Could starting concerts earlier make Toronto a stronger Music City?

--taken from: NOW Toronto

by Mars Sellars

A motion by the city’s Economic Development and Culture Committee was approved in November to look into extending bar licensing hours past 2 am to help music venues succeed.

But here’s a thought: what if we started concerts earlier?

While later opening times are beneficial to club culture, and having legal options for those who want to rave till dawn is a great idea, when it comes to strengthening Toronto as a live music city, extending licensing hours isn’t much of a fix. The core audience who stay out till 1 or 2 am regularly will be the same group who stay out till 4 am, so extending last call won’t necessarily bring new people to bars or live performances.

However, starting shows at, say, 8 pm and having them end at 11 pm on weeknights could make the city a place that more diverse groups of people can enjoy. Right now, those with day jobs often can’t enjoy the music Toronto has to offer.

Last month, NOW surveyed 1,000 readers on their concert-going habits for our Vanishing Venues cover story, and the results may surprise you. Thirty-four per cent of respondents preferred headliners go on between 9 and 10:30 pm, and another 27 per cent preferred 10:30 to midnight. (Only 2 per cent chose midnight or later, a regular headlining time slot for local shows.)

You only have to look at other cities and cultures to see that late-night concerts aren’t standard.

“In Japan, for instance, shows end at 9 pm,” says Sloan’s Jay Ferguson. “People go out afterwards for snacks and dinner.”

Musician and Burdock venue booker Charlotte Cornfield agrees. “We were the headlining band on our Europe run, and the latest we went on was 9 pm as the headliner,” she recalls.

Touring bands don't always appreciate starting so late, either. This was the case with Seattle's Dude York and Glasgow's PAWS on Wednesday night at Smiling Buddha – PAWS didn't start till 12:15 am, which made for a pretty sparse crowd.

In the UK, where I lived for many years, live music ends at 11 pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends. The UK does have 24-hour drinking now, but for many decades pubs stopped serving at 11 pm, which is how the culture of going out straight after work was established. London is a much more weekday-social city than Toronto. With so many people commuting into the city for work, they tend to stick around and go out afterwards.

Toronto is the opposite.

“Toronto is a big weekend city, so on weekends I’ve noticed people hang out after the show and drink,” says Cornfield. “But on weekdays, people just want to get out of there and get to bed. So business-wise it makes sense for things to get going earlier.

“The reality is that the climate of our city is changing. There’s pretty much a mutual understanding that everyone’s working, and in order to make ends meet, people have to be up in the morning.”

So what’s stopping Toronto shows from starting earlier?

“It depends on the artist and the market,” veteran Toronto concert promoter Dan Burke explains. “Different cities have different cultures. In Toronto people have day jobs and don’t want to go to the club straight from work. They want to go home first and change gears and then go to a show after. So that means doors no earlier than 8 pm Sunday to Thursday.

 “People have a higher inclination to consume alcohol later in the night, so in order to maximize bar sales, which is absolutely necessary to the financing of shows, you have to take into account the hours when the shows are occurring.”

But if we could shift the culture to going to shows earlier and getting home earlier, the way we do for sports events and theatre performances, audiences could diversify to include more parents, suburbanites, university students, older folks, 9-to-5ers and others. As well, people with jobs are people with money; we should be encouraging them to spend it in on the live music economy. No one wants to see another venue closure.

At the Burdock, where they’ve already started having earlier start times, Cornfield is seeing a difference. She says the shows are reaching an inter-generational audience.

“We have really young people and older people, and having a show at an accessible time makes [attending] more doable for a diverse audience.”

--taken from: NOW Toronto

Sloan's Chris Murphy says he is coming to town (and he's bringing Canadian Rock royalty with him)

Steven Page (formerly Barenaked Ladies), Moe Berg (The Pursuit of Happiness), Craig Northey (Odds) and Chris Murphy (Sloan) are the Trans-Canada Highwaymen, and will be performing April 23 at the Capitol Centre

--taken from: Bay Today

by Stu Campaigne

It seems like just yesterday that Chris Murphy and his mates from Halifax were taking Canada by storm with their full-length debut Smeared. Their first single release, "Underwhelmed," had the perfect blend of power pop and grunge to rise above the wave of contenders and pretenders in the post-Nirvana music scene, circa 1992.

Fast forward 25 years and the Toronto-based Murphy, to borrow a Moe Berg phrase, "is an adult now." And with his new bandmates, he will have what he calls the good fortune to play along as The Pursuit of Happiness front-man belts out the lyrics to that classic Candian rock tune.

Murphy took time out from what he termed a typical morning of dropping his child off at school to talk about his newest collaboration, the Trans-Canada Highwaymen. Describing the scene around him, Murphy relayed that he had the phone "jammed up inside" his bike helmet while walking his bicycle along a busy sidewalk in Toronto, all the while excitedly dishing about the upcoming tour.

After being recognized by a passerby, Murphy graciously fended off the well-wisher on the sidewalk, telling the man on the street "you look great, but I can't talk right now," after explaining that he was in the middle of an interview.

It was classic, goofball Murphy, who once jumped into a stranger's van outside MuchMusic during a live show. He says that he is often cast in the role as Sloan's spokesman by default, but it is obvious from our conversation that Murphy's endearing, charismatic nature has not dulled with time.

Four iconic front-men from a golden age of Canadian rock music have banded together to form the Trans-Canada Highwaymen and play their hits in an eight-show tour that kicks off next month and will make a stop on April 23, at the Capitol Centre in North Bay.

Each member will bring four of his own biggest hits to this collaborative effort, with the caveat that they must have written the songs they will play with the Trans-Canada Highwaymen. Four Canadian rock legends, 16 hit songs and the insider stories about the songs, artists, and tours that defined a generation of Canada's most popular and respected music.

The on-stage instrumental deployment of the Trans-Canada Highwaymen is a nod to Sloan's unique practice of switching instruments mid-set, sharing writing and vocalist credits, in essence, performing as a well-oiled machine with interchangeable moving parts.

"For me, it's very similar to Sloan in that we all share all the real estate, as it were, in the set equally. For Moe Berg, he's always been the main guy, never having to contend with anyone else, but for the rest of us, Craig Northey comes from a band where he wasn't the only guy and certainly Steven Page came from a band where he wasn't the only guy or writer."

For the Trans-Canada Highwaymen gigs, Murphy said a democratic set-list structure similar to what Sloan traditionally employs will translate well. Since all four members of his main band share writing and singing, Murphy said a typical 12-song set with Sloan will see each of the members take the lead once in the first, second and third four-song blocks.

The supergroup played one gig last summer as a trial run at a winery in Niagara that was well-received. The four agreed to play together again once schedules could be accommodated, and with the addition of theatre veteran (and Kids in the Hall collaborator) Jim Millan to the project, the intimate multimedia experience and storytelling aspect of the show was achieved.

"Sloan is my life's work, of which I'm very proud," said Murphy, "but I'm excited to hang with these guys, they are all heavyweight writers and players. I think [this tour] will give us more time to stretch and to talk, to goof around.

"There are some people in Sloan where as soon as I start saying anything, they say 'here he goes,' but this format will allow me to be more of a storyteller on stage, an entertainer as opposed to an artist where we are plowing through songs, playing obscure songs, challenging people. This is pretty much 'everyone bring your most recognizable songs and we'll try to make a purely hits set and entertain these people.'"

Murphy is looking at the tour as a fun distraction from Sloan and he is also involved in another side project, TUNS, with Mike O'Neill of the Inbreds and Matt Murphy of Super Friendz. Sloan recently toured while marking the 20th anniversary of their hit album One Chord to Another and Murphy says the band is deciding whether recording new material will happen sooner rather than later.

According to the tour release, the show will deliver: "Sixteen hit songs, road stories, jokes, secrets and surprises. With video evidence and never before seen photos, they indict the guilty and the innocent alike with lots of laughter. Chris, Moe, Craig and Steven have known each other twenty-five years and will reveal what was really going on behind the scenes and behind the songs from the bands you love."

Murphy explained that this tour would allow him to do two things that are dear to him: play and listen to great music. "I get to be the star in a way, but I also get to be a fan. I get to play "I'm an Adult Now," and I get to have Moe Berg sing the harmony on "Underwhelmed." It's pretty fun."

--taken from: Bay Today

Steven Page is forever in search of his next project

--taken from: Medicine Hat News

by Stan Ashbee

Former Barenaked Lady Steven Page is criss-crossing back and forth across the country with a variety of band formations performing material from his solo career, along with classic BNL hits.

“That’s what keeps it fun and exciting. Some of them are full rock band-type shows, then I’m doing some symphony shows, and then the core of them this trio formation we’re doing in Medicine Hat,” Page explained.

Page and company perform at the Esplanade Friday night at 8 p.m.

Page noted the upcoming gig will be an intimate show, especially with it being a three-piece formation, along with his trio mates Craig Northey from the band Odds and Kevin Fox.

“It gives a lot of room for us to spread out, but they are two of my favourite people, as well as my two favourite musicians and collaborators. I’ve worked with both of them, both Craig and Kevin separately a ton over the years. Craig has co-written a lot of songs on my solo record list including my last one and co-produced it with me. Kevin is the first person I called after I left Barenaked Ladies and we’ve been playing together ever since. It was a duo, so with this record we decided to merge our superpowers and make this trio and it’s just been a blast. We play everything from ‘Gordon’ era of Barenaked Ladies all the way up to my latest solo record,” he said. Page’s latest solo effort released last year is entitled, “Heal Thyself Pt. 1: Instinct.”

Page added it’s been great doing the symphony shows, as well. Earlier this month, Page performed with the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra for the “Great Canadian Songbook: A Canada 150 Celebration” concert, which included a collection of Canadian classic hits.

“It’s nice to be included in stuff like that,” he said. “Doing a few of my songs, as well as Leonard Cohen songs.” Page will be performing another symphony show at the end of the month in Ontario and after that he hopes to line up more for next season.

“With Barenaked Ladies we did some symphonic shows and we had arrangements of our songs with different symphonies like the Toronto Symphony and the Boston Pops and so on,” he said, adding other projects have continued in the symphony vein and will continue on.

Page said with Canada celebrating 150 years he will be doing a show in Vancouver with his fellow musical cohorts from Odds.

“I play with them a lot. They’re my backing band and we will do shows where they start the show and then we do a set together and then I’ve got this other project called the Trans-Canada Highwaymen, which is myself, Craig, Moe Berg from Pursuit of Happiness and Chris Murphy from Sloan. The four of us tour with instruments and play each other’s songs. Chris will play drums on ‘I’m an Adult Now’ and then I’ll play drums on let’s say ‘Underwhelmed’ or something like that. It’s really fun. It’s just four guys kind of the same generation playing each other’s greatest hits,” he said.

According to the Canadian singer and songwriter, part two of “Heal Thyself” is basically done.

“I still have some finishing up to do on it on a few last tracks and then just to get a proper release date set up, so I have a deadline to start to work towards. I don’t work well without a deadline,” he admitted.

Aside from recording albums and touring on the road, Page wrapped up filming for the TV food show “Chopped Canada” this past summer, which aired over the holidays.

“I watch all those shows. That’s kind of my TV junk food,” he said.

He added the experience was just as hard and stressful as they make it out to look on TV. “And I won. So, I can’t complain,” he joked.

Page also hosted the reality TV series “The Illegal Eater,” which never got renewed for another season.

“That series itself isn’t going to happen anymore, which is kind of a drag because it was a fun concept and I thought the show worked really well. But, I’m working on some ideas with a production company for maybe another limited series kind of thing,” he said.

Page has had 25 years of on the job training, as far as doing TV and talking to cameras.

“Doing a travel and food show was not a stretch because that’s essentially what touring with a rock band is — you travel around the world and eat. Doing a TV show about it, was almost second nature,” he added.

--taken from: Medicine Hat News

Trans-Canada Highwaymen play the Capitol Centre April 23

Former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page has teamed up with Sloan’s Chris Murphy, Odds co-founder Craig Northey and Moe Berg of the Pursuit of Happiness as the Trans-Canada Highwaymen, performing at the Capitol Centre April 23.

--taken from: North Bay Nugget

by Luke Hendry

Former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page, Sloan’s Chris Murphy, Odds co-founder Craig Northey and Moe Berg of the Pursuit of Happiness are coming together under the band name the Trans-Canada Highwaymen for eight Ontario shows, including the Capitol Centre April 23.

The “super group” of Canadian rock musicians will play a 16-song set of each other’s hits, interspersed with “road stories, jokes, secrets and surprises” that recall their 25 years of friendship.
Among the songs on the set list are Sloan’s Underwhelmed, the Barenaked Ladies’ The Old Apartment, Pursuit of Happiness’ I’m An Adult Now and It Falls Apart by Odds.

--taken from: North Bay Nugget

The History of Canadian Indie Rock in One Group

Berg, Murphy, Northey & Page come to Patridge Hall

--taken from: Niagara This Week

Together, the biographies of the members of the TransCanada Highwaymen tell the story of a defining era in Canadian indie music. The band, also known by the more straightforward tag of Berg, Murphy, Northey & Page, is undoubtedly one of the greatest collections of indie rock musicians ever assembled in this country. And though they shy away from the term “supergroup,” it’s hard not to refer to them as such. Just think about this; in the 10-year span from 1993 and 2002, there is not a year where a member of this band wasn’t nominated for a JUNO Award. For Canadian music fans aged 30 to 45, the songs of Sloan (Chris Murphy), Odds (Craig Northey), Pursuit of Happiness (Moe Berg), and the Barenaked Ladies (Steven Page) were ubiquitous.

While the four members of the band crossed paths over the years in the tight-knit Canadian indie music scene, it was actually a mutual friend, theatre director Jim Millan, who planted the idea for them to play together live, sharing their songs and stories from the stage. As such, this isn’t the kind of supergroup that ignores the members’ respective discographies. In fact, for the upcoming TransCanada Highwaymen shows including an April 19 stop at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines, there are no new songs. These concerts are all about pleasing the crowds and having fun, with each guy bringing his four or five most popular tunes.

“Those guys are all entertainers in terms of the, ‘are you an artist or are you an entertainer?’ But I also think everybody in the Highwaymen group has their artist side,” says Murphy. “I think that when the four of us get together, everybody is willing to engage the audience and engage each other.”

While seeing this collection musicians together at once, sharing songs everyone knows the words to, like Sloan’s “The Rest of My Life” or Barenaked Ladies’ “One Week,” has a high novelty factor for the audience, it’s a pretty novel experience for the musicians themselves.

“I’m just hanging out with my friends and getting to play [Pursuit of Happiness’] ‘I’m an Adult Now’ with the guy who wrote it and having Moe Berg sing the harmony on [Sloan’s] ‘Underwhelmed,’ it’s all high novelty for me,” says Murphy. “And I think as a sort of package thing, I think it’s a pretty high quality show and it’s a super fun hang for me.”

With both Sloan and his other group, Tuns, still active, Murphy is happy to see the TransCanada Highwaymen keep it easy and just have fun playing the hits. That said, “I think there could be a next step to it where it’s like, ‘you know what? Let’s put our heads together and write some songs’ or ‘let’s get together and record some other covers,’” he says. “But for now, I’m also trying to keep Sloan on the tracks, too. Page has got his own thing, Craig is doing the Odds still, they continue to make music, and Moe Berg is the most dormant. I think he would probably be up for whatever. I don’t know exactly how that’s going to go, but in the process it’s super fun.”

--taken from: Niagara This Week

Liner Notes: Bullet News for March 14th

--taken from: FYI Music News

A new group of old timers calling themselves The Trans-Canada Highwaymen is making headlines because of its line-up featuring Sloan's Chris Murphy, BNL Steven Page, Pursuit of Happiness frontman Moe Berg and Odds' Craig Northey. The collective has an eight-city tour of soft-seaters beginning in St. Catharines' First Ontario Performing Arts Centre on April 19 and calling it a wrap at Brampton’s Rose Theatre on the 28th. Murphy spills the beans in Exclaim! about what one can expect from these golden boys live, which is a bit of this and that from each's own respective careers. An expanded show is in the planning stage that is to incorporate monologues around the catalogue of songs. At this time there are no plans to write new material together, and there's no word of a record deal...so far.

--taken from: FYI Music News