MFS has turned fifteen! My introductory thoughts on this landmark can be found here, but long story short: I asked some folks from the MFS community to help me celebrate by picking some selections from the archives, and possibly sharing some thoughts or stories.
Today's list is from Ian McPhedran.
Fifteen years is an unfathomable milestone for most endeavours and yet here we are. Joe’s tireless effort to build and preserve this archive is no small feat, and still he makes it look easy. While searching the archive to prepare the list, I was surprised at times to find that recordings I assumed would be there were not, mainly because it has always felt like he was at every single show ever (I really wanted to find the recording of DAS RAD at the Silver Dollar when Bo shouted “The power of Christ compels you!” and then cut his hand with a razor blade and blood ran all over the stage resulting in a later hospital trip, but does that even exist?). The collection is a testament to the fantastic and diverse body of work created by the city’s music communities since 2009. That it is freely searchable and accessible is a gift and an opportunity that we should all take advantage of. As with your curation work and your own musical endeavours, it captures a spirit of openness, inclusivity, and support that encourages exploration and risk-taking, which are vital for fostering new projects and ideas. Thank you Joe.
Doing a deep-dive in the archive reminded me how strongly music is tied to memory, so I have organized my list around shows that had a significant impact on me as “footnotes” for the collection.
Easy Targets - Secret Door
Recorded at The Silver Dollar (Canadian Music Week), March 13, 2010.
The Targets were always great, but I’m glad Joe recorded this one. There was always something menacing just lurking under the surface with the band, and it really explored that territory that night, which I think translates into the recording. Playing CMW or NXNE is always a somewhat frustrating endeavour for bands and that night was no exception, and this in part fueled the energy and the overall vibe in the room, which the Targets picked up on. The one downside to Nick Kervin being such an incredible drummer is that his great skills as a songwriter and guitar player are sometimes forgotten. The crucible of this project directly led to some other great projects that also produced stellar work, namely, Mimico, B-17s, Cellphone (and pretty much everything else Colin has done), and of course Scott Hardware.
The Hoa Hoa's - Going Out With Her
Recorded at The Boat, April 29, 2011.
Going out with Her is an underappreciated song from one of the finest groups this city has ever produced. Performed on the first night of their weekend of final shows, there is something about the quality of Richie’s voice that always gets me, and that night, made me teary. It really punctuated the bittersweet feeling of the evening.
Nidus - the gauzy meshwork of an invisible thought [excerpt]
Recorded at Cedarvale Ravine, September 11, 2021.
Desperate times call for desperate measures and sometimes yield the most exciting results. As a safety-workaround during Covid, Nidus brought a generator and an impressive amount of gear into a cavernous section of Cedarvale Ravine and proceeded to blow minds. The mosquitos were terrible and the police showed up to end the evening at the behest of the owners of the multi-million dollar homes that line the ravine (although some of their children seemed to enjoy what was going on). You can’t make this stuff up. It also features the contributions of my absolute favorite Toronto composer Jason Doell.
Beard Closet - Compassionate Fascism
Recorded at Holy Oak Café (Taking drugs to play music for kittens to take drugs to – Chi Chi Fundraiser), September 30, 2012.
I wanted to include one of Phil Hamilton’s projects and my first choice, the Samesex performance at the Holy Oak on September 26, 2014 was MIA (I swear this was posted at one point). [Ed note: possibly this one? From a time when project names were in flux.]
This is vintage Dissolving Parliament era Beard Closet that still makes my skin crawl in the best possible way. The fact that Phil played a benefit for a cat despite clearly being a “dog person” demonstrates all of the warmth, love and generosity of spirit lurking beneath that rough exterior. The recording captures Beard Closet’s fearless sense of experimentation that made the evening so much fun.
Cosmic Homeostasis XV - Blah, Blah, Blah [excerpt 1]
Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), May 29, 2022.
I tried to avoid picking any recordings I played on, but as both a frequent participant and as an observer, I think Cosmic Homeostasis is one of the most fascinating gatherings in the city. It presents a real challenge to the conventional privileging of the role of the performer in live music since the listeners and participants both play an equal role and intermingle throughout the room. Every ambient sound captured as a treasured part of the piece. This one was special because it was the first show I played with my son Sterling and he got to name the songs. I was nervous, but everyone was very patient playing alongside a four-year-old.
You can always click on the tags below to look for more stuff from these artists. Has there been five or so songs posted here that made an impact on you? If you'd like to get in on the action and make a list, feel free to send me an email: mechanicalforestsound@gmail.com.
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