Tommy Youngsteen is an all-star classic rock tribute band featuring members & alumni from top Juno-winning Canadian acts: The Sam Roberts Band, The Stills, Stars, The Dears, The Trews, Sloan, Serena Ryder Band & The Arkells.

Over the last ten years its members have logged well over 5000 shows with their respective groups, from Canada all the way to Japan, and have shared the bill and opened for artists such as Paul Mccartney, The Eagles, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC & Coldplay, just to name a few. As well as made appearances on Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Conan O’Brien Show and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Tommy Youngsteen will be performing The Very Best of Neil Young at The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto on February 2nd and I had a chance to ask band leader Alan Snoddy a few questions about the band, the upcoming show, Neil Young and more in advance! You can read the interview below and for tickets and more information on the show click here!

Interview with Alan Snoddy of Tommy Youngsteen

Tommy Youngsteen is a unique project that has spread music and joy with countless Canadian music fans. How do you describe the project to new fans who haven’t heard of it yet?

It’s a band I formed in 2010 when I lived in Montreal. When myself and my buddies in other bands weren’t on the road we would just book dates and play Springsteen, Petty & Neil Young (hense the name Youngsteen). After I moved to Toronto in 2012, it’s just kind of got bigger and bigger every year.

Tommy Youngsteen is performing their first Toronto show of 2024, featuring the best of Neil Young on Feb 2nd at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern. How excited are you for the show and what can fans expect?

We haven’t done a Neil Young show in years so we’re really looking
forward to it. There will be plenty of hits along with a few deep cuts & an acoutic set as well. We have a great lap steel player on board as well as a couple of backup singers. Seven peice band in all.

Tommy Youngsteen features members & alumni from top Juno-winning Canadian acts including The Sam Roberts Band, The Stills, Stars, The Dears, The Trews, Sloan, Serena Ryder Band & The Arkells! What a treat for Canadian music fans, there’s sure not a lot of bands that can boast something like this! What is the feeling like when so many incredible Canadian acts come together onto one stage?

At this point the pool of bands is even bigger, actually. When shows come out I just call around and see whos availble and put together the best show we can. It’s
great to be able to play all these classic sings and albums but also to have such great musicians on board to help personify the music a bit as well

What do you think it is about Neil Young that makes him such a Canadian icon?

I think like all the greats, he speaks to people. Writes great music that people can relate to

Do you have a favourite Neil Young song to perform live?

Lately I really like Powderfinger and Cortez the killer, great stories

The upcoming Toronto show features Neil Young, but you also perform tributes to Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac and The Band under the Tommy Youngsteen label. A lot of people struggle just to keep one successful project going, I have to ask, how do you do it!?

It’s alot of balls in the air to be honest hah. Seems amazing that it always comes together, but it does.

Affected by a global pandemic, the Canadian music industry had a really rough start to the 2020’s. How do you feel about the music scene now in 2024? Do you think the pandemic has changed things permanently or are things returning to the status quo?

I think it really reminded people of the power of live music. Things are better than ever I think live wise. As far a permanent change – I don’t think so. I was a significant bump in the road for a lot of people though.

What does Tommy Youngsteen have in store for 2024 and what are some of your biggest goals with the project for the year?

We’ve already got about two dozen shows on the books already for this year. Just more shows, more places and bigger crowds. That’s it really.

What is your favourite part about performing live music?

Feeling the energy off the crowd is the best part… and seeing something come together musically that we’ve been working on for a while. Rehearsing and playing live are two completely different things. There are certain things can only really have with an audience.

Do you have any last words for our readers?

Go to gigs…support the bands you love…bring your friends…tell your friends