Men in Suits get down to business
Bankers, analysts swap briefcases for guitars at Canadian Music Week
It’s pretty much wall to wall sound in Toronto this week.
The Canadian Music Week festival is in town with it1,160 acts, many hoping to be discovered, performing at 72 venues across the city.
Indie, alt-rock, hip-hop and just plain rock take the stages — intertwined with trade events, award shows and comedy — all topped with appearances by Rihanna and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. And then there’s Men in Suits. For those that don’t recognize the name, the local cover band is composed of local Bay Street CEO’s, investors and financial analysts. For the record, they’re not all men, they don’t do weddings, they aren’t paid to perform and — despite the name — they don’t take to the stage in suits.
But Men in Suits has raised more than $1 million for charity and the fact the band is on the festival’s bill is a testament to Canadian Music Week’s inclusiveness.
The band has been around since 1998 and is the product of a shared love of music and the opportunity — through philanthropy — to give back to the city.
Don Tapscott, who plays organ in the group, and is also a business professor, CEO of a think tank, au- thor of 14 books and the incoming chancellor of Trent University has been a speaker at business and media events associated with the festival. “They knew about the band and they came for a listen and they liked us,” said Tapscott. “They said if we could come up with original material we’d be able to play at the festival, which we did.”
Festival director, Cameron Wright, says organizers watch tapes of hundreds of acts that apply to perform.
“We judge if any certain act is ready for the festival,” he says. “Don and his band was selected on merit. Yes, he wanted to play … but they’re good enough to play.”
Tapscott says the challenge to create original material has pushed Men in Suits out of its comfort zone.
The band’s repertoire includes150 different artists, but when it performs at the Orbit Room Friday they’ll be showcasing their own material, some of it hip-hop influenced with vocals by new member Duke McKenzie.
But Tapscott says they couldn’t resist one cover: Deep Purple’s “Hush,” with a rap interlude and extended solos on B3 organ and guitar.
The band supports organizations such as the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Classroom Connections by either hosting an event and donating the proceeds or simply by playing for free with the charity charging and keeping the door proceeds. Men in Suits plays the Orbit Room at 580A College St. Friday at 11 p.m. Tickets are $10.