About

WHO WE ARE

Music City North is a music event organizer who carefully curates’ lineups that includes taking into account who the main demographic is of each artist while working on cultivating a stronger music community.  Our shows are not about one artist.  MCN nor the artists will promote times and encourage people to join us for the night to support the lineup, the venue, as well as be part of Toronto’s music scene.  Join us for an experience, not a 45-minute set and be part of something special.

WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO

For the love and passion of music.  We want the you to get goosebumps, grin ear-to-ear, cry, and FEEL what you are experiencing. This is what we want to share with you.  Ideally, the end goal would be to build a roster of fans who come out to our shows because they know that the music is good, experience is great, and that they are supporting something amazing.  To be able to book solely based on talent and not how many people an artist brings out, would be a dream.  People may scoff that artists are booked based on how much money a venue can make off them, but face it, this is a business. How many people come out to see a random artist they don’t know?  They come out to support their friends.  Venues are important because they will last longer than most of the artists that play there.  But all of us together create a music scene: the venues, artists, organizers, tech crew, and the patrons.  Those nights where we all singalong, celebrate an artist’s new music, or feel the community vibe at a packed venue of people who love the artist and live music.  THAT is why we do what we do and why we continue to.

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE TODAY

Starting in the summer of 2012, we had thoughts of running a few shows here and there and doing a small-scale festival.  September 24^th was our first show (there were 2 of us that started this whole thing) at a bar that we had worked at already together and loved, Czehoski.  From there we did a show a month, with intentions of having that one festival.  Things quickly evolved as I took this thing on full-time and LOVED it.  One show a month turned into way more than what I should have pushed for and that one festival a year rapidly changed. 

There were learning curves and obstacles along the way but we found our footing.  However, this is where my business partner and I split as I had way more that I wanted to do with MCN and she had other projects that she still was passionate about.  Still friends though and she still plays an MCN show every so often!

Soundtrack of the City was born as was an incredible relationship with The Hideout who encouraged more festivals.  Before I knew it, we were running on average 8-10 festivals a year as well as producing shows, open mics, consulting artists, booking for Cherry Cola’s and The Hub in Oshawa, booking opening acts for Live Nation events, and putting together the occasional tour.  Covid hit and changed things for the entire music scene. 

Our main focus now is Live at the Dive, a singer-songwriter night at The Dive Shop, our Open Mic, and monthly festivals at Bar Karma and Hemingway’s.  Bar Karma hosts DJs and Hemingway’s hosts cover artists, both of which have extended hours til 4am for these events.

WHERE ARE WE GOING

As we head into our 13^th year, expect to see some additions and cool ideas we are working on. The “we” includes Adam, AKA Adam Gets Loud, one of our sound techs and Open Mic hosts. 

Stay tuned for what these ideas are and maybe you will see the return of something we have done in the past…

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

Music is in my soul.  I can’t read music, play an instrument, or sing, but I KNOW good music.  When an artist is playing, I am thinking, oh, they would be good with … then I begin building lineups in my head.  Hearing a song brings me back to memories; good and bad.  It is my therapy, a religion, a narcotic, a cure.  The ability to make everything else disappear and make me FEEL.  A great musical experience is like melted butter over popcorn filling in the cracks of my soul, making me complete and whole.  Leaving a concert or one my shows, I am overcome by endorphins and a multitude of emotions, making it impossible to come down to sleep.

All of these feelings are what I want to bring people.  To create a lineup, a community, and an event that has people getting lost in the music and experience, feeling high on life. 

Issue is getting people out to shows. Seeing an empty venue is incredibly frustrating when there is a talented artist performing; knowing they should be headlining a packed and much larger venue.  So, any artist that I can help, even for just one event, I will do all that I am capable of in that moment. 

Several years ago, I had a conversation with one of the most notable booking agents in Canada.  We were discussing my business and he said, “Don’t worry.  One day your festival is going to become much bigger.”

That is the last thing I want.  Yes, working with indie artists can be frustrating at times as they are often doing this as a hobby; and it’s not exactly something I can create a fortune doing.  But here’s the thing.  No matter what, musicians have the heart and soul that drives them to create music.  We share a common bond; passion for music. That is why I want my business to pretty much stay as is, for them and this scene.

My response to this man was, oh, no. I want to keep my company smaller scale.  The focus is indie artists and venues.  The everyday music scene.  It’s not easy, but how many companies stick it out to do this? 

Since I started this 13 years ago, every single booker that I knew, has moved on from booking or the industry all together. 

I’m still here; so, I must doing something right…

Testimonials