The Dinner Is Ruined brings three decades of art-punk to Stratford with new album in hand
By: Galen Simmons
After more than three decades of making music, touring around the world and sharing stages with some of Canada’s biggest names, The Dinner Is Ruined is bringing its particular brand of art-punk rock ’n’ roll to Stratford.
The Canadian indie trio performs at the Bunker Performance Lounge and Café, 104 Wellington St., on Saturday, Oct. 10, with doors opening at 7 p.m. and the show beginning at 8 p.m.
Frontman Dale Morningstar said he first played the Bunker solo earlier this year and came away wanting to return with the full band.
“I loved just playing there,” Morningstar said. “We got a new actual vinyl record in our sweaty little palms … and we just want to kind of go out there and stake our claim in as many towns as we can.”
Morningstar is joined by longtime drummer Dave Clark of Rheostatics fame and keyboardist and bassist Johnny Pee. The trio has played together since 1994, releasing nine albums and touring Canada, the United States, Europe and Mali, West Africa.
Along the way, The Dinner Is Ruined opened for acts including Sonic Youth and Beck, performed at Massey Hall and joined Gord Downie’s solo band, The Country of Miracles. Morningstar has also spent decades operating his Gas Station Recording Studio, producing and recording numerous Canadian artists.
The Stratford show also gives the band an opportunity to showcase its new album, Like A Tree, Heroic, released earlier this year and now available on vinyl.
The opening track, “Look At You, Gord,” draws directly from Morningstar’s years playing with Downie.
Morningstar said the song was inspired partly by attending Downie’s wake and returning afterward to his Toronto Island studio, where he walked out onto the beach and looked up at the night sky.
“I just said, ‘Look at you, Gord. You’re still taking me on adventures,’” he recalled.
Another track, “Yellowknife Open Mic,” recalls an impromptu performance while touring with Downie. Morningstar said members of the band walked into a Yellowknife club on an open-mic night and took over the stage, with Downie freestyling alongside them.
“People were literally standing on tables,” Morningstar said, describing it as perhaps his favourite moment on stage.
While he isn’t promising anyone will be standing on tables at the Bunker, Morningstar said the band will bring plenty of energy.
“We’re going to bring some fun to the party,” he said. “We play rock and roll with a bit of a bite to it.”
The Oct. 10 show is pay what you can, with $15 recommended.
Download Like A Tree, Heroic at https://tinyurl.com/34aakufv.
Show information and reservations are available at https://tinyurl.com/yynp887k
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