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Dave Bidini on The Rheostatics, Gord Downie, The Great Lakes Suite & Independent Media // #055

Feb 21, 2026
Dave Bidini, musician, writer and publisher known for The Rheostatics and The Great Lakes Suite. He discusses balancing parenthood with creative life. He recalls early punk-scene journalism, the improvisational making of The Great Lakes Suite, launching a community newspaper, and the recurring water imagery that ties his work together.
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ADVICE

Act On Ideas That Still Excite You Tomorrow

  • When an idea excites you the day after you think of it, act on it and test it quickly rather than overthinking its worth.
  • Dave Bidini started West End Phoenix from a backyard brainstorm and built a paying, sustainable team by trying the idea immediately.
ANECDOTE

Teen Fanzines Opened Doors To Music Careers

  • Early punk/new-wave scenes offered low barriers and open doors that allowed teenagers to write, review records, and join bands.
  • Bidini wrote for high-school and indie papers like Shades and Sunshine News, which sent him to shows and provided a training ground.
INSIGHT

Improvisation Reveals Project Direction

  • Embrace loose, exploratory collaboration when you don't know an outcome; the process can reveal the project's shape.
  • For The Great Lakes Suite seven musicians Hugged, plugged in and improvised together to find the record's direction.
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