#Roadtrip: Toronto

 

Time to hit the road!

The premise behind this theme is to pick a location, and highlight some or all of the musical artists (not inclusive) that are associated with that location. The locations will not be limited to the continental United States. We’re going Everywhere!  

From Ottawa (our previous stop) we’re going to head Southwest to Toronto. Our venue for today has put together a group of local musicians for us to enjoy.


Today’s Roadtrip Playlist:

1. Rush - Rush was a Canadian rock band consisting of Geddy Lee (bass, vocals, keyboards), Alex Lifeson (guitars), and Neil Peart (drums, percussion, lyricist). Formed in 1968, the band went through several configurations until arriving at its longest and classic lineup when Peart replaced original drummer John Rutsey in July 1974, two weeks before the group's first tour of the United States. Rush is known for its musicianship, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy. The band's musical style has changed several times over the years, from a blues-inspired hard rock beginning, later moving into progressive rock, and including a period marked by heavy use of synthesizers. Today’s Song: The Spirit of Radio
2. The Band - The Band were a Canadian-American rock group formed in Toronto, Canada in 1967. Between 1958 and 1963, they originally formed as The Hawks, a backing band for rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins. In the mid-1960s they gained recognition backing Bob Dylan, and the 1966 tour was notable as Dylan’s first with an electric band. After leaving Dylan and changing their name to the Band, they released several albums to critical and popular acclaim. Today’s Song: The Weight
3. Three Days Grace - Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band formed in Norwood, Ontario in 1997. Based in Toronto, the band's original line-up consisted of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer and backing vocalist Neil Sanderson, and bassist Brad Walst. In 2003, Barry Stock was recruited as the band's lead guitarist, making them a four-member band. In 2013, Gontier left the band and was replaced by My Darkest Days' vocalist Matt Walst, who is also the younger brother of bassist Brad Walst. Today’s Song: Animal I Have Become
4. Barenaked Ladies - The band developed a cult following in Canada, with their self-titled 1991 cassette becoming the first independent release to be certified gold in Canada. They reached mainstream success in Canada when their debut with Reprise Records, Gordon, featuring the singles "If I Had $1000000" and "Brian Wilson", was released in 1992. In the 2010s, the band became well-known for creating the theme song for the sitcom "The Big Bang Theory".  Today’s Song: One Week
5. Our Lady Peace - Our Lady Peace (sometimes shortened to OLP) is a Canadian rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992.The band has sold several million albums worldwide, won four Juno Awards, and won ten MuchMusic Video Awards—the most MMVAs ever awarded to any artist or group. Between 1996 and 2016, Our Lady Peace was the third best-selling Canadian band in Canada and the ninth best-selling Canadian artist overall in Canada. Today’s Song: Superman’s Dead

I’m trying to keep the playlists to 5 tunes each, so if you know of an artist associated with the location that was not featured, be sure to mention them in the comments. There’s always a good chance we’ll be re-visiting locations.  I’m also open to suggestions for locations.  In the meantime, I’m just meandering around the continent.

See you again soon!