It’s a gig, a wake, a party, and even a commemorative bench

Musician and creative force, the late Mike Robillard is fondly remembered by his friends as loyal, honest, funny, creative, and as someone who would always encourage the best in others.

Bill Cowen, a long-time friend and former bandmate, was close to Robillard.

“For anyone who knew him well, to be honest, Mike was not always the easiest person to get along with, as he had the annoying habit of deeply analyzing every facet of whatever you were talking about,” laughs Cowen.

“The best part of getting lost in these conversations however, was that they were never idle chatter. He actually cared about the meaning of things and why we do the things we do.”

Cowen befriended Robillard during their days as locker mates in high school and remained close until the latter’s passing last year.

“He was interested in you and what interests you, plus he always encouraged you to understand how those thoughts have value,” says Cowen, noting it was this quality that made Robillard so endearing to so many people.

“From the moment you met him it was obvious, he believed in you and wanted you to make the best of it. That, along with his infectious smile and characteristic laugh, made you feel it was both okay to take yourself seriously, and sometimes to not take anything seriously at all.”

Cowen and Robillard, joined by Scott Kaija and others, formed a band in the early 1990s called 4 Really Nice Guys.

“I was a quiet and shy kid but one night I was part of a larger group that was sitting in Horton’s on the hill,” says Kaija.

“I was sitting in the corner and Mike turned around and introduced himself. He started asking me questions about myself and showing genuine interest in my responses. Here was this confident and charismatic guy that was keen on getting to know awkward me and we quickly hit it off with our shared interest in music and art and a similar sense of humour.”

That friendship quickly turned into a musical partnership that lasted over two bands.

“Even when we weren’t playing or writing together, he was always so supportive and curious of whatever musical project I was up to. Hopefully, I made him feel that way too.”

In the early 1990s, Robillard, with the support of Cowen, Kaija and others, began building an arts scene in the Sault by encouraging like-minded people to move their original art forward.

Robillard invented the concept of what he called, "Shrug off reality…"

Under that moniker, there were gatherings, live shows and recordings.

The Shrug name was also used a means of encouraging people to write original music. 

“He didn’t do it because there was no original music being created in Sault Ste. Marie at the time, but because there was an overabundance of it, which needed an outlet,” says Cowen.

“It was a generational thing. At the time, ‘Centennial Lanes’ the had just ended its tenor as the best place to host all ages-shows and Mike decided there needed to be another venue. This, of course, was soon developed into a grander vision which involved professional development for aspiring musicians, recording, productions, promotional services and backline rental. The whole gamut.”

Cowen felt privileged to be witness to Robillard’s endless ideas being scribbled on pages of paper spread out all over his living room floor. 

“Mike, of course, couldn't do it all himself. So he exhaustively encouraged his friends and fellow musicians to get involved,” says Cowen.

“Mike was the hub of the wheel. Years later, it has become obvious to me that what he really was doing was single-handedly inventing what we now call ‘cultural entrepreneurship,’ or ‘community social innovation.’ But we didn't have words for it back then. So Mike settled for just calling it his ‘production company.’”

Concerts were held at places like the Purple Lantern Restaurant, Princess Theatre, Windsor Park ballroom, or someone’s basement.

Shrug even produced a compilation cassette called Extracts that came out on cassette in 1992 and featured five bands performing three songs each.

Cowen notes there were plans to establish ‘Shrug off reality…’ as a not-for-profit society, but that dream ended when Robillard embraced his career as a bass player and moved to Toronto to try out the scene in the ‘big city.’  

In Toronto, Robillard and Kaija performed together in a band called Scissors For Erica, playing some of the most esteemed rock ‘n’ roll clubs Canada has produced.

After his time in the province’s capital, Robillard returned to the Sault, where he launched numerous other acts, including, Spiderback with local musicians Dwayne Slack, Craig West, and others.

Flash forward to 2023, Cowen, Kaija, West, Slack and other friends and former band mates have decided to celebrate Robillard’s achievements with a special concert featuring three of the bass player’s former bands: 4 Really Nice Guys, Scissors for Erica, and Spiderback.

They chose Nov. 2 to hold it. That is Mike Robillard’s birthday.

“Mike’s DNA is all over both bands that I was in with him,” says Kaija.

“4 Really Nice Guys and Scissors For Erica couldn’t be more different in terms of process and musical style but I still strongly associate either with him. It was a ‘Mike-ism’ that named Scissors For Erica, actually.”

For the 4 Really Nice Guys, a lot of that music was Kaija and Robillard going back and forth with ideas.

“The ideas just always just seemed to fit together,” says Kaija.

“We could jump around with styles but it always worked. With Scissors, it was more individual songwriting efforts, but his support of my ideas allowed me to finally try writing a full song and even singing it myself. Those first attempts didn’t always work and it was a painful learning curve but I couldn’t have got through without his cheerleading.” 

Robillard’s former bandmates are determined that his creativity not be forgotten.

“We want to honour the lasting impact Mike Robillard had on our individual and collective lives,” says Kaija.

“For me, I’ve been a recording artist for over 30 years. I’ve toured other countries. I’ve written and sang songs. I’ve come up with album art concepts and executed them. I honestly can’t imagine having done any of it without Mike’s influence and support and I know the others all have similar stories. So we’re all getting back together to pay our respects to this true, one-of-a-kind artist and friend.” 

So for one night only, three of Robillard’s former bands are getting back together, to pay homage to this really nice guy who spent three decades writing original music with a host of amazing bands, musicians and friends.

“There will be music, laughter, maybe a little bit of crying, and a whole mess of emotional nostalgia spilling out all over the place,” says Cowen.

“Whether you were a friend of Mike, a fan of his music, or whether you're simply curious about the local music scene, we hope people will consider attending the show.”

Additionally, Robillard’s friends are raising money to sponsor a commemorative bench through the City of Sault Ste. Marie’s Commemorative Bench Program.

At the time of Robillard’s passing, the program was temporarily suspended.

It opened up again this past spring.

“We jumped on it as a means of creating a physical reminder of Mike in the city he loved. We thought it apt that it was a place one could go to sit and think about things, hopefully with a good view of the city,” says Cowen, who notes the paperwork is done but they are still raising money for the deposit.

“One of Mike's favourite form of art was sculpture and this seemed like a good fit as a bench is basically a functional sculpture. We all believe firmly that he would appreciate the gesture and would love it if his legacy could be commemorated by the creation of a space where people can gather to ruminate about future plans, come up with new plans, or just hang out quietly, and enjoy the scenery.”

“The thing about Mike is, he may have been an original, but he was not 'the' original,” says Cowen.

“I truly believe that there is a Mike in every generation and it just takes the right environment to encourage and support whoever might be playing that role at whatever time it is happening. Mikes are the catalyst around which original thinking and creative inspiration take effect. Mikes have a positive impact on the scene as a whole, because Mikes inspire others to act for themselves, to create the art that comes naturally, and to find a place amongst the community where it can be seen, heard and experienced.”

Robillard was an important part of the lives of a “small group amongst his generation.”

“Remembering how it was that we were inspired by him is the important part,” says Cowen.

“It was his ability to tell you ‘yes, that's great do more of that’ which is inspiring part, because it encourages us to say the same to other people when we are in a position to do so. It's exponential, a fact made obvious by the reactions of those who have come together to make this event possible, and for all of those who will come together on Nov. 2nd, I am sure that sense of appreciating what is possible, will be palpable as it always was in his presence.”

Finally, for those who knew Robillard well, it was his friendship that they really miss.

“Mike is always with me when I walk down Queen Street, or when I have having a conversation with someone about history, or art, or music,” says Cowen.

“He is with me when I play my guitar. I know he is there because I can hear him laughing at me. I know he is there when I hear my friends telling stories about him, and how they get excited to get back to their studios to work on a project, or two, or a new project, or finish an old project. I know they are thinking about Mike too in those moments, and that he is smiling, or laughing that special way he used to.”

For Cowen, it is easy to remember Robillard because his memories of him are everywhere. 

“That is why we are looking forward to having a bench to sit on, with a reminder of his favourite phrase at our backs, ‘Shrug off reality...’”

To read further tributes to Robillard by his band mates and friends, visit Shrug’s Facebook page.

Listen to tracks by 4 Really Nice Guys, Scissors for Erica and Spiderback online.

Contributions can be made to the commemorative bench on the GoFundMe page. Any funds raised above the bench sponsorship will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society

Tickets to the Nov. 2 event are now available online or in person at Case’s Music.

Shrug off reality...Celebrating Mike Robillard's Life in Music

Featuring performances by 4 Really Nice Guys, Scissors For Erica, and Spiderback

Thursday, Nov. 2 at Loplops.