The Guest List
Thursday November 20th, 2025 with Joe Reilly
Interviews with Josh Tsakas and Matt Fantini of The Free Label, Slo' Tom and Jill Barber

NOTE: We have extended our annual public funding drive and you can still donate using the DONATE button on this page. Help keep one of Canada's longest-running and most celebrated campus-community radio stations on the air by making a donation today... and we'll send you a tax receipt for your efforts! Thanks to all who have donated. We open in conversation with Josh Tsakas and Matt Fantini of the disco/R&B group The Free Label. We chatted on the weekend after a gig in Florida. We talk about playing in the States and how this band loves to have fun playing funky disco and R&B music while getting their audiences moving. You can move to the Free Label groove tonight (Thursday, November 20th) at the 27 Club. For tickets to see The Free Label at the 27 Club: https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/the-free-label-shebad-the-27-club-tickets/14532473?pl=spectrasonic For more information about The Free Label and the band's music: https://www.thefreelabel.com/ https://thefreelabel.bandcamp.com/ Next we connect with our old friend Tom Stewart - aka Slo' Tom -s and talk all about his new EPs coming out this year - starting with Gas In The Tank which is being released this week. Tom talks about his love of humour in music and his love of old time country music, which is what he performs with his fantastic group The Handsome Devils. The album release party is at Red Bird Live next Saturday night, November 29th. Tom will be joined by John Borra for this gig - and John has released some excellent music of late so this will be a fantastic double bill. For tickets to see Slo' Tom and the Handsome Devils with John Borra at Red Bird Live: https://www.showpass.com/slo-tom-with-john-borra/ For more information about Slo' Tom and his music: https://www.facebook.com/slotomandthehandsomedevils/ https://slotomandthehandsomedevils.bandcamp.com/ And it's always great to chat with Jill Barber about her music. On today's show we are talking about her new album A Holly Jolly Jill Barber Christmas and her upcoming Christmas concert at the National Arts Centre, in the Babs Asper Theatre next Friday, November 28th. We talk about how much our enjoyment of Christmas music is tied to the music we heard when we were growing up and how she came up with the arrangements for the songs on this album. We also hear about the great musical set up she'll have on stage at the NAC to deliver this music in her holiday show. For tickets to see Jill Barber's Holly Jolly Christmas show: https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/39326 For more information about Jill and her music: https://www.jillbarber.com/ https://jillbarber.bandcamp.com/music Thanks for listening to the Guest List today. Support independent music in any way that you can and get out to see some live music this week... or any week! And don't forget to donate to CKCU's Annual Public Funding Drive right now... using the Donate Button on this page. And don't forget that The Guest List is sponsored by Spaceman Music, located at 388 Gladstone Avenue, just west of Bank. Visit Spaceman for all of your music making needs and don't forget they have a great repair shop and offer music lessons. Check out Spaceman online at: https://www.spacemanmusic.com/