Toronto

Tokyo Police Club is saying goodbye. But first, beers at Sneaky Dee's

After almost 20 years together, the Newmarket, Ont., band is saying goodbye. CBC Toronto catches up ahead of their final shows.

Newmarket, Ont., band playing final four shows at History

After 20 years, Tokyo Police Club bids fans farewell at their final shows

24 days ago
Duration 5:55
After almost two decades together, the Tokyo Police Club is saying goodbye to their fans at their final shows in Toronto this week. The Newmarket band got together in high school and helped define an era of indie rock for an entire generation. CBC’s Haydn Watters caught up with the band at Sneaky Dee's.

If there's one Tokyo Police Club mecca in Toronto, it's probably Sneaky Dee's. 

"We would just hang out here constantly all the time," said keyboardist Graham Wright. "We used to come in through the back, through the kitchen like the Copacabana."

It's fitting that the week of the Newmarket, Ont., band's final farewell shows, they've made one last pit stop for beers — and reminiscing.

After almost 20 years together, the band is saying goodbye with a string of four sold-out shows at History that started Tuesday. The four friends went to Newmarket High School together, where the band first took form. It's taken them to some of the world's biggest stages: Glastonbury, Coachella, multiple appearances on David Letterman's Late Show.

"We've all probably spent so many years doing this band worrying about it ending," said drummer Greg Alsop. "Now we get to step away from it by choice and in such a triumphant way."

Watch CBC Toronto's Haydn Watters catch up with the band at Sneaky Dee's above.

LISTEN | Drinking farewell beers with Tokyo Police Club: 
Newmarket band Tokyo Police Club begins its final string of shows tonight at History, before calling it quits. Reporter Haydn Watters sat down for beers with them at Sneaky Dee's ahead of the goodbye.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Haydn Watters is a roving reporter for Here and Now, CBC Toronto's afternoon radio show. He has worked for the CBC in Halifax, Yellowknife, Ottawa, Hamilton and Toronto, with stints at the politics bureau and entertainment unit. He ran an experimental one-person pop-up bureau for the CBC in Barrie, Ont. You can get in touch at haydn.watters@cbc.ca.