Fans say the guys' love of music shines in their stage performance. Crosstown Traffic is, from left front: Eugene Mercier, Dion Hall and Tom Daniels; at rear are Paul O'Brien, Brian Dicks and Jim Coleman.

They come from all walks of life: From psychology professor to chemical engineer; from management director to car leasing and sales consultant. Their common ground is in music.

Crosstown Traffic was originally a 1970s contemporary rock band co-founded by vocalist and guitarist Brian Dicks. A quarter-century after the members went their separate ways, Dicks' son Steve told him about a friend's father: Eugene Mercier had played Santana's Samba Pa Ti on his Les Paul guitar. Suitably impressed, Dicks called Mercier and invited him over for a jam session.

Expanded lineup

By October 1999, the gatherings had expanded to include percussionist Jim Coleman, Dion Hall on drums, Tom Daniels on keyboards, and Paul O'Brien as bassist. They're also added sound technician Roy Lewis.

When asked to join another local band at a benefit dance, they scrambled for a name. Since much of their inspiration came from the 1970s and classic rock, they opted to resurrect the name Crosstown Traffic.

"At this stage, we are only performing cover tunes," says Dicks after consulting with his bandmates. "But the creative writing juices are brewing. Over the summer months we will be exploring some material that the band members have been working on individually. If it feels good, we would like to introduce some original material into live performance in the fall."

The band is, they admit, simply a hobby. They have no aspiration towards quitting work and becoming full-time musicians. Rather, they're content just to play.

"At this point, we're all just happy to have been given the opportunity to enjoy a great hobby," says Dicks. "The chance to get out and play live has been a bonus for us. I'd say that our ultimate goal would be to continue to improve and develop musically as a group, and as importantly, to grow a reputation as a solid band that will show you a good time when you come out to see us."

The next scheduled performance of Crosstown Traffic is at the national Kinsman convention at the Canada Games Centre in August. Then again, don't be surprised to see them sooner--they'll take any opportunity to play.

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