It's Saturday and we're in London for several good reasons. One very good reason is this:
The Rizdales, our favorite country music band, has a regular "pay what you can" 3:00pm gig! They do this on the 3rd Saturday of each month at the
Richmond Tavern. We're not regulars but have been several times. It's always great fun.
We arrive in good time and are able to secure a table near the front with "The Dancing Cowboy" and Fred Smith. Fred has a regular "Hard Core Country" music show on CHRW, the university radio station. We chat to both — there's a St Marys connection and our love of country music. Fred and I have a long chat during the break — we share stories of shows we've seen: Steve Earle, Lindi Ortega, and more. We also have a connection through Dave O'Hallaran, who has the "Radio What Wave" show on the same station, but Fred isn't a "punk" fan. I tell him about our Austin adventures, e.g. seeing Steve Earle at Waterloo Records (2015), and give him one of our "business" cards. We've hooked up now as friends on Facebook. I must give his radio show a listen. He tells me I can listen to archived versions; I don't have to listen in real time.
We've been to Rizdales shows here at the Richmond that have been standing room only, e.g. their 20th Anniversary (2023) show was packed to the gunnels! They have a good house today, regulars and dancers our age who appreciate the music and an afternoon show, but there's plenty of room. The Rizdales aren't hawking any merchandise today; they should. But they are playing great music, a tight band (more in a moment), a set list mixing originals and classics, and people are definitely having fun.
I didn't talk to Tom or Tara before their first set but there is a surprise in store. At one point, between songs, Tara is telling the audience how much fun it is to be here and there's much to celebrate — including that it's Kate's birthday! She's centered out and everyone sings along to "Happy Birthday to You!". Kate is suitably embarrassed but takes it in stride. I swear to her that I had nothing to do with this; I guess Tara had noticed my August 15 birthday posting on Facebook.
The band today is pretty much the regulars: Tom and Tara Dunphy, Blair Heddle on electric guitar, Oscar Macedo on bass and, in place of Steven Crew on drums, it's Carl Welch filling in. I think I recognize Carl — didn't he play sometimes with 63 Monroe? I'm sure he's a London regular. There is a lot of talent in this city. London is Canada's first UNESCO designated City of Music!
At the first break I'm talking to Tom on the street and asking about this country album I hear he is working on. I ask how it's coming along and about funding, he's not done anything like GoFundMe, and he tells me that things are well in hand. He's funding this himself. He offers to share some of the rough cuts with me but I'll wait for the album to come out. I complement him on the music we've heard today and he's rightly pretty proud how they perform. I notice, and he tells me that yes, they prepare a set list, but they don't rehearse for these shows. They know this music inside out and just come to play. Wow! Tom has another regular gig here at the Richmond, "Tom's Dunphy's Classic Country", that has a similar country direction. It's a different cast of characters who sometimes fill in for the Rizdales (cf. Carl Welch).
I ask Tom about the drummer, I notice that it's not the regular fellow, and he tells me that Steve Crew has moved to the St Catharines area. I also ask about the Cameron House in Toronto gig I see coming up in November. He's not sure who will form the band that day, it will definitely be Tom and Tara, but might not be a full band. It will be some version of the Rizdales and should be fun. It's their first gig in the "Big Smoke" in quite a while and should be fun. As I write this, I seem to recall going to see them years ago at some small club one afternoon in the Kensington Market.
Our good reasons for being in London have us leave early before the second set begins. We have a friend to pickup at the University Hospital and take him back home to St Marys. Kate gives our regards and regrets to Tara from the street as we leave; she's on stage talking to us out the window as she's putting rosin on the bow for the next set.
I'm impressed by the smiles on faces today. It seems like everyone, in the audience, behind the bar and on the stage, are having fun. It's been a good day, a great day even, "It feels so good, feelin' good again" (REK).
