SPILL LIVE REVIEW: CAROLINE MARIE BROOKS @ 918 BATHURST STREET, TORONTO

CAROLINE MARIE BROOKS

@ 918 BATHURST STREET, TORONTO

OCTOBER 22, 2026

On a warm autumn night in Toronto, Caroline Marie Brooks took to the stage to launch her second album, Light And Matter. Within minutes of hitting the stage, she had engaged the audience and launched into what proved to be a brilliant show. She did most of her new album but also dipped back to her first solo album. Although The Good Lovelies (of which she is one third) got a mention once or twice, she stayed away from their songs. This proved to be a wise decision, as the audience was there to hear her solo material and she delivered.

Brooks had a stellar band on stage, which included Don Kerr (Ron Sexsmith, The Rheostatics) on drums, long time collaborator Dean Drouillard on guitar and bass, Christine Bougie on guitar, bass and lap steel (which sounded fantastic throughout the night and added a great deal) and Robbie Grunwald on keyboards and bass. She opened the show with “Retrograde” from her new album. Like the entire album, the song translated extremely well live.

LIGHT AND MATTER ALBUM REVIEW

Brooks did a few songs from her debut solo album (Everything at the Same Time), including her wonderful cover version of “Oo-De-Lolly” from Walt Disney’s Robin Hood. One other cover she performed was Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” as an encore. The slide guitar in this particular song added a great deal and the cover was a great deal of fun.

There were surprises throughout the evening and guest singers. The duo Dala joined her for the brilliant “Make It Happen” and Sue Passmore provided vocals for “Night Drive” from her debut album. The other surprise was the sing-along portion of the show. Kate Keenan co-lead the audience with Brooks for the uplifting “You Gotta Start Somewhere.” Brooks (and Keenan) looked like they were having the time of their lives. The audience participated and equally enjoyed the portion of the show.

SPILL FEATURE: HOPE AND LOOKING UP – A CONVERSATION WITH CAROLINE MARIE BROOKS

Emma Worley opened the show, featuring Jasper Smith on guitar. She played a short, folk oriented set and she was the perfect opening act. She performed songs from her new album, Forever Beginner and, like Brooks, the songs sound great live. She engaged the audience and warmed everyone up for Brooks.

This was more of a party than a straight-ahead concert. Brooks was lovely and very appreciative of the support she was receiving on and off the stage. Her voice was powerful, and full of energy. She told great stories and it was a very intimate evening. Although she is perfect in The Good Lovelies, it was great to see her step into the solo spotlight and perform a near flawless show.

(Photography by Aaron Badgley)

Photos

Caroline Marie Brooks Links

Good Lovelies Links

Main + Inline Photo Credit: Jen Squires