Second Wave
122 Colborne Street, Brantford, Ontario
Faded but still there August 25th 2003
August 21st 1999 photo of an abandoned Second Wave
Second Wave was a record store from downtown Brantford at 122 Colborne Street. It was owned and operated by Paul Evans. It was not only a record store but a gathering place for most of the independent bands in Brantford during the time that it was open. Local bands could sell their hand made albums and even have a show in the basement of Second Wave. There were many bands that did this and Cartoon Khaki played two shows in the basement when they were known as Dirge. (June 16th 1995 and August 11th 1995) There is an Expositor article from February 17th 1995 about Second Wave.
Second Wave wasn't always at 122 Colborne it used to be across the street a couple of years before Dirge came on the scene. Second Wave is where Vic Moya got the idea to start a label. Vic and Karl were recoding in the back of the store. This is the time that they were doing their Coffee Tea and Me album (December 1993) Vic did his Girl Dirges here and Karl made his Full album there as well. Since being in the back room recording all the time Humpin' In The Back Room was born. Paul would support his old band Dianthus here as well. They practiced in the basement when Paul was still the drummer for the band.
August 25th 2003 photo of Second Wave
Second Wave had its share of riffraff that would always hang out there constantly. Ones that are relevant to this site were Rob and Karl. They were there quite a bit in the final years playing cards all the time with Paul. Irena Tadijanovich managed to snag a co-op position there through St. John's College. The infamous one testicle Dave Negel (It's true he yelled it in the store one day) was there every day buying some sort of Elton John or Lawrence Welk record, then come back later to return it. When the store closed down there was quite a few homeless people.
In the closing days Paul was trying to get rid just about everything that wasn't attached to the building. Dianthus moved out of the basement and played upstairs. Paul and Rob had 78 record throwing competitions. Rob almost threw one threw the back wall. In a few months the store was empty and Second Wave closed its door for good.
Dianthus practicing in an empty Second Wave May 1996. Note the record stuck in the wall above Paul.
May 07 1996 people at the counter
Dave Harangozo hanging out and Irena Tadijanovich who did a Co-Op at the store
Who could forget Dave Neigle
Paul Evans at his counter April 2nd 1996
Video of Second Wave from December 16 1995
After the store closed Paul moved to Waterloo where he worked in a cookie factory for a bit got married. Then he became the manager of Sunrise Records at the Conestoga Mall in Waterloo. He talked about doing something in insurance sales.
August 27th 2003 Rob walked into the Ford Plant and asked if he could put his art up in their place. They started to talk about Second Wave and Rob mentioned that he wanted the sign before they tore down the old store. Sure enough they remembered Second Wave even though they were 14 at the time.
The sign in its new home August 27th 2003
The old Second Wave building was one of the many buildings that was demolished in 2004 to make way for a new civic square in the downtown core. Unfortunatlly the building was not worth saving and was in a poor state of repair even when Second Wave was in business. When it would rain the water would drip down onto the first floor. Paul would have to set out water buckets to catch the rain streaming off of the florescent light fixtures. The building was three stories tall. One could only imagine what the third floor looked like when it rained. Now the building is gone and only dust and memories remain.
What was under the Second Wave sign
View of where Second Wave once stood April 22nd 2005
last updated June 12th 2005