I Love This Band, and You Should Too : Bruce Peninsula

(Musical Gushings By Lauren Schreiber, SummerWorks Music Series Programmer)

Part 5: Bruce Peninsula is Bigger Than The Sum of Its Parts

Actually, I wouldn’t quite call the following a gush. Whereas my previous posts concern bands who leave me giddy, Bruce Peninsula (BP here) leave me quiet, awed, reverential.

Stream Here:
(even though I don’t think any recording could really capture Bruce Peninsula live…)

http://brucepeninsula.bandcamp.com/album/bruce-trail-fire-sale
http://brucepeninsula.bandcamp.com/album/a-mountain-is-a-mouth
http://brucepeninsula.bandcamp.com/track/shanty-song-reprise-2
http://brucepeninsula.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-7
It’s raining today in Toronto, and I have a cold. No big surprise… festivals take their toll on organizers, performers and audience alike. So today, I’m just going to sit back, take a moment to breath, snuggle up with the first non-iced latte of my summer, and spend some time with Bruce Peninsula.

Won’t you join me?

Bruce Peninsula is a collective of like-minded musicians that have been inspiring and warming the hearts of Toronto for the better part of 5 years. I’ve been a fan since the day they ‘opened’ for an old band of mine, after which I refused to go on. WHO LET THEM OPEN? How could ANYONE possibly follow them? I’ve never seen another band like BP, and I’ve never seen a BP set the same twice. This is partially their rotating staff of some of the cities finest singers shouters and strummers, and partially their constant push forward/reach back. Their music is respect for what has come before, embrace of their community, and something intangible that makes me believe in more.

With alumni that include Austra’s Katie Stelmanis and Ohbijou’s Casey Mecija, and current players like Tamara Lindeman (The Weather Station), Daniella Gehsundheit (Snowblink) and Steven McKay (who opened The SummerWorks concert series last friday) BP are both the starting point and the point itself. I feel so lucky to live in Toronto in the time of Bruce Peninsula, and it is my sincere hope to share this with you, the patrons of the SummerWorks Festival.

BP recently recorded a series of cover songs for Southern Souls, all of which you’ll find below. SummerWorks friends and followers, I’ve gathered your afternoon activity and laid it out for you here. Enjoy the discovery, or if you’re familiar, welcome home.

BRUCE PENINSULA – TAMARA LINDEMAN – ‘Am I Lovely’ by Eric Chenaux from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

BRUCE PENINSULA – MATT CULLY – ‘No Twig’ by The Silt from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

BRUCE PENINSULA – ANDREW BARKER – ‘Terror of Compassion’ by Alex Lukashevsky from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

BRUCE PENINSULA – STEVEN McKAY – ‘When I Am Beth’ by THOMAS from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

BRUCE PENINSULA – MISHA BOWER – ‘You Sing Low And We Will Sing High’ by Frederick Squire from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

BRUCE PENINSULA – LEON TAHENY – ‘The Chronicles Of Sarnia’ by Final Fantasy from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

THE BRUCE PENINSULA – NEIL HAVERTY – ‘We Always Change’ by Jennifer Castle from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

BRUCE PENINSULA – DANEILA GESUNDHEIT ‘Hot Love Drama’ by MGMT from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

BRUCE PENINSULA – IVY MAIRI ‘Feel You Closer’ by The Skydiggers from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

BRUCE PENINSULA: KARI PEDDLE – ‘My Hands’ by Jon-Rae Fletcher from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

See Bruce Peninsula play SummerWorks Thursday August 11th at the Lower Ossington Theater. Also, tell your friends you’re going on the social networking site ‘FaceBook’.