Laurie Love Musical Memorial Tribute planned for night of Nov. 1 at The Hideout on Queen Street East

By WALLY HUCKER

The late Laurie Love, a frequent jam session drummer in east Toronto clubs, will be remembered and honoured with a rocking musical tribute this Friday, Nov. 1, at The Hideout.

Local musicians Tony “TonyO” Oldland and Max Brand will be among nine bands performing for Laurie, her friends and fans, and the public. Doors open to The Blue Room, upstairs at 2282 Queen St. E., at 6 p.m. Music begins at 7 p.m. sharp. There is no cover charge.

Laurie Love, the stage name of Laurie Landrigan, died in June 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 epidemic. Although he passing at age 55 was due to a chronic condition, not COVID, it was the result of a sudden turn for the worse, and a shock to her friends and fellow performers, and her two sons, Mike Shepherd and William Beckman.

Gerard Myers, a high school buddy and most recently a bandmate of hers in the group Crowd Control, said that “Laurie was so very bubbly and positive.”

TonyO concurs. “Her lively character and glowing smile made her many friends quite easily.

“A late starter on the drums, she blossomed very quickly, and played with several bands. She loved to go to jam sessions and sit in with different bands to test her skills,” Oldland continued, attempting songs she had never tried before.

He played with Love at venues in the Beaches, Leslieville, and East York, like Salty Dog, The Beach House, The Duke, and the Frog & Crown.

Myers added that he and other close friends had no forewarning that Love’s condition had suddenly become critical. “She seemed so positive at the time, buying a truck, and cases for her drum kit.”

The shock and grief of her passing was compounded by the restrictions COVID placed on mass gatherings, and the musical scene took some time to gel again. So recently, singer Max Brand suggested to TonyO that they hold a belated musical memorial for Love this Halloween.

Myers laughed gently, recalling that “Laurie loved Halloween. It was a big deal to her, and combined with a celebration of her birthday, October 29.”

Oldland, veteran performer and promoter and Love’s guitarist in Crowd Control, arranged The Blue Room upstairs at The Hideout, and rounded up local bands and musicians who knew Love. Nine local acts will be performing half hour sets from 7 to 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 1.

One performer on Friday who will be extra special is drummer Rob Latimer. He tutored Love when she started playing.

“She was a shining personality,” he remembered. “She would light up a room.”