Homeward Bound 

Sep 14, 2024 7:30 PM
Showplace Performance Centre

Get ready to groove as John Sheard rolls out a star-studded cast to celebrate one of the 1960s’ chart-topping duos, who basically turned vinyl into gold. Simon & Garfunkel didn’t just hit the charts; they hit them so hard, they left Grammy dust all over them—10 awards to be exact! And as if that wasn’t enough, they waltzed their way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Their swan song album, Bridge over Troubled Water, isn’t just on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list; it’s holding strong at number 51, because, well, it’s kind of a big deal. Oh, and did I mention they’ve sold over 100 million records? Yeah, they did that too.

And speaking of big deals, John Sheard, Toronto’s musical jack-of-all-trades, is probably best known for making the music on Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe sound effortlessly charming from 1997 to 2016. But don’t let that fool you—he’s also released eight solo piano albums and mentored more young musicians than you can shake a metronome at. Since 1975, he’s been laying down tracks with everyone from Rita MacNeil to Celine Dion, Olivia Newton-John, and a list so long it could have its own tour bus. And live performances? Let’s just say, if you haven’t seen him on stage with Rough Trade, Guess Who, or Shirley Eikhard, you might want to get out more. John’s also dipped his musical fingers into TV, scoring shows like Biography, Sesame Street, and even Dancing with the Stars. Basically, if it has sound, John Sheard’s probably had something to do with it.