Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Michelle McAdorey: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1840

Episode Date: January 29, 2026

In this 1840th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Michelle McAdorey about her life, this crazy world, her art and playing with Kirsty MacColl and Crash Vegas. 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].

It's so great to be back here at Toronto Mike. I thought you were going to say Return of the Macadory. Oh, you want me to do it again? Return. I'm going to speak about myself. Yeah, I like it. Return of the Macadory, part two. Return of the Macadory.

Return of the Macadory. Welcome to episode 1,840. That's 1840 of Toronto Miked. 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. Enjoy the taste of fresh homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma pasta. in Mississauga and Oakville.

Visit palmapasta.com for more. Fusion Corpsoeone Nick Aienes. He's the host of Building Toronto Skyline and Building Success, two podcasts that you ought to listen to. Recyclemyelectronics.ca.ca. Committing to our planet's future means properly recycling our electronics of the past.

And Redley Funeral Home, pillars of the community since 1921. joining me today making her return to Toronto Mike. It's Michelle McAdory. How are you, Michelle? I am very good. How are you, Mike? Do you notice off the very top, I said to you, say whatever you want,

and then you said whatever you want, and then I was like, no, say it this way. That's a dick move, right? Like, come and say it whatever you want, but make sure you say return of the macadore. Control freak. Well, apparently, but I apologize for... It's all right.

But I'm so like, I want to get into it with you. But first I just want to check in. Like, when you say you're all right, is that the truth? Because a lot of times we say, how are you? And somebody says, I'm fine. But they could be having like the worst year of their life. But they're still going to say, I'm fine because that's like a courtesy. And you don't want to, you know, upset somebody or get into it.

But are you actually doing all right? Yeah, I am. Thank you for, you know, really checking in there. I understand what you mean by that. And I think I'm having. happy to say goodbye to 2025. And 2026 is, I mean, it's weird as ever, you know, if we're listening to news. But I am doing fine.

I dug out, I've been digging lots of snow. Yeah. Well, okay, so that's a great segue for me to say that I'm particularly, I mean, when I know Michelle McAdory is visiting, I already get excited. Like, I'm a big Michelle McAdory head, okay? Right on. So I'm just confessing to you right now. But it has been a long time since I've had an in-person guest.

And I say a long time, you're going to think, do I mean weeks, months? Like, I mean weeks. Like, in that last week, no one visited this basement studio for Toronto. Like, it's been a bad, like, I had, Andy Stokansky was supposed to be down here. And then the snow came, and they postponed it because Blair Packham was going to drive them. So that's what I mean there. And then there was Bruce McCullough was going to be. be here and then he postponed because he had another thing to do but he is back in the calendar.

There was another Bruce who I actually canceled. And then there was a guy, David Bronstein, do you remember in the 90s? The 1976 ads where this guy would be like, call the number on your phone to talk to beautiful women. Like, do you remember this infomercial? I don't. Okay, you weren't watching as much late night TV as I was. Okay, you were probably busy performing.

But David Bronstein was supposed to visit, and he was so late, I just got all pissed off, and I zoomed with the director of the movie that he's in that set it up. And then I ended up zooming with him. This is a long, boring ramble to say. It's been a long time since I've had an in-person guest, and I love in-person guests, and I'm so glad you're here. I'm glad to be here. Yeah. So it had a bit of the pandemic feel to it, did it? Yeah.

Like, moving things remotely. Like, I hate, I don't, you know, I don't like these zooms all the time. Like they're easy. Sometimes I think, like, maybe that's the way to go because it's so much easier to just click a link, have an hour chat, click off. But I crave the engagement with an actual human being in my presence, and you are that actual human being. And so you should. I think that that's a really important thing. I don't understand.

Like, I know I miss it. You know, there's something that happens when we're actually physically in proximity. Yeah, I could reach out and grab you. I won't do that, no. especially now that I found out about your son. So am I allowed to ask what your son's up to right now? Yeah, he's doing, I guess, I hope I can say. Well, that's why I'm asking you, because I don't know.

But it sounds like you might be able to say that. I think I could. He's doing some training, hostile environment training for his. He works as a photojournalist. So that's something that, especially if he's going to be traveling, to places. Can I read between the lines? May I wonder aloud if this is because of what's happening in the United States with ICE? It's, I mean, it's not because of that. But surely that will be something that many people will be covering who are journalists, of course. But as I

learn more and more about what he does as a photojournalist, or journalists in general, if you're going to be traveling to places, and of course, when there's conflict of any sort, whether it's here where you live or in proximity or if it's overseas somewhere, and there's wars, it's very important to have this kind of training.

And people do it annually. Like they renew their training because there's always something new to learn, and it's all kind of grim. Yeah, like new chemical warfare or something. It's grim, actually. But it sounds important because journalists like your son are put in the in harm's way. Like when you're covering, and again, the civil war or just unrest or violent protesting, whatnot,

it's a danger. Like, do you ever worry about your boy? Like, are you like, oh, can you please go cover like a soccer match or something? Although there's hooligans there too. Well, and he covers sports events as well. But, yeah, of course I do. But, you know, he does, he's aware. I think that he's really trying to be as aware as possible

and as smart as one can be or as, you know, the education is ongoing, I think. Well, I'm glad that your boy is getting this training because we're going to need him should there be an invasion of any sorts. I'm going to be glad to be by his side. Yeah, well, maybe you and I could go down to that training ourselves. Well, that means crossing into enemy territory. Well, yeah, that one is an enemy territory, I guess you could say.

But they are held here and there all over the place. Okay, well, when there's a training of that nature held in a different country, please let me know. I will go with you. We will be trained because we're going to be the resistance. We are. Okay, I knew I could. Frontline soldiers. Here we are.

I would love to be. I would love to be defending the sovereign nation with Michelle Magidori by my sign. Like, that's a dream come true. You know, ever since I saw the video for Try, I said that's. That's my future. So thank you. Oh, yeah. Yeah, you're welcome. Welcome. Do you remember your first visit to the TMDS basement studio?

I do. I do remember it. I'm trying to remember how long ago it was, though. Well, I have that info at my disposal. I'm prepared for you, Michelle McAdory. Even though I should say the plan was to do this before Christmas. Mm-hmm. And you got sick. I did. I got that pre-Christmas bug.

Well, I think that bug goes beyond Christmas. But are you feeling? 100% now. Yeah, yeah. Luckily it wasn't horrible one, knock on wood, you know. Well, this IKEA table, I'm not sure if it's wood or not. It might be some Swedish tree or something. I don't know. But okay, so I'm going to tell you, it was November 2023. Okay, yeah. So we're like two plus years now, if my math is correct. It was episode 1368. Did you get a tattoo on your body with the numbers 1368 on it?

I didn't. Okay, get out of my basement, Michelle McClory. This is over. Okay. Although I think this episode, what was the number? Adds up to 13. Okay, this is 1840. And then if you reduce that further, it would be four. Okay, that's too much math for me. You didn't tell me there'd be math. Okay.

So in this 1,368th episode of Toronto Mike, this is what I wrote in November 2023, Mike chats with Michelle McHadory about her appearance in the video for Blue Rodeos Try. By the way, I'm going to deem myself an asshole because you've created so much fine music and art. And here I am, like, reducing you to the. pretty girl in the blue rodeo video. And that's kind of a jerk move. Am I right? Well, you know what Mark Carney said.

Take the sign out of the window. What else did you say? Nostalgia is not a plan. You know what? I heard him say that and I'm like, yes. And then I thought, oh, don't tell that to the producers of Toronto Mike. Because here we live with, we're fueled by nostalgia on this program. So you're so much more than that, but let me finish this.

So yes, I just want to say it now because we're not going to reference it again. when Canadians and people all over the world watch the video for Blue Rodeos try, and they all fall in love with that woman on the screen, they're falling in love with you, Michelle McAdoury. Is that correct? I mean, I was in the video. I rest my case. We talked a lot, of course, about Crash Vegas,

and we talked a lot about you going solo. And this episode, to remind you, I don't know if we can go that long today, But we went an hour and 43 minutes. That's incredible. That means we have good chemistry. That is what it means. That's a long episode. Okay, so we'll see if we can get it down to it.

I thought I had to go that long so I'd get the like stuff at the end. Okay, can we talk about the stuff quickly? Then we're going to get into it. I am so jazzed about this. But what did you get last time? Did you get a lasagna from Palma pasta? I did. Did you enjoy it?

I think I did. I don't remember it. But what I remember the most... Tell me. Was this little... measuring tape. Oh, I like that sound in the headphones. So that's from Ridley Funeral Home.

And what did you use that measuring tape for? I use it all the time. I carry it around. It's amazing. How handy it is. I love measuring tapes. Okay, so I'm just in case, because it's only made of plastic,

what if it breaks, and then you'd be up Shits Creek about a paddle? So I'm going to give you, Michelle McAdory, another Ridley Funeral Home measuring tape. This is yours. Oh, amazing. You need a backup. I've had people, you know, inquire.

Well, you know what? Where did you get it? I can score you another one, but it depends who's inquiring whether you can send them over here to get one. Let me know. But, okay, so you are getting a lasagna from Palma Pasta. I'm sure you loved it because everybody does. And I want to thank Palma Pasta for sending over a frozen lasagna for Michelle McIdoory. By the way, I don't think I'm capable of calling you Michelle.

I think that's because my oldest daughter is named Michelle, but I always think of you as Michelle McAdory. Like the two names need to go together. Oh, interesting. So I'm going to string them together for this entire conversation, Michelle McAdory. So, okay, I also want to give you just while we're doing this off the top. I want to give you some fresh craft beer from Great Lakes Brewery. This is all the stuff I can't do via Zoom, right? Like, so it's been a while, like I said.

Oh, I get it. I'm here to just promote all the... Well, you're here to get my swag. Like, you know, I got this beer and I like it to be enjoyed when it's very fresh. So I can't have it, you know, line around for three, four weeks. So you got your beer, you got your lasagna, you got your measuring tape, and you're here. And you mentioned the news, and I'm just, we did touch on ice and everything, but I do follow you on social media. Like, you are a woman who follows what's happening in the world.

And before we get to the fun stuff like music, et cetera, I wonder, like, real talk, like, how are you dealing with our fascist neighbors and the threats to our sovereignty in this new world order shut out to ministry? I how am I dealing with it? I probably like I don't know I don't know if I'm actually dealing with it but you know trying to watch how much I consume in terms of news and what I'm consuming though I do somehow in this conversation with myself justify it because I feel like I should stay informed. That said it can make me feel a bit you know angry. and frustrated and yeah I got to step away from it feeling really frustrated by it not sure

what else to tell you but I have other you know complaints well hit me of some complaints just pretend it's festive what are your grievances Michelle McGeroy I think the big thing would be right now if we're talking about complaints music would be what are we doing about streaming the rates, regulation for AI. More people are, you know, little posts of like small, middling musicians saying their

songs got ripped off, and they've, you know, found out about some impersonation, plagiarizing, you know, their material. And there's very little recourse. So I'd love regulation or something with that. That just makes,

makes my head kind of explode. Well, so you mentioned streaming rates, and there's some new rule, I believe Spotify has a new rule, where you have to have like a minimum number of streams before you receive penny number one. Am I correct about that? It could be, you know, I'm pretty good

at putting my head in the sand too sometimes, which I was thinking about that, like, ah, I can't, I got to, you know, but sometimes I just feel so overwhelmed by it. And Spotify, I think, is one of the worst, from what I understand. But I'm not, at points, I just, I do have to just forget about it and go back to, you know, writing songs, which is what I'm doing right now. Well, that's you creating art because you're an artist. It's interesting that you, because I just learned before you came in that your son is a journalist.

Like, you're an artist, your son is a journalist. Yeah. I know. There's no profound connection there, but I didn't realize that. So as an artist, you feel compelled to create art, and I'm guessing this is how you deal with the fact that our world is on fire. I definitely, I think it's one of the, yeah, it is. It's probably my primary kind of outlet for that,

making something in, you know, as a response to being human. wandering around, yeah, looking at it all. So as an artist, because we mentioned you were in Crash Vegas, by the way, since your last appearance, your first appearance on Toronto Mic, Colin Cripps has come over, and we did another episode, like, real deep dive into Crash Vegas. How is that?

I don't know if you checked that out. I found him to be, much like you, an exceptional Toronto-Miked guest because he answered all of my questions, and he seemed to think about his answers and speak from, you know, his heart. And I felt like I was hearing the truth from Colin Cripps on a number of, you know, things. So I actually think he's an ideal Toronto-Miked guest. Maybe you can get him back.

I will. No, you know what? I'll do. I'll get you. Like, do you currently have a relationship of Colin Cripps? Oh, here we go. Well, no, we haven't spoken in quite some time. Okay.

But you know how it is with people you know. Sometimes, you know, there's those relationships that just kind of disappear for a long time. But then you pick right up. And then, you know, and it's like you didn't miss a beat. And there are others where it's, yeah, that doesn't happen. Well, sometimes there's an actual like falling out, you know. Right. I'm sure.

I'm going to make up stories here. But I'm sure Stephen Page is absolutely sick of people asking him when he's going to get back together with Ed. Robertson, like just as an example. Like, but sometimes there's, you know, a falling out. But just, and if I'm being too nosy, let me know. But was there a falling out between you and Colin, or you just went and did your own things and just haven't crossed paths in a while? Yeah, I think that's been more it.

You know, I mean, we've, it's been so long since we were in Crash Vegas together. So, in fact, more time has happened post it than there was in that thing. So, you know, we have sort of run into each other and hung out a bit, and then we haven't. And, you know, as these friendships are sometimes that you have in your life. And if you're lucky to still keep living and count in the decades, and some become more relevant through time and others don't, right? How about you? Do you find that you've got lots of friends from decades back?

So I've never been in a band, but I've worked, like, I'll work for us. software company for a few years and I'll get really tight with some people I work with because that's what happens. You spend a lot of time of these people and you get tight and then you'll go to another gig and for a little while maybe there's a little bit of like keeping touch or whatever but you know as you know weeks become months and months become years yeah you never see these people they're just gone and it's like oh they're just somebody that you used to know yeah there's a song for you Michelle McIderney okay write that down I am I've got it You need to start giving away pens.

Okay, since I said Crash Vegas, don't worry, you're not here for 90 minutes on Crash Vegas. But Jeho, also known as Jeremy Hopkins, who is the official Toronto historian of this podcast. Yes. You know Jayho? I know. Because you're reacting like you recognize his name.

Well, I see what he puts up. You know, I'm a huge fan of Toronto history. I love learning about it. I love looking at those old photographs. That's Jayho. Yeah. Jeremy Hopkins. It's interesting.

I'm going to tie this back to AI in a second, but I'm going to ask Jayho's question for you, and then I'm going to rant about AI and what it's doing to these Toronto history aggregators. Okay? So Jayho wants me to ask you, could you please ask, well, he writes, could you please ask Michelle if she recalls

where Crash Vegas filmed the music video for Inside Out? That's a interesting question. In fact, Arlen, my son and I, we often have, you know, as we're driving, around the Don Valley Parkway near the Bayview ramps. I would say, I think the video we shot way back when was down there as well because he knows all these roads for whatever reason. He knows them.

So I think it's around there. Somewhere in that vicinity of the Bayview ramp going up towards Bluer, Danforth, or going south. I think there's some little, like, service road that you can go off somewhere around there. That's, it's somewhere around there. Okay, Jayho, there you go. That's the best I'm going to get out of Michelle McAdory.

But Jayho, he posed these photos, like you said, that you enjoy consuming, and I enjoy too. And it might be something like, oh, here's a photo from the day that TTC opened the subway system in Toronto or something like that. And you'll see, oh, here it is. There's a picture. What I've noticed lately, and this may speak, to the cesspool that is Facebook, okay?

But if I go on Facebook, and sometimes I still use Facebook to post it, I'll post a picture of you and I by Toronto Tree to say, hey, there's a new episode with the great Michelle McAdory, here's a link, like I'll be doing that today. But when I go on Facebook, I get these, like I don't follow these people.

I don't know how they end up there, to be honest. Maybe they think I like Toronto history, which would make sense. But it'll be something, I don't know, I'll make it up, it'd be like, oh, Toronto history, it'll be a page. And they'll say, oh, here's a photo from the subway system. and you'll look at the photo and you'll say,

oh, well, that's the wrong subway, and there were no ads on the wall for Edens, and there was no ad on the wall for Sam the Record Man or whatever. You can see it's AI. Yeah. And it drives me nuts because you'll look in the comments of people saying, like, oh, love these old. So there's, I don't know if they're bots or whatever,

but this is, to me, really messing with the people like Jeremy Hopkins and Adam Bunch and all the true Toronto historians who would never dare share an AI. And this, maybe we can tie this back to music. But all this slop is ruining social media because it, sometimes it's close. But sometimes you're like, oh, wait, the C& Tower isn't actually there at this vantage point. Oh, that's not, there was never, I don't know, this. So you can see this is phony baloney trying to masquerade as true history.

So much bullshit. Yeah. With AI. Yeah, I, you know, I'm trying to get better at learning. how to identify it. It would be amazing if there could be, I mean, not, I don't know, what kind of regulations we can bring in to stop.

But generally, a lot of this stuff, like, I just think it makes people more stupid. Well, because it's, it's, it's, we're already a bit of misinformation. So, like, I know, this is a true story, okay. So there was a tragedy with Rob Reiner and his wife, right? And my mom reported to me, because I don't actually follow celebrity this or TMZ and this and that.

Like I'm kind of out of this loop, but my mom will tell me, oh, yeah. Oh, Conan O'Brien came out and he feels extremely guilty that he's responsible because he didn't call the police on this gentleman at his party at Christmas time. And I'm getting this very detailed story from my mom. And I'm like, oh, that's interesting. I didn't know Conan O'Brien said this or whatever. And then at some point I said to my mom, I was like, where did you get that Conan O'Brien story?

Because he doesn't pass my sniff test. and I didn't hear about it anywhere else. And she'll say, yeah, like I saw it on Facebook. And I'll realize, oh, yes, of course, of course. It's the same thing. You don't follow this as a legitimate piece of the press or whatever, journalism. But here you are being served up something that is pretending to be like a news report or fact, but it's completely invented.

And I think, and I'm not just going to pick on certain generations, but I think particularly an older audience, older than us, Michelle, who are used to like trusting the news. Like I came in, this paper was printed. It was called the Toronto Telegram, or it was the Globe and Mail, or it was a Toronto Star, whatever, it was a Toronto Star, whatever. I can trust this, it was printed,

or this was on my CTV news. Lloyd Robertson said this to me last night or whatever, or, you know, Peter Mansbridge said this, and now they're being served up news that is completely invented, and they're just swallowing it, like it's true. I can't disagree, yeah. It's happening everywhere,

and got a, I don't even, even though, yeah. You're saying that perhaps like... But I do wish there was a way to flag something. I mean, I don't think Medicare's. This is part of the problem, right? Meta's part of the problem. Because meta lets these fake Toronto history sites exist.

And every second image is phony baloney. It's AI generated. And they don't do anything to dissuade it or to stop it. So it just lives on Facebook. They're like, we own Facebook and we don't care of this misinformation on Facebook. No. And, you know, it's... There's nobody really regulating.

I mean, I noticed there's a couple people who are on social media that are trying to, like their whole sort of page or site or whatever, their profile is about trying to help people discern and learn how to decipher actual from not actual. But I think it's just going to get better and better and harder to tell. And so... So the black and white blanket rules, should be, Michelle, because this is what I told my mom is, if you look at the URL of whatever

website you're on, and if it starts with Facebook.com, assume it's fake until proven otherwise. Go to cbc.ca slash news or if you're a, whatever, a CTV or a global, whatever your legitimate news source of choice is and corroborate it, but assume it's fake until you verify. Yeah, definitely. Check at least a few different sites, but trusted sites. Yeah, and check the URL. Let me see. I always say, what's your, source. She goes, oh, I don't know. It was on Facebook. I'm like, okay. Yeah. One of the side project hustle things I was doing in 2025 was on Facebook, I'd be pushed, similar to being pushed that AI slop, fake Toronto history.

I would be pushed like, oh, this longstanding institution, this clothing store that has been in Toronto for 60 years, sadly the owners are going to have to close it up. They can't afford the rent or something. but there's a going out of business sale, okay? And you get this, and you know, I know, because I'm savvy and you're savvy, but right away, you know, oh, this place doesn't exist. Like, this is not a Toronto institution that's been around for 60 years. This is just some domain name that's been bought up in the last few months with a fake story and fake pictures so they can get you to buy a bunch of stuff over,

they're going to sell you a bunch of crap as if it's some prestigious, trustworthy product, okay? So they do very well. What I've been doing lately is I'll find the names of these places, and on my personal blog, I'll write about it to target those keywords. So for the person who does Google it before they buy, which sadly is not enough people, they may end up on my site, which reveals to you that it's actually a scam,

and you can save your hard-earned money because you're never going to get it back once you fall for the scam. But the fact that that stuff is allowed to exist on Facebook actually upsets me almost more than the AI slop because that's legitimately a scam that is taking hard-earned money from, you know, I want to pick on the boomers again, but it's not just boomers that are falling for this. But that,

that to me is a scam where they're just picking pockets because they're lying. Yeah, exactly. But you're doing some good community work there. Thank you. So that's good. Tell your boy, I'm doing that. Now, Michelle, can we bring it back to music?

I want to hear from you, though, because you reference the fact that AI can, like, steal songs from hardworking artists like yourself. And then, like, so do you know of that happening? Um, I haven't looked into it for myself. I almost don't want to. Um, but I, a young woman had posted something where she had just found out about it and had seen, was brought to her attention that there were videos and just her likeness, her voice. They'd sort of imitated her voice, her songs. Um, and yeah. And, and for, like, they're out there trying to market them, but again, for such a little

bits of money cutting into her, you know, whatever it is, point zero, two thirds, you know, two thirds of, well, with this new minimum, I have a feeling at zero. By the way, I just, and I just checked into the live stream because I've been very busy in our conversation here, but, and I'm going to get to music in a minute. Yes. But Jeremy Hopkins actually on the live stream. So he's already heard your story and he says, thank you. And he writes, Colin and Michelle were great together at the Crash Vegas Reuner.

back in 2017. Oh, nice. I didn't know you were there. That's, I mean, that's great. You were there. He's like City TV. He's everywhere. That's amazing.

Okay. Yeah, that was a really fun gig. That was a lot of fun. Is that the last time Crash Vegas played together? Yeah, yeah. And we hadn't for a very long time. So that was really, really amazing. That's amazing.

Okay, so I'm going to play a song and ask you about somebody because I don't think we dove into this during your first visit. You ready? Do it. And you can talk over this. song. Christy McCall. Name the song. It's a long name.

Okay, I'm going to get you this full song. You ready? This is called. There's a guy works down... The chip shops where's these all this? You got it. Yeah, this is it. There we go. All right, this jam got some radio play. Shout out to CFNY. Did you see the documentary about CF and Y that's airing on TBO DOCS? I haven't.

Okay, there's like a 60 minute CFNY doc. You can watch on YouTube tonight. Have I seen it? Okay, I have seen it, yes. Okay. But I also saw the 90 minute cut. I had a great chat with the director, which I was told by the production company was an unauthorized conversation about this

documentary, and they asked me to remove it. Listen, tell your son this too. I'm practically a journalist myself here. But I talked to the director, Matt Schichter. looking over here, is he here? Matt Schichter. Ghost. Yeah. There are ghosts down here. Matt Schichter directed the documentary, and there's a whole bunch of interesting background info that I've been digging up,

and I have letters from lawyers saying that basically your documentary is terrible. Meanwhile, the 60-minute edit is literally available for you tonight, and now the CFNY guys are promoting a 90-minute cut, which is the original version of this documentary that Matt Schecter delivered. they're going to stream it at some public parties. You can buy tickets to. All this is going down. So have I seen the documentary?

Get damn right I've seen the documentary. The Disturber. I want to know. I'm stirring up the shit on this documentary. But you can watch this doc, but they played this song. So this song, there's a guy who works down the chip shop, swears he's Elvis. Features a... But he's a liar.

Features somebody named Blanche McAdory. Uh-huh. Are you related to Blanche Macadbury? I am. What's your relation to Blanche McAdory? Well, Blanche was enamored with streetcar named Desire. Yeah. As was, Christy.

So this was just some weird thing we would do. We met each other on a plane coming back from Spain. And we were laid over for whatever reason. I can't remember. but we were drinking a bit and hanging out and then singing and talking. We just became very good friends. And one thing led to another. I was younger and sort of thinking about music and wanting to.

And she's like, you, we started singing in the airport in Valencia. And then she's like, you've got to come and record with me. But we would do these weird accents, the two of us. And so, you know, what name, so I sang on her. record on that record and like how should we credit you is that and they were calling me blanche i had this she this nickname was blanche blanche i blanche and you're very young like i'm guessing early 20s like how are you maybe even younger yeah teenager yeah i'm just doing the math in my head but i i i was told there'd be no math so i'm a little pissed off here leave the math leave the math

i'll leave the math can a i do the math or i can't trust that no so and again we probably touched on it when you were here, but we had a lot of ground to cover, and I needed the whole Crash Vegas story. But here we are now in your return. So, Christy McCall, like, can you give us some sense of, like, who was she at this time? What is this album that features Blanche? Kirsty, Kirsty? What am I saying? Christie?

Yeah. Cursty. So K-I-R. Kirsty. Okay, I apologize. Okay. So just give me a sense of, like, who was Kirstie McCall at this time? Well, at that time, I mean, geez.

She's just wonderful, amazing woman, super funny, very generous, just a great pal. God, it's so long ago, so absolutely long ago. I actually just went back to London in September of 2025. And although I had visited once since I had lived there, I hadn't been, it felt like another lifetime ago. And so even now thinking about Kirstie and just like how, yeah, she's just a really amazing person. And I guess I just feel like her generosity towards me, openness, having me come and work on a record. She just showed me a lot of things. I'd never been in like a sort of serious recording studio before.

And she was just really great, very, very funny, just wonderful. warm person. And I hope this isn't too personal, but, like, how did you find out about the tragic accident? Oh, I don't know. I guess through media, I don't even remember. And, yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's awful.

It's the worst, yeah. It's awful if you don't have a personal relationship with Kirstie McCall. Like, it's just the saddest, most tragic story you can imagine. And I'm not going to share the story here. Indeed. You can look and look it up. But I can't imagine what it would be like for somebody like yourself who had such a close personal relationship with her.

Yeah, I mean, we were at the, you know, by the time that horrific thing would happen, we weren't in touch really, though we, you know, compared to what it had been when I lived in London. And we did stay in touch for a while here and there after I had moved back to Canada. but I don't know

yeah just just horrendous I don't know what to say I think it's just one of those like truly heartbreaking things you know what else there's really no words do you remember the name of the album that features Blanche macadory and if people can't read between the lines that is you I just want to make sure I spell it out I can see the cover

which is Christy's face and it had it's something and it's got like a little graphic like across their eyes and trying to conjure the memory of someone. Well, here, I'm going to cheat on this one here by searching it up and I can tell you it is the

first single from Is it Desperate Character? Yes. Desperate Character. Thank you. Is the name of this album that features you. And are you Could we hear your voice on that song? There's a guy who works down the chip shops

where he's Elvis. Like, can we hear you in the background there? Yeah, I guess I'm just all over the place on backgrounds, you know, and who would even know anymore. That's one thing she really loved to do is she wanted tons of layered backgrounds. So, somewhere in the mix on a bunch of those tunes on that record. So in addition, you'd hear it on CFN Y, but in the UK, it actually reached number 14, and it was on the charts for nine weeks. So that was a big jam on UK radio.

I know. Yeah, she, I think Maybe it was one of the things that sort of started her Being more known Obviously, she'd had a record out before that I don't know if that's obvious actually, but she had And then of course the one that's playing in the background there Well, here's, the reason, you were originally scheduled for before Christmas, okay?

So this was very timely and I was going to play this Such a great This is Percy McCall So in a sense, because this is such a holiday staple, we'll be hearing her for 100 years. Like, this song is going to be around forever, and she's amazing on it. Yeah, she's super amazing.

I've turned around on the EF slur. Like, I think there was a period of time where I thought, oh, but now because of the content, context and everything in the art, I can totally understand why we get the homophobic F-sler in that song. But I think that's a perfect song. I do, too. No arguments from Blanche McAdory. No.

I think also sometimes songs are written, you know, in a time. And sometimes when we put them through the current moment, you know, I don't know what it is, correction meter or something. It's like, I don't know. It doesn't make sense to me. It's like it's of a time. Also, if you look at the author, and I don't know, I think certain language that people use, it's great just for historical record of culture and how certain people spoke. Do you think we've lost the art of context, like that, you know, we're now, I don't want to use the word canceling, but now we're, you know, revisiting things from a different era, and we're applying today's lens, and it's better to just view them in the context of the time.

I think, yes, I think there's a lot to be, we can learn from wherever we're at, you know, and through these different lenses. But yeah, I have a problem, I think, with, I mean, if you mentioned cancel, culture. Right. And that to me has been quite a disturbing phenomenon. I, yeah. Are there any, you know, lyrics from your old band that you wish you could take back? Is there, is there any moments where if you were writing that in 2026, you might not say that? Crash Vegas? I don't think so. But maybe someone will write in and tell us. We'll get Jayho in the case. Okay, so also since I mentioned that,

Colin Kripps made his Toronto Mike debut since you last visited, but also since you last visited, midge year has been on Toronto mic. No way. That's a true story. When? I would never lie to you. You know,

it's been a couple of years, I suppose, but sometime between your visit, two years plus and now, so I don't know about a year ago or so, but it was great chat. Midge was very nice. I then saw him at the Elma combo. Can I blow your mind?

I'm going to perform at the Elma combo. You are? Yep, I'm not going to sing. That's my pledge. I promise not to sing. But I've got a night at the alma combo. I should have a link for the listenership to buy tickets soon. It will be May 21, I believe.

I'll be joined by my Paul Schaefer, whose name is Rob Pruss, who was in Spoons. Were you a Spoon's head as a youngster? I don't think I was. No Spoonshead here. Okay, so mid-year, why am I bringing up mid-year? So, if you worked with mid-year? I did. Okay, tell us how you worked a mid-year?

It came about. Actually, semi through Christy through another gentleman who was a friend of hers, kind of a manager guy, Chris O'Donnell. I was going to say, different Chris O'Donnell. Yeah, different Chris O'Donnell. He managed different bands like, yeah. Some really good bad, like Thin Lizzie.

Well, yeah, he also managed Steve Strange. Do you ever know of Steve Strange? No, but Thin Lizzie, mid-year was in Thin-Lizzy. No, he wasn't? Okay, keep going and I'll Google it. No, he was in UltraVox. Yeah, well, definitely, ultra-Vox. No, I feel like he was in Thin-Lissie before then.

No, Phil Linnett. Okay, well, I think he had... Boys are back in town. Yeah, but I think he took over, but that's fine. Keep going. I don't, I can't imagine Midge's aesthetic working with... I mean, I'm only... the guy who interviewed him. So I am

here to tell you that, yes, in 1979 for a couple of years, mid-year, was the lead singer of Thin Lizzie. No. Yeah. So I'm just saying all these pieces connect once you can, you know, once you step back and kind of look at I don't even know how you could call it Thin Lizzie. It's like with Phil Gond, like, wow, really? Yeah. And I mean, are you sure that's not AI? No, that's not a guy. No, I talked to him about it. I talked

to him about it. Wow. It's strange. But it's just Similarly, we talked about that song, Fairy Tale of New York, right? Yes. And Shane McGowan, no longer with us as well, is the guy from the Polks. But did you know that Joe Strummer

was also the lead singer of the Polks? I recall him having involvement with them, yeah, at some point. Okay, but somebody's getting the mind blow there. But yeah, Phil, yeah, so mid-year did spend a couple of years. So this is all going to tie into how they're all connected, but you pick it up from there. That's so weird. Yeah, so basically I got to know Midge through whatever means, you know,

meeting this person, that person. And yeah, that's an interesting part of my, when I think about all that, history, where this band that I had, we'd been working with someone else, Speedy Keen, and who, do you know who Speedy King's? No. He wrote an incredible song. He wrote lots of things. He worked with lots of people.

He produced Motorhead and worked with different people. But his big song was something in the air with Thunder Clap Newman. Of course. And so he was doing stuff with us. He was an amazing character, but it's one of those things where he kept cautioning me, don't get involved with all those corrupt music sharks. But we got drawn into working with Midge

and sort of stepped away from Speedy, and then it resulted in this song that you're playing. Love Me Today. You can hear the mid-year production there. So much. I remember when I heard it, I was kind of shocked. Because it didn't really sound like us. And I remember thinking,

Midge might as well be singing. Yeah. But when you say us, what do you consider the name of this band? Well, we were called Cold Fish. Yeah, but... Then, exactly what Speedy had kind of predicted, you know? The...

It was CBS Records had, like, given us this contract for this single in England. And then got picked up in Canada, but they changed the name here to correct spelling, spelled incorrectly. They thought that was cool. And there was nothing I could do about it. Yeah, so one R incorrect. It was just exactly. And it was really one of those moments where I'm like, wow, this is my, this is being schooled in a hard way about being dupe.

completely in music. But, you know, there's some... It was odd. But I hear that CFMY I played that song here. I wasn't living here when it came out as some sort of...

And then there was like a dance mix done. Well, I mean, if it's mid-year production... Uh-huh. And there's a Toronto gal on it. That's you, by the one. And, you know, pre-cash... Crash Vegas, of course. but another name I've been heard reference.

So you mentioned cold fish, but what about the word sushi? Like, honestly, like, I feel like you were... Pre-sushi popularity, I guess, you know? But, like, so is it sushi or cold fish? Cold fish. Okay, so where does... I know this sounds like I'm losing my mind.

It's like old detective novels. There was this kind of obsession with The Ventures and, like, early James, Bond, but like the books. Peter Fleming. Sorry, what was his first name? Fleming is his last name. Yeah, the James Bond. Ian. Ian Fleming.

And anyways, we were so into the Ventures and Psycho Billy's songs. Just, who knows, punk, new wave, cold fish. Well, I'm going to play this for Proust, like on the next episode of Toast, because I think, I mean, this is ridiculous to have the band, like to be called

correct spelling or whatever, and then, have art or the correct is spelled incorrectly. Like this is all bizarre. But I will say that song is actually pretty good. Like, I mean, do you hate it when you hear it in your headphones? Like, what do you feel when you hear that song, Love Me Today, produced by mid-year? I don't hate it. I don't hate it.

Okay, get back on that mic, though. You're too far away. I don't hate it. You know, there's, I think at the point, where I have arrived about stuff like that is, I have, it's more about, like, I have more effective. for myself as the character. I, you know, try to remember whatever memory is, of course, it's so flawed.

But just it's what it was. I have all these memories associated with it. So as opposed to feeling, you know, like this great dislike or all of that, it's just like, ah, oh. Okay, so this band, which, again, I'm confused because I did a lot of research into the history, the ongoing history of Michelle McAdory. And, you know, you can tell me that. that band was called Coldfish.

And then you could tell me that they decided to release it as a correct spelling with one R incorrect, which is insane. But I also read that it was called sushi, the band. Okay. So now I'm now aware of it. No, that's wrong. So that's, it was never, ever known as sushi. Never. Okay.

So, but we have at least two names. Like, it sounds to me like you're set up for failure. And there was, how do you succeed when, when the label can't figure out, you know, how to, how to market this thing? regardless of mid-year who's not by the way i hear to tell you something else too mid-year very famous in the uk mid-year is not famous in north america yeah i don't know if that's a hot take or not or who needs to hear i i think that was just you know it becomes really obvious uh living over there that there was especially with like top of the pops this this music weekly music show where it highlights all the top songs or whatever and there were a lot of artists it was always astounding to me it's like oh yeah

nobody's ever heard of Toya. Do you know Toya? I feel like I've seen it stylized somewhere, but I'm not sure who, is it T-O-Y-A-H? Yeah, yeah, Toya. Yeah. Okay, but I don't, yeah, that's all I know. There was lots of that, right,

where it just doesn't quite cross over. And the same with here, right? There's lots of stuff that just remains more regional, national, or, you know, continental, but doesn't quite make the great. Great crossing. Well, I mean, Blue Rodeo. Yeah?

Right? Yeah, I mean, there's lots. I mean, this show exists to talk about these, you know, made in Canada sensations. But, yeah, they don't, they're not blast in Sloan in, as far as I know, they're not blasted in Sloan in the UK. Yeah. It should be, though. Yeah. What these, you know, where people, where music finds its foothold and why.

I mean, it's not always because. something, you know, because people actually had a chance to hear it either. A lot of times stuff doesn't even get heard. No, I don't even know how you make a living as a musician. I have no idea in... Well, it's worse now. It's worse. It's worse, even though you don't need a label anymore, you're saying it's worse.

Is that because you're drowning in the noise? I think there's that, but I think also because of technology, like this idea that, oh, anybody can do it, it's free, go and do it. But yet, the way that music is just really given for free or monetized so poorly for artists that where you could make, you know, a little bit of money. You know, people had a better chance. I mean, it's always been a kind of corrupt business, in my opinion.

Ah. You know, I'm just playing things randomly to see if Michelle McAdory reacts. but only because I feel like last time when I listened back to our chat last time, I played Inside Out. I saw a film yesterday all about the fabulous disaster minded me of you as together me alone forever. I'll mind the cold reminds me of my home. It's safe inside. I'm told. It's safe.

Inside I'm tall Inside Inside I'm Dreamt of our old place Again This would be the trip to Spain Where I write this song Come Back

You know This is my trip to Spain Where I meet Christy Sort of informed this lyric But Everything else And this is Red Earth Your debut album

With Crash Vegas Which is post England and post Cold Fish I don't know what to make

the new wave band Cold Fish like I don't know is that just a blip in your bio or like what I guess as and we're not going to

dive as deep as we did last time into this band but why does cold fish does it just die in the vine because the label

didn't support it like I don't understand what happens to cold fish and how you're available to be in Crash Vegas well I think for me

also there was just such disillusionment like very quickly with that and my experience with how that happened. Again, you're very, very young. Yes. Because you're if you're if Kirstie in like early 80s, like 81, but that's

the same period of time basically with cold fish and dare I call them correct spelling which is an insane name. Exactly my reaction. So that was enough to make me go, okay, not doing that. Let's try that, you know, again, because that's exactly what I'd been warned about. And sadly, I fell for it. But that brings you back to Toronto, right?

Eventually, yeah, yeah. It took a little bit because I was still sort of, I was in England for a while, a little while. But yes, eventually I'm back in Toronto and, yes, yes. And actually, just about the same time that Greg Keeler, Jim Cuddy, come back from New York, also kind of feeling a disillusionment for much different reasons maybe, but that Toronto seemed like an easier place to be. And, you know, coming back, all of us maybe, you know, just, whoof, trying to clean the slate and do something that you could feel.

feel, well, for myself, I can only speak, but just something that I would feel more, like, just that I believed in. I think also that if, unfortunately, all the recordings that I made in England, especially the ones with Speedy, I wish I could get a hold of some of those, because that would be more representative of what, what that band was. Like, there was a song called American salad. And I don't know why I bring this one. But very much, I was very much influenced by the B-52s too.

Sure. And, but this song was talking about all sorts of things and somehow I was like mentioning all these different lettuces. Okay, there was a point in the lyric. But I remember with Speedy, who was so into it. And he's like, yeah, what if we just had

this giant glass bowl? and we just smashed it. And I was like, wow, that'd be amazing, which exactly what we did. Like, we got this big glass bowl and we put these lettuces in it and we smashed it and recorded it. Yeah.

So that it was part of that song. And like, if only I could hear that tune. So that's not even hiding on YouTube somewhere. That's gone. As far as I know, I mean, I had cassettes of this and then sadly somebody threw out all my cassettes. Who did that to you? Yeah, I can.

We can't. I need names. No. But I do know the owner of that studio. And I would like to, you know, I wonder. But if you can find. Frank Andrews back in England, he had a great studio, Ridge Farm. And, yeah, I wonder if he would have masters.

Well, why don't you reach out? Because if you could find any of this old stuff, you could come back and we could play this. Like, it's like, this is lost media. I love it when we find lost media. Yeah. Like you have a forum here to share the discovery and tell the story of how it came back. And then you could talk about it. Like I'm just saying, the door's open to Michelle McAdory.

Well, that's so kind of you. Okay, I'll give you the key. All right. I'll give you a key. And you can just let yourself in whenever you want. Sounds amazing. All the palm pasta lasagna you could eat and all the great legs beer you could drink here. So when you hear red earth, when you hear that song, because again, I noticed, I tend to like, if there's a song that really resonates with me that I keep going back to, it's like I get hyper focused on it.

Ask Gino Vanelli about my, how I couldn't get off black cars. Okay, that's a real story. He's like, can we get off black cars already? And I feel like, oh, Mike, you went really hard on Inside Out. Because Inside Out, to me, was the jam. But that song I just played, which is absolutely gorgeous. When you hear that in the headphones right now, Michelle McAdory,

how does it make you feel hearing that song, Red Earth? I'm, I, I, but, it's, it's, um, it's a long time ago. And nostalgia, Mark Carney told you to stop living in the past. Yes, exactly. That's why I'm in pre-production for a new record.

What's the new record called? I can't say yet. My goodness. So you haven't recorded anything. That'll be when I come. I'll get halfway through. Well, we are going to talk about more current stuff here.

I have a song loaded up and everything. And I get a lovely note from somebody. I'll just tease who wrote this note that I'm going to read to you in a moment. You ready? Yes. This person's name, and I'm curious if you know this person.

Okay. Alan Miller. Oh, Mr. Miller. I do. Who is Alan Miller? He's a friend that I've come to know. He actually, I met him. He first started, I'm teaching songwriting at U of T.

And I think I had talked about starting that when I was here maybe. Yeah, I'm going to quote you. This is something I pulled for this conversation. You wrote, the class is back. Two weeks till we start. the fall session of songwriting class begins October 8th. So this is obviously dusty now.

But eight weeks, every Wednesday evening, come join us at U of T's School for Continuing Studies and make some songs as the evenings grow longer. You can enroll here, and then there's a lovely link to enroll. So that's something, I just throw that in the mix here as you talk about teaching songwriting. Yes, yes.

So the winter session is starting February 18th. still Wednesday 6.30 p.m. And now more than ever, we need some really, really good, powerful songs. Like Bruce. Like Bruce Springsteen. I just listened to that yesterday. Like, wow, that's amazing that he did that.

He put out a song, right? And thank you, Bruce, for not just setting it to the tune of Streets of Philadelphia. Right? I know. It was hard not to hear that in your head. Streets of Minneapolis. Yeah, yeah.

I'm a big, I got to say, I always... I grew up with, I always tell the story, but I'm a tit younger than you, I think. I grew up with born in the USA, Bruce. That was my Bruce when I was growing up. And I had born in the USA and then you get older and you're like, oh, there was a Bruce before born in the USA. And then you're like, you're catching up on like, it's like history. It's like, I'm going through the archives. I'm like, oh, my goodness.

And then you're sort of like, people are always saying, you know, you got to see Bruce live. But, you know, you just don't get around to it because you're listening, you're seeing like Pearl Jam and Stone Temple pilots. and, you know, you're going to lowest and low and rusty and all this stuff. And then you get an opportunity, okay? A listener of your podcast gifts you a ticket to see Bruce Springsteen at the Scotia Bank Arena. This happened, okay? He's like, this guy, he loves the show. He's an American, the same Steve.

Amazing. He came to the last TMLX at Palmer's Kitchen, and he just out of nowhere, he's like, I want to send you to Bruce Springsteen at Scotia Bank Arena. And I'm like, okay. Like what am I going to say, right? Yeah, sorry, can't go. No, but for this, he gives me. four tickets.

Wow. So I took my wife and I took my brother and his wife. So we go to see Bruce at Scotia Pagan. And I'm there. It's like the day after Donald Trump is reelected. Yeah, I think I was at that show. Wait, he did two nights. He did two nights.

But the show I was at was the night, the night after. So I think it's the second night. I think I was there too. Okay, well, if I know when you were there. Okay, if I had known you were there. But I, uh, if I know when Michelle McKeough, was in that building with 20,000 people or whatever. But I'm he, I just, I soak him in and I'm absolutely blown away like it was a religious

experience. Yeah, it was, it was really something. The first time I saw him, I think I was 12, and a very good friend of mine, her brother, one of those great older brothers, why he took us, I don't know, but he took us to see Bruce. It was born, born to run. And it was a concert bowl at Maple Leaf. Leaf Gardens and it blew my mind. So Arlen, my son is actually a huge Bruce Springsteen fan.

And Tiffany, who took me to see Bruce Springsteen, Breyer, her brother took us. They took Arlen and I. Again, they're like, we have to revisit this all together and we're taking you and your son to go see Bruce. So I too was gifted the experience of seeing Bruce. The gift of Bruce. I know. And now he's, what, I was going to, I was wondering aloud, where is the great protest music?

The world is on fire, okay? Where is the great protest music? This is, we learned about the tumultuous 60s and we learned about these songs that showed up because of the tumultuous 60s. Where's our tumultuous. But Bruce delivered. He did. And I mean, we do have people who are right, have written it. and hopefully there will be more of it.

I mean, song is such an incredible medium for giving voice to grievance, but to mobilizing people to, you know, so I hope we will see more of it. So you're teaching at U of T, hear more of it, songwriting. We'll see it, and we'll hear it. We'll see it.

And it's true, like at least you used to see it. Like, we used to make stuff in this country. I feel like I'm breaking into Subbacca on the wire here, okay? But I'm seeing vinyl here. You gifted me vinyl last time you were here, by the way. No more vinyl this time. The next album you're going to gift me. Why isn't it up on the wall right there?

It's, you know, good question. Do you want me to draw like a big thing on it and then you'll... That's a good point here. Okay, I'll move on here, awkwardly here. Because I'm going to play another song, but I want to just let you know, Michelle McAdory, that if you have old electronics, old devices, old cables,

you don't throw that in the garbage. Those chemicals, they end up in our landfill. You can write a song about this, okay? Recyclemyelectronics.ca, you put in your postal code, and it'll be like, yeah, drop it off here. We'll make sure it stays out of the landfills and stays out, we'll recycle it properly. Good work, recycle my electronics.ca.

Got it? Got it. Recycle. I like it. Yeah, we like the recycle. Got to do it. Well, we also like Nikainis, because Nikaiinis, a lot of people listen. They support the show.

They come to the events. They buy things at Palmipasta. They die and they get, you know, their funeral at Ridley funeral home. You know, this is what happens. Okay, I don't need my listeners to die, though. I need every single one of them. But Nick Aeney's is like, yeah, I like what's happening here. You know, your fierce independency.

Independence. We'll leave it there. No independency. But he's like, I want to help fuel. I'm going to cut a check every month. to keep this show going. Even though Nick told me himself, he says, I don't agree with you politically.

We're not aligned in terms of our thoughts on things. Nick leans a little further to the right than I do. But Nick's like, I respect your right to do it. I like what you're doing. Nick Aeney's cuts a check every single month to keep this show going. And I don't know if we give Nick Aeney's enough love because Nick is a blustery, says what he thinks kind of guy. I freaking love Nick Aienis and Fusion Corp,

and I love his podcast, Building Toronto Skyline, and I recommend it to everybody. You hear me, Michelle McAdory? Okay, I got to check it out. But, I mean, that's amazing that he's so supportive. And, I mean, it's good to hear that though you don't always agree. We don't always agree. We rarely agree.

But we respect each other's rights, and we have civil conversations about these things. This is a thing Nick and I do. We agree on some things that are important. We agree on some things that are important. We agree that we both enjoyed Mark Carney's speech in Davos. So like we'll come together and we have common ground. He's a proud Canadian.

I'm a proud Canadian. And nobody fucks with our sovereignty. Not on my watch. Exactly. Your son's learning how to help us protect ourselves. That's right. Have you had, um, uh, I'll tell you in a minute. You're going to tell me in a minute.

Michelle McIdory needs another great legs beer here. and then she's going to get back to me. What do you think of hearing this song? Really, I just want to play songs and find out what you think, hearing them in the headphones. Like, all right, yeah, yeah. I can remember, you know, going to shoot the video for this, but yeah, it's, I like it. I like it. There's things I like about it, for sure.

Good melody in the chorus. I remember, I think Toronto Ben covered it. Shea? Is it the three women? Yeah. Davenate Doyle? Yeah, yeah. I heard that they had covered it.

Is Kim Stockwood in there? Maybe. There's the three shant-toose. Yeah, yeah, yeah. from Canada. Yeah, they're very good, actually. I think Davna Doyle is one of them, for sure. Okay, that's good to hear, because it's a catchy jam,

and I just loaded it up because I didn't play it last time. But I want to talk about your solo career before you escape, and then I promised Alan Miller. I have a couple of questions from Alan Miller. So what I'm going to do is we're going to segue to your solo career, because, you know, you did a lot since Crash Vegas. Can you believe we're going back a quarter of a century? I don't.

Is that wild? Like now we're in the soul? So this is Whirl. Yes. This was my first solo endeavor. Yeah, because I mean, Crash Vegas doesn't disband until 96. And now we're in the year 2000. Exactly.

Yeah. Time just speeding on. Let me get to the Alan Miller questions. You ready? Okay. All right. I'm going to read exactly as he wrote it. So you have to pump your tires a little bit.

As if I haven't pumped those tires enough. Those tires are about to explode. What is the PSI on those tires? Actually, I have an issue with one of the tires in the vehicle. The vehicle? But it's all right. It's just, it's not. So I only know about bike tires.

I'm an expert in bike tires. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I love cycling. Okay, I'm going to meet you for a ride on the waterfront trail. For sure. Okay, that's a date. Okay. I can't believe I'm going to get a date with Michelle McAddo.

Your last, this is Alan talking, not Toronto, Mike. Alan Miller, your last album was listed for the Polaris Prize. And its title track has, to date, amassed over 620,000 streams on Spotify alone. Is it true that we can purchase this record and the rest of your great songs at Michelle McAddoer, dot bandcamp.com and other places where fine music is sold. Wow, it's as if I paid him. Yes, it is. Why, yes.

Why, yes, Alan. Thank you for that question. Thanks for the great question, Alan. Yeah, no, everything, you can get everything at Bancamp. It's great. Bancamp still seems like the best site, in my opinion. Well, that's the most money in the artist's hands. It is.

Yeah, yeah. Because Alan Miller Do you pay Alan Miller for these wonderful comments? You need to disclose that if it's true. This is real journalism here. He says over 620,000 streams. I'm going to guess. Can I guess that you can't buy a Starbucks coffee

with your Spotify revenue? Am I even, am I way off base here? No, no, no, you're not. Okay, so we're kind of going back to where we started here because that was your initial rant. but how if you're not Drake, okay, if you're not Justin Bieber, I'm going to name all the Canadians who do make money from Spotify.

There's only about six of them, okay? How does an artist who has, what I think is a significant number of streams, 620,000 streams, if that doesn't make an artist any money, then, A, why are you on Spotify? Is it because if you're not on Spotify, you're invisible? Yeah, that's been kind of,

argument but I ask myself the same question it's like oh you know what is the point of it uh to be on those services so I don't know um I I still you know I wake up some days and I'm always talking to myself um and and phone me up and tell me these thoughts and say you know should I just pull it and and not be on there and um what was the other party of questions just just that uh what we had an air where 620,000 streams earns you no money from Spotify? Yeah, sadly. Because I'm going to guess, I'm going to guess

the overwhelming majority of musicians in this country will have fewer streams. Yeah, I don't know, but it's, it just doesn't make sense. We got it, I wish we could pull together a better idea of how to regulate and manage, I don't know. haven't really, I haven't spent a lot of time, which is not, you know, I should be probably

trying to be more constructive and, you know, it's always better. It's one thing to critique things, but, you know, to offer some solutions or alternatives. It's almost like the tech company is that, it's almost like goes back to what we said about the meta and I won't tell you that. I know you used to be on Twitter. Do you still tweet or X, I should say? I don't. And I've actually, I've, I've thought recently, although I realize like, you know, it's still the place for, for some things, but I thought maybe it'd be better if I actually just deleted my account, which I haven't done yet. Well, you don't want someone to take your username.

No, and I really am not, like, Elon Musk for me is really problematic, so. So you're not currently posting on X? No, but then as I've learned, I think he may be, or part of his, you know, giant conglomerate of things that he owns, maybe owns substack, too, so I have to look into that. Oh, I don't know. And I have been enjoying substact. So can people subscribe to your substack? Yeah, I haven't really.

I'm going to start writing things really soon on there. But yes. You're touching on something, which is that these, I'll call them these modern billionaires, right? They all kind of figured out a way to like screw you out of your data to sell you shit. And then they all got rich or whatever. And many of them are problematic. So we have issues with meta that we talked about earlier. And that is the Zuckerberg empire.

we have issues with X, a lot of issues with X, and that's the Musk Empire. And meanwhile, it sounds like Spotify is royally fucking the overwhelming majority of musicians on this planet. Absolutely. But they've somehow figured a way to, because I personally don't use Spotify, but I don't use it either. But most people do, right?

Like a lot of people I know and love are Spotify heads. And because if that's where you're going to get all your music, and then all of a sudden Michelle McAdroy's music is not, there, that fucks you too. I don't know if it does. And that's what I'm trying to figure out. Like, you know, has it turned anybody on to what I do enough that they go somewhere else? Or is it just like providing wallpaper in their, you know, situation?

Like how much do they care about, you know, maybe? I feel like I don't know, do as many, is this the wrong way to phrase this? And forgive me for people who love Spotify because maybe they could make the argument would help me understand, but I wonder if people who really want to hear fully what an artist does might use Apple more or title or one of those other services, because they seem to... It's also, YouTube also has a stream.

And YouTube, of course, but where you can actually see, you know, hear albums and really go deeply into tracks and that, where it seems like Spotify is more about serving up like curated lists with tracks, kind of like maybe a radio station. might have done, is that? But if you want, like, if you want to hear inside out. I mean, I know Apple does that too, another thing. Like, like, you could remove your music from Spotify, for example,

and then the people who want Inside Out on their playlist won't get to hear. I guess, like, who controls Crash Vegas stuff? Well, it depends who owns the albums, right? And so each of those records belong to different labels. Uh, that's a whole other questions. Well, who owns inside a manager? Okay. I need a manager to come and help sort this.

I do. Uh, but like, you want me to call Jay Gold? What's going on here? Uh, you know, sure. Uh,

I, I spoke to Jake not too long ago, a couple years ago. Um, and, um, but basically like Warner's reissued red earth. Um,

but the other labels, it's a kind of limbo thing. And that becomes another catch 22 because it's so expensive. to get legal, you know, services to actually untangle this stuff and know that you, yeah, it's quagmire. Yeah, it's a quagmire here. Okay, so I will specialize in the quagmire of music bids. That's why I like talking to you because you're out there trying to figure all this out. You mentioned you got a new album coming out.

So you're obviously writing stuff and you're going to be releasing a new album. But just because Alan Miller brought it up, I should point out that in two, her future, which I own on vinyl, so we're going back. But even that, so I mentioned it was a quarter of a century since Whirl, okay? Do you know into her future is now a decade? A decade. I know. Like even that, which is your fresh, that's my rhythm. And that's like your fresh content. Michelle, we need to fix this. Good things take time. Good things take times. But it was referenced by Alan Miller, but it was long listed, which is different than me shortlisted, but it's better than not being anything. So it was long listed for the 2016 Polaris Music Prize,

which is rather prestigious. And it was on the earshot national top 50 chart in December that year. So that was into her future. Do you have a name for the new album that is not yet completed? Perhaps. But you're not, that's what secret. Yeah. Can you tell me after the recording so I could leak it somewhere?

Maybe. Okay. And then I'll tell you more dirt about the CFF Why documentary. Yeah, I'll tell you some other dirt too. By the way, Cutty is in the CF and Y documentary. Oh. Yeah, I'm just throwing it out there because I guess that the music which you start in the video,

this is all in the first Michelle McIory episode, your relationship with Greg Keeler and how that ties into Crash Vegas and then you're in the videos. So that, apparently CF&Y was the only station playing that in the beginning. Does that sound possible to you? Could be, yeah. Well, Cuddy talks to this. So, but he's mainly in the 90 minute version, which I think I might be the only person outside of the production team that's actually seen the 90 minute version. Because I don't know if Matt Schichter was supposed to share that link with me, but he did and I watched it.

Okay, I watched it several times. So only now, you know, I got dirt for you. Oh my goodness gracious here. So I'm going to look forward to the new Michelle McAdory album. Yes, yes. Got to push that thing. Do you have an ETA? Like, where are we looking at?

No, I don't yet. I can't jinx. these things, it's pre-production time. This is art that you create. Like, you need a deadline. It's like, all right, well, you know, that's where the manager will come in. But there's no manager right now. When was the last time you had a manager?

Um, hmm. Do you want me to manage you? Is that what this is all about? I'm not sure. I can figure that shit out. All right. I'll figure that shit out. I mean, this is the year I'm doing a lot of different shit.

Like, I'm going to be at the Elmo. Did I mention that? Yeah, yeah, I like that idea. And tickets are actually available now. Like, you can search for this on Eventbrite. And what's going to happen? It's called Toronto Mike's Social Experiment. Yes.

And it's about 90 minutes. Amazing. And that's all I can tell you right now, because you didn't tell me the name of your new album. Come on. It's going to be quid pro quo over here. Are you going to, like, just drip out little bits of what's going to happen each... I'm going to craft something... Toronto Mike...

Something intelligent. Yeah. It's going to be insightful. it's going to be entertaining. Interactive. It's going to be interactive. Sure. It's going to be something.

And I mentioned I have Rob Pruss as my Paul Schaefer. I'll be like the letterman to his Paul Schaefer. It's going to be something. Cool. I like that. I'm going to go. There was a, oh my God. Is that a commitment?

I just sold a ticket. Okay. Alan Miller had a second question, which I almost don't think I should read it because it's a little too tire pumpy. He asks, why are you so awesome? Who is this guy, Alan Miller? Seriously. I think Alan's in love with you.

Jeez. Who can blame him? Okay. So Michelle McAdory, this won't be your last appearance because I dig your vibe. You actually calm me down. Like, I get all angry at the world. And I, for the last, I don't know what this was,

80 minutes or whatever, I felt calm. I think that's you. Amazing. Well, I was really looking forward to coming and hanging out. So I hope you'll have me back. Was there anything you wanted to share that you didn't share? Just come to the songwriting class. There's spots left because I think we need some really good songs out there.

More, more good songs. Is there a website we'd send them to or they just go to learn. It's at the school, U of T, School of Continuing Education. And it's under creative. Continuing studies. Yeah, continuing studies. Thank you for that. And it's under creative writing, songwriting.

Can you imagine being taught songwriting by Michelle McAdoy? It's a creative lab. I'm going to borrow that for my one-man show, Atea El Macombo on May 21st. Michelle McIntyore, when you have the new album out and you come back and we're going to chat about different things, will I get a vinyl copy? As long as you put the other one up on the wall Done deal I'm embarrassed I'm actually thoroughly embarrassed

It's not up there right now And if Joe Louis is listening If Joe Louis is listening Because the truth is I can't play it And I lent it to a guy No one in the TMU The Toronto Mike universe as Joe Louis So Joe Louis is listening to it right now

And I don't So I don't physically have it here But I can't play it anyways But I do want it for the display here But there's a digital digital card inside too. But I also have a premium YouTube account, like where I can listen

to it. Okay. Oh my gosh. Should I have brought you a disc? I can actually play a disc. Oh, gee, okay. I'll bring you a bunch of discs. And that, that brings us to the end of our 1,840th show.

1840, go to Toronto mic.com for all your Toronto mic needs. I don't know, all your Toronto mic needs, but yeah, a lot of needs are met at Toronto Mike.com. Please, uh, support the partners that made this possible.

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