‘It was electric’
As Toronto’s most storied music venue closes for an extensive renovation, musicians share their fond memories of Massey Hall
It’s not a farewell, just a happy/sad “see
ya soon.” But it’s still going to feel pretty wweird when it finally sinks in, after Can- ada Day, that the beloved Toronto live
venue Massey Hall will really, truly not be opening its doors again for at least
two years. Sunday’s farewell show will be the last of three sold-out performances by seasoned Massey veteran Gordon Lightfoot, who has trod the boards in that storied,124-year-old concert hall at least 166 times in his 79 years on this planet.
After a staff party planned for July 3 — during which Deane Cameron, CEO of the Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall, promises “you can be sure anyone who plays any kind of music will be up on that stage” — the teardown begins toward a massive “revitalization” project that will include the restoration of100 stained-glass windows ringing the
theatre, the installation of removable seating on the floor, expansion of the downstairs Centuries lounge to create a secondary live venue beneath the main hall, and construction of a seven-storey tower to the south of the original building that will feature yet another 500-capacity live venue on the fourth floor. The plan is to reopen in the fall of 2020. As we prepare to bid temporary adieu to one of the cornerstones of our city’s endlessly lively music scene, the Star asked Canadian musicians who have been fortunated enough to play Massey Hall to share fond memories of the favourite shows they’ve seen and/or played there over the years. Unsurprisingly, we got a lot of enthusiastic responses.
Jim Cuddy, Blue Rodeo
The most memorable gig that I attended was either Perth County Conspiracy when I was a teenager — they were a big mixwof many artists, all who took a turn playing, then sold their records off the stage, all long hair and work shirts and stringed instruments — or Van Morrison, whose show was horrible until the encore when he did an extended version of “No Guru, No Method, No Teacher,” which was transcendent. I was also in an obstructed seat for that one and could not have enjoyed the show more. My most memorable gig with BlueRodeo at Massey Hall was (one) when the audience came and danced on the stage during the encore. It was like performing in the middle of a dance club. It was delirious fun.
David Beckingham, guitarist and sometime member of Hey Ocean!
My first and only time playing at Massey Hall was this past December, when I was fortunate enough to open for Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton. I found out I had gotten the gig five days before it happened and it was my first performance as a solo artist in Toronto. I had been in Toronto filming a music video so when I got the news that I’d be playing Massey Hall I quickly imported my piano player, Mike Rosen, from Vancouver and hired a string trio. Our first full-band rehearsal was the night before the show, which felt crazy for the biggest gig of my life to date. There were some nerves when we arrived at Massey, but they were soon quelled by our sound check.
There’s something so special about the sound in that room and the natural reverb is incredible. The show went really well and I was high on the experience for about a month. Reuben Bullock, Reuben & the Dark We played two nights in a row with Vance Joy a couple years ago. It’s such a magical place. So much history. Just stepping on that stage was so fulfilling. It didn’t even matter that we were only the support band. A headline show at Massey Hall is a dream of mine. Lisa LeBlanc, singer/songwriter I’ll always remember the first time we played Massey Hall. We were opening for Spirit of the West and it was sadly their last tour and last show in Toronto because of John Mann’s battle with Alzheimer’s.
Walking into Massey Hall and knowing you have a gig is intimidating and amazing all at the same time. My aunts and uncles were huge Gordon Lightfoot fans and had went to see him like 15 times when they were in Toronto! Plus, of course, Neil Young and all of these greats that were there before you; it’s really impressive and there’s such a cool vibe. Almost like it’s haunted by a friendly ghost who digs concerts. Chad Van Gaalen, singer/ songwriter and producer The only time I was ever at Massey Hall was opening for the Constantines. I played an acoustic set with Julie Fader. It was strange and amazing. I remember at one point leaning on a bunch of road cases sidestage watching the Constantines and accidentally/drunkenly knocking them all over during the show, and the monitor person looking at me like they were going to end me. Stephen Fearing, singer/songwriter and sometime Blackie & the Rodeo Kings member The first time I played Massey Hall, I was opening for Bruce Cockburn on his Nothing But a Burning Light tour. Bruce was kind enough to come out before my set and introduce me to the crowd and, after initially being completely freaked out, I was startled to realize how much fun it was to be on that amazing stage.
That tour and, in some ways, that show made me want to work more with Colin Linden, Bruce’s right-hand man on that tour, which led directly to the formation of Blackie & the Rodeo Kings. Favourite show? Lucinda Williams? Hard to choose. Donovan Woods, singer/songwriter The first and only time I played Massey, I was opening up for Matt Andersen. I remember feeling thrown off that there were no wings. No real opportunity to get acclimatized to what the space was going to feel like when it was full of people. Instead I stood there, staring at a nondescript door with a man sitting on a stool beside it, and then he opened it.
It was, of course, overwhelming to see how close the audience felt. You can see everyone. It feels important. And in the middle of a song, as I played a harmonica, I remember having a laugh to myself thinking of all the people who’d played harmonica right where I was standing — Neil Young for instance — and I wondered if I was, at that moment, perhaps performing the worst harmonica playing that had ever been done on that stage. I think it’s a real possibility. Andy Maize, Skydiggers I’ve been fortunate to have seen and heard so many memorable shows at Massey Hall over the years: Dylan, Springsteen, the Hip, Blue Rodeo, Gordon Lightfoot, Charles Bradley, Murray McLauchlan, Bryan Ferry, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Brian Wilson. But I think the most memorable gig and moment that I’ve witnessed was at last November’s Dream Serenade, when Patrick Downie and Kevin Drew sat at the piano and sang Pat’s brother Gord’s song “Here, Here and Here” from Secret Path. A sign from Gord that he was all right and that we would be all right, too. Joel Plaskett, singer/songwriter, producer and New Scotland Records head honcho Most memorable gig: Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. The finest duo performance I’ve ever witnessed. The sound was perfect. Terra Lightfoot, singer/songwriter and guitar heroine Each time I’ve played has been incredible. The first time I laid eyes on the stage at Massey Hall was when I walked into sound check for the Women’s Blues Revue. It was electric. The warmth and energy emanated from the walls and the wood and the fabric and the rafters. I was so nervous I think I shook through the whole performance. The second time I played, I was a part of Randy Bachman’s band, along with Dallas and Travis from the Sadies.
That was the first time I felt like a true guitar hero. I sang “American Woman” straight up into the ceiling. It felt right.
The most recent endeavour was beautiful, as it was the first time playing alongside my own band members and it was our last gig of the year opening for our friends in Whitehorse. We gave it everything we had. I also had the pleasure of inviting up a special guest from Hamilton, Daniel Lanois, to play guitar on one of my songs. That was truly legendary. I’ll never forget that night. Michael Timmins, Cowboy Junkies I saw Bruce Springsteen’s Tom Joad tour at Massey Hall. It was just the Boss and his acoustic guitar, unbelievable. Just as powerful was Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on the Push the Sky Away tour. I don’t believe there is a better “live” experience out there than Nick Cave these days.
The most memorable gig that we played was when we were asked to perform two songs as part of celebrating Leonard Cohen’s winning of the Glenn Gould Prize. L.C. was in attendance, first balcony, stage right. Brandon Scott, Yukon Blonde We had the privilege to perform at Massey Hall while touring with Hey Rosetta! in 2015. We’d had an early start that day, with minimal sleep the night before, so the whole day felt a bit dreamlike. Most of us had never set foot in the iconic building before that day, but all of us had dreamt about performing there. There’s a weight that comes with taking the stage in a legendary room, one that can sometimes be entirely overwhelming but, in spite of nerves, we played one of the best shows of our career. Jay Ferguson, Sloan The most unusual moment may have been a show of our own that we played in the fall of 2015.
We were all set side-stage, the lights were dimmed and we walked out on to a generous welcome from our fans. As we plugged in, we immediately realized that our stage monitors and sound were not working. How could this be? Everything was checked just moments before.
So there we are, standing onstage, unable to hear ourselves and the applause is dying down while our sound crew scrambles to sort the issue.
Sensing our discomfort and in a display of solidarity, the audience begins singing the Canadian national anthem — whether out of pride or thinking they were at a sporting event or sim- ply singing the one song that everybody will know the words to, to fill the sonic void in the venue. I like to think the latter.
By the time the audience sings the final “... on guard for theeeee,” our technical issue is still not rectified. We confer with each other and, while the mad scramble continues behind the scenes, Chris (Murphy) decides to take an acoustic guitar and go to the edge of the stage and sing aloud a song called “Deeper Than Beauty.”
It’s a sparse song from our 1994 LP Twice Removed that, thankfully, many of our followers still know the words to — OK, maybe not as well as “O Canada” — and proceed to sing along like we’re at an indoor campfire for 2,300 people. Some of the rest of us grab tambourines or shakers to keep the beat without drowning out the unamplified voices.
By the time the last “La la laaaa” echoes in the hall, the audio issue had been finally resolved and the concert proper could begin.
Who knew a simple trippedover power cable could have instigated our most memorable moment?
Max Kerman, Arkells I saw Ryan Adams at Massey Hall. It was 2006 or 2007, at the height of my fandom. I bought a Cold Roses shirt.
His backing band, the Cardinals, were incredible. Our seats were in the upper balcony. But I was tense the whole gig because I had read on various blogs that he would walk offstage mid-set and not return if anyone was heckling him or requesting songs.
Of course, a few songs in, someone started yelling out song requests. I was thinking “Shut the hell up! This ticket was expensive and I want a full show!” Lucky for us, he finished a full two-hour show and I have a fan bootleg recording of that show as a memory. The whole show was a lesson in musicianship and performance. Apparently the next night in Milwaukee he stormed off the stage after a heckler encounter. Molly Johnson, singer and Kensington Market Jazz Festival founder The first time I played Massey Hall, I stepped in from Victoria St. through the iconic red doors and looked at all those empty seats feeling overwhelmed that it was up to me to fill those seats. Then I looked at that stage realizing I had to fill that stage with magic and music, too.
But it was when I walked into the backstage dressing room area and felt the presence of everyone who had ever played there, dead and/or still alive, that the full force of playing this historical venue hit me, ghosts swirling around. I swear I could hear them say “You got this, Molly.” Yup, twice. Luke Doucet, Whitehorse Seeing Neil Young at Massey Hall is a rite of passage for many of us. I play a reissue of a 1958 Gretsch White Falcon guitar. I play this guitar largely because it’s what Neil used on many (most?) of his iconic recordings before the early ’70s, when he started to favour his famous black Les Paul. Since then, it has appeared only sporadically. For years, the only Neil song that Melissa (McClelland) and I ever played was “Winterlong,” a somewhat obscure track that appeared, mysteriously, on De- cade, primarily a compilation of singles.
That night at Massey Hall, I wasn’t expecting to see the Falcon and I wasn’t expecting Neil to play “Winterlong.” When he sauntered out, midshow, with his garish white wedding cake of a guitar, adorned with gold and ruby appointments, I figured I was seeing something rare.
When he played the opening chords to “Winterlong,” it was difficult for me not to feel like it was especially for me.
It was one of the few times in my adult life that I had to remind myself of my robust atheism. For all of this to go down in the splendour of Massey Hall was an additional degree of poetry. I suspect I will tell this story to my grandkids: “Back before the reno …”
Last year, Whitehorse played “Ohio” and “Old Man” as part of Neil’s induction into the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. He sat in the third row and stared at us while we played his songs at him. I played my White Falcon. Alan Frew, Glass Tiger The most memorable gig for me was Simple Minds. Just such a cool environment to see them in. The lights, that undeniable sound and, of course, the feeling that you were up close and personal with them. Definitely one of the concerts that made me say, “That’s the job I want.”
A show that comes very close to that was seeing Prince at Massey. In typical form, he did not play one hit that we knew him for, but his musicianship and his band were killer and the show was pure magic. Eon Sinclair, Bedouin Soundclash The most memorable show has to be Erykah Badu in 2008. Since that day, I can barely remember any other shows that I’ve seen at Massey. I got tickets for my mom’s birthday and “chaperoned” her and my dad. I’d never seen Ms. Badu, either, and badly wanted to. To start the show, Erykah’s band played for about five minutes and then Erykah stepped onto the back of the stage.
One step at a time, 45 seconds per step, eyes piercing wherever she placed her gaze, she slowly and carefully made her way in front of the band to be fully visible. Speaking to my folks and some people I knew were there after the show confirmed that as she powerfully and gracefully got to centre stage, we all felt presence that entered the room with her. The crowd was transfixed. From that moment and for the next 75 minutes, we were all spiritually connected to the presence and sounds that she and her band produced. But the silent entrance is one of the most memorable performances I have ever seen and showed me just how powerful silence in music can be.