BAREKNAKED LADIES
THEN: The nerdy jokesters from Scarberia burst onto the local scene in 1991 with the Yellow Tape, an indie cassette demo that became the first indie release to go platinum in Canada. NOW: The guys who once mused what they’d do with a million dollars are now millionaire pop stars who’ve decided to return to their indie roots with their latest release, Are Me, putting it out on their own label, Desperation Records.
THEN: The nerdy jokesters from Scarberia burst onto the local scene in 1991 with the Yellow Tape, an indie cassette demo that became the first indie release to go platinum in Canada. NOW: The guys who once mused what they’d do with a million dollars are now millionaire pop stars who’ve decided to return to their indie roots with their latest release, Are Me, putting it out on their own label, Desperation Records.
IAN BLURTON
THEN: Lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for popular local indie-rockers Change of Heart. NOW: A couple of bands (Bionic, Blurtonia) later, the man who boasts the best beard in the biz not only fronts fearsomely rockin’ outfit C’Mon, but is also an in-demand producer, helming discs for everyone from The Weakerthans to Amy Millan.
BRENT BUTTTHEN: Eye Weekly called him a “fast-rising star” who’d had an audition for Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, but back then Butt was still paying his dues at the tiny Free Times Café before a couple dozen spectators each week. NOW: As the Everyman lead of his hit CTV sitcom Corner Gas, Butt wins laughs from millions of viewers each week.
BRENDAN CANNING
THEN: Bassist Canning (a.k.a. “The Champ”) played with grunge trio hHead, who went on to sign with the IRS label in the US before breaking up. NOW: Canning became friends with singer/guitarist Kevin Drew and co-founded the city’s most popular indie-rock export, Broken Social Scene (who constantly threaten to break up).
ATOM EGOYANTHEN: Won the award for best Canadian feature at the 1991 Toronto Festival of Festivals for The Adjuster, but donated the $25,000 cash prize to first-time director John Pozer. NOW: Eight films and two Oscar nominations later, Egoyan’s taking on a new role this fall as a distinguished visitor in theatre, film, music and visual studies at U of T’s faculty of arts and science.
DANIEL MACIVOR
THEN: Budding playwright and actor MacIvor, already known in the local theatre scene for his company da da kamera, started getting noticed for his acerbic one-man shows. NOW: Now one of Canada’s best-known playwrights, MacIvor has also made the transition to film, having written and directed three features. With 2006/07 marked as da da kamera’s final season, MacIvor recently performed some of his solo shows for the last time at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and is working on a new play, His Greatness, for the Stratford Festival.
DEEPA MEHTATHEN: Making her feature-film directorial debut with Sam & Me, the story of a relationship between a young Muslim boy and an elderly Jewish man in Parkdale, Mehta’s honourable mention in the Camera d’Or category at Cannes Film Festival that year signalled the emergence of a new Canadian cinematic talent. NOW: Despite courting much controversy in India for her “elements trilogy” (which included the 1996 lesbian love story Fire), Mehta persevered to complete the trilogy, releasing the well-received Water last year. She is currently working on the film Exclusion, which stars Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan.
THE RHEOSTATICS
THEN: Their 1991 sophomore release, Melville (produced by future member Michael Phillip Wojewoda), garnered plaudits for its unique take on Canadiana — so much so that when they headlined EdgeFest that year, a mohawked punk draped in the Canadian flag jumped onto the stage in homage to the band. NOW: Last month, Wojewoda and founding member Tim Vesely announced their impending departures from the group. The band will play one last show with its current lineup at Massey Hall in March.
RON SEXSMITHTHEN: Self-deprecating even back then, Sexsmith dubbed his then-backing band The Uncool. According to Eye Weekly’s review of a Jan. 1992 show at The Rivoli, their sound was influenced by “Memphis soul, western swing and trucker songs.” Our reviewer also pointed out that “Sexsmith wrenches a surprising amount of power out of his acoustic guitar.” NOW: Several acclaimed solo albums and a duet with Chris Martin later, Sexsmith may not write smash hits, but musicians clamour to cover his songs and he continues to build a steady career that takes on new depth and colour with each release.
JUDITH THOMPSON
THEN: Received the $25,000 Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award in 1991 for the searing Lion in the Streets, which would become one of her signature pieces. NOW: For her latest work, Enoch Arden, by Alfred, Lord Jabber and his Catatonic Songstress, which debuted at Summerworks last year, Thompson reimagined a Victorian poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson as a narrative set in a Parkdale halfway house. Made an officer of the Order of Canada last year, Thompson currently teaches drama and creative writing at the University of Guelph.