JASON COLLETT’S BASEMENT REVUE RETURNS TO THE PARADISE ON BLOOR, EVERY THURSDAY IN DECEMBER FOR A HALF-MUSIC, HALF-LITERARY VARIETY SHOW
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JASON COLLETT’S NEW ALBUM, HEAD FULL OF WONDER, OUT NOVEMBER 4, 2022 VIA ARTS & CRAFTS
LISTEN / SHARE “DARK TIMES” HERE
LISTEN / SHARE “EVERYDAY SUNFLOWER” HERE
PRE-ORDER HEAD FULL OF WONDER HERE
"Part variety show, part vaudeville theatre, part improv act and part poetry slam, the Basement Revue is a cross-disciplinary carnival where anything can happen, and often does" - The Globe And Mail
For more than a decade, The Basement Revue has been a half-music, half-literary variety show with a rock-’n’-roll sensibility and a unique Canadian voice, hosted and curated by Broken Social Scene singer/songwriter Jason Collett. From its inception on a wintry night in 2007 at Toronto’s Dakota Tavern, The Basement Revue has explored what happens when artists of different disciplines share the stage together. This has made for exciting collaborations, such as Feist backing up Michael Ondaatje or Margaret Atwood stepping up to the mic in front of one of Toronto’s most celebrated bands and saying, with her characteristic deadpan wit, “hit it Sadies.” Combining a compelling mix of musicians, storytellers, and poets with the improvisational spirit of a kitchen party, The Basement Revue has blossomed into one of Canada’s most dynamic live event series.
This year, co-curated by writer and Basement Revue alum Emma Healey, it returns once again to The Paradise on Bloor, every Thursday in December beginning on the 1st and running until the 29th.
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Just before the Basement Revue kicks off, Collett will also be releasing his new album, Head Full Of Wonder, which finds him stepping out of his usual creative orbit, recording in Toronto at All Day Coconut with Montreal producer Marcus Paquin, joined by drummer Liam O'Neill (SUUNS), guitarist Joe Grass, and bassist Mike O'Brien (Zeus). A distillation of the five years since 2016’s Song And Dance Man, these eleven new songs hone in on the fine craft of songwriting, offering a direct and simple collection of elegant indie folk, some of the most poignant creations of Collett's storied catalogue.
"In absorbing the tumult of the times, there's a lot of shit to write through, (that Bruce Cockburn line comes to mind, ‘you've got to kick at the darkness until it bleeds daylight’) and the challenge is to get to the other side with something positive to contribute," Collett says. "I let go of some swagger and embraced intimacy and joy and wonder. I hear this in the record and it makes me very happy to have made it.”
LISTEN / SHARE “DARK TIMES” HERE
LISTEN / SHARE “EVERYDAY SUNFLOWER” HERE
PRE-ORDER HEAD FULL OF WONDER HERE
MORE ABOUT THE BASEMENT REVUE
The Basement Revue presents the best emerging and established literary and musical talent of the country on stage in curated multi-disciplinary evenings. This kind of cross-pollinating is a one-of-a-kind format. The Globe and Mail said of its eighth season, “Part variety show, part vaudeville theatre, part improv act and part poetry slam, the Basement Revue is a cross-disciplinary carnival where anything can happen, and often does. The list of past participants reads like a who’s who of CanRock and CanLit, from Broken Social Scene to Sheila Heti and Cadence Weapon to Vincent Lam.”
In 2017, The Basement Revue partnered with Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) and New Constellations was born – a nation(s)wide tour celebrating Next Wave Indigenous music and writing. Bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists alike and featuring contributions from Polaris Music Prize winners Jeremy Dutcher and Lido Pimienta, as well as July Talk, Feist, Sam Roberts, Stars, Weaves, Billy Ray Belcourt, Naomi Klein and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson.
As is tradition for the Basement Revue, each night’s performers remain a surprise to the audience until they step on stage. Even the performers themselves are kept in the dark, adding an extra element of surprise to the evening. Past Basement Revues have boasted an impressive roster featuring Anne Waldman, Canisia Lubrin, Daniel Lanois, Tanya Tagac, Gord Downie, Rufus Wainwright, Marina Abromovic, Lee Maracle, Bahamas, Shad, Dennis Lee, Hal Wilner, CA Conrad, Weaves, Miriam Toews, Tanya Talaga, K-OS and more.