Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Harkness and Maria Markina: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1664

Episode Date: April 4, 2025

In this 1664th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Toronto indie alternative psychedelic rocker Harkness and Maria Markina, the woman who filmed him for a CBC Gem documentary. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Silverwax, Yes We Are Open, Nick Ainisand RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail]

I'm standing here with my head held high for Canada. Hi, Brian Williams here. You know, over the years, I have been fortunate to work so many big international sporting events in so many different countries. And regardless of the country, the reaction was the same. Respect and admiration for Canadians and Canada. Shop as if your country depends on it. Keep your money in Canada for Canada. If I need to blow my nose at some point, is that okay?

And are we recording this? We're recording this and you can blow your nose. Absolutely. And welcome Harkness to episode 1664 of Toronto Mice. Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, a fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times and brewing amazing beer. Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. Palma Pasta!

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A podcast and book from Nick I Ene's Sponsored by fusion Corp construction management Inc and Ridley funeral home pillars of the community since 1921 Joining me today making their Toronto Mike debut is Maria Marquina Harkness Okay, Maria. Hello to you Hello Nice to meet you And Harkness. Okay, Maria, hello to you. Hello.

Nice to meet you. Harkness, you need to blow your nose. Is that what I heard in the intro? Here and there. Here and there. Okay, feel free to honk away, man. This is a safe space. Step back from the mic when you...

You know what? Let's get you. Go a little back, blow your nose, come right back in here. So nice to meet you, Harkness. For those listening at home, may I describe how you are dressed? Absolutely. So I'm gonna guess you're a, well maybe Maria,

can you describe what Harkness is wearing? Oh, what did I call you this time? The earthworm, when he came to pick me up, I was like, oh, the earthworm is back. And it's all purple. She's just at a punching range people who are just listening to the radio swinging at the air here. This is very loving.

No, no, he's got a. She's got a twinkle in her eye. I know when I see venom. Harkness, okay so we have a lot in this hour it's gonna be all killer no filler because I need to know more about Harkness but I need to know more about Maria and I need to know what attracted Maria to Harkness, and I need to know about this documentary film,

which is also called Harkness. Is it going to air on TV Ontario? No, CBC Jam. You know what, that's my bad. I got bad notes here. CBC Jam, even better. April 14th, it premieres in CBC Jam, but also on April 13thth we're doing a free Toronto

screening for anyone and everyone at the Royal Theatre followed by a free album release show by Harkness himself just across the street. Sorry when is that exactly? When is that? Event of the year. Yeah when is this event? April 13th. April April 13. So just in about nine days. Exactly nine days. And what time? Screening is at 6 p.m. sharp, doors open at 5 and the show is at Harkness. Harkness show is 9 p.m. sharp but I'm actually doing a pre-screening show too. But yeah, doors will be open at the Monarch for that too at four o'clock. And it's a 4 30 show, just probably less attended, so easier to get in. They're both, they're going to be dynamite.

Okay. They're both going to be dynamite. So I got so many questions. One is, so we didn't, I don't think we adequately describe the Harkness wardrobe here. Is it like a one piece and it's got a ballad? Well, watch your head. Okay. It's like a one piece and it's got a ballad. Well, wash your head. Okay, so Herknes, after this recording, when we take our photo by Toronto Tree, everybody can see what I'm talking about, but it's wild.

And the part that's most wild to me is not this one piece purple outfit that even has like this head covering. Yeah, hood. It's the, it's the, what's the, I'm a cola connoisseur and my CC DC glasses Do you remember does anyone remember the diet coke the moon man? Yeah, I see something in my okay we have to go to YouTube for this I know Maria is way too young to remember this No, but you know heard of this moon now. I've seen the archives, right? The sunglasses or shades or I don't know, the visor is reminiscent of the Moon

Man from the Diet Coke commercials, I remember from the 80s. The reflective visor is the important part. So, Harkness, why do you wear the, why are you dressed like this? Well, as far as I was concerned, there was a lot of flannel shirts and then pretty things and all this hair and all the kind of rest of it. I wanted nothing to do with any of presenting myself, believe it or not, and so I covered myself and it takes me 30 seconds to put on, throw it on. Yeah.

It looks comfortable. Don't have to do my hair, don't have to worry about how I look. It's basically, I mean, when you consider the catalog of music, if you listen closely, you'll get more hints about why I wear it. But- And we are gonna listen to some Harkness in this episode.

Yeah, so there's some, maybe some philosophical bents in there that I won't get into, but really it's pure comfort. It's like pajamas or a robe and going on stage, nothing to worry about, quick access. And- You don't have to worry about, quick access. You don't have to worry about your hair, you don't have to think, what do I wear?

You just have, it's like, I went to a Catholic school, okay? We had a uniform and it took that whole, like, I gotta look cool today. It's like, no, you just gotta find out ways to look cool, but you gotta wear the button-up white shirt and you gotta wear the, whatever, the pleats. Is that where the safety pin comes in? Well, that's where you, it it became like oh you need like a

little horsey on your shirt and all this crap oh you need a polo shirt or whatever and it's all this bullshit make mine a great white you hacked it and the but but the visor can you see through the visor be honest with well the truth is that this visor for presentation sake is a double layer and I can barely see through it, but it looks better on camera. I have one that I have to perform with, it's a single so I can actually see people and see the guitar and all that. So I've got a couple of visors up my sleeve for different purposes, different reasons, and they come in handy. But yeah, another thing about the whole wearing this thing is that I went through a phase

when I was younger, I do have big brown eyes with long eyes. I have no idea what kind of eyes you got. Yeah. So no, I was, I was like, you don't need my permission. I know I'm kind of looking at her for approval. The director, hey director, can I say this? I would say blink in Morse code if Maria has you held captive, but you can't, I can't see your eyes if you blink in Morse code.

That's true. That's true. I know I wink through this all the time and nobody's getting it. But the truth is when I was a little kid I was one of those cute little button kids and we took tons of photos and I loved having my photo taken and jump into every photo smiling and then I had some dark times in my youth that we get into in the film a little bit and then cameras became that kind of Indian thing where they would suck my very soul to the very the core and down the tubes into the right and you see this in crocodile Dundee all that kind of stuff I went through some bad psychological times where cameras became like if I had a cross and a camera it would they they

would kind of and so this came out of that as well. I don't really want to be seen. I want to be anonymous. I want the music to do all the speaking. And I'm not here, folks. It's just... Can I just say something? If you don't want to be seen, this is a very bad idea.

I know. Because all eyes are going to go to you. You're dressed in a purple one-piece with a visor. It kind of backfires. Yeah. Oh, here's the thing. No one's going to see Maria when you're walking down the street. They're going to see this. I don't know about that. So how did you guys get here today? Was it on the TTC? No, he drove. Okay. All right. To be

honest, that's how I got into the whole Harkness film. Cause first he just could drive me places and I was like, well, I guess. So many questions. So we are going to go back because I know you spent 20 years working on your first album and I know there's like you were surviving on a waiter's salary and you were working from a homemade studio in your mother's basement. Like I got the crux here. We're going to get it. I also have multiple descriptions of your music and I'm wondering if you would agree.

Are you a Canadian indie alternative psychedelic rock musician? Sure, if you got to put a sign on it, that's that that's okay. Are you the only one who fits? That's a wild descriptor, right? Like I mean, I'm gonna play this music so people can hear what Harkness sounds like Yeah, but and we're gonna talk I want to talk a little bit about like your pedigree like you come from Musicians like in what role that plays in you, but I'm gonna ask Maria something here I want to talk a little bit about your pedigree. You come from musicians. What role that plays in you. But I'm going to ask Maria something here. So Maria Marquina.

Is it Marquina? Am I saying it right? It's Marquina, but... I'm saying it wrong. Yeah. Marquina. Yeah. But I've given up over the years.

Do a lot of people call you Marquina? Yeah. You know why? Because that musician was Marquita. Oh, yeah. Oh, is that why? Yeah. I'm sure it's just not just you. Oh, please. You know me too well already. Okay. Maria, when in your life, in your young life, are you introduced to Harkness? Like, when do you discover this enigmatic Harkness figure that's to my left? Oh, well, I actually

it's funny story because Harkness, I keep like stopping myself because I want to call him by his name, but he has a name. It's not hard. Yeah, but yeah, you're going to have to see the movie to find that out. But he was actually, I think my first very first friend that I made when I just moved to Canada. Because I came to Canada in... I can imagine that. What year was this? I know, it was 2018. That's not long ago. Yeah, yeah.

Feels like yesterday. I know, and yet I've aged. Well, look, you gotta hang out with. What, where did you come from, Maria? I mean, it's hard to tell. I... You're both aliens, aren't you? No I was born in Russia, grew up in Belarus and then obviously you know when you're born and

raised in Eastern Europe your parents just kind of hammer it into your head since the day you're born and you better move to America or Canada and save us all. But they say America right? Yeah. And we're like the second tier. Yeah, Canada is not even on the list. The American freedom and democracy, thank God I didn't, right? What an interesting perspective to bring to everything considering what's happening in Russia now, what's happening in the United States. And here you are in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

I know, I chose wisely. And the hardness and here you are in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I know, I chose wisely. And Harkness is here. And Harkness is here, yeah. And so I came to Canada to do masters in documentary film because I knew that's what I wanted to do and I just picked up a side job as a bartender at a local restaurant and yeah. Lo and behold. And lo and behold, Harkness was already there for 14 years. So he was a waiter there.

Do I get the name of the restaurant? Sure. Oliver Bonnachie Cafe Grill Bayview location. Bayview location. Well, it's closed now. Yeah, it just closed. That's disappointing. They could have made it a heritage site.

Harkness works here. They should have. Sorry. And as you might know, the restaurants are just filled with artists, you know? I bet you it's the who's who of Canadian rock. Like it's like the Juneau Awards. They just take a bus from this restaurant and they just bust it to the Juneau. Harkness.

So that's amazing. You've met such a good friend in Maria here. 2018 Maria and you're a filmmaker making documentary films. Did you know right away like, oh, I need to make a movie about this man? I think so. I didn't, you know, there wasn't like a clear idea what kind of film we were going to make. And I think for a while there, we would actually just meet up for coffee and chit chat about it and like, oh, it's going to be something like David Lynch,

like, or he's just going to sit on the hill and ponder about life. Or spinal tap. Spinal tap. Well, it is closer to the spinal tap than it is to David Lynch. But yeah, initially we wanted just like tons of strange images and just breadcrumbs of not even philosophy. Like, what the fuck is this? I don't know.

Like, have you seen it? You know, one of those. But, but. Yeah, but then, but then the more I got to know him, you seen it you know one of those but yeah but then the more I got to know him to be honest what truly attracted me to him and what he was doing I knew he was talented and that's amazing but what truly attracted me to him is he was the exact opposite of what I grew up with like I grew up with this idea of you got to work your ass off to be successful to make tons of

money so you can buy a house and support your family and have enough safe for retirement and all that stuff and that was just like the constant living of and my earning enough and my accomplished enough for my like it's such a strict had space and then i saw someone who like so passionate about this lifelong dream

and just, you know, screw what society is expecting of you. I know what I want to do with my life and I'm just gonna. It's inspiring to have, he's got a dream, a vision, but pretend he's not here right now. Yeah. It's hard by the way, I find it difficult to pretend he's not here. He looks like a space cadet. There's a lot of mind melding going on as well. He's a buddy setter. He's a dire talk moon man.

Okay, okay. But Maria, okay. So, you know, yeah, he's got to feed himself. So he's working as a waiter. Just enough to feed myself. Just enough. He's got to make a certain amount, but he's for two decades, he's working on this musical,

this artistic project. But did Harkness, and again, we'll get back to you Harkness, but did Harkness dress like this going out in public since you met him in 2018? Or is this simply like for the documentary? Only when I met him. Because this is your thing. Because it looked good on camera.

No. No. I'm not sick on this program. I had this for a good 10 years before we met. Yeah, yeah, no, of course. The whole look was invented way before I came along. And as a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure when I came, he invited me to go check out his studio and I showed up like nothing, like expecting nothing.

And he just opens the door dressed like that and is like, Oh, just follow me to my basement. And I was like, no one knows me in this country. If I disappear, that's the second most dangerous thing you've done. Other than this guy, you said, come to my base. Who's this guy? So the total. OK, so I'm going to play the trailer for CBC Jam. That sounds big leagues like like today.

How did you get this thing on CBC Gem, our national streaming network? Yeah, I know. What did you do to get it? Can I speak on her behalf for just a second? You can jump on it. So when we met, she initially said, I just need to do a small project on you for school. Can you do that?

She came over and saw this in San, well, saw my world in quotations, the basement and what I do and how I do it. She kind of scratched her head and said, this might be bigger than a small little thing. And then she did something happen in here. That's what she said. She did a tiny little project and then we started fantasizing about things. But I think she entered this project into something called the breakthrough program

and I'm going to pass it to her. So it was just like a goofy little, really nicely done four minute thing that turned into. But you're like four minutes cannot contain the wonder that is Harkness. No, no. It was just... I saw, especially when he told me that, you know what, I'm ready to release my album. I knew that that was going to be a whole other kind of warmth and just like I wanted to see this person. Because for the longest time he was in the comfort of his studio, right? Not giving up. person because for the longest time he was in the comfort of his studio right? Like not having to face rejection, not having to face society and there are people actually like waiting for his music you know what I mean? Is anyone actually waiting out there for him?

Well it's just there's a lack of awareness right? No it's just like I first they said oh would you talk would you be interested in talking to Harkness and And I said, Oh yeah, he's the guy who sings. I believe in a thing called love. And they go, no, that's the darkness. Yeah. No, there is. Okay. We're going to, but we are, let's listen to the trailer and then we'll come back and I'm going to play some of the music. And obviously I have questions because I can't tell. I do have to do, plug the storyline though. Okay. We'll do that now. What do you want to do after the trailer? Well, because that's how the CBC Jam came to be. Okay, CBC, yes, you're right. I interrupted you.

Yes. So CBC Jam, how did they get involved in this project? Yeah, so that happened. So I took the project to Documentary Institute Breakthrough Program, which is a great program for emerging filmmakers organized by Canadian Documentary Institute. And I took the film, I pitched the film to all sorts of top-notch broadcasters and producers from Canada. And producer Ed Berevold from Storyline Entertainment,

for whatever reason, he decided it was a good idea to just like take a chance on this immigrant, you know, with no... New Canadian, first-time filmmaker and this, heart this. Let's do this. Let's get a budget going. And he just looked at the two of us and he's like, you know what, I think it's going to be a great film. I have a good feeling about this.

Yeah, they said something about your passion maybe or something? I mean, if you saw the four minute thing, you'd probably want to make a film about it. Yeah. Well, I know, Maria, the second next film should be about this, what's going on down here? You just do all these basement studios and say what's happening in this city. It might be a series.

Yeah. All right. I mentioned to play the trailer and then at least it gives people taste. What kind of music does Harkness make? And then I have some songs, a couple of songs, and we'll get more of the story and more of your story, Maria. And this is going to be quite, quite quite fun here but let's listen to this. Hey hey thank you for coming out tonight.

Are we feeling this one? Do you want some more? Well then let me hear ya. I'm so afraid Can I make this happen? Can I get out of the basement? Can I stop serving tables? Can I conquer New York? Oh my god, I'm on MTV but I'm on the biggest pop channel. I just follow Dula Peepa. Is that her name?

This summer could be one of the best summers ever. Maybe eventually you'll have the house to yourself and I'll be able to move out. You know what I'm saying? Hello New York! Shoot arrows at the moon all the way to Jupiter or whatever it is, I gotta fucking explode. Things might be changing. They might be changing right now, right? And this

instance is the birth of hardness worldwide. Wow, honestly, so I I'm going to check my notes here. Yes. Okay. April 14. I have it as, Oh, April 13th at the Royal. And then you can stream it on. It's like everyone listening to me in Canada can stream this on CBC gem April 14. I'm telling you the FOTMs will be streaming this sucker. They got to see, learn more about what's going on with Harkness and Maria, this is you've made, I mean, we'll get into it right now. I mentioned earlier that Harkness comes from like some musical roots. So Harkness, please reveal for us, like, what did your father do?

What did your mother do? So my mother was a fantastic French horn player and an amazing piano player and taught the whole neighborhood how to play piano and just the Toronto Star, they would do, they won all the awards. My father and my mother were in the same orchestra. They recorded albums, just it was a school thing. It was a university thing. And they would be written up in the Star and

Sue Harkness' French horn solo was outstanding, you know, stuff like that. But she had to take care of the brood of five kids. So she put things down and always had the piano and teach piano lessons. My dad continued to play. He played trumpet, trombone, clarinet, all the saxes and arranged music as well.

So he played every weekend until I was about 13 or 14 and he would write all the arrangements for these things. And some of it was wedding type gigs and playing Stevie Wonder or John Lennon or Carpenter's We've Only Just Begun and all that kind of stuff. Elton John. Elton John and most likely Love Will Keep Us Together, all the hits. But yeah so he was constantly, ever since my memory was sitting there with no shirt on, fan blowing at the piano, arranging tunes with a pencil in his mouth, you know, that that's just what I knew and saw. And he would

play the sax around the house and we would sit at his feet and he'd wail and you know, so it was just that was the whole storybook thing. I got lucky. The name of the band that your father fronted was the Al Harkness Orchestra. Uh huh. Yeah. Okay. I got to let Rob Proust know what he's searching right now because he listens to Toronto Mike. Then he hears about these interesting musicians. Okay. So Good luck. The Al, you know, I, okay, good luck. I tried to pull something. Okay. The Al Harkness Orchestra,

your dad's fronting that, your mom, the top French horn player and piano player. So you're coming from these musical roots. It's in the house. So, and, and, and when I was reading about this doc, which I can't wait to watch on CBC jam on April 14th, I was hearing like reading about 20 years to work on your first album, which I'll play something from, but can you explain in a nutshell, obviously we need to see the doc, but what took 20 years? Uh, I know you're a waiter and you're just to get by and you have the homemade studio in your mom's basement, but 20 years is a long time. Mm-hmm. Well, it comes from having previously been in the UK with a really good friend and in quotations trying to make it and making kind of dumbed down

music a little bit at times to service to managers and record labels And we did that for quite a while and it was fun. We kicked some ass over and had our drummer was Steve Alexander, who played with Jeff Beck and play with Duran Duran at the same time as he's playing with us, which is insane. He's a monster, but he recognized something in us and said, I'm going to do this for free mates. Like, all right.

Wow. So we had amazing experiences, but, um, it was a lot of knocking on doors and all that crap that no one really wants to do. So when I finally came back to Toronto and my parents let me have a studio in the basement, I didn't care about going anywhere with the music. I had always heard the same kind of instrumentation

and deep brass and contra bassoons and the bass and all that kind of stuff. And could never do that in the UK. Long story short is that it's just because I didn't care I just made music, made music, made music, made music, made music. So I did finish the album in the 20 years but I have had another 40 or so tunes on the go or more I guess and written way more and all that kind of stuff. It was just that at a certain point that this group of songs kind of started coming together and talking to themselves and me and saying, I think this is an album, this particular group and my dad passed away and all sorts of different things happened.

And it was a super intense time and it just all funneled into the occasion is born I'm coming out I'm coming out of the basement I'd whether one person enjoys it or the whole world this thing I have I've cooked a cake I think it's delicious I must bring it to the neighbors. The occasion was born so when how far back are we going when the occasion was born the song itself for the album the album? I'd say 2017 I had a complete clear idea of it. That's pretty Maria. Yeah Yeah, and but I still had the song itself the occasion which is an eight and a half minute

Absolute monster if you listen to the song out there Consider this that I record one instrument at a time because I only have a couple of good mics and a couple of good preamps and if you hear certain sections of it, it does sound like a massive orchestra and more. Well I have the uh, I'll call it the radio edit. Although I don't know what radio station is playing this thing okay so you said the the full version? The full version. You file a formal complaint about it after the recording. That song almost killed me alone and that one did take quite a while. That was probably underway just as I was meeting Maria. Maria?

Yeah. That's her name, Maria. Okay, I'm going to play this. I call her other things by the way. Can I know what you would call Maria? Please? No, that's for behind closed doors. It's private?

Huh? No, I'm just kidding. I call her Masha and other things. Is Masha your nickname? Yeah. Okay, I like Masha. Yeah, but nobody in Canada, it doesn't make sense to people in Canada.

So it's a Russian thing? Can I bounce something off of you? Yeah, then I'm gonna hit this, the occasion single, but I got the radio edit. The CFTR 680 edit. Apologies, just give me your opinion on this. So Maria Yeah, well, um, this is my point say it either Check this out. So Maria Makina, which a lot of people can't say I'm a first-time director and all the rest of it Masha

Prince Madonna Share I've been trying to try to share I so hard. I tried so hard to get her damn credit to be Masha, not Maria. Yeah, which is a beautiful name. I think I hope I'm not. If you want to brand yourself in a way that us idiots can pronounce and the way to go because we're stupid we can't say Markina. But you know what when you walk into a room and someone whoever is interviewing can't pronounce your name, it makes you feel very good about yourself. Well then I made you feel great. It already makes you feel above them.

In your head I always go, so stupid, can't even pronounce a name. Well there's an artist, there's a singer, I think she's from Australia, but she reminds me of you Harkness, and that her shtick, her gimmick, is you can't see her, and I'm talking about Sia, okay? Right? And I feel like this visor look with the, is it one piece, the purple thing? It isn't. It looks like it and I tried to make it like it, but it's a separate hood. So you custom made that, like if you're sewing machine. Yeah. Yeah. I had, yeah. Someone, this is the second version. This is the upgrade. The

other one was purple as well. You gotta be careful when you're eating spaghetti, right? Because you don't want to get any red sauce on there. And use the permanent markers. Yeah. So when you're eating your palma pasta, please be careful. OK? Geez, I got more swag for you in a minute here, but I got to get to the occasion here. And then we got more questions. Who would have known we'd be here right now

To taste the smokin' ash in satellite style The hallelujah smoke scream of the warring souls The school yard bullies have a grown soul Rise, be a station here, the underground that's taken us down This war will end with communication Don't let the crowd forget your name The crowd that's taken us down This war with this communication Don't let the crowd forget you down, no Windblown curtain leads to an empty room Your harkness, your royal harkness. I don't mean to speak over this epic. It's a Magnus Opus as far as I'm

concerned, but can I ask you, you know what I hear in there? What? Like Brian Wilson Beach Boys influences in there. Of course. Is Brian Wilson a Harkness inspiration? I mean, hard not to be. Anyone who's got an ear would be crushed by his, the magnitude of his genius, you know, it just the effortlessness of his music is the depth of it that crushes me. It just sounds like

it was, there's the flowers growing and Brian Wilson's tunes and like it's just part of it. It's always been. You can hear it. You can hear it. And am I permissioned, Hurricaneist, to get personal with you? Absolutely. Okay, because Brian Wilson famously has dealt with mental health challenges. Okay. Just lost his wife by the way. Yeah, just like in the last, I want to say the last 12 months I think. And hopefully Brian's doing okays in his 80s now. Who would have thought she'd go first. Right, but here we are. So may I ask you about the late, going back to the

late 1980s, would you share with me a little bit about the the bad acid trip you took and the results? Well, what kind of, here I'll give you some details and we can go from there. The trip was, it was at a time where we'd started drinking acid and started experimenting with various drugs and been reading about Jim Morrison and all the typical shit when you're a certain age. And we wanted to get as high as possible. Let's get higher. Let's get higher.

So we did four different types of acid. We did a bunch of shots. We had about four beers and we had double cannons of hash and weed all at the same time. And you know what that. As teenagers do. As teenagers do. Should there be a PSA at this point?

Like, you're saying the hash, hash, okay, I was, okay. I'm only interrupting because just to differentiate, so hash, cannabis, right? There's a category there. It's these psychedelics. Yes, yes. I think everything kind of turned into a stew. And no kids, I'm not

saying you should do this whatsoever. I barely, barely, barely, barely survived. Psychologically and physically. What happened to you? Yeah, how can you describe that? I am not sure how much I'm going to share right now. I love you all out there, but this is pretty. If you want the swag that's coming your way up, you're gonna give me that story, Herb. You're gonna have to see the movie. Yeah, maybe.

It's in the book. Maybe, it's in the book. Let's just say that before the acid, I'm an individual who's extremely high. And the highness that I go for, like as we do, as many of us do, my portal, pre-Acid, was already no separation between me and you and I'm not sure where I end and where you start and all that kind of stuff, for sure.

So I was already there and loving that with a huge heart, like I love being Stevie Wonder, sing together with me and the acid just somehow took that oneness that should have been great and in a way that only acid or at least my internal world could do flipped it into the darkest most deeply sinister evil selfish in selfish, in quotations, creation that could ever be conceived of on any universe, include any universe, and I bet you mine is worse. How many universes have you visited, Harkness?

I need to know right now. Well, that's the thing, every moment's a new universe, right? So how many moments are there? One universe. But is that like a fancy way of telling me that you experience psychosis? Yeah, that's what I think you would describe it. But I'm not sure that I didn't just experience the truth.

Because when you're in psychosis, obviously, feels that, I think the thing that hurts the most about psychosis from my experience of it is that the psychosis feels like the most real thing out of everything that's on your plate. And getting out of that psychosis felt and feels impossible and I still struggle with it once in a while. And definitely it can be triggered now by talking about it but well I don't want to trigger you no no

it's okay I the thing is the reality is that the guy just pre the psychosis was like bring on the psychosis bring on everything but I got put in my place it was it was like a level of experience that my love couldn't handle. Like I couldn't, but I got out of it, I think. But how long did it take? Because I think there's a, like I'm trying to see, what is the difference between psychosis and delusions? I don't know. I really don't know. I didn't take any medication. But did you lose touch with reality? Does this have anything to do with the fact you showed up in the visor? For sure.

It definitely plays a part. But this is a happy end. This is a happy end. This is the happy side. Well, you see, I just met you and I can't wait to see this documentary that Maria made. I'm going to watch it on CBC Gem. But are you happy? Are you doing all right these days? Oh immensely so and I guess what I would

say is that the cliches abound that when you're in that dark dark dark hole yeah which does feel suicidal and we can get into other stuff like that but if you survive it and if you can then taste some honey on your bread again, the way it should be, you're golden. Like things are more golden than ever. I love toast. I love toast and I love a bit of butter and honey on there. Oh, a little honey on there.

Oh my goodness. To me, I had some honey recently and I was thinking, and I think it is my favorite flavor. I think that honey, just that's what love would would taste like I know it's just too damn cliche but have some honey and then argue with me after that it blew my mind recently but getting out of a hole like that and then being able to taste again and see the flowers and limitless sky I'm in a better place than I've ever been aside from the triggered flashbacks. Firstly that that's great. And I mean, I hope you're not triggered by the fact there's

going to be a lot of attention on your story because, you know, every Canadian has access to CBC Jam. Yeah, no, it's good. I think a lot of us were a proud unified bunch. I don't know if you know this. He's more triggered by the fact that no one outside of Canada has access to the film yet. Well, it's early. It's early. You got to start with Canada, then you can conquer the world and then the universe and then other universes. This is the plan here. So Maria, when you meet Harkness in 2018, is there, so has he come out, have you already come out of this psychosis that was triggered by this acid?

Well, the thing is, I think if you talk to anyone who's had psychosis and sort of interrupt Masha, but is that- Get right down Masha. I don't think you ever fully come out of it, but you can have like a 95.5 as opposed to 100% psychosis. So it feels like you lie to yourself if you think you're out of the psychosis, if you know what I... So again, I'm not your psychiatrist

and you can tell me it's none of my business, but I know of people who had schizophrenia was revealed because of LSD, because of acid. Yes, yes. So is this this psychosis, is this your term for schizophrenia? I don't think so. I think it was a really personal, very exacting psychosis that wasn't just, I did hear voices and they were my own voice, it didn't feel like other voices, it was all my voice which was a problem. But there is mental illness in my family,

and I'm probably right on the spectrum pre the quadruple acid drop. And it might have been a soup of that kind of stuff, for sure, the same kind of chemicals bouncing around, and who knows. You might have been okay if it was just the booze, the ash, and the weed. Like that's sort of the thing.

I have a 23 year old, I have a 21 year old. You know, I don't, you know, their brains are still forming so maybe wait a couple of years. But weed, hash, booze, that's like one category. But I would be concerned if I heard they were dropping acid. I would be too if it was my child. But back to Maria to answer the question. Masha. Masha.

Let's keep it Masha. Are you okay if I call you Masha? Yeah, yeah. Okay, I can't pronounce your last name so I gotta switch it to Masha. All right. Okay, so you were gonna say? Well, just saying that you're asking Masha if what state I was in when she met me and it was much better. It was good. I think so. I can't remember when exactly you shared all the details of that episode with me. I think I was always aware that Harkness has that sensitivity that's not common necessarily to everybody. Yeah, he's a character. First of all, I could tell that when I saw him walking down the street. Holding on to her.

Yeah, because you can't see. Like I said, you were sacrificing for your art. Yeah, no, but he's also the, he's the person who will go into a ravine and just be one with everything with the, with the brook and the trees and you know, and we would go and I swear to God something is really there because sometimes we would go for walks together and you'll see this little birdie just flying up to him and landing on him and he doesn't want to have... St. Francis of Assisi. Exactly.

So he's just this creature of, you know, one of the magic elf from the forest. No, it's when Homer started his own religion, he stopped going to church and yeah, all the animals were... No religion, just... So now that we're getting a little taste and more in the film, which people will be checking out and streaming on CBC Gem, but does this explain why for 20 years or so you disappear into your mother's basement? You're working on this Magnus Opus, as I call it.

I'm going to play another song from it in a minute, but does this explain that 20-year you know disappearance into the the basement just coming out to be a waiter to make enough scratch to keep going? Absolutely. The last thing I wanted to do was share me and and what I was going through with the world but I knew I had the music in me and all that jazz and the fact that I threw the music too and like you can hear it I think on the album I transformed as I was writing and I can hear it I think on the album, I transformed as I was writing and I got through and I got out and I got to the light and it's all there on the album for sure. I think as a full album it's a legit sincere life saver and if

anyone's got some psychosis I say listen to the full occasion you might come out alive. The eight and a half minute mark. No it's good advice. A full album. And an album isn't enough to contain heartness because we needed a film as well. And Masha, what a confluence of events that Masha's working at the same restaurant. I know.

You guys are good for each other. Is there any romantic relationship here, Masha? No, just deep, deep, deep friendship. Deep friendship, yeah. Lot of love. And I actually- Nicolette Larson. I don just curious. Deep friendship. Yeah. Yeah. And it's and I actually Nicolette Larson. I don't know. I don't know. Is that Neil Young though? Yeah.

He wrote it. He was dating her. I think. I think she does backup. I want to say she does backup on Heart of Gold. Maybe Nicolette Larson. That makes sense. She died young.

Sadly. But shout out to Ridley Funeral Home. I saw your eyeball in the measuring tape. As I was listening to the occasion and I turned this over. It's like Ridley Funeral Home. Well, one for each of you. This is courtesy of Ridley Funeral Home. You never know when you do it. You never know when you do it. You never know when you do it. You never know when you do measuring tape. I know, as I was listening to the occasion and I turned this over, I was like Ridley Funeral Home. Well one for each of you. This

is courtesy of Ridley Funeral Home. You never know when you need to measure something. Thanks Ridley Funeral Home. And really quickly here. Maybe they can sponsor my next film. Well Brad Jones at Ridley Funeral Home, he talked to you about anything. He's got a great podcast called Life's Undertaking. I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend Building Toronto Skyline from Nick Ienies. We're going to talk to a guy about the CN Tower. We're talking next Friday to a guy about the CN Tower because CN Tower is 50 years old. Like now, like a week, a month or something like that. So 50 years of CN Tower. Mash has only been enjoying it since 2018. So it's still a mind blow there. Okay, I'm gonna do this now,

and then we're gonna get, I got more music and some more questions for you too, as you can imagine here. But I would love to tell you about RecycleMyElectronics.ca because that's where you go if you have any, basically any old cables or electronics or devices, you don't throw that in the garbage because the chemicals end up in our landfill. You go to Recycle electronics.ca and this is a great gift. So you got your measuring

tape. You got your fresh craft beer from Great Lakes brewery. I'm actually going there this afternoon because today is sunny day where they launched their great session IPA for the summer. It's called sunny side and I love it. It's delicious. I cracked one open with Ed Keenan yesterday, but celebrate sunny day in this province by picking up some Sunnyside Session IPA. Ian Service, I saw you picked up a case, good for you, it's delicious. But here, I'm gonna get you guys something awesome here.

So you can talk amongst yourselves here as I reach into my bag of tricks. Okay. All right, so Masha, as I know you. And of course, Harkness. Wireless. These are wireless speakers from Monaris because I'm excited to tell the every universe

that's listening to me right now that season eight of Yes We Are Open is dropping new episodes right now. So Al Grego went to Saskatchewan, he went to Regina and he captured great inspiring stories from small business owners and he's sharing them with us to inspire us further. So I can see Harkness, you've inspired Maria. Maria seems to be inspiring you. Oh, big time.

Al Grego inspires the entire galaxy. Okay. So enjoy your free speaker there from Minaris. And last but not least, this is a new sponsor, very excited to tell you about Silver Wax. I have this for her. I don't know, Harkness only wears one thing, so he might be passing this on. I wear things under this sometimes. Okay, so this t-shirt, Harkness. Wait, do I get one? I'm gonna get you something, I'm gonna get you something even better here. So Silver Wax, do you, is your car clean? Is it Masha's your car or Harkness's car? I don't make enough money to own a car as a filmmaker. Well you're young. I don't think it changed much. The money will come. If you own a car and you like driving a nice clean car, silver wax makes pro-grade

auto care and cleaning technology easy for everyone. They have kits for beginners, experts and professionals. Everything you need go to silverwax.ca, use the promo code Toronto Mike 10 when you check out and you save 10% off your next order. I'm a proud Canadian. Do you love Canada, Masha? I just got my citizenship. Congratulations! Yes, a month ago. Or no, two maybe? Two months ago.

Okay, so you're sticking around. Oh yeah, I'm hoping to. You found home. I got to vote for the first time in my life. Provincially, right? Yeah, in the provincial election. Well, we got another one for you later this month. Exactly.

You get to vote federally. I bet you they just did it especially for me. That's pretty good to be a citizen for two months and already vote twice. I know, I'm certainly have so much power. That's a new record. But if you go to, so I mentioned the fact that you're a proud Canadian, I'm a proud Canadian, Harkness is a proud Canadian. Silver Wax have been proudly Canadian since 1999 and that's not about to change.

So silverwax.ca, use the promo code Toronto Mike 10, and you'll have a nice clean car and you can thank me later. Okay, can I play another Harkness song before I get to my questions? Now I listen, that occasion, like I'm listening to it and it's all you, right Harkness? Well, who else is on there?

So I generally do guitar, bass, drums, sing, and if there's piano, I'll play piano. But all the contrabassoons and timpani and everything that's on there are real musicians and I often went to the faculty of music and would put up a poster, you know, flautist needed kind of thing. And for my budget, right, I couldn't pay the big bucks to the A-listers. I would have young students come in and play on the occasion. It would be like, have you ever been in a studio?

No. How long have you been playing flute? Thirteen years? Okay, I think you're going to be fine. And then we just get these incredible takes out of these first time studio experiences. And then they would have a friend who plays the English horn. And so that's how I did it. And you're the visionary conductor who's putting it all together. Something like that. To satisfy this vision that you've been working on

for 20 years. But with multiple other songs going on, but yes, there was a lot of time put on. And of course every session goes for about 40 hours. I was like, oh, I'm only gonna take an option. One more time if you don't mind. Gotta have some palm pasta, some great licks of beer for that one.

What do you think about me? I loaded up the song ID. Can I play that? Sure. It's a simple little ditty that people seem to love. Well, I'm a simple man, as Lynyrd Skynyrd would say. So I need these simple little ditties. Here we go.

What are you whispering over there, Hartnett? It's Maria's or it's Masha's favorite. Oh! That's why I'm playing it. Oh my God. Seems that way. No more yarn, it's just dusty and mirrors and no one's learning Seems that way We're sleeping in a Monday morning There's no days off, we're always working

The island day is always moving Back in the city there's trouble moving Take a drive through the countryside Look at the sky and cast your days away I can tell why this is Mash's favorite. It's so beautiful. It's a beautiful song. Oh, and that she's saying is not her favorite. She doesn't like this. What's your favorite? What's your favorite?

My favorite is Shark Fin Soup. Oh, wow. That's a good one. But is that on the new album? No, that's the occasion. It's on the... okay. Mm-hmm, check that one out. Is it on YouTube?

It probably is without a video. I don't need a video. This is an audio presentation. So, Shark Fin Soup. Yum. Have you ever eaten Shark Fin Soup? Never. I recently turned vegetarian.

Thanks to Ed Berevold, who's the producer. Emmy award winning vegetarian. Emmy award winning vegetarian. No, but, yeah. Okay, I'm trying to find this in real time here. Bear with me, everybody. Shark fin soup. We got a song going here.

Uh-huh. For some of the studious little numbers out there, Everybody, we got a song going here. For some of the studious little numbers out there, shark fin soup definitely. References, some of the acid. The most vile dish ever created. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good.

Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good.

Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. Good, good. It's hard to know who's taking the plight.

Yeah, I get that. Isn't that awesome? You're a talented, I was going to say a talented man, but I don't assume gender. You may not even be human. But it's natural. Let's keep it that way. It's well done. What does, has your mother heard the occasion yet?

She's heard every note about a thousand times as I have. What would your mother, like what does she think of the, does she get it? Does she dig in at the vibe? It's a, it's not conventional, right? Like this is not like Justin Bieber or... Frank Sinatra. It's not Frank Sinatra either.

It's not Frank Sinatra. Well, I think it worked my advantage that both of my parents showed me very little praise on the music and stuff like that. They were incredibly supportive, super loving, amazing family, but they didn't like, oh my God, like listen to that bridge, like never, never. Once my dad said, I wish I could remember the exact story, but I think once he said,

you know, that's pretty good, pretty good. I think he said, it's pretty good. But the reality is my dad was such a, not hard ass, but he was so intense musically and also well respected and all. He didn't say much. So getting pretty good from him was huge. You know what? Now I have a new I mean, I love to play armchair psychiatrist. So please take this off the green assault by like 20 years. This Magnus, very ambitious. Yeah, very ambitious. But how much of this is simply in a I know I just heard moments ago, you told me your father has sadly passed away, but

is basically to earn praise from your talented musician parents? That's a great question. I would say subconsciously, probably a lot, but since I've been doing it for so long, like decades, decades, decades, and then then getting to make the occasion. I've been writing forever that I got into just a complete state of creation that did actually have no ambition, no look for praise, no look for anything. And it just, it came from that. But I think to be honest, like if you give me the drug, not the drugs in quotation, but I think the truth serum

would say probably when I was doing the most big vast thing with thinking that yeah This is gonna get them, you know that kind of thing for my dad I think there was a voice in there But very very very distant because I was so carried away by loving all this music that was coming and just chasing it Just chase chase chase chase chase inspiring as fuck because how many of us would be like It's just inspiring as fuck because how many of us would be like, it's too hard. Like this is too long, too hard, too impossible. A dream. Let me go become a actuary or something. I don't think you could do it.

No, you're not, you're not wired that way. You can't go get like a sales job for a software company or something like that. Haven't been able to yet. And the problem is, like of course now you put your head to the pillow and you're going, okay, my deathbed is looming. I'm not gonna get this song done. That's okay, which one's gonna prioritize? And yeah, it's just all, all tick, tick, tick, tick. Gotta make music, gotta make music.

Which is fantastic, but unfortunate on some levels as well because of what you sacrifice and the life choices you have to make. And I'm gonna do the big Las Vegas sign and go, family, kids, and it's not necessarily over, but it might be, these are things that I've... But are these things you yearned for? It sounds like you yearned to give birth to the occasion. I know.

I do. Like you gave birth to the occasion. I know. He doesn't count life and like years. Okay, how many years do I still have to live? It's like, okay, how many songs can I still record? I feel like that's what... But it sounds like you do have this yearning.

You want to be a dad? I always thought I would, always wanted them. Kids are the, you know, just as kids and honey toast, you know, they're neck and neck, but being with children and mind melding with them is probably my favorite thing. And I know that being a dad, you have to, I think Spielberg said something, like I was looking forward to having a child

because I wanted to relive my childhood. But no, that's the great separator. Like now I'm an adult, I have to, somebody's gotta get his fingers out of the flames. Yeah, somebody's gotta be in charge around here. But he's an amazing uncle. And actually his niece, Bella, we recently did an all the things so all the things you are is a kind of a closing soundtrack of the film and we did it's gonna

air on CBC social media channels we did all the things you are the music video and his niece Bella was the lead girl in the whole so he's just an absolutely incredible fun uncle. Can I just sing Maria's praises just briefly? So all the things you are, we did the film, the whole film, the two of us, her with the cat, just the two of us everywhere. No crew. Every once in a while we had a crew, but it was all Maria doing. Every single bit of it. That's why we got so close, incredibly close. I can imagine. And this

video, I mean we have no money. We're like let's get go to the dollar store and get this and all the rest of it wait till you see this video that that Maria did for all the things you are it's fantastic when can I see this video so I mean I don't know it's in the in CBC's hands right now so we just waiting for the mother core okay yeah we're waiting for that to utilize it whenever way whatever way but you need to know if you need to root for a liberal government on April 28th, because if it's a conservative government, we may never see this video. Oh my god!

Did everybody hear that out there? Just today, Mark Carney, our Prime Minister, was making a speech about how he'd do what should be done, which is give the CBC more money. This whole idea of defunding the CBC, you need a united big country. It's kind of incredible because I've been in the industry just for a little bit now, I'm still very much an emerging filmmaker, but based on what I've witnessed, it's just so incredibly difficult to make meaningful documentaries you know just because of the lack of funding and you see these people

who are willing to they got all this passion in them they're willing to do half of it for free just because they see the value in getting this film out there and you know but it's just so extremely competitive because the financing is so limited and it's really heartbreaking. Is this your first film? But you did work on Fight Like a Girl. Oh yeah, well it was just a student project really. This is about a Bulgarian female MMA fighter. Yeah, because I studied in Bulgaria for a while and that was one of and fight martial arts have been one of my passions

Can I say something? Maria, great filmmaker, even better fighter. Taekwondo national champion of Belarus was it? National champion of Taekwondo in Belarus. Did you consider going to the Olympics? It was a different kind of Taekwondo they Belarus. Did you consider going to the Olympics? It was a different kind of taekwondo. They have all sorts of different ones. Yeah. Varieties. I think GTA, GDF is the Olympic one.

And I was doing ITF. Yeah. Okay, but that's impressive. Yeah. Don't mess with her. Don't fuck with her. I think it's just because my brother enlisted me and I just really wanted my brother to be my friend.

You never know who's gonna drop by the basement. You never know. It's a beautiful Friday. But here's a little example of what it takes. So you had this idea, because you worked with this guy Harkness and he inspired you and you said, we need to capture this.

And so you're, it sounds like you're doing all the heavy lifting to capture the Harkness story and bring it to this wonderful country. And then this is like the press release for this. Can I read it to you? Yeah. Okay, I hope I don't mess this up. Produced with participation of Canada Media Fund,

Ontario creates Rogers Telefund with the assistance of Hot Docs Slate Family Fund with the support from Doc Institute Breakthrough Rogers CBC Award with the cooperation of the Canadian Federation of Musicians Film and television tax credit assistance from the government of Ontario funded by the government of Canada produced in association with Documentary channel that's like ten different like that's amazing Ten different recognitions of talent essentially. Don't question it anymore. They say it takes a village, I believe it now, right?

Like, you know, Masha can go film all this stuff, but look at that list of participating organizations. Yeah, couldn't have done it without. But I mean, I think because people, like I believed in hardness's story and passion and the way it can inspire others. And I feel like that's just the proof that other people saw something in it as well. And I feel like that's something we're kind of missing from the overall messaging that's out there right now. Everything is just so extremely

success, self-image oriented these days. And this was just such a fresh breath of air, self-image oriented these days. And this was just such a fresh breath of air, you know, someone who is just living every moment of his life and- Hurtness is out of fucks to give. Yeah. Yeah. Long time ago.

You know, like- Long time ago. My hero. We have so many self-held books, like we're reading self-held books on how to, like, how do I live my life right. You know, it's just like we get, we do coaches, like we have to do so much schooling just to kind of like,

how do I make the most of my life and live it right? And here's someone who's just like, I'm just gonna follow what my gut is telling me and- I'm gonna wear the damn visor. I don't care if I can't see. Driving down the- And she wakes up. I was on the DVD.

She wakes up. I- Sorry if I hit anything. That's how it is, really. Honestly, okay, so to recap everything here, I want to make sure the listenership, the FOTM listening have this exactly right. So Harkness, a documentary- What's going on over there?

Harkness, you too, come on. No, he's the camera. Oh, don't worry about the camera. Pretend there's no camera. Harkness, a documentary that... What's going on over there? Harkness, you too, come on. No, the camera. Oh, don't worry about the camera. Pretend there's no camera. Harkness. I thought the camera was over. Yeah, the camera doesn't matter. This is a audio presentation. It's that photo by the tree that's going to be everything here.

So Harkness, a documentary that encapsulates the raw electric look of elusive musician Harkness is set to shake up Toronto on Sunday April 13th when the film screens at the Royal Cinema followed by a live performance by Harkness himself down the street at the Monarch Tavern commissioned as a documentary channel original. Harkness will be available to stream the following day, Monday, April 14 on CBC Gem. Mash, are you proud of this film? Very much. Yeah, I'm very grateful and very, uh, first of all, grateful to Harkness. Your subject matter. My subject matter. Your music too. Look at that handsome guy.

Because it's not easy to let someone be so embedded in your life day in day out for many many years. And someone pointed a camera at you and said, please reveal your deepest darkest secrets to me. So I'm very very grateful to him for trusting me with his story. And absolutely grateful to everyone who put faith in this project. All the incredible... I can't repeat that list. I'm out of breath. The long list and of course storyline and Ed Berevald, you know, he was the person who put a lot of faith into a first-time filmmaker and truly made me, helped me get this project to the finish line and

forever grateful for that as well. And Harkness, when you first saw the completed film, so was there like a private screaming? Like Masha said? Oh, I thought you said private screaming. Sorry, what were you? Maybe both. There was a bit of that too. But what was your thoughts when you watched the final film? So the film's called Harkness.

When you watched that final edit, the final film that Masha put together, what did you think? How did you feel? Well it's amazing because she brought me out of myself and initially there's moments of course you want to curl up and ball and hide and all of that but she took me out of me and and I felt like she just launched me on a roller coaster and I loved the trip she took me on. I just went on the trip that she created which was absolutely breakneck speed and fascinating. Not fascinating, but it was just so much fun. And by the time it was finished, it was like,

hold on, was that two minutes? How long is this film? It just goes like butter on the toast back to butter on the toast. Back to butter on the toast. There are a lot of yammy metaphors in the film too. I was blown away. I was blown away. We have a toast mascot on this program here. So you can hold that, but you can't keep that. That's not a gift.

No, that's not a toast is a very important food on this podcast presentation. So it all comes full circle. Plugging right in. Oh, my goodness. I got to say, I did think initially the darkness was coming over, but I'm glad I got I think darkness better than darkness. Little bit of darkness. I believe in a thing called love. All these rainbows and unicorns here. Oh yeah, I know. And Masha, what a pleasure to meet you. This is your first film, but it won't be your last.

I hope so. Your next film will be about this guy in his basement who got on CNN last week. That's gonna be the next film here. But thank you two for visiting. Thank you for having us pleasure. Really fun. We could keep going. You know that hardly scraped the surface. Well, that's an hour. I got to get out of here. Honestly, I can bring well, I got beer. Always have beer to drink. But you have some beer to bring home with you from Great Lakes. Thank you. And I got to get over to Great Lakes. But is there, like on your way here, was there something burning?

You're like, I hope I get to share this because I will let you do that right now. No, no, we wanted you to lead and we felt followed today. We're happy. I don't want you driving home and thinking, oh. Maybe I don't speak for Maria. I just want to say something to all the people out there. It's nothing. I just really hope that this film also inspires people to support independent art and how valuable and important it is for us as a humanity. And I feel like at the moment we don't appreciate the value of incredible, incredible artists out there and they all deserve our love and support. I'm glad you said that.

And that as they embrace everybody, it's a beautiful sight. And that brings us to the end of our 1,664th show. Go to torontomike.com for all your Toronto Mike needs. I'm on blue sky at torontomike.com. Much love to all who made this possible. That's Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Minaris, Silver Wax, RecycleMyElectronics.ca, Building Toronto's Skyline,

and Ridley Funeral Home. See you all Monday. Oh my God, he just got on a stamp. I saw it today. He's on a freaking stamp, everybody. My special guest in Studio Monday, Glenn Milcham from Blue Rodeo. We have so much to discuss with Glenn from Blue Rodeo.

He's no Harkness, but he's got stories. We'll see what he wears. Hey, I did a gig with Blue Rodeo in my youth. They, I always thought they opened up for us, but I think maybe we opened up for them. Well, this is Stars. Yeah. Yeah. No, it was Chunk of Funk. It was a band called Chunk of Funk. Okay, but you were in a band called The Stars, right?

Yeah. That was, yeah. Did you ever consider suing the Montreal Stars? Yes, but no, they were just a little less. Yes, we had way earlier. I'll hook you up with Lauren Honigman. We'll file a suit. See you all Monday. Use the money.