Brady & Basset a formidable and thoroughly entertaining duo
\TORONTO NORTH\
When Shawn Brady comes to work, he comes to play! He’s not one of those clock-watching prima donnas who does his 45-minute set and then chows down on wings for a half an hour before deigning to pick up the guitar again. In fact, when I saw him for the first time in acoustic mode, with duo accompanist Hervé Basset on the keys, last November at a little bar in west TO, his first set was 100 minutes long!
Of course he’s used to long sets because he’s also the front man in international U2 tribute act Elevation, which does authentic concert-length sets, as they demonstrated a couple of Saturdays ago at Linsmore Tavern in east TO. But it’s one thing to do that as part of a full band, quite another as half of a duo. Formidable!
Not only is Brady comfortable being a marathon man, but the material this modern and classic Pop artist delivers is wide-ranging and would be a big challenge for most artists to master with such aplomb —or at all! Yet, much aided by the manic control and energy infusion that veteran 88s man (and backup vocalist) Basset brings to the party (and don’t forget, he played for 100 minutes too!) Brady is able to sail through everything from Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison” to Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer”, “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS and other numbers by artists as diverse as Jacob Dylan, The Wallflowers, Crowded House and, naturally, U2, to name just a few.
Some of the tunes he does acoustically also crop up in a Rock covers band for which he’s also lead guitarist and singer, EyePod Shuffle, which delivers a repertoire of party dance Rock ranging from The Beatles through Rage Against The Machine, Foo Fighters and Cheap Trick.
But not only is Brady a versatile performer when it comes to doing tunes made famous by other artists, he’s also a Rock songwriter who released a debut solo album, Electric Roots, in 2011 and also performs with his own Shawn Brady & The Electric Blood Band.
So patrons at funky and quirky hideaway bar McSorley’s, at 1544 Bayview Ave. in North TO, are in for a treat tonight when the pair returns there for a no cover show starting at 10 p.m. See if you can get him to toss a few of his originals into the mix!
-Gary 17, www.torontomoon.ca
LISTINGS:
Listings preceded by an asterisk (*) are repeating weekly events. (Double asterisk indicates repeating event with different hosts/guest/etc.). Admission prices followed by a slash and minus (/-) after the amount indicates door charge with availability of cheaper rates for some purchases. /+ indicates stated price is minimum.
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*5-8> Kirsten Jones @ Richtree Restaurant, Eaton Centre (14 Queen St. West), TO ~Country originals & Pop covers
*5-8> Jerry Leger & The Situation @ Castro’s, 2116 Queen St. E.. TO East ~Folk-Rock/Country
5-8> Peter Campbell Trio @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz
*5-8> Nelson Denis @ Frank’s Pasta, 42 King Street E., Cobourg ~eclectic mix (Folk, Jazz, soft Rock, Latin)
6> Corin Raymond @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO
6:30> Kevin Quain @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~moody Blues
7-9> Sean Bourke @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East ~Roots-Rock songwriter
7> Beverly Taft @ Reservoir Lounge, 52 Wellington St. E., TO ~Jazz/Blues
*7> open mic with Derek Mok @ Kensington Lodge, 21 Kensington Ave., TO
7> Elmer Ferrer @ Timothy’s Pub, 344 Brown’s Line, Etobicoke South ~Pop Rock
7:30> Faded Genes for charity event @ Seven44, 744 Mount Pleasant Ave., TO North
*7:30> open stage with Rob Phillips and Chelsey Bennett Band @ Black Horse Pub, 452 George St. N., Peterborough ~Jazz Blues
*7:30-12> open mic with K.M. Smith @ Molly Bloom’s Guelph, 91 Wyndham St. N., Guelph
8-12> John Findlay’s Jazz Blues Xplosion recording live part 2 of 2 @ Linsmore Tavern, 1298 Danforth Ave., TO East ~Jazzy Blues; $5
*8-11> Tinderbox Thursdays open stage with Michael Keith @ La Revolucion, 2848 Dundas St. W., TO West ~eclectic
8-12> Blues jam with Howard Ross & Big Mojo @ The Hub, 15 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa
*8> open mic with Anthony Abbatangeli & Ken Foster @ DeSotos, 1079 St. Clair Ave. W., TO West
8-12> Freedom Train @ Lake Affect, 1 Port St., Port Credit
8-12> The Doozies @ Fionn MacCool’s Ajax, 32 Kingston Rd. E. Ajax ~Pop
*8-12> open mic & jam @ Black Swan Pub Burlington, 4040 Palladium Way, Burlington
*8-11:30> Christopher Plock & Stevie G @ Mulligan’s Pub, 2458 Dundas St. W., Mississauga ~Blues/Jazz/R&B
*8-11> open mic with Sandy MacDonald @ Williamsburg Arms, 1187 Fischer Hallman Rd., Kitchener
8:30> Dylan Fowler & Shawn Trotter @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St. Oakville ~original Roots-Pop; $10
9-1> Rockstar jam with Tommy Rocker Band (one jammer wins $25 food certificate) @ Karla’s Roadhouse, 4630 Kingston Rd., Scarborough
*9> jam with Ted Rusk @ The Sauble Dunes, 11 Southampton Parkway, Sauble Beach
*9-1:30> open stage with Jay Pennell @ Dave’s On St. Clair, 730 St. Clair West, TO West ~eclectic
9> Jitensha; Wil Gilles @ Free Times Café, 320 College St. TO ~songwriters; $6
9-12> The Brickhouse Trio @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West
9-12> Kristen Schmitt & Her Special Powers @ Bar Radio, 615 College St., TO ~Bluegrass; pwyc
9> Bouffant Babies @ The Painted Lady, 218 Ossington Ave., TO West
9> The Sandy Pockets @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Country Swing
9> C & C Surf Factory; The Doublecuts @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO ~Roots-Rock
9-1> Jack de Keyzer Band @ Monarchs Pub (Eaton Chelsea Hotel), 33 Gerrard St. W., TO ~Blues
9> Gas Station Cowboys @ Legends On The Queensway, 1184 The Queensway, Etobicoke South ~Country
9> Animal Parts with Jane’s Party @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West
*9> jam @ The Wee Pub, 371 Wilson Rd. South, Oshawa
9> Rising Low @ Simcoe Blues & Jazz, 926 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa
*9-2> karaoke with Joe @ Tudor Rose, 700 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax
*9:30-2> Skip Tracer @ Southside Johnny’s, 3653 Lakeshore Blvd., Etobicoke South ~Rock/Pop
*9:30> karaoke with The English Rose & The Mad Scotsman @ Coyote Jack’s, 64 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax
*9:30> karaoke with Kiki @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East
9:30> Dave Young Group @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz
9:30> Marc Joseph Band @ Black Dog Pub, 87 Island Rd., Scarb. ~Pop Rock
9:30> Glenn Groves @ Shore Grill, 71 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Pop Rock
*9:30> jam with Jack B Nimble @ Abbey Road Pub, 3200 Erin Mills Parkway, Mississauga
*9:45> Robin Banks @ Reservoir Lounge, 52 Wellington St. E., TO ~Blues/Jazz
10> Shawn Brady & Hervé Basset @ McSorley’s, 1544 Bayview Ave., TO North ~Pop Rock
10> Dan McKinnon @ Tranzac Lounge (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave., TO ~Blues
10> GAMMAGE; Cardboard Crowns; Kill Mathilda @ Cameron House (rear), 408 Queen St. W., TO
10> Pretzel Logic @ Orbit Room, 480 College St. TO ~Steely Dan tribute; $10
10> The Tonkas @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Blues
*10> Salt & Pepper karaoke with Josh & Danish @ St. Louis Ajax. 11 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax
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