Having performed there many a night as a member of the Cash Brothers, occasionally sitting in with the Skydiggers and as a solo artist, musician-turned-politician Andrew Cash paid tribute to Toronto's Legendary Horseshoe Tavern's 65th anniversary in Ottawa's House of Parliament.
"Now this is a huge accomplishment," Cash, the NDP MP for Davenport, said Cash in a statement during parliament. "Often when we think of the arts in Canada, the opera, the ballet and the symphony come to mind. But it's in the ramshackle clubs and backrooms and storefronts and the church basements of the nation where most of the artists that Canada so rightly is proud of first learned their craft.
"The Horseshoe has always been a leader in this tradition providing a valuable training ground for at-the-time unknowns from Stompin' Tom to Nickelback, k.d. lang to The Tragically Hip and even a couple of future MPs. No one does this kind of thing because it makes a lot of money Mr. Speaker. People do it because they love music. They want to share that music and they believe in the great talent that we have here in Canada. So, today I want to pay tribute to one of the longest-running live music venues in North America. Happy 65th anniversary Horseshoe Tavern and thank you for helping to put Canadian music on the map."
The Horseshoe has celebrated its anniversary with a string of special concerts, including a multi-night stand by Joel Plaskett and a traditional New Year's Eve show featuring The Sadies.