THE BOAT
FROM APRIL/MAY 2021 ISSUE OF WEST END PHOENIX
THE BOAT
158 AUGUSTA AVE.
“WHEREVER WE LOOKED, WE SAW ANOTHER FRIENDLY FACE, BATHED IN THAT RED LIGHT, HAVING A GREAT TIME”
It was spring in the Market – April 13, 2011, to be exact – and Choir! Choir! Choir! had booked its first official gig, opening for The Soundtastics. The venue was The Boat on Augusta Avenue and we were as ready as we’d ever be – which was barely.
C!C!C! had started two months earlier, mainly to get our friends out of hibernation in the middle of winter. Singing was the excuse. The project took root quickly and strangers started to show up each week to sing choirized covers of pop songs. Everything about that time was new, fresh and exciting. Daveed (Goldman, co-director) and I had no idea what we were doing, and that was part of the fun.
The Boat, like many indie venues of its ilk – which have been disappearing as the city clamours for empty-headed “world-class status” – was the perfect place to try something new. With its low ceilings and muddy red lighting, it reminded me of Toronto’s long-gone haunts like The New Varsity Restaurant or the Blue Cellar Room that served a generation of grateful underage drinkers. The Boat was similarly informal and welcoming and there was tons of room to move around. But the expansive nature of the space was misleading.
Fire safety regulations limited capacity to around 100 people. And we quickly learned that despite being talent, each of our singers would be counted. We were 35 to 40 people and we’d all invited friends, many of whom were eagerly lining up outside. There was a buzz of excitement but, for me, the gig turned stressful as we reached capacity. A very intimidating doorman yelled at me as I attempted, unsuccessfully, to negotiate. Obviously, he was right and I had to accept it.
Nobu Adilman (left) leading Choir! Choir! Choir!’s first-ever performance, at The Boat.
And the show had to go on. We stumbled joyfully through a set of classic tunes (including ABBA’s “S.O.S.” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Say You Love Me”) and though we were performing for an audience – often a nerve-tingling experience – the power in numbers relaxed us. Wherever we looked we saw another friendly face, bathed in that red light, having a great time. The crowd couldn’t have been more encouraging.
The newness, the giddy performance energy, the low-key nature of it all resulted in such celebratory and carefree feelings. The experience would be one of many hints that what C!C!C! was doing was so much about building community – with our friends, with strangers, with local venues and the culture they help to nurture and showcase.
After finishing our set, we immediately ran outside to perform for those who couldn’t get in – starting a tradition of singing outside after our gigs. As our voices filled Kensington Market – the spiritual centre of the city, warts and all – a crowd formed and excitement filled the air once again. The joy was infectious, and we all felt present in the moment.
At that time, we would have no idea that, years later, we’d be invited to perform on a cruise ship. But it will always be The Boat that christened us.