Mt. Pleasant club morphs into Estonian Chick’n’Deli

Archived Articles | 04 Apr 2008 | Adu RaudkiviEWR

On March 27 the venerable Chick’n’Deli, long a favourite watering hole and musical hangout for Toronto Estonians, perhaps thanks to proximity to Peetri kirik, allowed a number of them on stage. The North Toronto club, known for quality jazz, made room that night for music performed by Estonians, much of which was rock and blues.

Raoul Langvee had the brain wave to continue on previous similar successful events held in 2006 and 2007 at Alice Fazooli’s! and the Mod Club respectively, this time taking tunes uptown. Drummer Langvee and his band Jars were first on the bill, and far from simply a warm-up for what some of us had come to listen to.

Peeter Kopvillem (guitar) with vocalist Rosemarie Lindau, bassist Eric Soostar, and drummer Tõnis Tõllasepp held the audience of mostly Estonians attentive. Mostly Estonians, as the club also provided room in one small corner for a "Jack and Jill" party (a quaint Canadian custom).

Their set started off with a blues/jazz piece. The sound did, mercifully, not do any damage to the eardrums.

From there the ensemble featured songs by Rosie Lindau. Rosie ordered everybody upon their feet to dance, many obeyed. From then on Rosie and Peeter shared the mike with vocals.

The age of the audience appeared to range from people barely of legal drinking age up to those in their sixties. Notables abounded, from Honourary Consul General Laas Leivat and Ellen, President of the Estonian Central Council Avo Kittask and Madli, and many others.

Kopvillem is not about to give up his day job. No wonder, as he is executive editor at Maclean’s, Canada's "Time" Magazine (with greater substance).

If Langvee, Kopvillem, Lindau, et al would again consider performing at the Chick’n’Deli, then it might make sense to turn to Lia Hess of the "Sihtkapital" to, I don’t know, perhaps buy the place and make a lot of money for the Estonian Foundation of Canada and the Estonian community? Just imagine. Estonian Chick’n’Deli…

Wishful thinking? I loved the music and I loved the chicken wings with blue cheese sauce. Next time, perhaps, I can order kanatiivad sinimustvalgejuustu kastmes, rinsed down with Saku…