The Scenics

Andy Meyers, Brad Cooper, Ken Badger in 1979. Photo by Rodney Bowes

After finishing this recording, an ad placed in a music store found them drummer Brad Cooper, who stayed in the band till 1980. They began practicing four nights a week, a habit that would continue throughout that time.

In the summer of 1977, Meyers dropped off a cassette for promoter Gary Topp[3] at the New Yorker Theatre. The New Yorker was a rep cinema, and Gary and his partner Gary Cormier ("The Garys") had recently built a stage and begun to book bands, including the Ramones. Topp was excited by their recording and booked the Scenics to open for Talking Heads at The New Yorker on September 16, 1977.

The Scenics began to play shows around town in August- at the Beverly Tavern, David's Discotheque, and a private party for a film producer. After the Talking Heads show, the Scenics returned to Mushroom Sound to record 6 songs with drummer Cooper's more robust style. Three of these songs were later released on “In The Summer”.

Ken Badger playing at the Last Pogo, Dec 1978, Horseshoe Tavern Toronto.

The Scenics continued to play shows at Toronto Punk venues. They played with the Viletones, Simply Saucer, The Demics, The Government, Telephone (punk from France) among others. In the spring of 1978 a live set and interviews were filmed for “Mystery Train”, a 30 minute Cable TV show. In the summer of 1978 The Scenics opened for The Troggs. In the fall of 1978 they recorded six songs at Kincke Sound, an 8 track studio. Four of these surfaced on “In The Summer”.

In December 1978 The Scenics played “The Last Pogo”,  two nights that marked the end of promoters “The Garys” run at the Horseshoe Tavern. The first night was filmed by Colin Brunton, and both nights were recorded by Toronto label Bomb Records. Brunton's 30 minute film “The Last Pogo”, featuring footage of seven bands from the concert (The Scenics perform Badger's “I Wanna Touch”) as well as interview footage, was premiered in September 1979 at a Toronto concert by The Gang of Four and the Buzzcocks. A live album of “The Last Pogo’, produced by Keith Elshaw, came out on Bomb Records in 1979. Two Scenics songs, “I Killed Marx”, and “In The Summer” are featured.

In March 1979 The Scenics went into Comfort Sound to record their first LP, produced by Elshaw. They recorded 10 originals and two covers. Seduced by hearing more fleshed-out arrangements recorded in an eight track studio, The Scenics decided to add a second guitarist. Mike Young, who they had played with once very early in their run, joins the band.

In January 1980 Brad Cooper leaves. Mark Perkell, who Meyers first played music with when they were 14, comes in on drums. Young switches to bass and Badger and Meyers become full-time guitarists.

In the summer of 1980 the “Underneath the Door” LP comes out on Bomb Records. Young, dissatisfied with playing bass, quits. Ken Fox, later of Jason and the Scorchers and now longtime Fleshtones bassist, comes in. In September The Scenics take part in the “Bomb Tour 80”. Over a series of weekends 4 bands play one nighters at eight universities throughout southern Ontario. Many of these are the first “Punk” shows booked in these venues.

Ken Fox, Mark Perkell, Andy Meyers, Ken Badger, 1981. Photo by Mike Young.

In October 1980 the Scenics go into Captain Audio studio and record 6 songs.  Two of them, Meyers’ “Karen” and Badger's  “See Me Smile”, are pressed onto a 45 on their own "Scenic Route" label. Most of the other songs recorded have been lost. The "Karen/See Me Smile" 45 comes out in early 1981. By then Ken and his wife are living three hours out of Toronto, where she is working as a teacher. The Scenics continue to write songs and play shows in Toronto, London Ontario, and Buffalo NY, but with the Badgers starting a family, the band breaks up in the fall of 1981. They get together and do one last set opening for Ken Fox's band The Raving Mojos in the spring of 1982.

With Ken Badger raising his family north of Toronto, and Andy Meyers soon married and with children of his own, Ken and Andy remain in very sporadic contact, especially when Andy and his family move to Canada's West Coast in 1988.

In 2012 the 2008 recordings from #9 Studio were finished and released on LP as Dead Man Walks Down Bayview[8][9][10] on DreamTower Records. The album featured songs written over the last 20 years, including 5 that the Scenics had often played live in 1980 and 81.The band got together for shows in Southern Ontario and Quebec.

In 2013 directors Colin Brunton and Kire Papputts release “The Last Pogo Jumps Again” a full length doc on the Toronto punk scene then and now. Badgers’ song “O Boy” is featured, as well as interviews with Badger and Meyers.

In 2014 the CD “Talking Songs” is released by “Scattered Bodies” (Andy Meyers with composer/vocalist Susheela Dawne and celebrated poet, Brian Brett). Funded by a Canada Council for the Arts grant, the album sets Brett's texts to music. The musical beds were created by Meyers from a wide array of samples pulled from Scenics cassettes 1976-81. The album is recorded at Meyers' Allowed Sound Studio, which he opened in 1999.

Scenics play the El Mocambo, Toronto. Photo by Mark Tearle.

Dissatisfied with the sound of 2009's Sunshine World CD, The Scenics remaster that material with BC Producer Joby Baker, who had mixed “Dead Man” and mastered “How Does It Feel”. In 2016 the refurbished tracks are released as the “In The Summer: Studio Recordings 1977/78”[11][12] LP by Rave Out in Europe, and DreamTower, distributed by Light In The Attic, in North America.

The Scenics reconvene in Toronto in July 2016 to celebrate this release with dates in Canada and the US. However, their Visa is delayed and they are unable to play half a dozen shows in the US. Instead, they go into Toronto's Baldwin Sound and record seven songs. The shows are re-booked for the fall. The Scenics decide to go out as a trio, revisiting their first, more open ended sound, and tour Buffalo, Beacon NY, New York City, Jersey City NJ,[13] Boston, Montreal, Detroit, Chicago, and Cleveland.[14] Meyers then flies back to the west coast and does four solo shows in Seattle, Eugene, Ashland, and Portland.

In 2019 Meyers writes music included in the soundtrack for the documentary “Dosed”.

In Mar 2021 Meyers releases “Deeper Into the Forest”, an album that sets poet/publisher Diana Hayes' performances to his music, with wordless vocals by Susheela Dawne.

In Spring 2022 Meyers releases “Bones”, an album of post rock ambient music he creates with Simon Millerd, pianist/trumpeter from Montreal.

In 2023 “In The Summer” is picked up for distribution by Supreme Echo Records in Canada and Revolver/Midheaven in the USA.

Mike Young

Ken Fox

Brad Cooper

Mark French

Mike Cusheon

Underneath the Door (LP 1980, Bomb/Rio Records)

How Does It Feel to Be Loved? The Scenics Play the Velvet Underground (CD 2008, Dream Tower Records)

Sunshine World - Studio Recordings 1977-78 (CD 2009, Dream Tower Records)

Dead Man Walks Down Bayview (LP/CD/Digital 2012, Dreamtower Records)

In The Summer- Studio Recordings 1977-78 (LP/CD/Digital 2016, Dream Tower Records and Rave Up Records)

Karen b/w See Me Smile (1981, Scenic Route Records)

And Now Live from Toronto The Last Pogo (LP 1979, Bomb Records)

Talking Songs (Scattered Bodies,  CD/Digital 2014, Dream Tower Records)

Deeper Into The Forest (Diana Hayes/Andy Meyers,  CD/Digital 2021, Dream Tower Records)

Bones (Millerd Meyers,  CD/Digital 2022, Dream Tower Records)