Episode 06: The Phoenix- Dave Bidini

Rising from the ashes of Canadian journalism.

The first Bidini book I read was “On a Cold Road- Tales of Adventure in Canadian Rock”, a non-fiction no-bullshit account of the life of a travelling musician in 1990’s Canada. He wrote about bars I remember and bands I thought I knew, and about his band, the unconventional and influential Rheostatics, the pride of Etobicoke. The book is a musical odyssey, or in the words of Quill and Quire, a book about: “Bruce Cockburn to Tommy Chong, Kim Mitchell, to Richard Flohil…first and worst gigs, interviews, stadium shows and small town bars, Cancon, drugs, snow, hockey, groupies, fame (or lack thereof), various rock personalities (from Canada and abroad), and musical magic.” It’s a rollicking read, in a straightforward style that keeps the pages turning. Turns out, all his books are like that.

By last count he’s written 13 books— on baseball, rock and roll, hockey, the homeless World Cup, and even a fully unauthorized biography of sorts of Gordon Lightfoot. He’s almost shockingly prolific.We talk about that.

He’s been nominated for a Gemini, and a Genie, and a Juno. Not sure if there’s a fancy acronym for that in Canada, but there should be.

But the real reason I reached out to him for a walk is because not long ago Bidini started something no one it seems to me in their right mind would actually try to start in this day and age.

He started a newspaper. An actual printed monthly broad sheet called The West End Phoenix.

The Phoenix stands out for its emphasis on high-quality, slow journalism, and is a unique project that reflects Bidini’s commitment to journalism and his passion for the written word, as well as his deep connection to the community.

Click below, and I’ll take you to Phoenix world headquarters.