On a Sunday afternoon in downtown Toronto, the spirit and love of the Canadian country music community were as strong as its ever been. A sold-out crowd gathered at Rock 'N' Horse Saloon for the Country Kicks Cancers Ass fundraiser in support of Cadence Grace, and together we all witnessed an afternoon of talent, love, support, and emotion.
Off the top, we want to acknowledge everyone that helped make the day possible. The bar, the band, the artists, the prize donators, the friends and family, Ann and Stacey of Runaway Angel, every person included in the video that was shown in the room, and every single person that showed up - you are all superstars.
The doors to the event opened at 2 pm, and people were there right away. And by the time the music started just after 3 pm, the room was already full, there were bids on silent auction items, and there was a buzz in the room. It felt more like an evening show on a Friday night, than a Sunday afternoon.
There were differences though. Throughout the room, eyes were looking for Cadence, hoping to get in a hug and hello. She was the reason the room was full. She was the guest of honour. And while there were also hugs for the show's performers as they walked the room, it was the rare instance of the performers coming in second.
Let's pause again for a second to talk about Cadence. This woman is talented, kind, loving, open, honest, passionate, hard-working, and has shown over and over again that she will go out of her way to make someone else's day better. We've heard stories from James Barker Band and Kris Barclay, both talking about Cadence being the first to make them feel welcome at CMAO events, and introduce them to other industry members. We've seen the smiles and moments she shares with fans. And we have never heard anyone say anything less than good things about her. Ever.
During our afternoon at Rock 'N' Horse we were treated to short sets from 9 Canadian country acts (with special bonuses at the end) in an Opry Style jam.
The show started with Ben Hudson, who was accompanied by his lovely wife Brooke. With the backing of the band, the duo played a cover of Josh Turner's Why Don't We Just Dance, followed by originals, Johnny And June, and Wear And Tear. The performance was a great start to the day, the crowd was engaged early, and we got to see Ben and Brooke do what they do best.
Julia Haggarty came to the stage next for her three-song set and reminded us why we enjoyed her so much at the Dakota Tavern during Indie Week 2017. Original tracks Paradise and Stories acted as bookends around her cover of Dolly Parton's classic, Jolene. Keep an eye out for more from Julia soon.
Windsor's Kelsi Mayne was third to the stage, and the 2019 SiriusXM Top of the Country semi-finalist put her stamp on the stage in her short time. She also went original-cover-original, with Woman Waiting, Lady Gaga's Edge Of Glory, and her new single, Takin' U Home. This is going to be a busy run for Kelsi. Be ready for her!
2018 Boots & Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase winner, Kris Barclay was next on stage, and the former hockey playing strummer showed once again that he's making a strong transition into a full-time life of music. Barclay's cover of Nial Horan's Slow Hands was a BIG hit with the Rock 'N' Horse crowd, and his original (and perhaps future single) Should Have Loved You Like That gave us a little look at what's coming from the Ajax native.
Leah Daniels was next to the stage, and first with a medley, that she squeezed in between her first Top 20 single, Go Back and a track from her most recent album, To Get Her. The medley in the middle was a banger with three hits mashed up including, Third Eye Blind's Semi-Charmed Life, Sugar Ray's Fly, and Donna Lewis's I Love You Always Forever. We know that Leah is a strong singer and a talented entertainer. And Sunday she shared that with the packed Toronto room.
London, ON's Genevieve Fisher came to the stage to wrap the first half of the show, and she made her time count. The CMAO Female Artist Nominee started with her own, You Me We, tossed in a cover of Keith Urban's Somebody Like You in the middle, and finished up with her Top 20 single, Take It On Home. If we were going to guess at something, we'd guess that performances like this will lead to more nominations in the future.
After a short break, which included a very sweet and touching video of love and support and well wishes from artists including Jess Moskaluke, Tim Hicks, The Washboard Union, Aaron Goodvin, Patricia Conroy, and many more, plus other industry members, the music continued.
Eric Ethridge took the stage first after the break. Going solo with his guitar, the Sarnia turned Nashville singer belted out his single Calfornia, followed it up with a duet version of Dan + Shay's Tequila (with Leah Daniels), and then brought it home with If You Met Me First and Liquor's Callin' The Shots from his self-titled debut EP. It feels like there's more to come from Ethridge before long. Stay tuned.
Small Town Pistols followed, bringing a combination of the duo's music, classics from The Wilkinson's catalogue, and a surprise cover. Amanda and Tyler still sound amazing. They connect with the crowd in an honest, genuine way, and when they sang I Only Smoke When I Drink, 26 Cents, Jimmy's Got A Girlfriend, and Weezer's Say It Ain't So, the room was locked in on them. We hope we get to do that again soon.
The scheduled programming wrapped when Jessica Mitchell came to the stage. The acclaimed singer-songwriter played a set of originals, sharing four songs from her debut album, Heart Of Glass. Her performances of That Record Saved My Life, Tear It Down, Bulletproof, and Workin' On Whiskey were accompanied by some very heartfelt words and moments that helped to drive home the message of why we were there, and why we love Cadence.
After Jessica finished on stage, Cadence took a moment to speak to the crowd. It was amazing to see her standing there, with strength and grace and honesty as she shared herself with us. She also took a moment to talk about the importance of blood and stem cell donation and the opportunities it gives to save lives like hers when needed. The reminder of her fight and efforts to educate and advocate for others was powerful and we hope that you will visit blood.ca to learn more.
Cadence was then joined by Stacey and Ann and the members of the band to sing for us. The trio played Serena Ryder's What I Wouldn't Do, taking a step back to their time in the CCMA Discovery Program in 2016. We've seen Runaway Angel play before, but this may have been the most special it's ever been. The connection between Cadence, Stacey, and Ann was clear. The emotion they showed was amazing and overflowing. The response from the crowd was memorable. And we can not wait until we get to see them on stage singing together again.
The show ended with Al Rowe leading the band and assorted members of the day's lineup in a cover of New Radicals' You Get What You Give. There was great energy on the stage to wrap the day and applause and love from the Rock 'N' Horse crowd.
Again, we thank everyone who was there on Sunday to support Cadence. We thank everyone who worked to put on the show. We thank the band and artists, the prize donators, the staff, every single person. Thank you to Whitney South for the photos in this post and for capturing the day. Thank you all.
We love you Cadence.