Sometime over the weekend, Chris Levoir, known to many as the lead singer and guitarist of local garage rockers The Mark Inside, died. The cause of his death is not yet known. The news shocked and saddened many of us in Toronto’s music community who counted themselves among his fans, his friends, or both. Rock journalism mythologizes its dead, and in doing so often loses the person as a human being in the process. Knowing Chris, my first instinct is to avoid these clichés. But rock ’n’ roll was his life, and he was one hell of an impressive singer, songwriter, guitarist and performer. After spending years watching him and his bandmates make packed back rooms at Sneaky Dee’s, the Horseshoe, and the El Mocambo go absolutely crazy, some myth-making is inevitable, and I would argue, well-earned. I knew Chris for almost a decade, but I was always star-struck around him. I was a fan who became a friend. His songs provided the everyday soundtrack for a good portion of my formative years, and a few TMI shows are among the best live performances I’ve ever seen. No matter how well we knew each other, there was always a bit of hero worship that would not die. I first met Chris in fall 2003 when I was working as the house DJ for booker Keith Hamilton’s weekly music series, Pitter Patter Nights, then tucked in The Poor Alex’s seedy upstairs cabaret space. Even though Keith had been introducing me to a steady stream of mostly above-average talent, The Mark Inside (Whitby transplants with a lot of buzz) immediately stood out. Their garage- and indie rock-inspired songs immediately struck me as loud, catchy and artfully constructed (in that order). But it was the intense, almost palpable energy of their live show that was unlike anything I’d experienced. It was hypnotizing and intoxicating. By the end of that first show I saw Chris was in the crowd surrounded by circles of sweaty, boozy, flailing bodies. I remember everyone in that room (including me and all the club’s staff) being captivated by their stage presence. It’s cliché to say I was converted by a single show, but that’s really what happened. Read more http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/story.cfm?content=192834
