There were collective cries of anguish in the Canadian folk universe when, in 2009, the members of Tanglefoot announced that they were disbanding. This much loved band had thrilled a couple of generations of fans, touring extensively in the U.K., USA and Canada since its inception in 1980. Earlier this year, fans were delighted to hear that Tanglefoot is reuniting to perform a series of concerts. We can’t wait.
Founded by songwriter and fiddler Joe Grant with friends Bob Wagar and Tim Rowat, the band aimed to make history come alive. Drawing on quirky stories from Canadian history, the songs were really good and the stage presence compelling. The band grew from a trio to a quintet, and their cachet grew too. Venues were always sold out and many enthusiastic fans (the Footheads!) became long-time friends of the band.
Over the years, Tanglefoot earned a number of prestigious awards: the 2007 Best Vocal Group at the Canadian Folk Music Awards; the 1999 Gold Star Award for Best Album from Crossroads Magazine Music Awards; 2000-2001 Best of Bound for Glory Award (live performance); and in 2012, founding members of Tanglefoot (Joe Grant, Tim Rowat and Bob Wagar) were inducted into the Pathway of Fame in Peterborough, Ontario.
During their 29 year tenure there was a diverse collection of musicians that contributed to the growth of the band. After founder and principal songwriter Joe Grant retired in 2006, there were a number of changes in personnel. The band eventually settled on a really great lineup. There was longest serving band member, guitarist/singer, Steve Ritchie, his brother, pianist and singer, Rob Ritchie, singer/bassist Al Parrish, fiddler/violist/singer Sandra (Swannell) Young and guitarist/mandolinist/singer Terry Young. What an amazing lineup that was! (Terry Young unfortunately died in 2022, leaving quite a void in the Tanglefoot universe).
Now, in the early part of 2026, we are seeing concert listings appearing on the band’s website, starting with Hugh’s Room in Toronto on May 29.
As of this writing, there are 10 gigs listed in locations all over Ontario. And we see the fantastic addition of Rob Ritchie’s son, multi-instrumentalist Josh Ritchie, to the band’s lineup, very ably filling Terry Young’s boots. Josh is a fantastic musician in his own right, having followed in the footsteps of his very talented dad.
The website also makes mention of the Tanglefoot alumni. It hints of special cameo appearances by some of the great musicians that over the years contributed to the wonderful music on the 12 CDs the band recorded since 1984. Most of the CDs are out of print, but happily, the music of the last seven CDs is now freely available on the streaming services Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music.
The possibilities in those cameo appearances are intriguing. Perhaps Joe Grant will bring his unusual fiddling style. Perhaps Bryan Weirmier will tickle the ivories with the fantastic energy he brought to the band. Could be that we’ll hear Terry Snider fiddling, and maybe Bob Wagar will bring his banjo to the stage. Who knows? Fans just might be tempted to purchase tickets for multiple shows! Whoever shows up, it’ll be a wonderful trip down the memory lane of some of the best Canadian folk music that was ever written.
https://tanglefootmusic.ca/home ; https://www.facebook.com/TanglefootMusicCanada
