The Jayhawks in Toronto -- January 18, 2011

This past Tuesday January 11, 2011, I had the good fortune to attend The Jayhawks show at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, Ontario. My knowledge of Jayhawks music is quite limited, so going to this show was more of an exploratory mission for me. I am aware of The Jayhawks place in Americana/alt-country, in that they are one of the pioneering groups of the genre. They have been around since the early-to-mid 1980's, so their longevity speaks volumes. A group has to be good if they're going to be around for 25 years, and still going strong.

When I arrived at the Phoenix, the first thing that struck me was the crowd. The makeup of the crowd was what one might expect, a good mix of older and young, former teenagers and young adults of the '80's mixed in with the college and university students of today. The one thing that I didn't expect at all was the size of the crowd. Not because I didn't think the Jayhawks were not a good band, but because the show was on a Tuesday night in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in January, with typical Canadian January weather. The place was filled to the rafters. It was at that point I realized that I'm going to be in for a great show.

And a great show is what I got. Opening up with "Tomorrow the Green Grass", The Jayhawks rolled through one crowd favorite after another. Taking selections off of their albums over the years, the biggest sing-along in Toronto was in full swing. Their music brought back memories of an old friend of mine who was and still is in to the whole Americana/alt-country thing years ago when I met him in the mid-90's. The music I heard this past Tuesday was the same type of music I heard at many of his house parties on Saturday night some 17 years ago. It felt good to reminisce about those days while watching the college and university students live through their musical moments now.

There is no question that The Jayhawks have staying power. 25 years after their debut album, they are now hitting the road for what looks to be an extended tour for the first time since 2005. Lead guitarist and vocalist Gary Louris alerted the Toronto crowd that the Phoenix Concert Theatre show was the first show on their tour. It's a very auspicious place to play. The Phoenix has played host to many famous and not-so-famous artists over the years, most notably The Rolling Stones -- the Stones come to Toronto to rehearse for their world tours. Their "dress rehearsal" is typically at a club like the Phoenix or The Horseshoe Tavern where they play to a small but packed house. The fact that The Jayhawks were able to fill the Phoenix on a snowy, icy Tuesday night in Toronto says a lot about the quality of this band and their fans. The show was fantastic, I can't imagine this group has missed a beat since they're coming off an extended break.

Mr. Louris let the crowd know that The Jayhawks will be back in Toronto this summer, as they tour to promote a new album that is coming out later this year (summer or fall). I guarantee I will be more educated on The Jayhawks music by that time and I will be in attendance at that show. Check out the Jayhawks five-city tour page to find out when they play in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and their hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Good night from snowy Ontario, Canada!