The world changed again, almost overnight, during this stretch, but we’ve made it through the holidays and still taking a stroll down nostalgia lane and the music that made me back in the 90s.
Day 16 – The Lowest Of The Low – The Taming Of Carolyn
30 years this album has been around, and I am happy that we caught one of the Low shows this month at Lee’s Palace before everything went to heck again. Wednesday the 15th… cases were creeping up but the show was still on, and it was their most socially distant show they had planned. Seats filled the main floor at Lee’s and we got there early enough to catch a table on the side – as distant as we could be in the environment and my first live show since the pandemic began.
Still processing the night out and the week since… it was an amazing evening and fantastic show where they played the album start to finish, my first time seeing them do so. Then things just… turned so quickly… we were 24 hours outside of not even considering going out to a show again.
I’m glad our crew have all tested negative and we weren’t exposed that night, despite later hearing about people who were at the show having tested positive. I’m honestly just sick of covid pressing muting everything that is supposed to be good. It’s the constant asterisk on everything, with the footnote providing context to every moment, signaling that we are still amidst this global health crisis.
I’m just writing what I’m feeling right now but maybe it’s best to just focus on the music.
The music that night was incredible. My favourite song on this album has always been The Taming Of Carolyn and the band did not disappoint.
Day 17 – Sandbox – Curious
This was a huge hit and the tune still bangs. I also think the video still holds up.
No specific memories attached to this song; it just seemed to be a constant in the background and definitely belongs on the 90s CanRock life soundtrack.
Day 18 – Tegan & Sara – Just Me
Listening to this song again after so much time brings me right back to the Embassy in London where we saw them play. Trish was on my right, Liza on my left and some dude with a light brown leather jacket standing in front of me. I remember the smell of the jacket and of cigarette smoke, because you could smoke at shows back then and I remember the whole crowd just sitting in silent awe as these two performed this song perfectly imperfect.
Day 19 – The Super Friendz – 10 lbs
There’s just something about that 90’s Halifax sound. I hadn’t heard this song in years and rediscovered it this month while letting Siri just run with her algorithm during a long car ride. I love the stripped down feel, the clear as hell vocals… this sits right in the middle between Sloan and Hardship Post and is so 90s CanRock it should be on the soundtrack to any movie made that takes place during that time. It automatically creates a sense of place and time that needs no visuals to support it.
Day 20 – Scratching Post – BloodFlame
It’s been at least 15 years since I’ve heard this song and still sung along to every word the first time I listened to it this month. Saw Scratching Post a number of times during my University days. The age that came after the need for “all ages” was filled with awesome local live music, great friends and nights you wished would never end.
Lower count on the memories with the post today. Like I said, still trying to process the last week. I didn’t want to get too far behind on the list though and besides, it’s always a great distraction to keep adding to that great mixtape that is soundtrack to your life.
I took a bit of time this week to map out the rest of the month and there are so many bands, songs and memories that I could keep doing this right until February without repeating, but thinking I’ll just save some of them and do this again next year.
Day 11 – 54-40 – Crossing A Canyon
Every summer in high school my friends would get their family cottage for a weekend just for us with no parents around and they were always the best times. Fishing, barbecue, hot tub, sauna, drinks, good music and great friends… some amazing memories from those trips.
One summer a friend joined us for the first time and he brought his new girlfriend. Without meaning to and without any agenda on either of our parts, her and I just ended up hitting it off and chatted a bunch during the day. That night we were all into the idea that we should all go into the sauna, then run out to the cold lake and jump in and race back to the sauna where the cycle would repeat. Our friend was passed out but his girlfriend was into the idea and joined in.
In one of the trips to the lake, she and I were talking and decided to stay in the lake when everyone else went into the sauna because the sauna was cramped with all of us in it together, and that then put us on an opposite schedule from everyone else, as we headed to the sauna when they came back out to the lake. We must have done that for an hour, talking, learning about each other, laughing uncontrollably every time we had to steel ourselves up for running back out to the lake.
Nothing happened outside of this obvious flirtation, I would never do that to my friend, nor would she, I’d like to believe, but I remember this being such a magical night and an example of how timing can sometimes be everything when it comes to finding romance.
The next morning, the lake was quiet and as everyone roused themselves and came back to life, we poured caesars and put on some music. I remember sitting down at the dock and our friend and his girlfriend came down to say goodbye, they were heading home earlier than the rest of us who were going to make the most of the day, Sunday traffic be damned.
I remember her giving me a little squeeze as we hugged good bye, hopefully imperceptible to her boyfriend who had not rejoined the party at all after having passed out.
I honestly don’t know if I’m mixing up my memories or not, because I absolutely remember sitting on that dock, content, quiet, with this song playing and echoing across the water, I’m just not sure it was the morning after that amazing night.
I’m choosing to believe that it was.
“I’m no prophet, but I’ve seen things
When right and wrong become too close
In that moment of my greatness
I become afraid and watch it go.”
Day 12 – The Age Of Electric – Remote Control
No specific story or memory associated with this song, although an image of our kitchen in our shitty off-campus apartment after a massive party does come to mind. I can’t even see the sink or counters with how many empties and other party remnants are littered everywhere.
There was no escaping this song for a time and it definitely belongs on any 90s party playlist.
Day 13 – Treble Charger – Red
This song is in the top 10 in the 90s for me… chill and rocking at the same time, everyone knew every word and it was one of the first songs we all learned on guitar, those of us who played.
The soundtrack to those backyard barbecues with Sloan and so many of the other bands I’ve listed already would not be complete without “Red”.
Day 14 – The Watchmen – All Uncovered
The first guy I met in res in Frosh Week wasn’t my roommate but he was two doors down on the same floor. We shook hands heartily, me from Toronto and he was from Ruscom, Ontario. Population 52. He and his immediate family made up over 10 percent of the population.
One of the things I loved most about University was meeting people from everywhere that wasn’t Toronto. I loved hearing about Ruscom and small town life from my new friend.
The main act that night to kick Frosh Week off was The Watchmen and we were both stoked; him because he had never been to any concert before, ever, and me because The Watchmen were playing at my SCHOOL.
I remember so many things about that night, navigating the crowd on the hill, chatting up some girls from the all-girls res, only to be pushed out by some guys from their brother-residence, the loudness of the music, the coldness of the shitty traveler beers we were carrying with us.
This was the next major phase of our lives after high school and we cheersed to new friendships and new adventures.
And The Watchmen absolutely killed it.
This is my favourite Watchmen song.
Day 15 – Great Big Sea – Run Runaway
This is, strangely, a band I’ve never seen live, though I had many chances.
The closest I ever came was at the door to the bar in first year University. The bar typically did not ID everyone, but tonight they were, which made us nervous because one of our friends was just days away from turning 19.
They caught him out at the door and turned him away. The kicker? He was FROM Newfoundland and had even been to one of the weddings of one of the members of the band.
We pleaded our case but it was a firm no. Our friend told us to go on in without him, but in a show of brotherhood and solidarity (with a group who had only known each other a few weeks), we all left and went back to the res, determined to show him a good time.
This turned out to be the moment he had been prepared for because this was when he brought out his bottle of screech for the first time.
While not a proper screeching in, and no cod to kiss, we all became honourary Newfoundlanders that night and had one of the best party nights of the year without going out and it cemented friendships that last until this day.
Pro-tip:
Do not use a full size bowling ball along a carpeted hallway as the friction burns will absolutely destroy the carpet, as we learned that night.
Fast-forward to the end of the school year and the res office is doing floor audits to ensure there is no permanent damage. They see the friction burns from seven months previous and say let us know the whole floor is responsible for the $1500 it will cost to replace the carpet.
Playing right into a stereotype, one of the guys on the floor is Persian and his family owns a rug store. He gets down on his hands and knees to examine the carpet and lets the res office people know we can fix this and to come back in an hour.
He says we all need to get some forks… and we all have cutlery in our rooms lifted from the cafeteria, so we get out the forks and he shows us how we have to carefully use the forks to gently scrape the carpet in the opposite direction of the friction burn to lift the fibres back up.
Here we are, 12 or 13 of us, all on our hands and knees, trying to fix the carpet because it is the end of the school year and NONE of us have any money to pay for the damages, especially since half the floor would have refused to pay because it was our screeched in stupidness that caused this in the first place.
The res office people come back and while we think we’ve done an incredible job, we are all sweating while they examine the rug.
When they give us a thumbs up and let us off the hook, the entire floor cheers, one of the last amazing memories we will all have together as a floor before exams hit and people start leaving res.
Two amazing memories and friendship bonds that last until this day, all because we did NOT go and see Great Big Sea.
The holiday countdown continues and the memories keep coming back with them.
The friends you have when you can first start going out in the city on your own hold a special place in your heart for the rest of your life. The friends who call you up when they see those important two words before any show: “all ages”.
Coming into my musical own in Toronto in the mid 90s introduced me to so many things that went beyond the music… venues, after parties, places in the city I had never been to before.
Life is very good right now, but I find myself thinking the same three words every day when I post my song… “Take me back…”
Day 6 – Headstones – Cubically Contained
I’m a little older for this one and at res in University. We have an unwritten door open policy on the floor, which means your room door should only be closed if you are seriously studying (hardly ever happened) or sleeping.
It’s close to the end of the school year and money is TIGHT. I am even watching the balance on my meal card. But still, we want to go out so getting the cheapest beer we can off campus and drinking in the res will save us those dollar bills needed for the one or two drinks we’ll need at the bar.
I remember sitting around our room, a couple of people on the Sega Genesis, a guitar strumming out in the hall and this song on the radio. No drama, no stress, everyone just ready to have a good time on a Wednesday night.
It seems like such a simple time, looking back, full of simple pleasures.
When did life get so hard?
Day 7 – Weeping Tile – In The Road
On the way to my girlfriend’s family cottage in the Ottawa valley there’s a long road before you hit the dirt entryway and there’s a bend in the road with a huge maple.
This song comes on and I’m hearing it for the first time and it’s so beautiful that I want to hear it again, but don’t have time before we get back to the cottage so I pull over and rewind the tape she’s made for me.
It’s fall and the leaves are changing colour and the maple is a dark, amazing red, and it dominates my view as we sit there, listening to the song again, taking it all in.
Day 8 – Eric’s Trip – Allergic To Love
Another song off that same mixtape and an instant favourite. Quickly learned it and added it to my campfire repertoire on the guitar as well.
Day 9 – Emm Gryner – Acid
I am at a Spirit of the West concert and Emm Gryner is opening for them. I had never heard of her before and, from the reaction she was getting from the drunken crowd, neither had anyone else. They did not come here to see her and they were letting her know it.
Diminutive, with a quiet demeanour, she sat there, playing piano solo on the big stage where SOTW were going to come out with a far bigger sound fairly soon.
She played a couple of tunes and was visibly put off by the comments and calls coming from the crowd.
“Acid” is a song that starts out quietly but has some very strong notes in it later on where she gets the chance to sing with all her heart.
The crowd hated it and continued to call her out, but she pressed through and sang it with such forceful emotion she was able to drown them out.
It is one of the strongest musical performances I have ever seen and I was an instant fan. I bought her album the next day.
Day 10 – The Doughboys – Melt
Crush is a perfect album so it wasn’t a question of if it would make this list, but when and which song.
Not knocking the amazing tune “Shine” (RIP The Wedge on MuchMusic which adopted the song as their theme), but “Melt” has always been my favourite song on the album.
This one takes me back to riding in my friend’s car with his CD/car-adapter on my lap because the holder is broken. I’m holding the whole thing carefully so as not to make the CD skip when we hit the bumps in the road.
The sunroof is open and this song is just blasting as we head out for the night for food, parties and just good summer fun.
The #30DaysofCDN90sSongs challenge on Twitter started by the Rave and Drool podcast has been a fun trip down memory lane so far this month. It’s been a lot of fun connecting with others who have the same appreciation for that particular era of music, but I’ve been finding myself limited by the Twitter character count to properly share my memories and thoughts around my song choices.
Then I remembered, oh yeah, I also have a blog that I keep ignoring, and as the basic notion behind this site is to track and reminisce about the soundtrack of my life, it’s a perfect opportunity to expand on those choices here and get back into the habit of writing a bit more regularly.
I’m a 1977 kid, which means that my teen years coincided right alongside an explosion of talent in Canadian alternative music. Being able to buy my own music with my own money (and not from Columbia House) as well as being able to attend all ages shows with my friends meant that my access to this talent explosion came at a time when I was also the most impressionable.
A lot of the songs in this advent calendar are still played regularly around the house today and they bring me right back to those teen years and the mishaps, misadventures and misplaced emotions that came along with them.
The one rule is that we can’t repeat an artist or band so, with that in mind, let’s check out the first 5 days of 90s CanRock.
Day 1 – The Killjoys – Someplace
My high school girlfriend had really strict Italian parents. Missing curfew could lead to a restriction on how many nights a week she could go out, or potentially not go out at all.
We are down on the Lakeshore in the West End of Toronto, parked, having just got back from a walk along the boardwalk where we saw swans. Swans! Romantic!
We turn the radio on and start listening to one of my mix tapes while we do what teenagers do while parked listening to mix tapes.
It’s soon time to head home and I go to start my car but running the radio has drained the battery and my car won’t start!
We start freaking out. This is it. We will never be allowed to see each other ever again. We will grow old and each die alone. I hope the make-out session was worth it, because it will be our last one.
I get out of the car and pop the hood, completely delusional that I would even know what to do with anything under there.
It turns out that this was a good move as a man from further down the parking lot gets out of his car and approaches us and asks us if we’re having car trouble.
I blurt it all out, how we were making out, the battery drained and if we don’t get her home by 11, I will never be allowed to see her again. She may even be forced to move schools to ensure it.
He chuckles and says, don’t worry, I can help. He gives me his CAA card and points over at the phone booth.
“Call them and tell them you’re me and they’ll come and give you a boost. I’m just passing through town and resting my eyes in my car before driving all night, so I’ll be just over there if they give you any trouble.”
I thank him profusely, call them and we wait, trying not to imagine her father having a heart attack. It’s an agonizing wait while it’s happening but they actually show up super quickly. We get our boost, no further questions asked, and before we drive away, the man gives us a thumbs up from his car, then we are on our way, speeding home.
We make it home in time. We will live to see another date. Our love is intact.
At least until the following year when I go away to University and we break up on Valentine’s Day, but that’s a story for another time.
This song always reminds me of that night.
Day 2 – The Waltons – Truth And Beauty
Now, not as much of a story to this song, but it was on the mix tape we were listening to in the car and the sweetness and heart in it always brings me back to that relationship as well.
Day 3 – Skydiggers – Slow Burning Fire
That girlfriend of mine at the end of high school LOVED this song, but that’s not why it’s on this advent calendar. This part of the list is like Valentine’s Day, 1997: we’re now moving on past her.
I’m 16 and it’s Friday night and we are all out drinking down at the pit, and we’re happy to be at the pit, having gotten there first and thus claiming the campfire. If your group didn’t get to the pit first, you’d have to settle for the bridge, and if the bridge was taken, you’d have to go all the way to the second bridge, and nobody liked going to the second bridge.
The pit was the place to be.
Our group was joined by another group not too long after we settled in and had a fire going, having used our 2-4 cases as kindling. They were a bunch of kids from another school who we didn’t know but seemed cool enough, and we had more people than they did, so it was still our fire and they were our guests.
One of the girls in the group was named Delaney and she sat down on the log next to me and as we all laughed and told jokes, music playing in the background, the hormone-filled tension in the space between us on that log was so thick it almost prevented us from moving closer together. Almost prevented us.
As our shoulders touched she giggled and my heart leapt.
We kept chatting and eventually she said she had to go to the bathroom and asked where she could go. It was her first time at the pit.
I pointed at the path that led up the hill and into the trees, guys on the left, girls on the right, those were the rules, and she looked nervous.
“Want me to go up there with you?” I asked.
She nodded and I followed her up the hill, into the trees and gave her her privacy as she walked off to the right.
When she came back out onto the path, she kissed me on my cheek and thanked me, and headed back down to the fire.
WHERE HER FRIENDS WERE GETTING READY TO LEAVE.
I can still feel the hug around my neck that she gave me to say goodbye and then they left and I never saw her again.
I honestly don’t know if this song was playing that night on the cassette player, but there’s a good chance that it might have been.
Regardless, this song always reminds me of sitting on that log and the slowness with which the space between us disappeared.
Day 4 – Sloan – Coax Me
The twins had the greatest party house and parents who were often away on weekends, a potent combination when you’re 16 and part of the tighter inner circle.
Frozen burgers and Diana sauce were on the menu. Ah, Diana Sauce… the perfect combination of affordability and class, at least in our eyes.
This album was played constantly on many a backyard barbecue night, when the evenings turned from ridiculous dancing to those quiet, late-night talks about life, our future and our place in the universe.
Up until that point in our lives, it was the best our lives had ever been…
Day 5 – The Hardship Post – Garbage Truck
Have you been to Toronto’s newest, hottest club?
Located in Yorkdale Mall, you haven’t been clubbing until you’ve been to Club HMV.
Yep, totally lame, but we used to use the listening stations at the HMV at Yorkdale to hear new music before buying anything; headphones attached to the wall and buttons you could press to change between the newest CDs.
We would ROCK OUT on these things, motioning to each other from down the aisle trying to guess which CD the other person was listening to. The first silent disco parties.
I heard this song and didn’t even finish it. I wanted to grab the tape before it sold out.
I bought it and didn’t hear the end of the song until I was in the car on the way home.
Absolutely fantastic song and band.
And, in case I wasn’t totally clear, I absolutely understand how lame Club HMV was in hindsight.
* * * * *
You can catch the advent calendar daily on my Twitter, days 6 to 10 will get posted next week!
And, to that stranger passing through town with his CAA membership and Delaney, should either of you be reading this, thanks for those memorable nights…
From the wheeze of the steam piano and the off-notes-played-on-purpose to Wait’s whiskey-dripped growl, this song is one of the most magical songs I’ve heard in my life and one I could listen to on repeat, over and over.
Siri pulled it out of the ether on me in the car this morning and it had been years since I heard it; listened to it six times in a row, the whole way home.
There’s something both familiar and other-worldly in the lyrics, as if we are listening to a song composed and sung from the very edges of consciousness Waits is singing about. It’s a lullaby and a lament, a sleeper’s waltz at the end of a drunken evening.
I had hoped to learn more about it to be able to post something with more substance, but I should have known. This is Tom Waits, and nothing is out there in the open and obvious with him. The Wikipedia entry for the song is two sentences long.
The song has been used to accompany a Banksy art installation and has been covered a number of times, but I could not find any production notes, stories or inspirations for the song. In his intro on this video of a live performance of the song, Waits tells us a number of places where the song did not originate, including learning it from his dad, some children in the alley behind the theatre as well as learning it from Gregory Peck.
I want to sit with him, pour a drink and talk about the world this song lives in, because it is only visiting ours.
