MUSIC
THE RENTALS
I
“The energy
of the small band
was more important
than the budget.”
n September 1994, I had just graduated university
and started my first real job, at an indie record
label in Toronto. Apart from helping many bands,
one of the biggest perks was being guest listed to
attend concerts at almost all of Toronto’s music
venues. I was out three times a week at CD releases, press conferences, and concerts just for
the sake of enjoying live concerts. I felt like Toronto
was mine. I felt free and the music that took me
there was liberating.
During this period in my life, music was great. Record labels were signing all kinds of acts, Indie had
taken over the world and mammoth recording
budgets had fizzled out. The energy of the small
band was more important than the budget and
the