David Storey’s depths on display tonight

Inside many a comedic talent is a pain-wracked soul tortured by the pointless cruelties, absurd pettiness and senseless tragedies of life. It has, in fact, been suggested that all comedy is essentially founded on pain of one kind or another, the theory going on to postulate that laughing is, in fact, an alternate reaction to crying when experiencing anguish —maybe explaining why some people cry when they’re happy and others laugh maniacally when threatened by mortal danger.

David Storey – photo Gary 17

Perhaps this helps us to understand how David Storey, an obviously very funny guy (along with Brent Butt they developed “Corner Gas” tv series and movie, and also principal director of both) can write such poignantly rich songs that contain so much pathos and even bathos.

Although fairly new to the TO Roots scene (perhaps his commitments to tv were all-consuming prior to when I met him in 2012) David has quickly acquired a clutch of fans since releasing a 5-song debut album that, as I told you two years ago, is a handful of gems.

Compositions such as “(We Are) The Greatest” from the debut disc (about an old friend dying of cancer) and more recent compositions such as “I Can’t Complain”, “Candles of St. Adelaide” and his future hit, “Last Loon On The Lake”, are compelling story-songs with messages of substance, touches of irony and sometimes suffused by the aforementioned darker spirits, yet coming across as everyday truths plainly delivered, though with grace, passion and style.

On one recording I made of him performing a couple of his tunes in a packed bar in September of 2013, the hubbub dies down quickly and by half way through the first song there wasn’t a peep emanating from the audience.

Although he’s done a few showcase appearances in the past two years, David’s probably more familiar to those who attend open stages —such as Julian Taylor’s excellent one at Dora Keogh Mondays, where tonight Storey is the feature— and across the street at Sebastian Agnello’s Black Swan Monday open mic.

What will make his half-hour feature set at Dora tonight (starting around 9, 141 Danforth Ave.) particularly memorable for Storey fans is that he can be expected to basically run through tunes from a new full-length album of originals that he just finished recording exactly a week ago and that should be ready for release by late summer or early autumn, he tells me.

This is likely to be Storey in his musical prime and is also a great chance to lay your hands on one of his eps while there’s still a few to go around.

-Gary 17, TorontoMoon.ca