Mix Tapes From My Mom

Imaginary Productions—X Cues Cafe and Lounge

You’ve probably heard a lot of positive things about this show. (Though surprisingly, not from the Jenny; at this writing there are no other reviews of this show in these pages.) Most of them are true.

The show tells the story of what could simultaneously be the best and worst day of writer/performer Corey Wojcik’s life, punctuated by musical interludes selected from the titular mix tapes. A live five-piece band (including Wojcik, taking most of the lead vocals and the odd bit of acoustic guitar) recreate classic rockers from the late 60s to early 2000s along with one original number, most bearing some obvious relation to the plot. It’s funny, it’s poignant, it’s more than a little rock’n roll, and it should appeal to nearly any Fringegoer.

I just want to add my props to the venue. It’s closer to the Fringe “main drag” than you probably think; I got there on foot from Portage Place in about 10 minutes, really not a big deal in terms of travel time, especially to a destination that serves iced coffee, which was itself almost worth the trip. If you’re coming to or from Knox United Church – perhaps to see The 500 List, which makes an excellent companion to this show, with their common device of a long curated list of songs framing a highly personal story – most people will barely notice the walk, which Google Maps tells me is actually shorter than going from the Square to the Warehouse. Any way you slice it, the trip is shorter than it might seem and well worth it.

Jeff Heikkinen