CRASH VEGAS with DOUG PAISLEY at Danforth Music Hall (147 Danforth), Thursday (13), doors 7 pm, all ages. $29.50-$39.50. ticketmaster.ca.
Toronto folk-rock heroes Crash Vegas are getting ready to play their first shows in over 20 years – or so.
“I think it’s been 20 years,” recalls singer/songwriter Michelle McAdorey, adding that no one can remember the date of band’s last gig, but she guesses 1996.
The impetus for the reunion was Warner president Steve Kane, who approached the group to reissue their iconic Malcolm Burn-produced 1990 debut, Red Earth. It’s out on April 14 on vinyl and, for the first time, digital.
Three-quarters of Crash Vegas’ Red Earth-era lineup are reuniting to play the Danforth Music Hall on Thursday (April 13) and a warm-up gig two days prior at Maxwell’s in Waterloo.
McAdorey, guitarist Colin Cripps and drummer Ambrose Pottie will be joined by Anna Ruddick (Ladies of the Canyon) and Julie Fader (Flux A.D.). Original bassist Jocelyne Lanois is not participating.But the gigs are about more than Red Earth. McAdorey says the set list will span back catalogue, unreleased stuff and her solo material.
She started Crash Vegas in 1988 with her then-boyfriend Greg Keelor, who later left to focus on Blue Rodeo.Over three acclaimed albums (Red Earth, 1993’s grungier Stone and 1995’s Aurora), Crash Vegas’s lineup evolved, with bassist Darren Watson (Junkhouse) playing on Stone and John Borra and Mike Sloski on Aurora. Gavin Brown and Eric Chenaux helped tour Aurora.
Since McAdorey’s and Cripps’s careers have criss-crossed with many Toronto artists, we asked McAdorey to recap who was in her orbit, then and now:
Blue Rodeo and the Hi-Fi’s
Before Blue Rodeo, there was the Hi-Fi’s. That was Greg and Jim [Cuddy]’s band. When I was a young teenager I would try to sneak – I did sneak – into clubs. It was a punk/new wave scene happening, bands like the Government, the Sharks and the Hi-Fi’s, the Dave Howard Singers, the Diodes. As a young person it was like, “Whoa, this is incredible.”
I remember when Jim and Greg came up with their name. They called me on the phone and said, ‘Here’s the name: Blue. Rodeo.’ It’s a little jazz, a little blue, a little country, but not really.
The Tragically Hip
They were really so supportive, gracious and friendly, generous people. We had a really strong relationship with them for a while touring on [travelling festival] Another Roadside Attraction and doing several other tours.
One of my favourite shows was at the Aud [Buffalo Memorial Auditorium]. The Rheostatics opened, then it was us, then the Tragically Hip. I remember that show being incredible. Sometimes people ask, “How was it opening for the Hip? Was it really hard or awful because of the fans?” I remember people being very receptive. We didn’t have things thrown at us, we weren’t booed or anything like that they seemed to be quite into it.
Eric Chenaux and Gavin Brown
Eric and Gavin had a band that was quite infamous in the city called Phleg Camp – kind of heavy music. And then they had a duo called Life Like Weeds. They were brilliant. I just loved them, and Eric’s a brilliant guitar player, but of course he can play bass. So they started playing with us and that marked a whole different period [for the band].
Ken Myhr
Ken played with the Cowboy Junkies for a long time, and Jane Siberry. Ken is an incredible guitar player with a really particular style. After Crash Vegas, I was writing all these new songs and I played with Ken for a while. I remember Eric saw that show and said, “I think you should be doing this with me!” And I said, “Okay, we could try it, but I really like working with Ken.” Then Eric and I just started playing with each other. Ken and I played the first Lilith Fair with a drummer named Pete Bourne who’d been in a really cool band called Circle C. He’s Anne Bourne’s younger brother, and Anne played with Crash Vegas for a little while.
King Cobb Steelie
It was brief – Eric had been playing with them, and I was invited to sing, and then we did a co-write. It’s always so cool to be invited to do something with people.
The Constantines’ Will Kidman (whom McAdorey has played with as a duo)
They’re just a great band. Will’s a really beautiful musician. The members I know a little bit – Steve Lambke and Bry Webb – are lovely people.
Simone Schmidt (Fiver, The Highest Order)
Simone Schmidt and Doug Paisley did a cover of Smoke. Someone sent it to me, and I remember being so thrilled. Simone is one of my favourite musicians. [At the Farewell to the Silver Dollar show with the Highest Order] they turned to me and said, “Maybe we should be your band.” Maybe we will do something in the future. I just like being around them. It’s a lot of joy there.
How has the Toronto music scene changed since you started?
The thing that is really affecting [Toronto’s music scene] is how expensive the city is becoming. That profoundly affects what happens here. It has a lot of impact on how artists can survive and thrive in the city. I’m glad it’s being talked about more, but I think we need to talk about it even more – it’s serious.
What makes a city interesting is its diversity. And I think that [cost of living] has a huge impact: it affects the kinds of venues, what their policies are, what is driving them, what the rents are. Change is constant, but I worry that it’s harder to exist here. If food is hard to buy and you can’t find a place to live that’s affordable and all your energy goes to keep the basic elements together, that isn’t going to allow for the same kind of space to be creative. And I don’t know that we ultimately value that enough in our very capitalist society.
music@nowtoronto.com | @sarahegreene
