by JOHNSON CUMMINS

Don’t get me wrong, Toronto has some great bands. Shikasta, Slutarded, the Deadly Snakes, Blurtonia and the Illuminati come instantly to mind, but unfortunately these bands aren’t the norm. At the risk of generalizing in one fell swoop, T-dot has a real penchant for churning out unlistenably safe rock bands with their eyes on naught but on the major-label prize. As a result, Toronto largely generates knock-off versions of other bands or bands overly dependent on aesthetic stimuli in lieu of quality tunes (case in point, Robin Black).

To add insult to injury, there are just too many bands and too few places to play in Toronto. Therefore promoters tend to treat local bands like second-class citizens, with quality control no longer a factor. The only answer for a good Toronto band’s survival is to get the hell out of there.

Maximum RNR can easily be included in the aforementioned list of Toronto bands that rock. They deliver high octane rock ’n’ roll slathered in beer and pizza grease that would make you swear they’re from some place like Calgary.

“When we went on tour and started playing other places, we quickly realized just how shitty we are treated in Toronto,” says guitarist Keith Maurik. “We would go to other places and get food, booze and good money, and that would never happen to us in Toronto. We were giggling like little boys for three weeks. Our tour just went so smoothly it was almost weird. It was our first tour and we came back with money and that’s almost unheard of. Doors would open and people would really want to help us out because we were ‘the band.’ At first, being from Toronto, we thought that was weird but then we realized that’s just the bonus of getting your shit together and actually putting something together and doing it. That is the real reward.”

Despite not clocking in all that many miles, Maurik may have a better grasp on the Canadian tour than most. His day job is working as the Canadian rep for Epitaph Records and part of his job is selling the fact to Epitaph bands that places like Calgary and Edmonton are viable punk rock havens. “These places don’t get bands that much, so when bands go out there they are just worshipped. There is more to Canada than just Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. There are really strong scenes out there. Maximum RNR’s best shows have been in Edmonton, Saskatoon and Sudbury, so I always tell Epitaph bands that they have to play there. For local bands, I don’t believe you are a real band until you get out and tour outside of your hometown. For us, on a musical level and a personal level, we didn’t become a real band until we got out on the road.” :

With the Dropouts at Petit Campus
on Saturday, Jan. 18, 9pm

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