Backstage Magic
Throwing last minute combinations of artists together and holding our collective breath has always been one of the more charming parts of The Basement Revue.
This is the last edition Basement Revue newsletter of the year, because opening night is upon us! Grab tickets for opening night (and any/every other evening) by clicking the image below (or following the link HERE)
Throwing last minute combinations of artists together and holding our collective breath has always been one of the more charming parts of The Basement Revue. The privilege of playing in a good band is being privy to the magic of discovery, like when rehearsing a new song and falling into the right groove, or stumbling into a great hook. It’s a shared language that becomes bigger than the sum of its parts. The thing is, bands then continue to rehearse and smooth out the rough edges and some of that initial spark of inspiration gets lost in the process.
The Revue’s focus on showcasing unrehearsed collaborations has been an attempt to share this magic with the audience. Knowing that it can all fall apart is part of the thrill and serves to make the shows more intimate.
The first time we left the subterranean womb of The Dakota Tavern and gambled on doing a big show was in 2012. Booking The Great Hall and crossing our fingers that folks would follow us to a considerably larger venue without revealing the performers on the bill was a stretch but it payed off. We had a stellar line up booked but had a last-minute cancellation from Ron Sexsmith while in the midst of soundcheck, just hours before the show. Kevin Drew had popped into the venue to say hi as I got the news that Ron couldn’t make it. Kevin’s an indomitable spirit and didn’t miss a beat. He just said, “lemme make a call” and in 5 minutes the legendary Andy Kim was filling in for Ron. All we needed now was a backup band. I made a quick call to the ever-consummate Chris Murphy from Sloan, and in another 5 minutes he was on board to lead an impromptu band made up of other artists on the bill.
With no time for a proper rehearsal or soundcheck, Andy and the band just quickly ran through parts backstage just before the show. I feel so lucky we managed to capture this on film and I only wish this was the actual performance given how absolutely charming it is. Charles Spearin playing air bass while doo wopping the bass notes; Daniela Gesundheit and Felicity Williams’ blend of angel-voiced backups; Kevin Drew always cheering on the good time, and Chris Murphy managing to be a total pro and a total goofball simultaneously. And then there’s Andy Kim. The sweetest gentleman you’ll ever meet who’s just happy to share one of the greatest pop songs ever written by a 16 year old boy from Montreal.
Here’s a bonus of Chris Murphy doing his party trick cause I just couldn’t resist.