Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Andy Stochansky: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1870

Episode Date: March 27, 2026

In this 1870th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with musician Andy Stochansky about his years playing with Ani DiFranco, going solo, whether he was a prodigy or not. Blair Packham co-hosts Andy's podcast debut. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Nick Ainis, and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail].

My name is Andy's Dachansky, and this is my first episode appearance on Toronto mic. He nailed it. Took Blair 12 times to nail him. Are you glad to be here? Hell, I'm glad. He doesn't know where he is yet. And where the hell was I? Chad.

Is it? Who did this music? This is Il-Vybe. Oh, you know, you said Shad? I was hanging with him yesterday. Okay. He was at the handlebar for the Cam Gordon book launch. I put a photo on Instagram today of me and Shad.

Love Shad. And you said Shad. It was Ill-Vive, this song. But I got to get to my intro, which is welcome to episode 1,870 of Toronto Mic'd. An award-winning podcast proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery. Order online at Great Lakes Beer.com for free. Local home delivery in the GTA. Palma Pasta.

The real reason Andy's here. Enjoy the taste of fresh. Homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville. Visit palma Pasta.com for more. Fusion Corpso, Nick Aienis. He's the host of Building Toronto Skyline and Mike and Nick, two podcasts that you ought to listen to. Recycle My Life.

Electronics.C.A. committing to our planet's future means properly recycling our electronics of the past. And Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of the community since 1921. Today, making his Toronto mic debut, it's Andy Stochansky. Andy, I am honored. What a choice that. To make that noise. I'm honored you're here. I feel like this was.

in my calendar several times, but you're actually here, so I want to say thank you for being here. Of course. I think the first couple times was like, no, it was like, what was it last time? 15 feet of snow. Yes. I think we lost a couple of our recording dates due to Mother Nature. Yes. And at least one time you got a gig.

Oh, right. The Andy Kim thing. Oh, yeah, the Andy Kim thing. Show where he just, I suddenly was part of that show to his Christmas show, Massey, Al. That's like a... Blair launched the Christmas show. Blair Packham. Okay, so let me set the table. The guest today making his Toronto mic debut is Andy Stochansky.

We're going to go heavy on Andy. But Andy's driver happens to be FOTM, Blair Packum. Blair, welcome back to the program. Thank you very much. I'm very glad to be here. Andy has given me a gas allowance. Yeah. It's expensive gas, right?

He only buys the best for me when I drive him. I need a drive. driver. I would like to shout out to my driver, radio lady. I don't know if she's listening right now. I don't know if she's listening right now. Well, she might not be listening live. I better text. This is also recorded. So I got to get a sound bite from Andy first because before I press

record, I heard Andy say some kind words about a Toronto Mic episode. And I am so vain in a need of like, you know, compliments and attention. I need you to complete that thought because you were going to compliment an episode of Toronto Mic'd. The Ralph Ben-Murgy episode was amazing. I love them all, but that one was like, sit down and shut up and listen to this. Which one? I know you're saying the Ralph Ben-Murgy episode, but there's been like 10 Ralph Ben-Murgy episode.

It's the one where he talked about. He went to the States with his son for some. Oh, the most recent one. Yeah. And I thought that was amazing. Like, he could have talked about anything. And he's talking about like the spiritual aspect of himself. And I don't know.

I just really, really liked it. So thank you, Ralph. Well, Ralph is a great FOTM. You're now an FOTM. That means friend of Toronto. Mike. I will tell the listenership that Ralph Ben Murgie is going to return to the basement soon. We have a date in our calendar.

And even though it took a few runs at this, in fact, I'll be honest. Like this morning, I saw the calendar and it said 2 p.m. Andy Stochansky. And I was like, should I just go for a bike ride at two? Like, what are the odds? I wasn't confident you'd be here. So it's amazing. And you were here on time because you have an efficient driver.

Yeah, it's Blair. It's all Blair. It's all Blair. It is. Do you remember Andy the first time we met? We met at the... Well, it was your birthday party or just a backyard party? I think it was a birthday party.

Yeah. Or maybe it's a backyard party. I think it was in the summer time, right? And Lisa was there? Yeah. Let's tango! Oh, yeah. Andy's Lisa was there.

Oh, there's multiple Lisa. There were multiple leases. There were... Yeah. Because Lisa Del Bella was there. Lisa, why not? Andy's Lisa. Okay, but your lease is a different Lisa. I don't want to confuse the listenership.

She is also a, excuse me, a formidable character, by the way. Lisa, why not? Well, oh my God, I would love to talk to all the Lases, you know that? Like, I'm just collecting them. I'm looking for Lisa, Lisa in the cult jam. If you have any connections there. Can we just acknowledge, though, that there is another person in the room. I always feel it's weird if you don't acknowledge this, that, yes, you guys are on the mic.

Andy Stochansky making his highly anticipated Toronto Mike debut and Blair Packham co-host of Rewinder episodes of Toronto Mike Rewind. Should I play it? Yes, please play it. This is what I did for my appearance.

Okay, let's play this. This is another actor thing that I didn't get. This another actor thing I was going to hire you for. Well, this one only got, you only get paid with Paul Mpasta lasagna and Great Lakes beer, but here you go. It's for me. Rewind.

With the Packam who is also known as Blake. And Mikey Boon Boone too Rewinded Looking back and yippy hopping on the air For the quarterly review Rewinds The Pack of Mooh is also known as Blair And Mikey Boon Boon too

So there you go Blair Well done What does Andy Stochansky think of that opening theme? Oh amazing How much money do we own Darren O'Brien? Exactly, yeah He'd be honored I actually produce a show for the women's

professional baseball league and I decided I'm opening with a instrumental version of Informer. And then the owners of the league or the marketing people said, I need to get his permission. Like I can't just do this. And I actually had to, I asked Snow, how do you feel about me opening this podcast with the instrumental version of Informer? And Snow said he loved it. Yeah. So I'm doing it.

You got the okay. I think it's just fine. And certainly, having used it myself, for that rewinder theme, I guess I think it's pretty cool. So we've established how I met Andy in, I don't know, Blair Packham's backyard, his kitchen maybe, his living room, you know? That party moved all over the place, man. It was crazy. Do you have any more parties coming up? Kitchen, living room, maybe, I don't know.

Okay, let me know afterwards. If I'm invited, I might show up again. Well, that's the problem. That's why I can't talk about it. If I see an Instagram post, if you're having a party. You'll see it after. All right, but Blair, please. Who is this fourth person in the TMDS basement studio?

This is my dear friend, Tanya Thompson, who is unmiked, so has to yell from the background. You can say hello. Let me go get her a mic. She has the strong opinions on Ukrainians. That's right. Hello. Okay. Tanya, nice to meet you.

Yes. And if you have anything to say, just push Blair. Roll them aside. Yeah, I'm on wheels. Mike. Yeah. Yeah. Can I hear how you, Andy, first met Blair Packham before we dive into your life and times?

That's a good question. I think it was Bluebird North? Yeah, probably through Michael Ryecraft. I probably booked you for a Bluebird North show, and then we went on a Bluebird North tour. Bluebird North was a songwriters tour where a bunch of songwriters sit in a row, and I was the host. Cherry Elric and I were hosts, and that was the touring version. But the Toronto version, I was the host, and we had all kinds of. of great people on and Andy was one of them and then when we went on tour uh I think I'd met

you before then we went to parties together and stuff yeah and Andy Kim was part of that yeah and Andy Kim and Andy Kim and Andy Kim is part of everything yes and the whole reason I couldn't come today that that's right M. Griner was part of that oh yeah yes we had a notable stop in kind of least Saskatchew. That's right. It was a lot. But we also started working together on different things like trying to pitch for commercials. Kind of pitch for cartoons. Shout out to Ridley Funeral Home. Yeah.

Yeah. That's right. So yeah, so it was and that would be in the early 2000s, I'd say, 2002 or something like that. So a couple of notes that I have from your first scheduled visit, Andy, which was several years ago. I'm not sure I have to check the calendar. So this may be dated now, but I went to Michael Power High School. Wow. And I took note, Miss T.

was your cousin. Can you, my condolences to you. Thank you. Yeah, she taught there, along with music teacher as well, Mr. H. And, yeah, taught music. And so it's like a whole family affair over there. But yeah, that was my high school,

Michael Power High School. Okay. You might have been through that place before I arrived, but I might have missed you by this much. Nice one, Mike. Yeah, wow. How old are you, Andy? The old age thing in there. That's great.

Well, I have to explain why we weren't in the building at the same time. Because Andy was a prodigy from the get-go. I know if I was sharing a building with Andy Stochansky. Well, that's true. I don't know about that part. Yeah, I don't know about that part. Well, that's where we're going to get to next. But you said it's a family affair.

So my mom doesn't actually chime in on many episodes, but she saw you were coming over, you know, several years ago when we originally scheduled his name. Okay. By the way, Mike Boone, dog with a bone. Okay. He does, they call him Mike with the bone. Mike of a bone. He does not let go. I did like go

something though. Oh, wow. Oh, don't bring it up. Not bringing it up, but I didn't, it hasn't come up in like nine episodes in a row. I'm glad to hear that. Don't tell me I can't give up a bone. But meanwhile, I already introduced Sharon Taylor as a radio lady. But that one's lighthearted and friendly and fun. Let's hope so. Call her up and asking

my text. So my mom, my mom wrote me and said, and I don't know, she does a voice to text thing. And half the time I can't understand what she's saying. It's quite bizarre. It's like, I have to like run it through some kind of mom translator. Like, what is my mom trying to say of this voice to text thing? But this is what she wrote. I'm going to read it verbatian.

Hi, Michael. So she called me Michael. So that's like my professional name. Trouble. I had nothing to do with this. No, Andrew? No way. Is there another, is there a Blair, Blarian?

Blarster. Blarian. I like that. Is Blair the full name? Blair's the full name. Apparently means Battlefield in Gaelic. I was told that years ago by Blair Martin of the raving mojos. Who's in FOTM?

Yes, he said it means Battlefield in Gaelic. And I thought, really? No, just run with it. But in those days, there was no Google. Okay, but what did your mom say? Yeah, let's go back to you. When you interview, okay, already he says, anti-Stochansky, that means, I know that's Andrew.

So the text of speech is really awful here. when you interview Antistochansky. I'm Antistochansky. And she says on Monday the 20th, this is another episode. Ask him if his mom was Mary Stochansky because I might have taught with her. I'm pretty sure I might have.

Anyhow, I don't know if she's around, but just if that's her, she taught at St. Francis of Assisi with me. Yes. This is like, this is your life. And there she is. She's coming. Come on.

Come on out. She's behind the curtain. Your mom is Mary. My mom is Mary. and they work together. Wow. Did they teach, wait, did your mom teach at St. Francis as well? Yep.

That was my grade school. That's Dundas and Manning. And the reason I went there is because there, when we grew up in Etobico, just north of here, there were no real, quote-unquote, Catholic schools. So suddenly I'm going to school with my mom. And it was, so we listened to Chamm FM from Etobico to school, and I would sing harmony, sing all the hits,

songs to all the songs and that was school on how to write a pop song. That was all radio. Yeah. Totally. Like, yeah, it was amazing. She was so cool about it. Because, you know, on the when you search for information about Andy, you

come across as a bit of a prodigy. Like, it's like, oh, at five years old, he's making music on the piano. Can you set the record straight? Are you or are you not a piano prodigy? I knew how to write songs of five and I had a drum kit at five.

I think that's a prodigy, right, Blair? I would say so, yes. You're like Mozart. Just to admit it, Andy. Okay. Yeah, I'm a fucking prodig. Can you get me a better? He wants a better chair.

Yeah, I just suddenly knew how to, um, how to write songs. I could pick them out from, so being a grade school teacher and you probably would get this story is mom would come home with these little, cassette recorders from grade school, these old black ones. And I'd get two and I'd play something on piano and sing and then do harmonies with set other piano and sing onto the other tape deck. So I literally thought I invented multi-tracking. So it was like pop songs.

So brother wasn't into any of that, but I could not get enough of that stuff. Probably because of the radio driving from morning to school. Do you have any favorite songs from those mornings listening to Chum FM? And this is, by the way, I'm trying to get the eras right here, but I'm guessing based on your age that this is the, before they become sort of a all-hit station. This is back, is this like Pete and Geets era? Where are we in this Chimafam!

No, this would be like Bay City Rollers, like... On Chum-FM? Because Chum-FM was an album-oriented, right? Until about 85 or you sit down. With Roger Rick and Maryland. CFTR? Well, that was at top 40. And Todd 40.

Sharon Taylor was program director. And I was. She was. The guest who. Not at the time, no. Like clap for the wolf. All that stuff. It was like solid, solid ABC by my, you know.

Yeah. Yeah. Jackson's like it doesn't get better than that. That's definitely like pop school for sure. Amazing. And did you receive a toy drum kit at True or False? Yes. Okay.

So how old are you? I was five. And they bought me a drum kit. Like, I have no idea what they were thinking, but they must have, like, all left and gone food shopping when I was practicing because I was practicing all the time. And then next thing you know, it's like, I know how to do this. So by the time I took it for real in high school, I already had a lot of playing time. So what happens next? I'm going to play a song that's going to, you know, trigger a whole segment here I want to talk to you about.

Trigger warning. But the good triggers. More than the pastaway mom, I'd say for instance, it was... Yeah, that didn't trigger anything. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Because you're five years old, you're writing songs.

You've got the piano. You're making music. This is unbelievable to me at five years old. Like, how old was it Mozart, twinkle, twinkle little star? Like, didn't he compose that at four? Well, you know, you're right there. Nipping at the heels here.

And then you're talking about taking it more seriously in high school. But maybe I'll play the song now and we'll kind of, You can bridge everything and it all makes sense. So a little music for us on Andy Stochansky's Toronto mic debut. I heard the sound of your bike as your wheels hit the gravel. And then your engine in the driveway cutting off. And I pushed through the screen door and I stood out on the porch thinking fight, fight, fight at all costs. But instead I let you in, just like I've always done.

I sat you down and offered you a beer And across the kitchen table I fired several rounds But you were still sitting there Isn't this sound amazing, Blair? It really does. I have thought in the past about the relationship between

who you're going to reveal that is, but also Alanis Morissette And I'm really hearing it. I hear so much Alanis Morissette in this song. I had thought of it before, but I'm really hearing it right now. So Andy Stochance, Can you name that song and artist for us?

Ani DeFranco is the artist. Ani DeFranco. Now, please share with us your personal and professional relationship with Ani DeFranco. Okay, so... Right on the mic here. Blair's about to warn you, I see I'm pointing that year. Yeah, eat the mic. I got a certain part when Queen Street was Queen Street

and you could play in tons of different venues and bands. I was playing with eight different bands and drums for eight different bands and at that point somebody asked this woman named Ann Bourne who's cello player for Jane Cybrey she said I'm gonna go to play in Buffalo and do you want to come along and play percussion

she was playing acoustic guitar and cello in that show or in piano and so I said of course yeah how come and then Ani DiFranco was opening up for us at that show in Buffalo and we just totally hit it off. A few months later, I got this call from her manager and was like,

do you want to record on the next downy album? Absolutely. And next thing you know, she said, what are you doing for the next six months? And then it turned into seven years. Whoa. Yeah, so seven years.

But like 150 shows a year for seven years. 200, something like that. Yeah, I was never home for seven years. That was just always there. like just total road paid Yeah That's so And what year approximately are we talking about when this trip to Buffalo?

2000 1990 Yeah Okay So from high Between high school and that moment You mentioned the eight bands I'm going to get back to that

But between high school and this trip to Buffalo Where you meet Ani de Franco Uh Give it a little accent I was gonna say I know I know It just seems like a name

DeFranco. You should have rolled that ar. Snuggled. Oni DeFranco. There you go. Fill in that crack a little bit, and I dare you to name all eight bands you were in. I bet you could never do that. I definitely can name Bob Wiseman, who was touring across Canada with me on drums. We were opening for people like B&L and stuff,

or we were playing to five people in Manitoba. He was that, like, he was in Blue Radio at the time and signed Warner. Are you in the corner? for if I had a million dollars? No. This guy is. Oh, really? Yeah, I can't help it.

I'm sorry, Andy. More things I'm learning today. This is your life. And Bob Wiseman, there's an hour episode of Toronto Mike to Bob Wiseman. You can check out. And I don't think there's a lot of like hour episodes of Bob Wiseman in the universe. I would agree. Maybe that's the only one.

That might be the only one. Yeah. Oh, good idea. So, yeah. I mean, Ann Boren obviously playing with her. Bob Wiseman and Can Meyer, who is the guitar player for Jane Zabree's band, now onto Soundtrack World, playing with him, and it was great. And then, so then seven years with Ani and a lot, a lot of shows.

And by year seven, at some point, it was just like, am I going to do this for the rest of my life, or am I going to start making my own music? Right. And I felt that kind of seven-year marriage pang and went. Well, it's cold an itch. Itch, yeah. And then it was like jump ship and grab a guitar and piano and start learning,

relearning how to do this. Okay, we're going to pick up that thread. But what's your relationship like with Jane Sibbri? I love her. She's so good. Like, I just had, we not like plan this, but just she was at the same coffee shop. And I, I still. I still get like, you know, star struck around.

Star vibes. Yeah. Star vibes. Yeah, I get that too. My wife is from Nova Scotia. So she's like, hi, Jay. And I'm like, what are you doing? Don't talk to her.

It was like, what is wrong with you? I know. She just wants her own space. Yeah. Did she ever like pull you aside, Andy, and chat with you about cows? No. But she did say. I sang on a song with her on back of one of her albums.

And it was so, I mean, I was so honored because she, she's from another planet. A beautiful planet, by the way. I believe I was introduced to Jane Sibre by the chap we call Blair Packam. Oh, with a Packam who is also known as Blair? That's what I was trying to do that. Jane, I love Jane. We met on those Bluebird North shows, too. Although we probably met before that.

I remember we were on, what was the CTV morning show called? Oh, the old one? The old one? The old one, the Petersowski one? No, no, not CBC, CTV. CTV morning show, Canada AM. Yeah, we went to Canada AM, we did it at CFTO, and she wanted to make up a song on the air.

She did that to me a couple of times. I say she did that to me. She would say, well, we're artists and this is what we do. But at Cernar Hall, 1,000 people. and she said to the audience, well, for this next one, I would like to just make up a song with Blair. And I'm like, don't drag me into this.

So we did. That's amazing. Yeah, and it was terrifying. Yeah, it was terrifying. Yeah, but it was great. And Jane is fantastic. Yeah. And a beautiful, I was going to say,

what a character, but if you leave that, just sitting there, it sounds like critical. What a beautiful character. Yeah. Yeah. So Jane Sibri,

aces but can you maybe speak a little bit Andy with regards to Ani DeFranco? Like what was it like spending seven years? Like that's a lot of shows you did with Ani like, just give us a taste of what your relationship was like with Ani. Yeah, give us a, talk to us about this, then we'll get you solo, don't worry. It was, I mean that brain is on fire at all times and our work ethic was exactly the same. It's like,

you know, get on stage and burn it. and don't leave anything on stage, that's for sure. And the first she shows when I was on the road with her, there were five people. There were five people with, and then there were five people with cassettes the next time, and then we came back that same town, and it was 10 people.

And everybody kind of thought, like, back at home was just like, what are you doing? And for me, it was, I could see it every night. I could see the wonder that we were creating or the wonder from people, like giving people something like inspiring people politically and musically. I don't think there's anything better than that.

So, yeah, it was such an easy job for me. I was a massive, massive fan, Delaan. Well, when Blair and I are listening to that song, we're both thinking, oh, this is like what Alanis would do, right? In certain ways, the phrasing. Because even the sexuality of it, like, that's right. And the phrasing and a lot of it. And then, of course, Alanis Morissette, massive global hitmaker sold, you know, millions and millions of albums.

But Ani DeFranco never achieved that kind of commercial success. But why didn't she? Because she wouldn't go with a major label. Yeah. She didn't have that machine. And the stars, you know, would line up for Ani. but the stars didn't also have that powerful machine behind her when the world also wanted that too.

So she was suddenly being played. I remember hearing the line of us on whatever major radio station that was here, up here. Oh, yeah. And I remember, so they got so good at asking Ani to sign to their record. You can put on the table. I don't want you to use your phone because it'll get wet. It was like every day, or every week there was another record company. Agar shows trying to sign her.

Yeah. And I knew it wouldn't happen. I mean, I was kind of, you know, going, okay, I don't know, leaving it up to her, but this is not her. Then there was the guy that called my grandmother's store at Thanksgiving and got that number to ask me if I could talk to Ani about signing. Oh, wow. Hats off to that, Anarga.

No kidding. Yeah. Yeah. You don't have the name. of that ANR guy. I'm not going to say it. But anyways. What initial.

Give me the initial. So then I heard Alanis and it was like they couldn't sign her. So they made like, you know what I mean? Suddenly they're going to invent like sign her and inventor, reinvent her with somebody else. Right. And not that Alanis wasn't clearly and probably very honestly influenced by Aoni. Yeah. And so talented and so incredible.

Exactly. Not to diminish her. And so Canadian. so Canadian, but with, you know, with the machinery of Madonna's record label. Yeah, Maverick. That's right. And, and, yeah, you're absolutely right. And Ani, here's the thing, too, in my opinion. Now, this is just Blair Packham Math, so I don't know. But I figure Alana's got, like, maybe a dollar or a record in royalties, just from the recordings, right? Jaggy Little Pill?

Jaggy Little Pill. Yeah. So for that album alone, it was like $22 million or something like that. But Ani would get, like, Ani would get it all. Like, Ani kept, she, She kept more of the money proportionally, percentage-wise. In my opinion, Ani's a brilliant business woman. Totally. And so she didn't end up getting $22 million, but she certainly did very well. She has a beautiful building in downtown Buffalo, you know, and she's like, she's doing fine. No, good points.

Yeah, yeah. That's why you're here. There you go. Someone has to go to the industry. Color commentary. I just have to interrupt here for a moment, Mike. I just want to comment and say, I believe you're running down on a, DeFranco a little bit.

And it's not fair. I just want to say that, okay? Just for clarity. Between the two of you. That's the real talk. So she did all right for herself. Great business woman. But the facts remained the same

that she didn't break through the mainstream like Alanis did. Correct. Mix 99.9.9. Never spun an Ani DeFranco song. You're right. You're right about that. But they were, you know, many in Atlanta song. Spun on mixed 99.9.9.

Just today, probably. I still know. They rebranded it. They still listening to Virgin Radio, many, many moons ago. They still might play Alanis on Virgin Radio. I don't know. I still listen to the Alanis record. It's top to bottom.

It's amazing. Yeah. Oh, yeah. We're pro Alanis on this podcast because she was on, you can't do that on television. Yes. And she was a pop sensation, of course, with never too hot, never too cold. You take your best shot too hot to hold.

I think you should move your call. I believe Sharon Taylor had that spun on 680 CFTR. I believe so. I believe you're correct. And shout out to much music. Okay, so, Ani DeFranco is a huge part of your musical upbringing here. That's seven years, you know, approximately 150 shows a year.

That's amazing. But then you got an itch, a seven-year itch. Andy, you decided, Andy and Ani, did you notice that? There's an interesting play there. And Alanis. Oh, my God. True. Wow.

And Tanya. Oh, no, that doesn't work. I'm going to play another song and we're going to switch gears and talk about another chapter here. Yeah, I like details, okay, so don't feel you got to keep this. five minutes with Stu Jeffries on Boom, 973. You can get in the weeds here, brother. So, give me the details.

Like, you're a drumming, you're with Anni DeFranco, on the road, seven years, and then take us to this song. Take us to this album. Fill in the gaps. This is one of those moments when a songwriter, a song just comes out, and you're kind of listening to the radio

and watching yourself perform and everything's happening all at once, you realize a song is born and that's one of them. I had a guitar and a little cheap acoustic guitar that I would play every day all day. And suddenly this happened and it was just trying to remember like when you're so in awe of something, you're actually stuttering and you don't want to stutter. And it's kind of this little, you know, humble humility thing and awe and everything in between. and I just remember my wife at the time

saying what is that? What the hell is that? I'm like, I don't know. Look, I'm going to record it and, you know, did the phone thing and recorded that idea. Yeah, it was a first of many. And this is from Radio Fusebox.

Five-star Motel. Five-stom. That's good. Okay, so let's get this details right here. Okay, so your solo debut album is Radio Fusebox. Yeah. And I was trying to figure out like how many Juno Awards you have. How many Juno Awards do you have?

None. Okay, that's bullshit, you know. I think on Sunday they should surprise you of an honorary Juno. Oh, wow. That'd be nice. I have none too, by the way. Just in case. Wait, I thought Red Hot Fools was the Song of the Year.

No. No. But I was nominated. Oh, I was nominated. I wasn't nominated. All right. You were nominated, but you know who was nominated, Michael Rycraft. Yes.

Yes. Did the artwork for this. Radio fuse box record. He won. And won a Juno for it. So Michael is our mutual friend, was our mutual friend, the late Michael Rycroft, the wonderful Michael Radcraft, and he introduced us, introduced me to Andy's music. Michael had an experience doing the Juno program. He did the program, and I don't even know if you know this, Andy, but he did the program, and he put in fake captions under photographs of various people. various artists and they were not in they were insulting they were not good and several of them went

to press so something about like this bitch again and stuff like that so like it's in the middle of the program everything's cool everything's fine and then it's like not this bitch or something like he of course was mortified of course but he also thought it was hilarious so yeah isn't that of me that's that's a great story and michael he did win the 2000 Juneau Award for Best Album Design for Radio Fusebox. That's right.

Your solo debut. So you're talking about, you know, now you're playing guitar. Like, we already talked about it, you're a piano prodigy. I use that term for Rob Proust, by the way, so I'm now also applying it to you. You're a piano prodigy. I need Rob Proust money. But you're, well, I don't think he's got that much money. I don't think he wants, he's got a co-writing credit on...

Wait, isn't he doing Murdoch Mysteries? No, you got, I don't think he's doing Murdoch mystery. Listen, he's appearing on this podcast regularly. Also, he's appearing on stage with me at the Elma Combo on May 21st. All the way from New York. Yeah, he's my Paul. Live from New York. He's my Paul Schaefer.

Amazing. And I was just joking because I was referring to me appearing regularly on this podcast. But this is how Blair knows my music because of Michael. Michael Rycraft. Yeah. There's a massive fan of mine. Who passed away, what, three years ago? Yeah, I know.

I'm sorry to hear that. That's awful. Lovely guy. Real character. He scored a Juno Award thanks to Radio Fusebox. So somebody's being recognized. Yeah, that's right. He was awesome.

Yeah, he really was. But now you're, you know, you're pulling out a guitar to write these songs. So what? You just decided one day I'm going to be a guitarist because you're drumming. I can't read guitar. I can't read any music, but, um, so. Neither can I. We have so much in common.

And we both have mothers named Mary, who was at St. Francis of the Sisi. Now, when's your album coming out? That's what the event on May 21st is. You're going to debut. It's your record release party? It's the record release party. I hope everyone here buys multiple tickets. Go to Toronto mic.com, click Elmo gig at the top,

and buy a ticket to see me at the Elma combo with keyboard prodigy Rob Pruss. I think that's great. Tanya and I had dinner with Rob Pruss in New York City. Tanya, I know you're not on the mic, but Rob Prue's good guy or too good a guy. I think he might be too nice. Oh, he was super nice. And kind and so talented from all the... Makes you nervous?

I get nervous around him. Oh, you do? No, I didn't get nervous. Oh, he's not too nice. He was definitely too nice. Although he didn't pick up the tab now that I think of it. Like I said, he's not as wealthy as Andy thinks he is. Let's not spread that rumor.

Yeah, Andy, why did you say that about him? Why did he got an issue of Rob Prude? What's the problem? What's your beef with Rob Prude? You know what? Andy, I get the vibe. you're kind of a nice guy. I think you and Rob

should have like a charity boxing match. Like a cage match. Yeah, like a piano prodigy battle of the Titans. Yeah. Or maybe a reading music contest. But I am confused because I am not a musician

so I don't know what I'm talking about. That explains all 1900 episodes of Toronto Mike. When you can't read music. Right. Like how do you just say, how do you just pick up a guitar and be so proficient at it

when you don't read music? Is it because, oh, I'm naturally good on the piano, therefore I can translate that? It's kind of like, you just make these chords with your hands, and you have no idea what the chords are. You're talking like a freak show here, man. You just make these chords. And all of a sudden, there's like, oh, I really, really like that.

That sounds cool. Yeah. I'm going to make some, put something on top of that. Next thing you know, there's a word. Next thing you know, there's a song. So that's how you do it. And then you go back to square one for the next song. See, to me, without the musical talents you have,

I just want to disclose that. I'm not as musically talented as Andy Stochensky. Everybody. That sounds, doesn't sound, I don't even know these words you're saying. I don't understand it. Like, you must have a gift. Well, you do have a gift.

We know this. But you are so gifted. He has a Palma pasta lasagna. That's the gift. That's the gift. Can I send you home? Yes. With a frozen lasagna from Palma pasta?

You must have a gift. And I believe it's a lasagna. There's other gifts he might have, right, Blair? Yes. He might have gifts. He has some Great Lakes Brewery. Can I send you home with craft beer? Absolutely.

Okay, all these gifts. Is there any other gifts? Well, there's a tape measure from Ridley Funeral Home, which is, they are pillars of this community for. Since 1921? Since 1921, which is more than 100 years, Andy. So why don't you do all that in your animation voice or radio voice? Well, as a matter of fact, Andy.

Do you recycle my electronics in that radio voice? We're going to send Andy home with some recycled electronics. That's incredible. See, I am in the. awe of this. He really is in awe of it of my radio voice. You're impressed by this which doesn't it doesn't impress me much. It don't impress me much. I would

say I'm impressed by this whole idea you're just going to play a chord. Oh that sounds good. Let me compose a wonderful pop song from this. Like I don't know how that translates into the music I've been listening to. Does any of that make sense now of forming a chord? Totally and because I also don't read any

music. I want to stake my claim in that too. Since Mike's so amazed. Paul McCartney. Yeah. Paul McCartney. That's funny. Isn't that funny?

You just said it. Paul McCartney doesn't read anything. And I was thinking of the song before he said the words Paul McCartney. Wow. Well, and my ex-wife. And we both have mom's name Mary. Okay. My ex-wife Arlene Bishop, when I met her, did not know any chords, the names of any chords at all.

Wow. And she would do that exact thing. She would just play something until it sounded good because songwriting is like any creation, any active creation is making a decision and then making a decision based on that decision and moving forward. And that's all it is. And just because you don't know the names of something of what you're doing, you know what it sounds like.

And his ears, look, take off those headphones for a second, Andy. No. I want to see your ears. His ears are huge. Leave him alone, you big bully. Close in this basement. Yeah. I don't mean they're physically huge.

It's a safe space for ears of all sizes. That's right. I didn't mean to trigger the ear people. Is that why he wears his hair long? Yeah. No. His ears are, I meant. metaphorically huge.

Andy can hear anything. And that's the thing. If you can hear it, then you make a decision, I like that, and then you add something else and do I like that? Maybe not.

Maybe not the first time. Okay. You know, et cetera. Because when I decided to pull a couple of Andy Stochansky jams, if you will, and I thought, I gotta play stutter,

but the one I like, you're going to make fun on the Jams. The fact that he says jams. It's like, the 90s ended a long time ago. Stop judging us, Blair. Yeah.

Okay. I say jams as a tribute to a character, Chris Parlo, partlo, who in the wire, who is like he's a roofless serial killer, basically. Chris.

He's a killing missing Chris, okay? And there's a moment when there's a car coming by playing this song, and he has a smile on his face, and he says, that's my jam right there. That's my jam. So literally, that's why I've decided to irk you

by always referring to songs as jamming, even if they're not jammy. The Wire, one of my favorite television shows ever, and of course, a very current reference, so good for you. It's a thousand's reference.

Yeah, yes. So, yeah. You know what? Is he making fun of me now? Only almost 30 years ago. Maybe he can exit. Andy, have an idea. Would you like to co-host Rewinder with me next quarter?

He actually would. Okay. But I was going to say, I pulled Stutter. I have a request, but you go ahead. Then I thought, oh, my favorite song from this era of Andy Stochensky that in real time I was a huge fan of, can I play that one? Sure. This is a mic favorite.

I sing you this song. To let you see Whatever became of me This summer I won't wait on Retrie From you You can hear Superman That's a fucking great song Andy

A fucking great song Andy Fuck yeah Fuck yeah Move over Paul McCartney Fuck that's a great song Um Eat your heart out Rusty Yeah

Jim Moore is listening right now in real time. When I made Radio Fuse Box and Michael won the Juno for the artwork, I decided to pick up a guitar and start writing that style afterwards. And I went for every grant possible to kind of get myself back on the road again. Radio Fuse Box was granted up the yin-ang because it was left to center. And I didn't get any grants at all for said song we're playing right now. But what ended up happening was I borrowed a thousand bucks for my dad. And my wife and I bought two tickets.

And we went to L.A. And there was this independent promoter who said, I've got five shows if you come in February to Los Angeles. No part of that sudden sucks in February. So I was like, all right, I'm doing it. I'm going to do my five last shows because what was going to happen? I was going to quit after five shows and go to university and become a real person, have a real job. English theology, everything I've ever wanted to take.

I was going to do this after being on the road for seven years with Annie and then, you know, being turned down by the grand system. I was done. I'm really, really done. and I've had a great, great time, and I haven't, I don't know anybody who's traveled as much as me. I don't know anybody's made, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, so we go down to California, we go down to L.A., and we're doing all those shows.

And on the last show, it's like a movie moment. I kid you not. It was like Melrose. I was playing at this place called The Mint. And every record company saw me open up for this other artist. and they all came at the end of that court and they all gave me their cards and suddenly I'm at these record stations,

like record companies like playing for all these people and I signed with RCA. So that's actually how that happened. And that makes five-star Motel your major label debut. That's right. Yeah. RCA. Yeah.

RCA Radio Corporation of America. No, I mean, really, that's the, and one of the big, major labels back when there were multiple major labels now there's only three yeah but yeah those were the days. It was amazing so I was like all right I guess I'm not quitting I'm just like you know the gods kind of going nah you need to try this again that's a wild story when we make the uh biopic the the Andy Stochansky biopic you're going to help me if that player I'm actually that's going to be a big moment I'm going to play me I'm going to play Andy wow okay great no because Andy let's

face it he's too old to play you Okay. What's what's Joshua Jackson doing these things? Andy's thinking Brad Pitt who's like a year younger than me. So that's so funny though. I'm thinking Brad Pitt.

At least you can pick someone who's dead. That would be bad. Oh my goodness. What is what I was going to say? What's Christopher Plummer up to these things? To play Andy's Tijansky. Remember he took on the role of Kevin Spacey when they didn't want him in the movie anymore

because he was canceled? I feel like he can do anything, even from beyond the grave. That's how that story happened. So that's how I got signed. Okay, so you're at RCA. I'm going to play one more song before we talk about further about RCA.

But this is not from, I've been picking on one album here, but of course I want to play this one very badly. Get Out, Get Out, Get Out. You got another winner here, Andy. Thank you, thank you so. Great song. So I need to understand.

While You Slept, was that an independent EP? No, independent album. So, okay, so that's your debut. That was before Radio Fusebox. I called Radio Fusebox your debut album. Your first album was While You Slept in 1996. Mm-hmm. Okay, and then Radio Fusebox in 99, which we talked about.

Then five-star motel, which is your major league, major league, I'm talking baseball. I talked to a baseball guy earlier today, but your major label debut, and we played Stutter, and we played the parentheses jam that is wonderful. It's Superman in parentheses, like a good parentheses in jam. So is this from an EP? This is Shine. Is that from the Shine? No, that's the same.

This is the 100 record. This is the second RCA record. We need to talk about that album. Okay. This is the home of real talk, Andy. I don't know if Blair warned you on his ride over here. Right over here. Yeah, I was warning him.

Okay, so first I'm going to read, no, I'm going to read. Neil Jay sent in a question and a comment, which I'll actually read after we talk about this. But who produced 100? John Resnick from the Goo Goo Goo Dolls. And the way that happened was I got a manager and he was passing around these demos in L.A.

for all these different people to produce me. And one of the people was John Resnick, who is the lead singer of Goo Goo Goo Dolls. And I made him on a tour bus, like they flew me down, and we literally bonded like brothers, like making fun of each other. You know what I mean?

It was like a love thing that was just like, okay, you get the music, and that's who produced that record, 100. And I actually, I feel like I hear a little, when Gugu Dulls were a hard rock band at first And then they changed their sound to a more 99.9.9 friendly sound So that popier version of the Gugu Dulls

Does sound like Andy Stochansky Yeah, lots, there's lots going on. What the hell? And it was called 100 because it literally took 100 days To make that record from start to finish. Oh, wow. I didn't know that. I'm obsessed with numbers, so

Same, yeah. Okay, so. I love Johnny. and he's just such a good, solid person. Buffalo. Buffalo, more Buffalo. Yeah. Okay, so here's a fun little fact is that, okay, so the movie City of Angels,

did anyone in this room see City of Angels? No, I'm sorry, I saw the other one, the, what's the Nick Cave one where? Oh, Nick Cage. Berlin. Oh, Wings of Desire? Wings of Desire. So City of Angels, which I do remember seen. But the soundtrack has outlasted this film.

Okay. So the City of Angels soundtrack, the first big single from this soundtrack was the aforementioned Alanis Morissette with Uninvited. Do you remember this? Right. But the third single is the one that I feel has had a major resurgence later. Yeah.

And that even just in the last couple years, for a variety of reasons, it's been elevated now, like it's a don't stop believing or something. Iris by Google dolls. It's everywhere now. It's everywhere because of TikTok. So the kids have picked up and ran with it, and it was a what is this music, and now they can, they have, a last time I saw them, it was at the, what's that, Ontario plays Molson.

Well, now it's actually been renamed again. So it was Budweiser stage, but now it's 17,000, RBC Amphitheater. Yeah, it was great show. It was like that. That's what the TikTok world is doing now. Okay, because Iris is everywhere. And, I mean, it was always a big jam, but it was not this big. I didn't know that about the Google Doll's research.

I'm here to educate you, man. Yeah, sorry, what's your name? Andy. Oh, hi, Andy. And who's the other guy with the hair? So Johnny Resnick produces 100, but, am I right? RCA didn't want to release this thing? No, that's not true.

Okay, so here I'm going to read verbatim. Okay. What's on the internet? Because our job on the Toronto mic is to get the facts right. Okay. Our job is to skim Wikipedia. No, no, we're talking, we're literally, right? Listen to me, Blair Packett.

We're literally talking right now to Andy Stochansky. That's Andy. I'm a legend. Blair, I'm a legend. Yes, you are. He's a prodigy. A prodig. You're vacuuming one day and you get the song in your head.

Wait, Red Hot Fools. He was in the prodigy? It's a fire stata. He looks like that guy, that guy passed away too. You both said fire starter at the same time. And there's so many songs we could have gone with smack my bitch up, fire starter. Why didn't we do that one? Okay, roll the tape again.

Now listen closely to me. This is important. This is the sentence. The album was completed and mastered, but never released by RCA records. That is the sentence that exists today on your Wikipedia page. Can you now definitively for the record, Andy Stochansky, tell us, is that true or false? No, it's false. It's, no.

Here's what happened. It was mastered, finished, ready to go, and then Napster happened. and basically everybody's getting songs for free and I literally would watch my whole team disappear like it was people just started losing their jobs like crazy so

BMG said they didn't want to pick it up 100 I tried to get myself signed up here and they said no Linus here put it out Jeff Kulovic put it out that record

So that's what happened. But because of Napster, I watched everything kind of fall apart. Wow. Like right there on the ground. But it sounds like this sentence is accurate. It's just missing context?

Yeah, context, yeah. Okay, because RCA does not put out 100. No, they don't. I think that's it. I agree with Andy. I think there's a difference between them, you know, refusing to put something out. No, no.

The sentence is, the album was completed and mastered, but never released. by R. Okay. Yeah, okay. I'm factually correct,

I think. Yeah. But I don't know. My client declines to answer further. Because I'm going to read Neil J. I saw, I was at this book launch for Cam Gordon's book track changes.

I was there yesterday at Kensington Market. Looking in the crowd, where's Blair Packham? But you had other engagements. I did. I did. You missed my three-minute speech. Yes.

Your three-minute speech, wow, that would be some kind of record. I opened the ceremonies, if you will, with a three-minute speech introducing the author, Cam Gordon.

Ham Gordon. Lucky for you. It was recorded by Andy Pandy, a great FOTM, who shared me the MP4 file, and I put it on my Instagram and my YouTube account. Okay, that's... You can catch up. I knew I had something to do this evening, so...

But you know who was there? This guy, Neil Jays. I see him at many at TMLX event, and Neil Jays wrote this. I'm going to read his thing. So it's not just my mom who wrote in. Neil also wrote in. He wrote,

would you be asking him about the time when he got dropped from RCA? I recall seeing him at Dundas Square in 2003. And he said he invited everyone to record the show. At that time, it seemed pretty progressive, but made sense to increase exposure. I first discovered him at a show with FOTMM Griner. I met Andy after that show.

Such a humble guy. Please tell him, I miss seeing him live. Wish him the best. There's a lot there. You can address all of it or any of it, but he misses seeing you live, but you can still see Andy Stochansky live. Yeah, I just did a month at a place called the Burdock,

Tavern on Blur and Dufferin. And I'm going to start doing more and more shows now. I'm back in Toronto and living back in Toronto. What about New York? Oh, right. There's a house concert in New York coming up in April. What does that mean? Like somebody hired you to play their living room?

Rob Bruce. Rob Hurst. He doesn't have that kind of money, Blair. He can't afford Stochansky. It's basically, you know, people will sell tickets and they'll sell out. Like, I just did one sold out and like, and everybody buys merch and stuff.

It's an amazing new thing that's happening. Well, I remember Ron Hawkins doing this. He's coming, by the way, Ron Hawkins and Lawrence Nichols from lowest of the low are back in the calendar to return soon to Toronto Mike. So they'll be back in the basement. So my New York show is a house concert, but then I'm also opening up for Daniel Ledwell in Philadelphia, so those shows are coming up too. And it's me solo.

But Neil doesn't want to go into enemy territory, so we've got to see what the Toronto shows are. But you're going to get back. Yes, please come to It's called House of Andy That's my Instagram label And I really You know Tell everybody what is going on there

The truth House of Andy is where I miss heard Somebody say House of Fendi It was a fashion show Oh isn't that Rihanna's label Or am I out to lunch here Is that Riham? I'm looking at the woman in the room

Tanya knows everything About Rian About fashion I know you're not on a mic, but how is this going so far? I mean, we're learning a lot about Andy Stochansky. Oh, my God. It's amazing, and I love the songs that you've chosen to play, and you're so humble and natural.

That's what Neil said. Well, that's what I feel. Thank you. You know, they almost sent a cease and desist to Humble and Fred, and they said, you can't call yourself humble. That's Andy Stochansky's nickname. Get out of here. Okay, so what was the name of the label that puts out 100?

It's Jeff Kulig's label called Linus. And then he went on to... He bought Bernie Finkelstein's label. True North. Yeah. And he has an art gallery in Guelph, I think, that shows only Canadian art and much of it by Canadian musicians.

So he puts out a hundred, so that's exactly what happened. Yeah, and that single shine that produced by, as we said, Johnny Resnick of Goo Goo Dolls fame. Yeah, Linus Entertainment, I got a winner there. Just tremendous, yeah. I mean, I wanted to play Shine because it's like perfect song.

It really is. Thank you. What a talented son of a bitch. Yeah, I'm a legend. You know what? I said prodigy. I never said legend. Oh, okay, back up.

Okay. And you've been amazing, Andy. I'm going to play another song, though, just because I found it interesting where this ended up. Okay, thank you. Did you ever want to go? Leave love. What's the name? Did you ever say I'm being hurt?

He's so curd. And then you say I'm stuck. What's the name of this song, Andy? Here nor there. Here nor there. Any television shows? I think that was on Grey's Anatomy. Am I right about that?

So I detected it was on queer as folk. Oh, that too. been on many things, but this was, so this is a song very popular for its use in, I can tell you exactly, season two, episode 13 of queer as folk. Here nor there by Andy Stochansky. Do you find there's a market there? Like, I always hear these songs in the streaming world or whatever, but a lot of the music we've been playing from you would fit in perfectly on that, you know, that new Netflix screen. Well, I think so it happened here. Like, like, how does this song end up on queer as folk?

I have signed to, it was Chryslus back then, P. Publishing and they would pitch it to everything. And next thing you know, it's like on Grey's Anatomy or Queers Folk or whatever. You hear Stochansky on Grey's Anatomy. Oh, completely. Yeah, also House.

Any medical drama. But not ER. Maybe not ER, but like mostly during the operating room scenes. What about Mash? B.J. Honeycutt just starts, playing his transistor radio. Ceresides, yeah.

I made, Altman's son wrote the lyrics for that and made more money from that than Allman made from the movie. Right. I do,

yeah, I'm thinking anytime a scalpel comes out and Andy Czhaneski. Yeah, I just started, you know, that's how fans

would find out about my music like suddenly being on on all those shows. Yeah. Okay, so queer as folkheads out there are like,

He wrote that song. That's a big deal here. The guy who... What's the Wolf Parade? Do you guys know the... Okay, so the guy, because Wolf Parade is primarily one guy. Yeah.

I had to chat with him this last week. So Wolf Parade had a huge song called I'll Believe in Anything. And then, which I always loved, since 2004 or whatever. And then it was used in heated rivalry in a key scene. That's right.

And suddenly, as you can imagine, what happened with this huge scene, it's all believe in anything by Wolf Prade, and it's rediscovered. And now all of a sudden, everybody is like, oh my God, what a great song. Even though I've been seeing that for 22 years. Well, maybe you should have spoken with David Steinberg,

David Quentin Steinberg, who does legal for heated rivalists. He was in the mods. Yes, and I asked, can you get some of my stuff to them? And he said, no, absolutely not. So, by the way, folks, if you believe that it comes down to who you know, apparently it doesn't. Well, I can't get Getty Leah in Toronto, right? No, exactly.

Or Brad Pitt for that. But I don't want Brad Pitt. Who isn't? Yeah, Tanya, by the way, thinks that, can you say who you think should play Andy in the biopic? Oh, yeah, Timothy Chalamey. Oh, my God. You know what? The hair, right?

You know what? That's why she's here. That is so astute, that observation. Well, she's actually here because she thought he was Timothy Chalamey and was disappointed in the car when he got in. So I sat in the front. She kept thinking, well, the back of the head looks pretty close.

Oh, that's, that's well. So, but the wolf parade guy was going to come on Toronto Mike. This is a long-winded, he's in Vancouver Island. He's out at B.C. somewhere. That guy. It's all a blob to me. But this lovely man, Spencer is his name, confess to me. So we had it set, and then he

like the nicest email about how I just don't like podcasts. Like, I don't like doing them. so sorry. I'm going to withdraw my acceptance of your invitation. Like this nice little note about how... It was the nicest way I've ever been let down by a prospective guest. Wow.

That's, no, it is very nice. Yeah. He just was very honest. He was telling me about, I hate doing them. I don't like how I come across. Right. You know, all this stuff. And he already arranged prior to, when he, before he accepted, he said, no cameras.

Like, this was a rule. Like, he doesn't like the cameras. So I said, I said no cameras. Like, whatever. But anyway, so... What did Brad Pitt say when he was. Yeah. He's next week. Oh, right.

I would have Brad Pitt on, but it would just be 90 minutes where I talk about Fight Club. I think I just want to talk about, maybe in glorious bastards. Nobody talks about Fight Club. You do. That's also the first and the second rule, as I recall. You do have certain obsessions, I must say. Can you list them for me, Blair Baggown? One of them that's self-centered is for the first four episodes I was on this show.

All you talked about was one song of mine. One song. Red Hot Fools? Last of the Red Hot Fools, yeah. But there are others. There are others where, and what was, going back to Jane Sibri, you shared a fun fact with Jane. What was it? She didn't think it was a fun fact.

Oh, can I play that clip real quick here? Sure, yeah, yeah. Andy, you'll enjoy this. So, Andy, that's what we all love Jane Cibri on this program here. So I'm going to play this for you. It's a minute and a bit. Do you Jane remember who directed the video for Mimi on the Beach? Yes, it was Dick.

I think Dick is of some name. that I can't remember. I'm sorry, but... Well, let me joggy your memory just because I was watching it recently and I saw the last name Olexiac. So Alexiak

and then I did a little Googling because I know an Alexiac. I know a couple of Alexiak. So one happens to be the most decorated Canadian Olympian of all time and then another an NHL player. But it turns out the director of that video

is the father of Penny Alexiak, the Olympic swimmer. Wow. She wasn't born and needed a Mimi. No. For the surfboard, that's too bad. No. But that's kind of a wild little coincidence, right? It's kind of wild that the person who directed your biggest, well, it's debatable,

but your first big single was, eventually would father the most decorated Olympian in the history of this country. I'm so excited. Okay. I don't find it that interesting. No.

Okay. It's moderately interesting, but not a huge thing I wouldn't say. I hear my voice how excited I am. God, I love Jane. Like I'm building it up because I am, my mind is easily, my mind is easily blowing. Well, there's that and also you, you do connect a fact to a fact, to a fact, to a fact. And then way down the line, you say, isn't that a fun fact? Because she wasn't reacting, right?

She was not reacting. So I'm waiting for the whole, like, see, Andy was reacting. I saw his body. I was reacting too, but I admire her so much for answering that way. That's Jane. I do too.

That's why it's such an epic. I think it's moderately interesting. She concludes. Can I play one more? I just come on the lexicon page. I just want Andy and Tanya, who are two people who are making their Toronto mic debuts, to hear me and Gino Vanelli for a moment here.

You ready? I love it. Ask me the question. We'll do wild horses. I was going to actually because I tried to go on chronological order here. It's the sun goes down

on the Arizona plane the wind whistles by like a runaway train Hey It's a beautiful thing It's me and you ain't a flat back truck For the red mull in just my

Yeah In the middle of spring Now what does you want to know? I want to know if you at the time regarded black cars as any sort of, I joke said it's Don't call to comeback. Can we get off black cars? My God. There's only half an hour more in black cars before.

We can move on to another cut from the same album here. I got more black cars questions. You know what? You're breaking my heart, Gino. Can we get off black cars? I'm going to wake up in the middle of night tonight in a cold sweat. Did Gino really say that? You remind me of my parish.

priest. Get off of it, I said. That's amazing. But that speaks to your point. I get fixated on certain things. It's part of my charm, though, right, Blair? I'm an award-winning podcaster, Blair Packham. I want you to... Yeah, Lord that over us. Go ahead.

So, Andy, how was your Toronto mic debut for you? It was amazing. I bet you say that to all the podcasters. That's it? That's it? You just... That's all? I think this is the first podcast I've ever done. I've never been asked. That's a mind blow.

That is a mind blow. That's a fun fact. Would Jane Sibbri find that to be a fun fact? I think you have to say it's moderately interesting. I did want to ask you on a way out. What music do you listen to these days? Like if you're decided I want to listen to music for pleasure, what genre, what music would you fill your beautiful ears with?

Sometimes I'll get obsessed with artists. I don't know what it is. But enough about Blair Packham. That's moderately interesting. There's a band called big. Big Thief. And there's a singer named Adriana Lanker. She put out a, like, a solo record.

And that, I honestly think it's a masterpiece. Yeah. Okay, name check some more because... Bonnie Fair. I can't stop listening to Bonnie Fair. Yeah. Now, on the way here, you listened to a very special song. What was that?

You were there. No. I wasn't. He's an artist. He can't be expected to... We listened to the single The Drop Today by Palm McCartney. McCartney.

And I'm not always a fan of contemporary or current Paul McCartney, but this song is so beautiful. It's in his real voice. Yeah, he's not trying to sing like rock voice. I have to hear this, but it's beautiful. He's reinventing himself as the old Paul McCartney. As an old man, as a veteran performer. It's beautiful. Instead of, you know, for years, decades he tried to seem younger.

Sure. And then in the last 10 years or so, he seemed more his age. And now this song is so delicate and beautiful. We're speaking, even though this is kind of unusual for Toronto, Mike, but we're recording on a Thursday afternoon. It's March 26, 2000, and 26. Yeah. I gotta go.

Wow. This episode's actually dropping on the Friday, which is the 27th. And this Friday, when this episode drops, I actually have a 3 p.m. private tour of the Paul McCartney photography exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Exigate. And I can't say that way very well. We've already been. So I'm getting a private tour at 3 o'clock.

tomorrow, which is today, and Jim Shadden is giving me the tour. The lovely Jim Shadden. What a nice guy he is. What a talented, nice guy. Jim Shadden is, he's the true legend. That's why I don't use that word with Andy, because it's reserved for Jim.

That's right. He's not a prodigy. He's not a prodigy. He's not in the prodigy. Any other musicians you want to shout out on our way out, Andy, that I should be listening to? No, I think, you know, with Bonnie Verne and Adrienne, Lanker. That's pretty full. That's pretty full.

And Paul McCartney. And Paul McCartney. And speaking of Bonnie Ver, and see if anyone can connect these dots, returning to Toronto Mike to kick out the jams. This is in my calendar, the legend that is Colin Cripps. Oh, right. Oh, beautiful guitar player. Yeah.

He rented at a very good rate many, many guitars for the recording of the Jitters' second album at the Metalworks in Mississauga. Colin, he may have even loaned to us. I don't remember, but yeah. Some beautiful guitars. I took pictures of them because I thought

I'll never own guitars. Incredible player too. Yeah. Just beautiful. He's great. He was with Brian Adams recently on a whole tour. Yeah, they did a bunch of stuff. Yeah. Replacing Keith Keith, I was going to say Keith Sharp. Yeah. Thank you for having me.

Keith Scott. There you go. Andy, one more question, though. You're not off the quite yet. When you listen to Rush's subdivision, do you have that song in your head right now? Of course. I ask. Okay, well, let me ask two, and then we can discuss, we get the same answers. Subdivisions. Subdivision. In the...

Yeah. Who, in your opinion, who's saying the words, the word, subdivisions. Subdivisions. Have you ever thought on this? Gordon-No. That's a good guess. That's a really good guess. That's an interesting guess.

It's not correct, but that's a really interesting guest because it's a guess because it's so close. geographically and logistically so close to what we believe is the correct answer. Okay, is this out in the real, on the Wikisphere? The following program contains adult themes, nudity and course language. Viewer and parental discretion is advised. Mark Daly,

the voice. This is a contentious issue though, and David Quentinsteinberg might be able to get the fun fact. Yes. For definitive fact for us. It's not definitive. He told me it's either Mark Daly or Neil Pyrton. Well, that's the two finalists. That's going to be my next answer.

So, because in the video, Alex Lifeson is lip-syncing it. But then the band said, oh, it's actually Neil doing the sound. But I've done extensive research. I do believe it to be Mark Daly. We need the answer, which is why Getty Lee needs to make his Toronto Mike debut. Right, yeah. I keep telling Getty that. We'll keep doing it.

And tell David Quentin Steinberg, if he wants to keep his FOTM status, he'll deliver me getting Lee. That's who it is. It's Brian Linehan. Brian Linehan's right here. Oh, there he is? That's Brian Linehan's photo right there. Oh, I thought it was him. I thought he was lying on your table there.

Oh, my God. What a great debut for Andy Stochansky. Dude, I love this so much. Thank you. Thank you for having me. And thank you to Blair Packham for driving you here. I made him go further to get Rick Emmett to Christy Pitts. That's true.

So I owe him a bit. And also, I want to say thank you to the lovely Tanya, who just laughed at my jokes and looked beautiful and smiled. Like, I'm so glad you were here. That's so nice. Tanya has no last name, by the way. I just call it Tanya. I don't need a last name. I don't need a last name. Like Cher. She's so much like Cher. It's amazing.

That's funny you should mention that. Like McLevin. Like McLeaven. And like Madonna. Yeah. Like Madonna. She's so like Madonna. That's the thing people don't understand about Tanya. She's like a virgin. She's very much like a virgin. Can we just... I disagree with everything. And that... Listen to the subdivisions.

That's me. So Rob Proust layered myself on myself. That's me. And that brings us to the end of our 1,870th show. Go to TorontoMike.com for all your Toronto Mike needs. Buy an Elmo ticket or two, won't you? And much love to all who made this possible. That is Great Lakes Brewery, Palmapasta, Nicaynees, Recycle My Electronics.

dot C.A. and Ridley Funeral Home. I don't know. This is a Friday. I recorded on a Thursday. I have no idea what's going on. But in my calendar, it says Ralph Benmergey's here early next week. I'm sure Annie Stochansky will be tuning in for that one. See you all next week.