The Sound Cafe

10/07/2026

What people are saying about The Busholme …

Since we published The Busholme: Where Live Music Still Feels Like It Belongs, the response has been wonderful.

Readers have called it a “special gem,” a “fantastic music venue,” and said the article “captures the essence of The Busholme.”

One longtime supporter described the experience perfectly: it feels like “you've arrived home”, comfortable, surrounded by friends, and part of something special.

Another called The Busholme their “No.1 favourite venue,” while others simply described it as “one of the best music rooms around.”

With 26 shares and more than 3,000 views in the last 24 hours, the response says something about just how much this venue means to people.

And perhaps that's the real story.

The Busholme isn't simply a place where live music happens. It's a place where people feel they belong.

Thank you to Mike, Nicole, their wonderful team, the musicians, and everyone who continues to support this very special music room.

🎶❤️

The Venue
https://www.thebusholme.ca/

The Article
https://www.thesoundcafe.com/post/the-busholme-where-live-music-still-feels-like-it-belongs



The Busholme

10/06/2026

Some afternoons remind you why live music matters.

Our first visit to The Busholme in Erin, Ontario, was one of them.

Anne and I were warmly welcomed by the owners, enjoyed excellent food, great hospitality and an outstanding afternoon of music featuring Erin McCallum, Teddy Leonard, Steve Marriner and Jessie O’Brien.

But what really stood out was how everything worked together, the artists, the audience, the venue, the staff and the sound.

This is what live music should look like.

We’ve written about the experience in our latest feature:

Read it now in The Sound Café Journal.
https://www.thesoundcafe.com/post/the-busholme-where-live-music-still-feels-like-it-belongs



The Busholme Erin McCallum Music Steve Marriner Music

There are venues you visit, and there are venues you remember. The Busholme, on Main Street in Erin, Ontario, belongs firmly in the second category.

10/05/2026

THE LIVE MUSIC TRILOGY

Three articles. One uncomfortable question:
What happens when the people making decisions about live music become disconnected from the people making the music?

Over three investigative features, The Sound Café Journal follows the journey from the artist struggling to find the next gig, through increasingly risk-averse programming, to the institutions and decision-makers standing behind the scenes.

PART ONE — The Long Road to the Next Gig
Why is it becoming harder for working artists to find a stage?

PART TWO — The Safety Trap
When risk-averse programming becomes the norm, what happens to discovery, diversity and the artists willing to take chances?

PART THREE — The Bureaucrats of the Backstage
When cultural decisions drift away from the music, who decides what gets heard, supported and remembered?

This isn't an argument against administrators, institutions or professional management. It's an argument for cultural understanding, independent judgment and putting the music back at the centre of the conversation.

Three perspectives. One bigger picture.

Read the trilogy at The Sound Café Journal.
https://www.thesoundcafe.com/articles/categories/the-live-music-trilogy

10/05/2026

An Exceptional Afternoon at The Busholme

At The Sound Café Journal, we’ve been privileged to witness some truly remarkable music over the years, but this afternoon was something special.

If you know The Busholme, enough said.

If you don’t, stay tuned. We’ll be featuring an entire article on this remarkable venue and what makes it such an outstanding example of live music done right.

This afternoon, we had the pleasure of watching The Sound Café Journal Editorial Director & Journalist Erin McCallum open alongside JUNO Award winner Teddy Leonard for the exceptional Steve Marriner, joined by the outstanding keyboard player Jessie O’Brien.

Great artists. Great musicianship. A great room. And, most importantly, a venue and artists working together to create something genuinely special for an audience.

For now, we’re sharing some photographs from this afternoon’s amazing show.

📸 A dedicated feature on the performance is coming to The Sound Café Journal.

And we’ll also be taking a closer look at The Busholme, an outstanding example of what can happen when venues and artists work together to present great live music.

This is what live music should look like.

10/04/2026

A wonderful evening celebrating the new music of Jason Wilson, with The Sound Café’s Stevie and Anne Connor joining Jason as his guests for his album launch.

A remarkable Canadian musician, historian, author and broadcaster, Jason’s musical journey has travelled from his Scottish roots and Toronto upbringing through reggae, folk and global roots music.

His story includes connections with Messenjah, Sly & Robbie, Jackie Mittoo, Ernest Ranglin, UB40, Brinsley Forde of Aswad and many more.

It was a pleasure to be there to celebrate the music, the friendships and the remarkable journey behind it.

Congratulations, Jason, on the album launch.

📸 Stevie Connor with Jason Wilson Music

A full feature on Jason Wilson and his extraordinary musical journey will follow soon in The Sound Café Journal.

10/04/2026

The Sound Cafe's Stevie Connor with Toronto Reggae Legend, Messenjah frontman, Rupert “Ojiji” Harvey at Hugh's Room Live in Toronto this evening.

10/04/2026

A special reunion for The Sound Café’s Stevie Connor tonight, catching up with his good friend Serge Sloimovits.

Serge is one of the great characters of the Canadian music business, with a remarkable career that has seen him work with artists including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, B.B. King, John Lee Ho**er, Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Dizzy Gillespie, Joan Baez, James Brown, Emmylou Harris, John Mayall, Jeff Healey and many more.

Two friends, a lot of music history, and plenty of stories still to share.

10/03/2026

THE ANATOMY OF A STIFLED STAGE — PART TWO

What happens when playing it safe becomes the safest way to silence what comes next?

This is the second article in our three-part investigative series examining the pressures reshaping live music, from the struggle to find a stage, to the risks behind programming decisions, to the people and structures operating behind the scenes.

Part Two — The Safety Trap
What happens when caution becomes the dominant programming strategy? https://www.thesoundcafe.com/post/the-safety-trap-why-risk-averse-programming-is-stifling-live-music

If you missed it ...
Part One — The Long Road To The Next Gig
The artist's struggle to find somewhere to play.
https://www.thesoundcafe.com/post/the-long-road-to-the-next-gig

Coming soon ...
Part Three — The Bureaucrats of the Backstage
What happens when cultural decisions begin to drift away from the music?

Three investigative articles. Three perspectives. One bigger question: What happens to live music when nobody can afford to take a chance?

Read the trilogy at The Sound Café Journal.

The Safety Trap: Why Risk-Averse Programming Is Stifling Live Music