Stephen Vance, Staff
There has been much buzz in recent months about Meaford’s newly blossoming live music scene, and that brings a smile to the face of Ted Lye, owner of Ted’s Range Road Diner which has featured a weekly jam night for local musicians for the past 25 years.
“That’s what I wanted to happen, for everyone to have a place to go and play. There’s a lot of great musicians out there,” Lye told The Independent in a recent interview during a Wednesday jam night at his diner.
Like its menu, which ranges from standard fare like prime rib, to the more exotic dishes including elk, quail, and ostrich, Ted’s Range Road Diner is an eclectic blend of unexpected surprises, including their legendary jam nights.
While one might not expect to find a fine dining experience within a plywood-walled Quonset hut tucked away on Grey Road 112 in what was formerly a cow pasture, that is exactly what patrons find as they scour the extensive and exotic menu. Perhaps equally surprising is the transformation on Wednesday nights after the sun goes down, and the musicians step onto the small stage tucked away in a corner. Once the clock rolls around to 9:30, the lights in the little Quonset hut are dimmed, and the sounds of guitars and drums begin to fill the air.
“I had considered replacing the ceiling at one time, but the musicians said ‘No, no! Leave it as it is, the acoustics are incredible!’” Lye said, raising his voice in order to be heard over the pounding of the drums, and an impressive guitar solo. It was advice that was clearly worth heeding.
What prompted the owner of a small diner on a lonely rural road to start a weekly jam night? Lye said he wanted to give his musician friends a place to play, and he decided to host the weekly jams on Wednesday nights as there was already plenty of live music to be found in nearby Owen Sound from Thursday nights through to Sunday.
“I started out with Al Small, who was a buddy of mine. And I’d ask him where do you play? And he’d say ‘In my basement’. And Scott Almond was the same thing, and I said why don’t you come to the restaurant on Wednesday nights?” Lye explained. “I wanted to give everybody a place to play. It just got bigger as time went on.”
Lye takes great pride in having been able to provide a launching pad for local musicians for a quarter century.
“I don’t know how many local bands have met here, and started up here, but it’s a lot,” said Lye. “Sometimes out of the woodwork comes a huge talent.”
Lye rhymed off a long list of local musicians and bands that have been part of the weekly jams over the years, including local favourites Tin Man and the Flying Monkeys and the MacKenzie Blues Band.
Local musicians are encouraged to bring along their instruments so that they can join in with the band throughout the evening, which turns the night into a true jam experience. During the course of the interview with Lye, a local bass player joined in with the band, as did an exceptionally impressive harmonica player.
“I used to be the only thing going on in town (for live music). I used to say to the musicians, ‘I got you going, now go and do your thing’,” Lye explained. “I wanted to wake people up to the talent that is around us. There are more jam opportunities out there now because Meaford finally woke up and realized how many great musicians are in the area.”
If you enjoy having a beverage or two while taking in live music but are concerned about getting home, Ted’s Range Road Diner offers free rides home.
“When I first started the jam nights, I made sure I had a ride home for everybody,” explained Lye, who uses a local cab company to provide rides to the military base and into urban Meaford, and the bill is sent to the Diner. “I just want everybody to get home safe.”
Though the jam nights have been running for 25 years, the diner itself has a special anniversary approaching – 30 years since first opening its doors in 1987. Lye says that he hasn’t decided how he and his staff (which includes his wife and children) will celebrate, but they will definitely be planning something special as the anniversary approaches.
Ted’s Range Road Diner is located at 138490 Valour Road (Grey Rd 112). Check their website (www.meaford.com/teds) for hours and a sample of their ever-changing menu. Jam nights are held on Wednesdays beginning at 9:30.
Editor’s note: In the interest of disclosure, the author of this article did accept an offer to sample a dish from the menu at no cost. (And the seafood stuffed mushroom caps were as incredible as had been promised.)
