The life of The Journal’s Arts & Culture Editor is unlike any other on the masthead.
The role itself wears many faces and holds even more names. From as early as 1908, The Journal has had a “music” section, evolving from Arts, to Arts & Entertainment, back to Arts, and eventually Arts & Culture. Confused? Understandable.
From leaving late night bars drenched in beer you didn’t drink, dealing with D-list divas—as well as A-listers if you’re lucky—catching someone before their big break, and plain being in the right place at the right time, the privilege of the press has helped the section capture snapshots of time, turning fleeting moments into something permanent.
Despite its chameleonic appearance, one part of the job has always stayed the same. We have the most fun when it comes to music.
To prove my point, I spoke with Journal alum—mostly past Arts Editors, and a few welcome guests to the section—for their most memorable music moments during their time on the masthead.
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The most famous Kingston band, of course, is The Tragically Hip. I started at Queen’s in 1990 so the band was already becoming well known nationally. (I was an early fan and can be spotted in the crowd in their video for “New Orleans is Sinking” which was filmed in Calgary the year before.)
In Kingston in September 1991, I saw them play Old Fort Henry, introduced by Dan Ackroyd. They rocked the place with tracks from their latest album, Road Apples. And I got to meet them in person at Alfie’s on a Tuesday night when The Mahones played a gig.
—Brock Martland, Features Editor, Vol. 121, ArtSci ’95
I was very lucky to be Arts & Entertainment Editor at The Journal in 2004-05, right in the middle of one of the golden eras in Canadian music. Living between Toronto and Montreal at that time meant we were spoiled with amazing live shows. I saw Arcade Fire play Clark Hall Pub, Broken Social Scene at Grant Hall, Metric at Elixir, Sam Roberts at AJ’s Hanger, Alexisonfire at the Iron Horse Saloon. So, so many wall-shaking shows at The Grad Club—the Constantines, Cuff the Duke, Stars, Joel Plaskett, the Sadies. It really felt like we had a front-row seat to something truly special happening in Canadian music.
I also have fond memories of seeing campus bands, like Tomate Potate and The Radical Dudez, and Kingston bands like Magic Jordan and The Gertrudes. With CFRC, the Artel and Apple Crisp all putting on amazing shows as well, it was just a glorious time and place to be a music fan.
—Brendan Kennedy, Arts & Entertainment Editor, Vol. 133, ArtSci ’07
Picture this, it’s the middle of Kingston summer and you walk into The Mansion to see an unnamed rock band your friend’s brother landscapes with. The rock band is, well, rocking, and vibes are up! Everyone’s feeling loose and I decide to get a closer look at the band, being the curious young journalist I was. Making my way through the crowd with my friend’s hand in mine, we are determined and steadfast… all of a sudden we hear “DEATH CIRCLE!” and everyone starts going crazy moshing.
Next thing I know, my friend and I are pinned to the floor and we’ve been trampled over. We crawl our way out from the dedicated rockers on top of us and find safety on the sidelines. No broken bones on either of us, the adrenaline was pumping so hard it didn’t even hurt! All that’s left is the vodka cran stains on my top and the fond memory in my brain. It was a good lesson that The Mansion is for the real ones and if you can’t hang with the mosh, you may be better off watching from the sides.
— Rida Chaudhry, Arts Editor, Vol. 150, ArtSci, ’23
Writing for The Journal brought me out of the Queen’s “bubble” and into what felt like a more real world of Kingston, where, in nearby neighbourhoods people had families and jobs and art and music were being made on every block.
That time and place may be best illustrated by the Backyard Sex Band, a sprawling bunch, maybe 15 performers strong, of multi-instrumentalists and no instrumentalists (hand clappers? yoohoo-ers?) who played every Wednesday night at The Grad Club’s open mic. The cover songs they played were just as free-range; songs like “Oh Yoko” and “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.” They were the kind of songs that could showcase—or withstand—folksy gang vocals, roaming rhythms, a trombone and a theremin.
The goal wasn’t perfection, it was to be together. To meet at a sun-filled apartment on Pine Street for a potluck dinner and a flying rehearsal, and then walk over to The Grad Club and hope to get the 9:30 spot—together.
After a few years, the Backyard Sex Band morphed and grew as these things do, and in this case, maybe even grew up, got a little less shaggy and a little more tight. They played their first gig as The Gertrudes at a fundraiser for Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre, back when it was just north of Princess. Their sixth full-length album, City Noise, was released today, March 14, 2025.
—Meghan Sheffield, Arts & Entertainment Editor, Vol. 135, ArtSci ’08
Armed with a camera and wearing a black smock from American Apparel, I knocked back a coffee spiked with Goldschläger and grimaced—it tasted disgusting. Poised to cover Holy Fuck’s sold-out electronic rock show at The Grad Club, I was excited to snap photos of live music for the first time. Outside the packed venue, an indie oasis, the streets crawled with police in preparation for the weekend’s notorious Homecoming celebrations.
Before Holy Fuck’s set, a cute girl shared a t with me on the venue’s Victorian wrap-around porch. As Brian Borcherdt and Graham Walsh twisted knobs and smashed pedals alongside live drums and bass, I danced on the built-in bench amidst grad students and baby hipsters—Urban Outfitters had just opened in town, and it was the year jocks began trading in their polo shirts and Ugg boots for flannel and skinny jeans. I revelled in the beautiful robot music and all the bodies pulsing in this living room of the Kingston arts scene.
—Adèle Barclay, Arts & Entertainment Editor, Vol. 136, ArtSci, ’09
My favourite music-related thing that happened when I was Arts Editor in 149 was getting to interview PUP. It was the first time I actually got to interview a band I know and like, which was cool. If I correctly, they performed at the Ale House and did a great job. It was interesting because it kind of felt like a show that would’ve happened 10 or 15 years earlier, a bit of a throwback.
—Ben Wrixon, Arts Editor, Vol. 149, ArtSci ’22
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Chris Gilbert
Hey, only one input from pre-2000’s? I was lucky to write for the Journal Arts & Culture section doing movie and music reviews in 1994 and 1995 under the editorial supervision of Sian ???. I returned to Kingston mid-Christmas break to review a gig by The Tragically Hip at the old Frontenac arena and was up close with rising Vancouver band The Odds at Alfie’s (is it even a thing anymore?) I still have their autographed Neapolitan CD. I even got to sit in a CFRC interview with The Rheostatics (despite being embarrassed by two of the guys!). Lots of great times (not to mention a memorable encounter with a Waldron tower frosh at The Journal party night!)