The Trews are arguably best known for their 2010 song “Highway of Heroes.”
The tune refers to the stretch of Highway 401 where hundreds gathered on bridges and overpasses to mourn soldiers killed in Afghanistan. It's become something of a Canadian anthem remembering Canadians who died in the conflict.
“Highway of Heroes” was inspired by the 2006 death of Capt. Nichola Goddard, the first female Canadian solder to be killed in Afghanistan.
She was a high school friend of several members of The Trews, who, although now based in Toronto, are originally from Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
John-Angus MacDonald, The Trews' lead guitar player, reminisces about how Goddard, a member of their high school's student council, hired the band to play at school dances when they were still in their “garage” days.
“We weren't living there anymore when (Goddard was killed), but my mom still was, and was relaying a lot of the story, and how much the tragedy had shook everybody in Antigonish,” said MacDonald, whose brother, Colin MacDonald, is the band's lead singer.
With the 100th anniversary of the First World War battle Vimy Ridge marked this past weekend, MacDonald remarks how Afghanistan is in many ways the millenials' war.
You can probably expect to hear “Highway of Heroes” and The Trews' other hits — along with newer material — at a concert set to take place Saturday evening at the Caruso Club.
“You'll hear all the songs you know and love,” MacDonald said. “We've been trying a lot of new songs out. We always try to bring it 100 per cent when we play, no matter where we play.”
Still in their 30s, The Trews have already been playing together for 20 years — they used to go by what MacDonald calls “unfortunate” names, One I'd Trouser (taken from a line in the "Penis Song" from the Monty Python film "The Meaning of Life") and then just Trouser.
They've been a proper touring band with a record contract for 15 years. MacDonald said while he resides in Toronto, he doesn't feel like he really lives anywhere, as he's on the road half the year.
The Trews recently put out a retrospective album called “Time Capsule,” which features their hits over the last decade and a half, plus four new tunes.
“It's a really good starting point for anyone who might not know who we are, and if you're already a fan, it kind of puts everything into one playlist,” MacDonald said.
The Trews are planning to record a new album this year, with hopes for a release next year.
“We just keep rolling,” he said. “We're kind of journeymen that way. We like to work. We get a little antsy if we're not working, when it comes to being in the studio or being on the road.”
The concert starts at the Caruso Club at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 15. Tickets cost $33.50 for general admission or $65 for VIP with a meet and greet. They can be purchased here.
This is a 19 and older licensed event. A dollar from every ticket sold will be donated to the NEO Kids Foundation.
