Its easy to say “rock is dead” when the days of Kiss, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith seem so disconnected with today’s version of mainstream music. Waves of EDM and Hip-Hop have taken the mainstream music scene by storm. The reality however, is that rock is going through an ever-changing evolution, experimenting with new things all the time.

Rock at its roots is experimental, just look at Queens, A Night at the Opera, a 1975 album mixing the sounds of classic rock and roll and opera to create what some people argue is one of the best rock albums of all time. Brent Albrecht, evening host on Indie88 and member of his own band Sure says “The days of cliché rock n’ roll are gone and what has emerged is a scene of genre mixing focused on aggression, attitude and feel, the things that make rock fantastic”. Albrecht talks about the rise of Billie Eilish and how her unique and modern style of music can still be connected back to rock roots, arguing Eilish in many ways fits into the genre of rock. Post Malone is another example of this, taking many modern hip-hop trends and blending them with childhood inspiration from artists like Bon Jovi.

The current state of Toronto rock is very experimental yes, however that does not change the fact that certain sub-genres have taken centre stage. Albrecht mentions a rise in power pop, as well as a new surge of female musicians and voices, finding their place in a historically male-dominated genre. What tops it all though is the prevalence of alt and punk rock emerging form the Toronto scene. “It’s mental how many people are part of that scene,” said Albrecht. Jessica Velasco, a 21-year-old Art and Art History student earning an Honours Bachelor of Arts from a collaboration with the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) and Sheridan College agrees that though the Toronto scene has good variety there is a heavy focus on Punk rock, comparing it to the like of Sum 41 and Blink 182.

The notion that “rock is dead” is nothing more than news website clickbait to get old school rock fans upset and new school fans excited, generating clicks, said Albrecht. On a local level Albrecht said although the opportunities may be less than, vast opportunities still exist in a community priding itself on its openness and helpfulness. When asked about the local Toronto scene Albrecht described it as “fairly vibrant, there is tons of good shit happening in this city”. As a host on Indie88 Albrecht prides himself for being a part of this amazing community, acting as a champion for those talents needing that little push of exposure. “My hope is that in continues to evolve into something weirder and hopefully cooler” said Albrecht.

It would be easy to pretend the role audience plays in driving the creation of music is unimportant, nut the reality is that without an audience msuicians would never find the inspiration and drive required to make the music we all enjoy.

Velasco believes her role along with other fans should be to make the little difference that they can in support of local artists. “Word of mouth is super powerful and important, that and respecting the band enough to actually pay for entry goes a long way in support of local art”. Velasco also mentioned the importance of social media and “clout”, whether you have 50 followers or 5000, that post still gets scene by a valuable audience and has the potential to go a long way.

The biggest drive for Velasco and why she has found herself immersed in the Toronto rock scene is a sense of “homeliness, nostalgia, earnestness and honesty.” Velasco says these values stem from her childhood, “everyone in my family was a musician, I woke up to music not an alarm clock.” With a desire to connect back to those roots she sought out live music, but with the expensive ticket prices of mainstream performances, Velasco required an alternative to that norm. With lower prices, broad talent and an impactful sense of community Velasco found a home in the Toronto music scene.

In a survey conducted over instagram with 50 participants, the question was asked “Do you go out and listen to live music at least once a month?”

Interesting, is the drastic amount of people who rarely go out to see live music, if at all. It seems apparent that the local scene in general is very small, meaning the local rock scene is even further niche. Evidence of the importance of fans doing what they can to support the artists they love and introduce more people to such a unique community of music.

One of the most challenging parts of getting involved with the Toronto music scene whether you are an artist or a fan, is figuring out where to go and get yourself involved in the community.

Just like the music it hosts the ideas around venues are in constant evolution, Albrecht says the Toronto scene is seeing a rise of DIY concerts put on by artist and outside performances like on The Bentway.

For artists venues seem to be closing every week, but that does not change the vast amount of venues still open and running in Toronto. From historical venues like the Horseshoe Tavern to smaller spots like The Painted Lady everyone can find a home for themselves here in Toronto. Open mics are a great way to put yourself out there and develop an audience and experience. Toronto has at least one venue doing an open mic every day of the week meaning you’ll always be able to work in a performance between your schedule. When booking your own event, Albrecht says “don’t think you are above anything”, no matter how small, gaining experience in front of a crowd is always valuable. Albrecht went on to note artists should “know your audience and scale, its important you fill the room, so choose a venue that is right for you.” Never be afraid to use the connections you have or make new ones, Velasco says “being an artist myself, art is very much a networking business”.

Venues hosting new innovative sounds can be found all over Toronto, here is just some doing there part host the local rock finding new life in Toronto: