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Back in the days when I was managing a band I didn’t get to go to many concerts. nero was on the road almost constantly, performing up to 150 shows per year across Canada and the northeast US. When I was on the road with the band it was nothing but nero, nero, nero and I loved it.
By the summer of ’03 I think I had been finding it harder and harder to actually manage a band and road manage them as well, so I bid farewell to the road and worked from home. Of course I hopped back on the bus for short little runs when I could (especially when the shows weren’t too far from home) and I was especially happy to tag along when the nero shows intersected with other concerts.
One good way to fill up a bar is to book an afterparty – nero used to play afterparties all the time. The idea is to find a big concert that shares your demographic, book into a nearby venue and blanket the big show with flyers telling people to come on down after the concert and keep the party going with the Next Big Thing.
Which brings me to a two-night stint following Medeski, Martin & Wood (MMW) from Toronto’s jazz festival to Montréal’s. The Toronto show was on June 25th, 2003. It’s funny that I don’t remember where the aftershow was held, though it was probably The Comfort Zone (AKA the dirtiest, grimiest, most disgustingly filthy basement bar in North America.
I may be blocking the memory as a coping mechanism.)
I do, however, recall the MMW gig. It was in Nathan Phillips Square under a large wedding-style tent, and it was packed. The band was great – they’re always great – and the crowd was loving it. I divided my time between handing out flyers and gazing in awe at the three master improvisors.
As a guy who was managing an instrumental improvising trio it certainly gave me hope to see such an enthusiastic response to the instrumental improvising trio that is MMW. They proved that this thing I was involved with could work.
The one downside to doing an aftershow is that you always have to leave the primary concert before it’s over in order to get back to your own venue and be ready to go as soon as the first afterparty person walks through the door.
That was the case on both of these nights, but in an era of not seeing many concerts at all being able to attend just three-quarters of a show was way, way better than nothing.
Todd Man Out 