Taylor Saracuse has been dead to Yellowknife for some time. He’s playing a few last shows before the city is dead to him.
Saracuse, a teacher, is leaving the NWT after 10 years as part of Yellowknife’s music scene, most recently in a band titled – with no capital letters – taylor saracuse and some other dead people.
The group plays a farewell show on Saturday, November 21 at The Raven.
Saracuse held a separate EP listening party at The Underground on Tuesday, playing tracks recorded last year, and is DJing in the city for the last time (for now, at least) on Friday.
He can count at least six different groups he’s been a part of since arriving in Yellowknife. A decade on, he’s feeling positive about the city’s music scene despite the recent departure of other central figures like Tyler WhiteKeyes and Jonny Vu.
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“We’ve had some exoduses. We’ve had Tyler leave. We’ve had Jonny leave. At the same time, I feel like there’s so much momentum for music in this town,” Saracuse said.
“I feel like a year ago, post-pandemic, something lifted us up and we got a lot of energy. I see a lot of variety in the music coming out and a lot of excitement around it.”
He said the city’s priority needs to be infrastructure that helps move its music to the next level.
“We need a standing-room venue that’s purpose-built for music. We need more rehearsal space that isn’t storage units or people’s private garages. We need a recording studio. All these things help bolster that local music scene,” Saracuse said.
Saracuse is leaving town because he is “10 years in and needing a switch-up,” he said.
“As for the future – God, what do I want people to know? That I’m just continuing to go out, continuing to be weird and an oddball, but in a way that hopefully benefits others.”
