299 Queen Street West is Much More @SXSW 2023

Watching director Sean Menards‘s 299 Queen Street West will bring back a lot of memories. Especially if you lived in the city of Toronto. The documentary on MuchMusic which ran under Moses Znaimer’s CITYTV will leave the audience with so much to talk about. To do it in such a linear fashion will captivate Toronto residents like me. From starting as a local station to the PVR capabilities of cable television, MuchMusic went through much change. No pun intended.

Sean Menard could have not put together a much-needed documentary about Canada’s version of MTV in fine form. Going through the timeline of VJs that came through the doors of MuchMusic was fascinating in itself. From JD Roberts to George Stroumboulopoulos, each VJ had a chance to speak of their time on Canada’s music station. A lot of them did not have the necessary experience to be a music journalist let alone a music VJ. Many of them were put in front of the camera by chance or by accident. Most of them after their first time, took the bull by the horns and never looked back. Throughout the lifespan of MuchMusic, all VJs took on the philosophy that they were never the stars of the show.

MuchMusic Philosophy

It was a great philosophy to undertake especially in the beginning stage of MuchMusic. Music journalism was at its birth with only major outlets like The Rolling Stone and MTV. MuchMusic allowed for musicians to promote their music especially north of the border through interviews and fan requests. The musicians were like the journalists in the early 1980s when they did not have much experience talking on television. It was like they were all taking a chance on each other. From groups like Aerosmith, and AC/DC to RUN DMC and LL Cool J, everyone was just beginning back then.

What was overlooked before MuchMusic closed down was their inclusivity practices within their own low-budget corporate culture. Michael Williams the host of RapCity and Monika Deol who was the first Indian woman to host a national show in Electric Circus were long representing diversity in the city of Toronto. Sook-Yin Lee who was a Vancouver resident was hired to come all the way to Toronto to host the show. Even a young adult like Rick Campanelli who was the all-known Temp was a sign of corporate culture going in the right direction of favouring youth. Where did we all go wrong today when it comes to race relations, inclusivity and community building?

Building Blocks

299 Queen Street West was eccentric when a popular band or musician would come to talking about their new music. Footage of Britney Spears, New Kids on the Block, Jay-Z, Kanye and Justin Timberlake were the building blocks for the city of Toronto. The streets were on fire, the nights heated up and the city of Toronto was electric for many years. Sure things will never be the same but there was never anything like it.

But we can never forget what MuchMusic did for Canadian artists ever since its inception. If it wasn’t for all those Canadian artists trying to make an impact north of the border, we would not have artists like Drake and The Weeknd. Maestro Fresh Wes, Kardinal Offishal, Shania Twain and The Tragically Hip were those that paved the way. Watching footage in 299 Queen Street West would make anyone feel nostalgic. Especially when you saw Gord Downie on the big screen which will bring tears to your eyes.

The journey of Sean Menard piecing all the archival footage of MuchMusic was complicated but very rewarding. It reminds us of the growth of an ambitious channel. One that curated music journalism, the music industry, technology in entertainment, the city of Toronto and the country of Canada. 299 Queen Street West is a proper documentary on a respected cultural icon which is MuchMusic. It was done with so much diligence that nobody was misrepresented or discredited for their efforts towards it. Rather it should serve as a reminder of how things were done in the past when it comes to community growth. It’s unfortunate that those pillars are broken down and we all have to rebuild once again.