the day, you have to have an ear for the music and a gut feeling.'"

Concert halls as an economic driver

The New York Times reports that five North American cities have unveiled new concert halls this fall, including Costa Mesa, CA; Nashville; Toronto; and Miami. In recent years Philadelphia; North Bethesda, Md.; Fort Worth; and Omaha have already done so. Altanta hopes to do so.
In Cities Across the United States, It's Raining Concert Halls, 9/3/06: "As concert halls have evolved into multipurpose destinations — complete with chic restaurants, bars and the inevitable education centers — local officials and business leaders have come to view them as a chance to revive a downtown or add luster to their city. Orchestra administrators see a draw for new audiences and a means of raising their group’s profile. Music directors envision a platform to artistic greatness. Orchestra members hear wonderful new acoustics. The music-loving public looks forward to more and better concerts.

“'There’s a sense that a concert hall can truly enrich a community,' said Deborah Borda, the president of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. ...

"A look at how the new halls came into being reveals a pattern.

"An orchestra outgrows its old multipurpose hall. A powerful person steps up with drive and money. The planners woo local officials and donors. A celebrity architect is engaged. A large public relations firm begins an expensive campaign trumpeting the architectural and acoustic glories of the new hall."

Canadian Jazz festivals and their economic impact

The Toronto Downtown Jazz costs about $3.5 million (Canadian) to stage (paid for through ticket sales and sponsorships), but adds $20 million to the local economy. (Not that finding sponsors is ever easy: it took six people making pitches to 75 companies over 12 months to find three new sponsors.) The biggest cost is the entertainment. Jazz festivals in Ottawa and Montreal are held around the same time so that out-of-town artists can play all of them, making it more economical to fly them in.

The Montreal International Jazz Festival costs $20 million and generates at least $100 million for the local economy.

"The most recent economic impact study, by Festivals & Events Ontario, found that the top 17 festivals in Ontario have a combined financial impact of $345 million on the regional economy and create more than 10,000 full-time jobs annually. Smaller festivals generate on average between $400,000 and $2.7 million for local economies. Were even three major festivals to stop operating, more than $100 million would be lost to regional economies every year."

TheStar.com - Festivals give Ontario a financial boost