Grievous Angels

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On Sunday Kate and I drove to Toronto (it's over 2 hours each way) for an afternoon performance by the Grievous Angels (Charlie Angus' band) at the famous Horseshoe Tavern on Queen St E at Spadina. Just down the road a bit from CAMH (Kate works for them) at College and Spadina.

Note: Charlie Angus is, and has been for quite a while now, the NDP MP for the huge riding of Timmins-James Bay and do not confuse this band with a similarly named "Grievous Angels" from Tempe, Arizona. The band name is an homage to the 1974 Gram Parsons album.

We follow both Charlie Angus (for the politics) and Grievous Angels (for the music) on Facebook and had seen tickets advertised some weeks before the event. We had tickets but might not have gone with our recent mobility problems. But, Kate was game for the drive Sunday morning and we set out early for the 1pm show arriving early enough to get excellent front row seats. The lady we joined at our small table warned us that the view might get obscured by dancers but that never amounted to much. It was mostly a listening audience and, while busy, was not too crazy. Most of the audience were at or near our age — aged punks and radicals who lean to the left.

It was a lovely sunny day, quite hot for the time of year, but a good day for a drive into the city. My intention was to drive up Spadina and drop off Kate at the bar while I would find nearby parking. I missed the Spadina exit from the Gardiner (it's been a while since we've been to "the city") and ended up coming up University Ave then across Richmond. Fortunately we found street parking right across the road from the Horseshoe on Queen St E. — how very convenient for us. As it was such a sunny day the streets were busy with pedestrians seeing and being seen strolling and in the cafés and patios open that day. We left the sun and entered the dank and dark of the infamous Horseshoe Tavern.

We arrived to a bit of a lineup within the bar — the performance area is in a much larger room at the back divided into roughly equal seating, dancing and standing areas. We got a beer (for me) and a soda and lime for Kate who was "on the wagon". Charlie greeted his fans standing in line and Kate told him that Grievous Angels was our "Desert Island" band for many years (we still love "One Job Town" (1990) and the voice of Michelle Rumball). He replied, "No, we were signed with a different label". These days they record and publish on their own label. Politics has kept Charlie busy but I think the pandemic gave him a chance to write and reach out again to his music. He seemed to enjoy playing with the band, they were tight, able and well rehearsed, and oddly his voice has improved over the years!

Once we had a table I checked out the merch table and bought their second last CD, "The Great Divide" (2013), and a copy of Charlie's recent book, "Cobalt", about the mining history. Their latest release, "Summer Before the Storm" (2021) was only available as an LP and I don't play or collect vinyl. I had listened to it a bit on iTunes and have since bought it and "Hanging Songs" (2003) from the Grievous Angels web site. They are currently working on a new album "Last Call for Cinderella" which, I think, will come out next year. They have an extensive catalogue (there are about 8 albums; we've been following them since 1990) and the show featured several new tunes from this forthcoming album.

After the opening act, Charlie did a bit of a reading from another book he's working on, the subject seems to be his recollections and reflections on life as a punk in the 1980's and how we really need to return to that mind set. That book will come out next year as well.

The opening act, Hayley and The Pirate Queens, was a small 3 piece punk band fronted by Hayley Austin (guitar and vocals) with Tim Hadley (bass) and Nathan Mahaffy (drums). The music is sort of power pop punk girl band. The sound was a bit mushy, as it was for the Grievous Angels. A photographer near me asked me if the sound was bad, I said it was but it went with the punk ethos. I enjoyed the set, would have liked it better if I could have made out the words to the songs. Kate sat with her leg up in the car so she would be up for the Grievous Angels. We texted back and forth, and I let her know when Charlie started his reading. She returned for that and we stayed until the bitter end.

The current band consists of Charlie Angus (vocals, electric and acoustic guitar), Ian McKendry (newest member on electric guitar), Peter Jellard (founding member on fiddle, mandolin, guitar and accordian), Tim Hadley (long time bass player with Grievous Angels and Stompin' Tom), Nathan Mahaffy (drums), Janet Mercier (vocals) and Alex Bell (piano and vocals). Tim and Nathan are the rhythm section that formed the backbone for Hayley and The Pirate Queens and they often open for the Grievous Angels. There seems to be a connection to Belleville, where Kate went to high school and where her parents lived until their death.

We enjoyed the show and recognized some of the tunes. Many were new to us from this album in progress. Janet Mercier and Alex Bell shared lead vocals on a song about Barcelona from the new album. Alex on piano was hidden away at the back of the stage with Nathan on drums. The band got the crowd up dancing to the "Gumboot Clogeroo" from "Toute La Gang" (1989) and to "I Fought the Law" (made famous for us by the Clash (1979)). As might be expected, many songs are about mining, resource industries and hard times. There is a political bent.

The band played two sets with a brief intermission. I went out to feed the parking meter near 5:00 during the second set and when I returned the dance floor was hopping but the show was winding down. I've shared these photos on Facebook and even got a mention from Charlie himself.

It was good to see live music again by one of our favorite bands. We don't get to the Horseshow and Toronto very often. I recall seeing Jerry Jeff Walker, Eric Bogle, Billy Joe Shaver and Robert Earl Keen at this venue but those were years ago. This was our first time seeing Charlie Angus and the Grievous Angels.

Chris, No. 1 Son

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Our No. 1 son Christopher dropped in for a visit on his way home to Dresden, Germany from a conference he had been to in Orlando, Florida. Chris is a wonderful young fellow whom we have known for many years (since Nierstein in 1994). He's the son of my one of my best friends — Martin who was in graduate school with me back in the late 1970's. Chris thinks of us as his No. 2 Mom & Dad, we affectionately call him our No. 1 son. For years now (since 1979) we have called Chris' gran, Martin's mom, our No. 2 mom. It's all a bit of a joke given that we don't have any children of our own. Martin says we're trying to steal his family!

We are really grateful to Amy, Chris' wife, who probably would have liked him to dash home immediately after the conference. They have three kids that need tending and one of their cats had a nasty episode that required veterinary attention — hard to do on a weekend with three kids in tow! Someday, when the kids are bigger, perhaps the whole gang can come for a visit. Chris says they might do that now if we were to pay for business class seats for all of them. I suppose it would be cheaper for us to visit them in Germany. We're of an age where business class is the only way to fly.

Chris first visited with us here in Canada back in 2005 for our 25th anniversary and we visit one another on either side of the big pond whenever we can. Last year he stopped in around the same time on a similar conference trip to Florida. This time we picked him up at YYZ (the Toronto airport) on Friday afternoon and returned him to the same on Tuesday afternoon. I greeted him at the airport arrivals area with a sign in German: "Willkommen aus dem Gefängnis zu Hause" (Welcome home from prison). He was the only one who read the sign but he didn't get the joke! Is Florida a prison?

During our visit we had some adventures including the 20th Anniversary of the Rizdales at the Richmond Tavern in London. One night Chris and I stayed up late playing "Pick a tune" and rolling up some Widder Wowie that I had grown in our garden. Chris tries to turn me onto Jeff Beck (yes, he's a great guitarist, but no, it's not my style) while I try to turn him onto Country & Americana (yes, that's a nice song but it's not Jeff Beck). There's no winning there.

We had several interesting meals including a Sunday lunch at the Bluebird Cafe in Stratford (I might have told Chris about the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville but that would be a futile attempt to bring up Country & Americana music again). On the way home from the Bluebird (it's a really nice restaurant, highly recommended) we stopped at the garden center in Sebringville to load up on plants and things for the garden.

On Monday we put Chris to work bringing plants out of the house onto the deck and outside for the summer. I got the seedlings planted in our garden — tomatoes, jalapenos and habaneros. Chris likes hot peppers and grows them as well. He got to sample some of my pickled habaneros which I find blindingly hot ... and they are. Chris tells me the trick to them is to take out the seeds and only pickle the flesh which, while hot, is tasty and bearable. I'll have to try that. There's also that advice about wearing gloves while seeding the peppers, to not rub your eyes, and to be especially careful washing your hands before going for a pee!

That evening, after our hard work in the garden, we went for dinner in Stratford at the Braai Bar. We thought we were going to the Braai House, which is upstairs with a nice outdoor patio, but ended up in the down stairs bar/patio (ie. the Braai Bar). We ate in the patio area rather than inside which has been redecorated but has more of a dark bar feel than a restaurant. The downstairs used to be called the Keystone Alley, this is a recent change over. Chris and I shared a huge grilled "Tomahawk Steak". The Braai House is one of our favorite restaurants. It specializes in South African food — a "braai" is a wood fired grill.

On our last day we put Chris to work again. We're getting our basement re-carpetted and had to move all the furniture out of the way. With Chris' help we got it done. I couldn't have done it otherwise.

Many thanks to Amy, Charlotte, Sebastian and baby Emily for letting us share some time with Chris.

Rizdales - 20 Years

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Saturday afternoon at the Richmond Tavern in London and the Rizdales are celebrating the 20 year anniversary of their first show as a band and their first LP release "Another Payday Night" (2003). There's been some changes, but they remain as the pure country couple Tom and Tara Dunphy with Blair Heddle on guitar, Steve Crew on drums, and Oscar Macedo on bass. We had dropped in a month ago to see them, we had so much fun, so here we are again. Feelin' good to be feelin' good again.

Our No. 1 son Christopher is visiting from Germany. We're sure he'll like the show (he keeps trying to get me to like Jeff Beck, I keep trying to get him to like Country & Americana). We've talked with our friends Sam and Al who are also keen on the show; we meet at their place for some pre-show drinks and a nosh. Sam and Al are friends of the band, Sam used to perform with a group called Julia Propellor in the 1980's. 

I drop off Kate and Joan (Al's mom) at the bar and find a place to park. The others are walking over from Picadilly & Colborne. Later Kate finds a closer spot in the parking lot next door to the club and I move the car there so she has a place to rest a bit. Parking in the city is expensive but this is convenient and worth it.

We arrive to the show getting there a good half hour early. But there are no seats at all in the main room with the stage.  I learn later from an acquaintance that he arrived an hour early and got the last seat in the main room. It happens to be by the stage. He sees me shooting photos but we've never really met face to face (turns out he's a friend of Al's and was talking to him). We end up in the room next door where there's a couple of tall stools and the pool table. In the main room it was standing room only with a very crowded dance floor once things get rolling.

Frank Ridsdale, who was also celebrating a 20th anniversary of sorts, was the opening act. He's an accomplished long time player in the London scene having founded the band Uranus which led or started the punk scene of the late 1970's on into the 1980's. Uranus was one of the first bands who got into play at the Cedar Lounge. Today Frank Ridsdale, accompanied by Blair on electric, sounds an awful lot like Van Morrison to me — that's a good thing.

At the break between acts Chris and I walked over the the London Music Hall of Fame on Dundas Street. I wanted to show him some of my photos on display from the punk shows of the early 1980's. There are still several on display and a few in a collection of mounted photos and posters. It turns out I have taken him there before.

We talk a bit with Tara and Tom before their set. Tara thanks me for the pictures taken and posted at the last show. Al knows all the band members and brought them a round of Jack Daniels during their set. Al no longer drinks, but when he did he was a bit of a terror.

Outside on the street I'm wearing a Wabi Sabi's T-shirt and greeted by Peter Tangredi (of the Wabi Sabi's) who admires my shirt. I admire his early work with Crash 80's and Suffer Machine (we were talking about Peter and those bands with the guide at the Music Hall) and follow the Wabi Sabi's. I see Peter later on the dance floor and he's obviously having a great time. The Rizdales have recorded his song "The Legend of Bobby Orr" (2023) and play it during the second set. The "Dancing Cowboy", Bev Camp, is another fellow we know who lives for these Saturday afternoon shows.

In the washroom (you only rent beer for a short time) I'm talking to some of the guys. We're all enjoying the music and are pleasantly surprised by the diversity of the crowd. There's young folks and old geezers, rich and poor, and a surprising connection between the punks of our youth and the country and Americana fans of today. See the exuberance and ages of the dancers in the photo above.

Back at the Richmond we stay for the first set. I grab a few pictures but it's a bit of struggle to get near the stage. We might have stayed longer but Kate needed to be off her feet.

Congratulations to the Rizdales and the Richmond Tavern for 20years of great country music. We'll be back ...

Postscript: I read from the Rizdales Facebook posting for the event: "Come celebrate our 20th Anniversary which is also the 20th anniversary of our debut album, Another Payday Night. Available ONLY at Rizdales shows." I've been after that record for years now. Maybe we can get a copy!

See also:

• The Rizdales on Facebook.
• The Rizdales web site (includes online store).
• Richmond Tavern on Facebook.