Being a music magazine means we are always looking for something new to talk about. In this case we have a new series of musical events that could be happening in Downtown Toronto later this year.

I went to the Imperial Pub last Friday to watch an indigenous Rock band from Quebec who leans into the spiritual side of music. Is that original enough for you?

The band is called Eeyou-Innu Rock Band, and they drove fourteen hours just to play in Toronto and to spread the word that Indigenous culture is here to stay! They came from a small community called Mistissini, Quebec. Look it up on a map and you will understand their dedication to their music.

This was only possible because of a local promoter here in Toronto called Damian Krypt. He is also an indigenous person who is spreading the message that Canada has plenty of talented native musicians and he wants to showcase them.

The back room of the Imperial Pub was filled with a great mix of loyal and curious music lovers. When you walked in, there were indigenous artists with their artwork and their jewelry.  This was shaping up to be an interesting evening.

The price was right. Only $15 to get in and you had three acts to enjoy. That’s $5 per act. First up was Dave Meawasige. It was just him and a guitar. He played cover songs, and he had his own creative twist to them. He has a rough and ready kind of style. It was unpolished and earthy. It really reflected his persona on stage. He is a person that has lived through a lot and has that has the spirit of an aging boxer. He is a Torontonian so you will probably see him around town. Just remember his name.

Up next was a band called Tennessee Cree. I believe it is a slight take on Johnny Cash’s original band, The Tennessee Three. This band hails from Ottawa and drove down to Toronto to gain exposure. The singer, Kevin, is a bundle of great energy and it showed throughout the evening.

The band usually consists of seven players, but this day there were three. These three really filled the room up with their joyful energy and got called back on stage even after they were packing up. Kevin lives for the moment and his unabashed enthusiasm was transmissible.

I made sure I told him to let me know when his entire band will be back in Toronto. If three people can create this amount of joy, let’s see what seven can do.

Finally around 11:30 Eeyou-Innu Rock Band hit the stage to show Toronto what that have got. I was excited to see them because they were being touted as a band with Rock, Blues and even some gospel energy in their sound. They are a band that has only been together for about 7 months, but as individuals, they have many years of experience.

Their musicianship was great. They have four different singers that had their own unique vocal style. We have a rocker, a gentler singer with some lovely soul. We have a gritty singer that adds a great flavour to their sound and a female singer that can belt out some classic rock and country tunes.

Although they do have plenty of years of experience, they just need a little more time to tighten up to be the solid band that I know they will become. There is nothing wrong with adjusting a couple minor points within the group to make them a much bigger act. In fact, I believe they have in them to get there soon.

They did all the classic rock songs you would expect, but it’s the original songs that will keep you tuned in. They can write solid music and I hope they continue to work on this. This is a city that really welcomes indigenous energy and I think they will find a community here to support their purpose.

What made this evening special was the community in this room. Musicians who came from all over just to say they played in Toronto and were excited to be here. They lost money to be here. It didn’t matter because they started looking for a community that they hope will grow over time. They even bought food from the kitchen and shared it with everyone in the audience. That is love and gratitude at its highest level.

I just wanted to point out; two of the artist’s played Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door”. I think we should take this as a sign of where these musicians are in the great scope of things. This song seems to be their badge of courage and a way to stay strong. This may be their anthem of survival.

As a last note, I want to thank Damian Krypt for putting this show together. This was his first attempt at gathering indigenous people from all over to do this. I think this should be an ongoing series to promote the spirit of a nation and a resilient people who just want to live and find happiness like everyone else. There is something special about a culture that lives to tell their stories. We just need to listen.

Here are some Instagram pages you may be interested in following.

www.instagram.com/eeyouinnurockband/

www.instagram.com/thetennesseecree/

Some highlights from the Imperial Pub: