With files by Steven Frank, photos by Mikki Simenuvich

Essential Noise - Yorkville Music Scene made its debut at a private screening at the Tranzac Club in Toronto May 4 2023. The film by director and producer Paul Koidis tells the story of the Yorkville music scene of the late 60s by way of first person accounts from the likes of Judy Collins, John Kay of Steppenwolf, and Robby Krieger of the Doors.

Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and of course the late Gordon Lightfoot, all got a start in the coffee houses of Yorkville, influencing nascent music scenes from Haight-Ashbury to Greenwich Village to Laurel Canyon.

The screening was followed by a panel featuring Dan Hill and Robbie Lane.