The Simcoe Scene

The expectation of a band to sound as good, if not better, live than recorded is a bastard of a battle. Demolishing that expectation and standing proudly in the debris is Spades GT.  Preceding the legendary headlining band Anvil, Spades GT not only held their own, but made a bold proclamation that they are headliner material.  Their aptly named debut Sewer City Radio is the perfect fit for this thrash/hardcore outfit that creates a soundtrack for the bad times. The structure and sonic assault of Spades GT would make them the perfect band at a house party at the end of the street at the end of the world.  To label them as a mixture of thrash and hardcore is a disservice (my bad), as they represent an authentic convergence of style, influence, tone, and delivery. They are an enigma as their sound is heavy, but uplifting. The lyrical content is harsh, but delivered with enough Woah-Ohs, Yeahs, and Bleghs to satisfy anyone.  Spades GT is the band on the Titanic but play ...

Originally posted on Barrietoday.com as part of the Scene Setter series (#56 - Oct 14, 2023).  Legacy. It’s something that most people don’t realize they’ve created until they look back on whatever they built, even unknowingly, and it still stands. Legacy is in the work a person creates, a belief they stood and fought for, and in their families.  In the case of Robb Reiner, he has forged a legacy all three ways and his son Tyler is hammering out his own.  As the drummer for Anvil, the iconic Canadian metal band that pioneered the genre in our country, Robb Reiner has been a vanguard of metal. When Anvil began in 1977, they were striding into unknown territory, not knowing that the abuse and alienation they suffered as a band would pave the way for countless artists.  Walking that path in his own way is Robb’s son, Tyler. Also an accomplished drummer, his band Spades GT experiment with nuances within the heavy-side of music and have crafted a debut album with all the ...

Originally posted on Barrietoday.com as part of the Scene Setter series (#55 - Oct 14, 2023).  A chilling wind blows throughout our city, the sun sets sooner and creates the perfect atmosphere for a thrilling theatrical experience written by one of our country’s most lauded playwrights.  Vern Thiessen, Dora Award winner for Outstanding Play, recipient of the Governor General’s Literary Award, and one of Canada’s most produced playwrights, has penned a thrilling new work that questions if blood is thicker than ice. Set on the icy banks of Barrie in the 1930s, Icemen plunges the audience into a riveting, life-altering moment in time that will keep you on the edge of your seats.  Evidenced by his work to date, including 5 of his plays produced off-Broadway,  Thiessen is a master storyteller whose plays tackle moral conundrums that span beyond any specific time or location. Regardless of what decade or century his plays are set, the struggle within them feels almost too...

  Originally posted on Barrietoday.com as part of the Scene Setter series (#54 - Oct 17, 2023).  If you do a search online for Jake Epstein, the results are filled with credits including television’s Degrassi: The Next Generation, The Umbrella Academy, Hardy Boys, The Wedding Contract, as well as Broadway’s Beautiful: The Carole King Musical , Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark , and national tours of American Idiot, and Spring Awakening to name a few. From the outside, it appears that the dream has gone exactly to plan for Epstein, but there is so much more to his story to be shared.   Boy Falls From The Sky , written and performed by Epstein, offers an intimate look into his journey so far through a series of entertaining and soul-baring stories and songs that take you from Canada, to Broadway, and beyond.  Following a sold-out premiere at Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre last year, Boy Falls From The Sky makes a stop in Barrie for a limited-time engagement....

Originally posted on Barrietoday.com as part of the Scene Setter series (#53 - Sept 23, 2023).  The word “Doom” conjures very vivid feelings of foreboding. For such a small word, it carries tremendous weight and cannot be easily described. So what is the sound of Doom? Thankfully, the world at large (and our hometown) have musicians who can transpose ineffable subjects like Doom and make melodies from mayhem.  One artist who has confidently stepped into the realm of the doom genre is Casey C. A well known entity in our local music scene as a musician and co-proprietor of punk and hardcore offerings, Casey has adopted the moniker Nova Doll for her latest project.  Denaturing , the debut album under the Nova Doll name, is due out September 29 but I had the opportunity to ask Casey a few questions about the project and the process before the album drops.     Richard: Where did the name Nova Doll come from and what imagery or feelings do you want people to...

Originally posted on Barrietoday.com as part of the Scene Setter series (#50 - Aug 13, 2023). Like a pulse, music changes its beat based on what is being faced head-on in the moment in a uniquely visceral and genuine way. Music created in earnest, from a place of honesty, rings true in the ears of listeners who share a song’s feeling but perhaps aren’t able to vocalize it. But as everyone knows, change can be difficult and some feelings are even more difficult to describe.  A band that is using their gifts and skills of creating music who are embracing that change, following their pulses, and navigating into darker waters is Playfight. Playfight started as a collaboration between John Saffrey (guitarist, writer, producer) and Stewart Drake (vocalist, lyricist, graphic designer) who met through an online pop punk group and quickly began sharing ideas remotely during the pandemic. The band emerged in 2021 with catchy lyrics, riff-heavy arrangements, and upbeat songs that harkened bac...