Toque Rocks The Back Alley!
- Shäman Cröwe
- Jan 3, 2020
- 7 min read
What do you get when you mix four Canadian expats with a healthy dose of Canadian Rock & Roll? The answer of course is Toque...
The first live show at the recently newly reopened Back Alley Nightclub in Calgary was Toque on December 29th, 2019, and they literally couldn't have picked a better act to honour the occasion. Although not sold out, a large number of people turned out for what would prove to be a memorable night, made even more so by a great band and an even greater soundtrack.
Canada has produced a large number of incredible artists and continues to do so. From coast to coast and covering a great span of genres, Canadian music offers a rare glimpse at the country and the people that inhabit it. Some groups will go on to find international success and others will remain steadfastly Canadian, mostly due to not really be able to break into the US market for whatever reason.
In fact, some groups, like the Tragically Hip for example, have great appeal here at home, but just can't seem to replicate that popularity outside of the country. That means that there is a lot of great Canadian music out there that most of the world outside of Canada has never heard of unless they have family or friends here. Given this, it was amazing that Toque were able to narrow it down to the roughly twenty songs that they did play. Covering a wide variety of genres, they managed to make them all distinctly their own without losing the essence of what made the original songs so great in the first place.
Comprised of Todd Kerns, Cory Churko, Brent Fitz and Shane Gaalaas, Toque is the brainchild of Churko and celebrates "the hit songs that were influential to (their) musical careers having grown up in the prairies, in western Canada." All the members of the band are natural born Canadians hailing from Lanigan, Saskatchewan; Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Innisfail, Alberta respectively.
Combined, they've played with a wide variety of bands and artists over a large range of genres - from Slash to Shania Twain - Gene Simmons to Kelly Clarkson - Michael Schenker to Yngwie Malmsteen... their resumes are impressive and still growing. Before they were heavy hitters in the stadiums of the world however, the members of Toque were in the trenches honing their craft in the Canadian club circuit in bars just like The Back Alley. Which is what made this show so special.
Frontman Todd Kerns is no stranger to Calgary. He's been a regular fixture in the city off and on for years. This was on full display when throughout Toque's performance Kerns would take the time to mention not only The Back Alley and Jungle Jim (previous DJ and current co-owner of The Back Alley) but the Livewire, the Beacon, Frankie & Johnny's and other classic clubs that have since gone by the wayside.
For those in attendance however it would prove to be a rare treat as Jim played a huge variety of classic and rarely seen videos of various Kerns projects from the past like Age Of Electric and Sin City Sitters to name but two. At one point in the show Todd would mention that Jim likely has one of the biggest collections of such items and often sends links to material that Kerns doesn't even remember.
The Back Alley itself looks great. Having been open for about 5 weeks there are still a few wrinkles to work out, but you wouldn't know it. Everything went smoothly and the service and product offerings were spot on. A great new addition to the venue is Grumans Deli. Providing an excellent menu that contains a number of choices, it is a step up from the old hot dog cart outside the south door back in the day. The food was delicious and great proportionately, as well as reasonably priced.
It was refreshing to go to a club and hear decent music instead of the typical electronic dance music, which just goes to show how on the mark The Back Alley is. All night long the place was literally pounding out the best in rock, hard rock and even metal with little nod to more commercially popular music. Motley Crue, Kix, The Four Horseman, Guns N' Roses... it was like stepping back in time - a good time!
Ironically, later in the evening when the band was finished and people were dancing to music provided by the DJ, he played Ginuwine and everyone cleared the dance floor. They were much happier to shake their tail feather to AC/DC. With any luck that message will be heeded for the future by The Back Alley. There are plenty of dance clubs in the city already, it's a good rock bar that is needed. So far, The Back Alley is on track to filling that void.
The opening act was Aces, a Calgary local that played a healthy dose of Canadian Punk Rock. Acey, the frontman for the group, used to grow up in the same place as Kerns so it made sense that they would join up. Seeing as it was the first show in the newly reopened club, that made Aces technically the first band to play since the doors were opened. Although an interesting statistic however - this night belonged to Toque.
From the moment they took the stage to the sounds of Armageddon by Prism, Toque literally took charge. Effortlessly cruising through a scenic route of Canadiana while stopping to point out the sights along the way. Each song was introduced by Kerns with an anecdote or tidbit of information that gave a personal and rather intimate feel to the proceedings. There were plenty of laughs as well but tales of Edmonton strippers are likely meant to stay on the road.
Cory Churko is a guitar monster in his own right. While likely not very apparent in his work with Shania Twain, he literally shreds. It might have been the greatest surprise of the evening in fact. Although expecting to hear lots of great playing (after all there is some incredible Canadian music being covered), Cory set the bar high and maintained it, making it look effortless.
Brent Fitz fulfilled the bass duties perfectly. Fitz is a bit of an enigma. It's literally impossible to get a good picture of him as he moves about and contorts his facial expressions, in one moment smiling and the next producing an incredible grimace. All the while never missing a note, both vocally and instrumentally. A solid player, Fitz once worked with Canadian icon Kenny Shields in the very same venue.
Anyone who was in the clubs back in the day would be familiar with a band called Hells Bells. They literally played every one dog town in Canada. It was in that group that Shane Gaalaas honed the drum chops that would eventually lead to his involvement with music giants like Yngwie Malmsteen. Those talents were exhibited flawlessly throughout the evening as Gaalaas not only provided the backbeat but also the sequencing for the keyboard and effects accompanying tracks that further added to the authenticity of the songs' presentation.
An exceptional guitarist in his own right, Todd Kerns was the ringleader extraordinaire. Which is not surprising given his extensive resume, not only with heavyweights like Slash, but in Canada alone. The Age Of Electric and Static In Stereo produced many well known Canadian radio hits that are still in heavy rotation. Wielding his guitar like Excalibur while perfectly emulating the vocalists of the bands that they represented that evening. From Myles Goodwin to Bill Henderson and Alanis Morisette to Darby Mills, Kerns managed to keep the flavour and style of the original artists while letting his own voice interpret them.
Combined, the members of Toque breathe new life into the now classic songs. Faithfully reproducing them but making them seem new again. The duelling guitar breakdown in Roller was flawlessly recreated, the harmonies in My Girl meticulous, Tom Sawyer reproduced with a technical proficiency that would be unmatched by many full time Rush tribute bands.
Throughout the night the crowd was on point too. The best part about having so many classic songs on offer is that there is few people who don't know the words, allowing for opportunity for crowd participation. This was showcased by songs like Go For A Soda and Raise A Little Hell but was most evident during the only original song in the set. It seemed like everyone was ready for their part in the chorus as Toque tore through their hit single "Never Enough For You".
After Toque finished the main portion of their set, the crowd did their best creating enough of a din to usher the band back on stage. Instead of beginning to play, Kerns started the encore with an a capella version of Oh Canada, the national anthem. Gaalaas filmed the crowd as everyone sang in unison. It was a special highlight to the show and of Canadians in general.
After the encore, Toque took time to shake hands from the stage and toss out picks and drumsticks, while Kerns encouraged fans to meet with them after the show at the merchandise booth. The only complaint of the night might have been the late start time - Toque didn't take the stage until 11 pm, resulting in things wrapping up long after the midnight hour. As such, time didn't permit an opportunity to meet up with the band given the near three hour drive ahead.
If you haven't seen Toque yet, you should. If you are a fan of classic Canadian rock, then you better. The majority of the songs that comprised the set were written and performed by groups that may never again offer the opportunity for fans to hear their music in a live setting. Toque bridges that gap in Canadiana for a new generation of fans both young and old alike as if channelling a spirit of an age long gone. Long gone but made new again, by Toque.
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