Great Canadian Songbook party will have Aurorans spinning for more

July 5, 2017 · 0 Comments

By Brock Weir

From the 1970s through the 1990s, Dave Heard was a regular behind the turntable, spinning tunes for countless Aurorans at various venues.
Now, as Canada marks the 150th anniversary of Confederation, Mr. Heard is preparing to go back to his roots, spinning some iconic Canadian tracks for all to dance to at The Great Canadian Songbook.
Set to take over the Aurora Community Centre – itself celebrating its 50th anniversary this year – on Saturday, July 22, from 7 – 11 p.m., it will feature iconic Canadian tracks, all blasted from original vinyl pressings, a dance floor, a licensed lounge, and a spectacular indoor light show.
And, best of all, admission is free and open to all ages.
The genesis of The Great Canadian Songbook party came about six years ago when Mr. Heard renewed his passion for vinyl. Since then, he has made significant acquisitions, including most of the stock from Peter Dunn’s Vinyl Museum, and has curated an impressive collection of the tracks of multiple generations.
“I thought it would be amazing if we could actually amass a playlist of all Canadian content and share it and celebrate with Canadian music for our 150, including focusing on some of the local music history and some of the stuff we know about artists who came from Aurora or lived here for a long time,” says Mr. Heard.
Initially pitching the idea as a component of Dance in the Park to Al Downey, Aurora’s Director of Parks and Recreation, Mr. Downey suggested focus shift to the Aurora Community Centre, the home of the Aurora Tigers which, in its heyday, hosted the emerging bands Triumph, Rush and The Guess Who.
From there, the idea snowballed – and so did enthusiasm.
“An event like this hasn’t been done before and the best part about it is the inclusivity of the event, the exclusivity of the playlist and how rare the play list is,” says Mr. Heard. “This is not just a dance but a historical reflection on Canadian Music. It will be like Triumph and Rush is playing there again and hopefully I can come up with some pretty impressive intros. I did a lot of presenting and programming in the earlier years of my life and it will be a chance to show these bands how much we appreciate the music they gave us by recreating it live in the arena on vinyl.”
Outside of his work behind the turntable, music has always been an important part of Mr. Heard’s life. He credits it as a healing tool, one which has helped him along the way. There is a certain charm of being able to listen to these songs in your own space, he says, taking out that gatefold album, reading the liner notes, and letting it all soak in.
“From a healing capacity, it was a chance to lose myself in the moment for something that is visually and audibly incredible,” he says. “It is a way I found peace. I find it as my gateway to deal with stress or anxiety and I just lose myself in the music. Music helps me chill.”
Looking ahead to the party itself, Mr. Heard says he knows sharing these records will be a value to the community and everyone will take away something different from the experience, regardless of age or musical tastes.
He envisions people up on the dance floor dancing to the songs of the 1950s, iconic tracks from first pressings of The Tragically Hip, and even rare selections from comedian Tom Green’s attempted hip hop career. He sees people entranced by the light show, or cuddling up in the arena seats listening to a ballad.
“Memories,” he says, when asked what he wants people to leave with. “I can see their reaction over and over that night, people saying, ‘Oh, my goodness, I didn’t know that was Canadian.’ I can see fathers dancing with their daughters. I can see friends seeing friends they haven’t seen for a long time. I can see relationships starting. I see a celebration and, for one night in this crazy, crazy world we seem to be in right now, I see a little peace.”
The Great Canadian Songbook vinyl dance party will take place Saturday, July 22, from 7 – 11 p.m. at the Aurora Community Centre. Admission is free, but donations inside to Kerry’s Place Autism Services would be greatly appreciated. For more, visit cndsongbook.ca.