Earlier this year, an impressive roster of artists convened at the Light House Arts Centre to celebrate the life of Jay Smith.  2023 marked the 10th anniversary of Jay’s passing, almost to the day (March 27th), and while that loss still reverberates throughout the Nova Scotia music scene and well beyond our border, this was a night of celebration.

This night saw Matt Mays reunite with his former bandmates in El Torpedo (Andy Patil, Tim Jim Baker, Jarrett Murphy and Loel Campbell) to headline the event; the bill also included Jay’s former bandmates in Rock Ranger,  Carmen Townsend, Like a Motorcycle, The Novaks, and so many more.  Many of the artists who performed as part of this benefit concert shared their memories of Jay and the indelible mark he left in his wake.

The Grand Finale

Some folks played guitars once owned by Jay and many covered songs written by the immensely talented singer/songwriter. It’s not often that you can book this amount of talent on one stage in a single night, but the folks at Sonic Concerts made it look easy. Not only was this a killer line-up of acts, but they came together to help raise funds for two important organizations:  BGC Cape Breton – Whitney Pier Youth Club (The Boys and Girls Club of Cape Breton), as well as the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign. A pair of charities based in Cape Breton, both of whom can still use your help and support.