The West End Phoenix 5th Annual Journalism Benefit has a disco theme and stellar lineup of Toronto musicians

Ron Sexsmith, Barenaked Ladies’ Tyler Stewart, Tom Wilson, and Andrew & Sameer Cash are among the artists joining host Dave Bidini with The Mercenaries House Band on Sept. 17, for the West End Phoenix 6th Annual Fundraiser to support independent journalism.

TORONTO, August 25, 2022 – Local Toronto periodical community newspaper West End Phoenix is holding their 5th annual benefit in support of independent journalism on Saturday, September 17, 2022. The show, dubbed Saturday Night Phoever, will be held in the Planet Storage courtyard (1655 Dupont, at Edwin).

The full lineup and song choices have just been announced, and it looks like this: Ron Sexsmith, “Run To Me;” Tyler Stewart, “Miss You;” Damian Abraham (Fucked Up), “Girl You Want;” Charlotte Cornfield, “To Love Somebody;” Dave Wall, “Disco Inferno;” Lucas Silveida, “How Deep Is Your Love;” Peter Elkas, “Stayin’ Alive;” Regina Gently, “Freeway of Love;” Shakura S’Aida, “If I Can’t Have You;” Tom Wilson, “I Just Wanna Stop;” Ansley Simpson, “Come and Get Your Love;” Wade O. Brown, “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love;” Ensign Broderick, “Super Freak;” Don Kerr, “I Feel Love;” Alison Young, “Heart of Glass;” Kevin Bath, “You Should Be Dancing;” and Andrew & Sameer Cash, “Pump It Up.”

Now in its unprecedented fourth year, West End Phoenix is a local periodical community newspaper for Toronto’s West End whose readership stretches across the city and the country. Dreamed up by musician (Rheostatics), writer and publisher Dave Bidini, WEP launched in October 2017 after a door-to-door campaign yielded 800 pre-publication subscriptions. It is now a home-delivered broadsheet with thousands of readers, devoted to telling the stories of diverse, compelling and quickly evolving neighbourhoods, from the Humber River to Spadina and beyond. WEP also mails hundreds of copies across the country and around the world.

WEP is a reimagining of the community newspaper with some of the country’s greatest writers and photographers articulating their experiences throughout their neighbourhoods. 100% of the money raised through subscriptions and donations goes to paying the staff and contributors (WEP has a limited ad and marketing budget) at industry standard rates.

Their contributors reflect the broadest range in both experience and perspective, from young writers developing their craft through WEP’s Young Phoenix initiative to established voices like Chief Ladybird, Margaret Atwood, Michael Winter, Michie Mee, Claudia Dey, Roddy Doyle, Eternity Martis and many others. WEP published over 300 contributors in its first three years.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $88 plus HST. Tickets are available here.

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