1991 – Freedom Rains
Lisa Duke – lead vocals
Brian Duke – guitar & vocals
Horgay Smith – guitar
Hylton Reiff – bass
Arnie Ward – drums
I joined Freedom Rains in 1991, a Toronto-based original band led by singer Lisa Duke and guitarist/singer Brian Duke. The band had a distinctly late-'60s/early-'70s influence — right down to the tie-dyed T-shirts — with an easygoing, post-hippie feel and a repertoire of original songs.
We played a number of popular Toronto venues, including Sneaky Dee’s, Stratengers and Lee’s Palace. Although my time with Freedom Rains was relatively brief, it gave me another opportunity to become part of Toronto’s live music scene and, importantly, some recordings from the period have survived.
Live at Stratengers – July 31, 1991
The recordings below capture Freedom Rains performing live at Stratengers in Toronto on July 31, 1991. They preserve three sets from the evening and provide a great snapshot of what the band sounded like on stage.
