Jeffery Straker
Bread and Circus, Kensington Market
09.10.08

On a referral from a friend, I mosied down one cool Wednesday evening on September 10 to check out Jeffery Straker, a queer small town prairie boy come singer/songwriter in Toronto.  It was a friendly songwriters circle, with two other musicians sharing the stage.  It was at a small venue that I’ve walked by a million times while in Kensington Market, but never entered.  The Bread and Circus is a tiny nook bar tucked between the fish, fruit and random army surplus vendors on Baldwin Street.

With mostly friends supporting their kickoff party to their West/Northern Ontario tour, the prairie boys put on a fun and intimate gig that had everyone singing, clapping and even playing harmonica.  Straker was on the piano and had a bright, whimsical, cabaret sound, accompanied by a barrel of lyrics based mostly on personal experiences, childhood (trauma!) and the actions of those around him.  Despite the seemingly bright and auspicious sound, many times the lyrics painted a deeper, somber picture.  But when you have a bipolar friend that stole a cake from Tim Hortons and fed it to a statue of Alexander the Great right in front of you, as a songwriter how could you NOT be inspired to write about the experience?  With Elton John ala Tiny Dancer inspired pianos and MIKA vocals, you can’t help but sit up and take a listen.

The other 2 musicians were also engaging and fun to listen, interacting with the audience and engaging in witty banter, which is par for the course.  One especially amusing tune was “Soldier” by David Hein, a well seasoned local singer/songwriter and folk festival veteran, written as part of a workshop at the Brandon Manitoba folk festival.  The tune was written in 24-hours and must include the infamous Killers lyric: “I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier”. 

The “3 guys from the prairies” will be touring in Hamilton, Manitoulin, SSM, and North Bay, and returning back to Toronto for Straker’s CD Release party on Nov 13 @Supermarket.  Let’s hope he’ll have the full band so we can see him in full force!

 REVIEWED BY: ROBB