Reunion? Typing that word just raised the eyebrows of every 30 something kid that grew up in Canada with a disdain for popular music. The Smalls were the go-to band when talking up your oh so genius music knowledge at age 16 to people you just met, and making eye contact with someone walking down the street wearing a smalls t-shirt was an absolute must. Known for relentless touring of their punk/metal/cowboy hybrid brand of rock and roll, there wasn’t a town they wouldn’t play or a crew that wouldn’t show up. Gigs became legendary, with riot police being called on more than one occasion and the B.C. town of Kamloops just straight up barring them from performing for life after an overbooked venue got particularly rowdy.
Four albums were released spanning the entire 1990s, with their self titled coming out in 1990(and a re-release two years later with some production cleanup and a couple new tracks), followed by To Each A Zone in 1992, Waste and Tragedy in 1995 and their final opus My Dear Little Angle in 1999. Every album was released with little to no help help from labels with the exception of Cargo, inspiring a generation of kids to start their own bands and embrace DIY ethics because hey, if the smalls can do it….
Now back to the a possible reunion. One of my worldly correspondents texted me this morning stating he had just heard an interview on Torontos’ Q radio station with the smalls bassist Corb Lund, who has gone on to a Juno winning career of his own, stating that he believed there was a 75 to 80 percent chance of a smalls reunion happening. That is 75-80 percent more than anybody else has said or heard in the last decade, so the waiting with baited breath shall begin. Until the highly anticipated nights arrives, I will leave you with a taste from each album. Hopefully you’ll feel as we did upon your first listen and if you’re already familiar? Sit back and ponder the possibilities….
From The Smalls – 1990
From To Each A Zone – 1992
From Waste And Tragedy – 1995
From My Dear Little Angle – 1999
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