{"id":234,"date":"2022-04-08T00:15:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T00:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/?p=234"},"modified":"2023-08-25T00:45:20","modified_gmt":"2023-08-25T00:45:20","slug":"torontos-punk-rock-robinhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/index.php\/2022\/04\/08\/torontos-punk-rock-robinhood\/","title":{"rendered":"TORONTO’S PUNK ROCK ROBINHOOD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This one man show is working tirelessly to keep Toronto’s music scene alive.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Toronto music industry is renowned amongst the city\u2019s many accomplished artists for its ruthless process in sifting through new talent. Even at the best of times, independent artists in Toronto looking to make a name for themselves grapple with both the pressures of distinction in their art, and an incredibly low payoff for their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With live music being the primary source of income for the majority of independent musicians, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its consequential venue closures have targeted the very infrastructure of Toronto\u2019s music scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that live music is beginning to breathe life back into the city\u2019s historic music halls, shuttered for nearly two years, Toronto artists are being met with the same demons they were battling before, and then some.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fluffio
Fluffio onstage at Lee’s Palace. (Janine Van Oostrom\/@janine.v.photography<\/strong>)<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fluffio<\/em>, known more formally as Ryan Preiano<\/em>, is an independent Toronto musician who is delighted to be back in action performing live gigs. But in addition to his own music career; managing, booking, amongst other things, Preiano<\/em> is committed to providing opportunities for other musicians who may not receive the recognition or funding they deserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deriving from his proficient capability in managing the majority of his own branding, Preiano\u2019s<\/em> secondary employment is his independent music based company, Agoria Productions. Offering services from promoting to merchandising to even recording, it is here where he helps more inexperienced musicians find their footing by charging them significantly less than what they\u2019d normally pay to print their merchandise and record new music, as well as offer shows to those struggling to find them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cI kind of felt like I was doing a good job at running shows for my own band, so I was like, okay, why can\u2019t I start helping other bands grow?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWhen I run and put on shows, I like to put bands on that are typically underdogs and that sort of thing. People who have never played shows before, or bands you just wouldn\u2019t know. I very much like to offer these musicians unique opportunities\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fluffio
(Janine Van Oostrom\/janine.v.photography)<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll always find that the most successful people in the industry are the ones supporting each other.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s very common that artists are lost. Artists have great visions and songs, but what\u2019s a great song if no one hears it?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Long before Fluffio<\/em> was belting out original punk-rock jams onstage at the likes of The Horseshoe Tavern and Lee\u2019s Palace, he started out as just another late-night dive bar act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the age of 13, Preiano has been developing his live music experience and networking with the right people along the way so that he can pass his knowledge and connections on to smaller bands awaiting their big break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cThis band I worked with a while ago, they were all around 16 or 17, and not many people will look at a band that young. But I booked them, and they came and they were pretty great! After the show I got a chance to talk with them and their parents and give them a bit of praise and constructive feedback, simply cause I just wish I would\u2019ve gotten that kind at 16!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Despite being booking well-established bands through his company, such as Cancer Bats or Teenage Head, Preiano still makes time to work works with less experienced bands because it reminds him of where he came from, and what he loves to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cFor me, I am of the mentality that that everyone deserves an opportunity, but then whether they deserve a second opportunity is truly up to them. Act somewhat professional and you\u2019re music will get the respect it deserves.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Preiano<\/em> stresses that the live music experience is a crucial step in establishing yourself in the music industry, but it\u2019s the overall effect that live music has on both the artist and the audience that makes all of a band\u2019s challenges worthwhile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With live music halted in its tracks due to the pandemic for nearly the past two years, musicians have been deprived of the opportunity to connect with their audiences, and audiences have been starved of a good show. It is exactly that, a diverse and entertaining show, that Fluffio<\/em> aims to provide his audience with when they come out to hear him play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fluffio
(Janine Van Oostrom\/janine.v.photography)<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

\u201cMusic to me has always been about bringing people together, so in essence my biggest thing has always been about cultivating events that have brought people together and I always blend elements that you wouldn\u2019t think would work… Different genres and such, but so far its gone great\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Fluffio<\/em> is well aware of how long his audience has been craving their concert fix, and overall he plays his shows with the intention of reminding every single person in the room how much they\u2019ve missed live music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He remarks that, prior to the pandemic, there was less of an urgency to attend concerts that most people took for granted. Nowadays, concert scheduling revolves around the uncertainty of the pandemic, and anyone with concert tickets is certain to not only save the date, but count down the days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMusic captivates people, but also the ability to perform captivates people even more. The difference is in just getting up there in a t-shirt to perform your songs or getting up there with a purpose\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLive music is just so important because it brings people together and there\u2019s this sense of love. There\u2019s so much bullsh*t in the world, but the second you\u2019re at a concert and the music starts, everything else becomes irrelevant because you\u2019re there, totally in the moment.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article written by Jess Bertan, originally published in Discoth\u00e8que Magazine.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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