An innovative new spin class has come to town, but it’s not about biking or working out at all — instead, it’s a place for local Toronto musicians to thrive. Born and raised Toronto resident Alex Hajjar, bassist for psychedelic rock band Howlin’ Circus, is championing the local music scene with a new monthly listening series titled Spin Class, taking place at Danu Social House every second Sunday of the month.
Four events have taken place so far, with more planned for May. They begin at 6 p.m., when Hajjar starts playing the Spin Class soundtrack, the large playlist of local music that he is continuously curating. At 7 p.m., he plays the full album of the first featured band, followed by the full album of the second featured band, after which he returns to the playlist.
There’s two elements here, the first being the playlist that bookends the evening. Hajjar sources new music for it by browsing Bandcamp, and getting recommendations from social media or other artists. Currently, there are 76 songs on the playlist (and more being added continuously), including songs from roller-skate punk band Shiv and the Carvers, improvised ambient guitar and pedal steel brothers Drones over Dufferin and electronic-rock project Waxlimbs.
The album segment sprang from Hajjar’s realisation that there are very few platforms for an independent band to have their record played in full — outside of their own album release party (and that’s only if they have the resources to host one).
Having grown up in the local music scene, mostly playing in punk bands, Hajjar is more than familiar with the DIY practice of little to no budget for self-promotion.
“Coming up in the music scene of Toronto, I felt that there was a bit of cliquiness and gatekeeping,” he says. “I think it’s hard for new artists and new bands to break into the local scene because it’s siloed in a way. These three bands will play these shows, and these three bands will play shows together, but there’s not much cross pollination.”
With Spin Class, he aims to bridge those siloes by inviting the music community into a space specifically dedicated to discovering new local music. He says that 99.98 per cent of the featured artists are from Toronto (mostly unsigned), while a tiny percentage is reserved for independent bands from other parts of the country.
“They’re people you would work with at a shop on Queen Street, or see at [local music venues] the Baby G or Hard Luck,” says Hajjar.
To allow for intentional listening, he chose a bar with a relatively quiet environment that accommodates conversation but also has the equipment to project a record through the whole space. “This way people can interact and engage with another, and musicians can find new avenues to play with artists they admire,” he says.
At least one member of each band is required to be present, both to engage with the audience and participate in an on-site interview with Hajjar. He notes that because there’s no performances, the artists don’t have to lug gear, and they’re not sweating or too tired to engage with their fans.
The interviews are then featured on Instagram as event promotion. Hajjar makes a point of asking each of the artists to name two other local bands that they admire and want to work with.
“That gives me an opportunity to search out more local music, put them on the playlist, try to get them to come in, and keep growing the Spin Class community,” he says. Hajjar also uses the Instagram page to highlight different local music venues that are valuable to Toronto’s music scene. So far the features have included Hugh’s Room, Handlebar, The Cameron House, Tapestry and more.
Up next, a regular Spin Class listening event will take place on May 11 featuring Ron Hawkins from Lowest of the Low and LeBarons, followed by a special live music event taking place on May 17 in support of Swan Dive bar. That event, featuring performances by several local bands, will help fundraise for the venue whose beloved owner is battling terminal cancer. It will run from 3-9:30 p.m. with sets by Howlin’ Circus, LeBarons, Eleven Minutes Late, Johnny Vacation, Faiyaz & The Wasted Chances and Silver Reeds. There will also be a raffle and prizes, including merch from the bands.
“There’s no stopping it; it feels like Spin Class is doing well, it’s getting a lot of positive reactions,” says Hajjar. “And the artists that come affirm exactly what the goal was — that it’s great to meet other artists who they otherwise may not have gotten the opportunity to meet.”
