culture
A Street Artist Returns To Fill Our Prescription
Dr. Draw, a violinist, pulled out all the stops during his homecoming show.
Though he's backed by a full band, Dr. Draw really only needs his violin to bring down the house.
Dr. Draw’s Strange Parade
The Mod Club
(722 College Street)
Saturday, March 31, 9 p.m.
$10
Eugene “Dr.” Draw has certainly come a long way since his busking days on Toronto’s street corners. The 30-year-old, who is well known for his violin performances and his onstage dancing, has recently returned from a visit to South Asia. On Saturday night he staged a homecoming show at the Mod Club. Although Draw made his name with free concerts in Yonge-Dundas Square and annual gigs at the Beaches International Jazz Festival (where he is now a staple), he still managed to pack the house for this ticketed event, even though nobody really knew about the show until a few days prior.
Dr. Draw, whose colourful backing ensemble always seems to be evolving and experimenting with new types of instrumentation, is now travelling with a group called “The Strange Parade.” Their long-term goal, they say, is to raise enough money to travel to and perform for orphanages, schools, and hospitals—which is part of what Draw was doing in South Asia.
On Saturday night, it was hard to know what to expect from “Dr. Draw’s Strange Parade.” The promotional materials promised circus and performance acts along with the band’s set. It seemed possible that the show would flounder under the weight of its own ambitions. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
Aerial performers floated above our heads while the band rocked the house.
Coming seemingly out of nowhere, two dancers in tight leotards made their way into the middle of the crowd. Before long, the audience realized that something was happening and drifted back to give the dancers some room on the floor, while they showed off their moves to the encircling spectators. And then, just as the act looked like it might turn gimmicky, things got kind of awesome.
Silk sheets dropped down from the ceiling, and the dancers grabbed them and started doing aerial tricks. Then a Japanese horn signaled Draw’s arrival. The curtains parted, and the audience members turned their heads back to the stage.
With the dancers now dangling above the spectators’ heads, Dr. Draw and company launched into old favourites, like “Alexandria,” and some more recent numbers, like the violin-guitar duet “Young Romance.”
While the band jammed out, Jessica Gorlicky (left) joined the chaos with some live painting.
Though the gig featured plenty of onstage antics—including live painting and a wild dancer wearing what looked like a gas mask—the highlight was, of course, the music. Dr. Draw’s violin was in full force. Draw was working so hard that it looked like his instrument might spontaneously combust at any moment (several strings on the bow had snapped by the end of the first set).
It was clear that the doctor was in. Throughout the set, the crowd continued to howl for more.
Photos by Kyle Bachan/Torontoist.