Possibly the most exciting new buskers in Toronto this summer, the Sidewalk Crusaders are larger, louder, younger — and more fun — than the stereotypical subway troubadour. The seven-member band draws large crowds that clog downtown Toronto sidewalks. Their sets, audible from a block away, are ska- and jazz-influenced horn covers of current popular music.
The Crusaders are never without personality: they dance during numbers, run through their audience while performing, and bring out props for certain songs. The drummer will occasionally solo on anything that isn’t a drum set, banging on street lamps, garbage cans, and the ever-present Toronto constructions sites. The members don’t sing for their supper, but they do jam for their tuition: the money they collect is split seven ways to pay for university fees.
The Crusaders have developed a fan-following in Toronto – and they have the support and attention of a few notable names. Ivor Tossell, a culture and urban affairs writer for Maclean’s and the Globe and Mail recently told his 10,000 followers on twitter: “The Sidewalk Crusaders. If you see them, give them all your money,” while linking his followers to a Vine of the band playing “Call Me Maybe.” That same cover had earlier attracted the attention of CBC radio personality and musician Jian Ghomeshi who tweeted that the Crusaders were “awesome” and that he “love[d] the sounds and will support the crusaders! [sic]” while asking for “no CJR”.
“This town needs more music”
The band’s supporters speak highly of the energy and uniqueness of the band as an extension of their musicality. The free-spiritedness of the band’s performances often spurs spontaneity in their audiences. On an August 23 performance around the intersection of Bloor and Bay, a man in business attire took off his shoes and began a quick Latin dance; over the next 15 minutes, three different women joined in. All danced barefoot — their shoes and purses set aside — to cheers from the assembled crowd.
During a brief break in the Crusaders’ set, tenor sax player Loui Koutsouflakis shouted over to the impromptu dancer, “You’re the best, man!”
“No, you’re the best!” the dancer shouted back. “You play music! This town needs more music!”
One year ago, before the Sidewalk Crusaders’s debut, trumpet player Max Forster felt similarly. At the time, he was studying International Studies at York University. “After two months, I decided I couldn’t do International Studies and that I had to do music,” he says, “I played music all through high school and was really passionate about it, but it was just, you know, going out of high school it was a little too risky for me at the time…but I quickly realized that it was what I’m supposed to be doing.”
While at York, Forster met saxophone player Peter Cavanagh. It was Cavanagh who would have the idea that would ultimately bring more music to the Toronto streets.
Bringing the band together
In the summer of 2012, Cavanagh had subbed as a sax player for another set of buskers. The experience had given him the idea to start his own band. He began recruitment through his social circle; as such, a large number of the members are fellow York students, with a few notable exceptions. Forster transferred into U of T’s music program after joining the band; he starts in the jazz program this September. Nick Marshall, the trombone player, met Cavanagh through the Toronto All-Star Big Band while he was in high school and will begin studies at Humber College this fall.
Marshall was recruited through Facebook, which he says is “unusual,” if you know musicians. “Nobody likes to post their job openings on Facebook…because then you’ve gotta turn down so many people. That’s like last resort-desperate effort thing.” That “desperate effort” was perhaps indicative of how much work it took Cavanagh to form the Crusaders. Earlier members were wary of the amount of work involved. “This took Peter forever to set up…This is Peter’s baby,” says Marshall, who was the fourth trombone player recruited.
Audience and energy
The Crusaders’ performances are the result of long hours of practice and effort. According to Marshall, some band members even had to learn new instruments, “Bryan [Yaremko] plays baritone sax — he just picked up tuba for this band.” The band also arranges all of the music it plays. They choose their songs carefully. “The first thing we pay attention to is what’s popular on the radio now, that’s why we do songs like “Get Lucky” and such,” says Cavanagh. The band makes a concentrated effort to appeal to different audiences: songs from Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder appeal to an audience who grew up in the 70s and 80s; jazz standards are for the older crowd; and video game themes attract the gamers. The latter group includes the Crusaders themselves, whose stuffed Pikachu mascot accompanies them to their performances.
The arrangements are designed to include solo sections for improvisation, which often replace the rap breaks in songs like “Thrift Shop” or “Gangnam Style.” “I think it’s one thing that kinda differentiates our songs from the songs on the radio,” Cavanagh says. This allows the band to experiment and have some fun. Members tend to gravitate towards certain songs for their solos, and some have developed particular favourites. “I like the funk ones a lot, like Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” “I Wish,” and I guess “Ghostbuster,” and “Low Rider” too.”
The effort pays off during the band’s performances. Different band members have different ways of keeping the energy high despite the summer heat —“I play ultimate Frisbee anytime I don’t do this. I’m gonna give it to that,” says Marshall — but as a unit, they cite the importance of the audience to their music. “Sometimes this job can be quite taxing. It’s really good to see people out there and familiar faces because it brings the energy up,” says Cavanagh, joking, “It’s nice to have a following. It makes us feel special.” Forster agrees: “It’s a lot of fun… Just being out here, you know, everyone really liking what you’re doing… It’s really cool.” Instances of audience interaction, like the anonymous dancer, motivate and inspire the band.
Now that the school year has started, the Sidewalk Crusaders are returning to their student lives, but the music will continue. “I’d like to continue busking in the summers to come,” says Cavanagh, “We’ll try our best to busk every weekend during the school year. I think the idea of busking and playing these songs outside… It’s a cool concept — to be outside on a Toronto street, and to encounter that music. There’s a connection that’s made. It really is special.”
