1994: The Year Music Mattered? (Nostalgia vs. embarrassment)

Here's a fun game: How many future members of Broken Social Scene can you spot here? (Hint: there's at least three. Can you name them all?)

There's a lot to unpack in this 2-hour upload of the 1994 CASBY Awards. And not just Gen-X's collective embarrassment at our awkward grunge hair.

The CASBYs were the "Canadian Artists Selected by You" people's choice prize chosen by CFNY aka 102.1 the Edge listeners and NOW Magazine readers, first launching back in '81 as the "U-Knows," a cheeky alternative to the Juno Awards.

For the '94 edition, the CASBYs were part of a bigger show called "Music Matters." That year also marked the awarding of the $100K "Discovery to Disk" prize, which (SPOILER ALERT) went to Ian Blurton's group Change of Heart - long-overdue recognition after 12 years as an indie band. CoH perform two songs here, starting at 4:30.

There's performances from all the $100K finalists, including runners-up Treble Charger (when they were still a Pavement-y slacker-rock band) as well as The Killjoys (of "Today I Hate Everyone" fame). Anyone remember Anyhowtown (Cranberries-esque alt-pop) or Groove Daddys (Chili Peppers-style funk-rock)?? The previous year's winners, grunge heartthrobs hHead, close out the show and help announce the winners. At least two other band members were wearing Change of Heart T-shirts.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! Stand-up comedy, dance performances, silly radio skits, a rollerblading Martin Streek (RIP)... and a special guest appearance by Dave Bidini of the Rheostatics backed up by Gunlbob (aka Gunwalebob) - featuring members of GUH - playing a song about a high school Battle of the Bands. And so many levels of irony to be savoured.

But as fun as the flannel nostalgia trip may be, the lack of on-stage diversity - among the musical performers at least - was and is pretty shameful. And sadly, judging by the Edge's current playlists, not much has changed in the world of alt-rock.

P.S. Thanks to The Perlich Post for the heads-up on this one!