In today’s ever changing musical landscape, there are plenty of places to showcase our Toronto musicians. The problem is some of them don’t last very long. Why, do you ask? Well, the simplest answer is that no one knows where these places exist. You can have the best bands showing up with no audience, and the place with these amazing musicians are right in your backyard. They are so close; you could probably walk to them.

Well, Blast Toronto is on a mission to reveal these hidden gems and to talk about a new place, so you can call it your own. The one I discovered is tucked away and just waiting for music loving people like you to come and enjoy the weekend.

My latest find is called The Brunswick Bierworks and is located at 25 Curity Ave. It is just North East of Woodbine and O’Conner Drive. It is tucked away just down the street of a Home Depot.

They have opened their doors to musicians to have a place to share their music with people who love a good brew. How is this not a perfect place? By the way, if you are a quality band feel free to contact Jenalyn at Brunswick to submit a video for her to see your band. They are open to helping out the local talent. They present concerts in the main tasting room every other week. The place can hold about 100 people. Her email address is jenalyn@brunswickbierworks.com

Well, the night I went, it could not have been a cooler evening. Picture this. 20 different beers on tap, a concert that is helping out the Michael Garron Hospital and Carol Pope!

This ticket was so good, that they added a second night. All this during Pride weekend as well. It was a perfect storm and some of the people I talked to that night was excited to have discovered this place for the first time. They told me it is great to have a new place to experience this kind of music.

Carol Pope and Tim Welsh walked onto makeshift stage and went right into a Rough Trade classic, “All Touch”. The first thing I noticed from the start is that Carol’s voice is still strong and still has that angst that she presents so well.

Tim Welch was the other half of this dynamic duo. He simply attacked his acoustic strings to add that underlying broodiness that makes these songs so cherished. I personally loved the way he used his pedals. They added an extra dimension that made to room feel as if there was a full band playing. It was rich and intense.

The night saw some deep cuts to fulfill the true Rough Trade fans out there. You don’t hear a song like “Viral” every day. In today’s world this song took on a new meaning as if your forbidden love has been put on social media and leaves you spiraling into darkness.

If your love did go viral, just make sure it was during the song, “Bodies in Collision”. This was a classic song I totally forgot about. Carol is turning back time and reverting the audience back to our high school years.

Speaking of high school, the entire audience waited for those infamous three words we loved hearing so much coming from our radios over 40 years ago.  So, the question is: Can Carol Pope still make me, cream my jeans?

I have never heard her song, “It’s a Jungle”, but this was a perfect moment when, the duo stared whistling waiting for us to do the same thing. It seemed clear that we either didn’t know the song or we just can’t whistle. Well for one audience member, he did know the song and could whistle so he actually ran onto the stage to help out with the band. This is why I love live music; audience participation can come from some interesting places.

Another song I was not familiar with was, “Transcend”. It was an intense psychological journey with a spiritual message.

The duo finished off strong with “Crimes of Passion”, where you can view some of it on my Instagram page…(1) Instagram

They finished the evening with “Shaking the Foundation”. This was such a good anthem to make sure we don’t become too complacent in life.

The money from the ticket sales went to the Micheal Garron Hospital. So, everyone wins here. It is a good cause with great beer and a true Torontonian still giving us her all. Thank you, Carol and Tim!

You can research Brunswick Brewery a little more with this link to their website. Beverage Services | Brunswick Bierworks

For now, if you want to see who will be playing there in the future, you can use Blast Toronto’s Events Calendar to plan your musical experience.  www.blasttoronto.com/events/

Pick up a free Blast Toronto membership card at Brunswick Bierworks.

Here is Carol and Tim: