Musicians I've seen in concert

A

• Alcoholic White Trash: aren't really my thing. I prefer singers who sing and bands with more than one pace than all out. Others must go for this stuff, their MySpace page is alas no more. They played between Speckled Jim and the Subhumans at the Cobalt. I didn't care for the music but I enjoyed the antics of the front man. They had musical ability but their song lyrics were a bit hard to determine, from what I can tell "We're Alcoholic White Trash, so fuck you!"
• All State Champion: consisted of the rythm section of a band from Parksville of all places and two other guys. Wes and Todd were frequent roommates of my friends Owen and Thor. I never lived with them but I saw them around, especially Wes. I think I saw All State Champion two times. I actually preferred one of Wes's side projects with a really difficult to pronounce name. I saw them play the Brickyard and sat with the family while Thor ran the lights. I also saw them at the Pic with Push Button Automatic and some other band whose name can't be recollected but they had a singer who also played a horn though they were punk or hardcore or ska or something. I never liked labels. It took a while but Wes and Todd's old band is now alphabetically first on my concert webpage. Todd may have given up music, Wes is still in Vancouver but I'm not sure what he's up to. I dug up an old interview in Chart Attack with the band, even a review from a different Picidilly Pub show than I went to, but around the same time. Wes may or may not be playing in the Belle Bete Band which has its own MySpace page.
• Matt Anderson: is a really talented guitarists and singer/songwriter. I finally got to see him play when he sat in on a couple songs with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.
• Another Roadside Attraction: This was one of the first big outdoor concerts I went to. I used to organize one big concert outing a summer for a few years running. This and Fox Fest in Vancouver were easy, but after only Paul committed to go to H.O.R.D.E. I gave up organizing trips for shows out of town. It wasn't until I moved to Van myself that I started seeing a lot of bands live. Because the Hip were playing there was a massive crowd. We arrived a bit late in the middle of the Rheostatics set, who I was not yet into. I came for Matthew Sweet and Spirit of the West but Blues Traveller was the band that most impressed me. They are a great live band, they can flat out play.

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B

• Randy Bachman: When I was a kid, I listened to the odd BTO song on cassette tape or even 45. I saw Randy give a very similar performance on CBC where he told the story that goes with all the songs so there wasn't much new about his set when I saw him do it live.
• Tal Bachman: I saw Tal open for his dad, Neil Young, and the Bare Naked Ladies in Duncan. He has the one hit song, which even I had heard on the radio and I don't listen to the radio. He played solo on his acoustic guitar, I wasn't at the Clean Air Concert to see Tal Bachman.
• Bare Naked Ladies: I've always liked the Bare Naked Ladies. Even if it isn't cool to say so I had Gordon on cassette when it came out and I've aquired a few more of their albums on CD. I like their old stuff better and I don't begrudge them their success. They gave a very enjoyable performance using just a single omni-directional mic and just a set of bongos, no drum kit for Tyler. Kevin Hearn played accordian, there was no electric instruments on stage, just Ed on acoustic and an upright base.
• Bahamas: is the stage name of a Canadian singer songwriter who is more famous for accompanying other muscians, but maybe that will change some day.
• Beastie Boys: I've been a fan of the Beastie Boys since the begining, with the begining being defined as "License to Ill" and the video for "Fight for your right to Party" being accessible in Duncan BC. I never got into "Paul's Boutique" when it came out, but since "Ill Communication" till their career retrospective I was pretty heavily into them. Their incorporation of live instruments and their innovative videos is what elevates them not necessarily their MC skills. I saw them play in Vancouver finally with another of my favourite rap bands, A Tribe Called Quest. Of course I wore my Aloha Mr. Hand shirt to the show. I was disappointed the Tribe had no swag and my voice was gone almost before the Beasties took the stage. The highlights were them playing "Paul Revere", my favourite B-Boy song and of course the improvasational elements with Mix Master Mike and Keyboard Money Mark.
• Beck is another big name who I've seen that I was disappointed in. I saw him open for Neil Young in the Garage and he played a really quiet set. Now I admit my seat wasn't the best but I had a really hard time even hearing what was being said/sung. Also as par for the course, I forgot to include him on this page until I'd included like a hundred other artists most of whom were considerably less famous.
• Robert Belfour is a name that was missing from this webpage for years. The Reverend Payton, a damn fine guitar picker in his own right, extols him as the most underrated bluesman of the last forty years. So of course I saw him back in the day, shook his hand too. He was on Fat Possum of course and opened for R.L. one time at Richard's on Richards. Considering all the time I spend trying to play like the hill country bluesmen I should rectify the oversight on him being missing form this webpage for probably close to twenty years.
• Ben Folds Five: When I went to Portland for the H.O.R.D.E. tour to see Neil Young there was literally a horde of bands on the bill. So technically I've seen Toad the Wet Sprocket but they didn't even make an impression on me. One band that did make an impression was the Ben Folds Five. They eventually became popular and of course broke up. But I saw them on the small stage with no big fight to get near the stage. They had a few fans even then and Ben's take on male life in the 90's was interesting. Also the fact that the grand piano is featured and there is no guitarist gives them a unique sound. Even before I went to Portland I was playing their first album on my radio show just because it was different. I like different.
• Bif Naked: I saw at FoxFest. I'd forgotten, until I was sitting in the Commodore last night thinking about writing more on this webpage. I actually don't mind Bif Naked, I think I even saw her busking once, way back in the day. My favourite song of hers is I guess "Daddy's getting married", now I see on the cover of some local rag, Bif Naked is getting married.
• Big Sugar: is the loudest band I've ever seen. Louder than Gwar or any so called hard rock band. I saw them downstairs in Victoria at the Foundary or whatever they are calling the club under the Stickie Wicket these days. With the low ceiling and their big stacks of amps they were way louder than Queens of the Stone Age or Public Enemy both of whom I saw at the exact same venue. I've seen Big Sugar many times in many incarnations including the Alkaline Sessions and the Fools on Stools tour. I was sad to learn while in Japan that they had called it a day. Gordie Johnson has got his own thing going on down South called Grady which I'll have to check out.
• Scott H. Biram: opened for Bob Log III on the all one man band tour in 2008.
• Blackie and the Rodeo Kings: One band I've been into for such along time, especially their first album which took a while to grow on me, is Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. As a group made up of three songwriters with solo careers they don't tour and record all that much. I'd previously managed to see Tom Wilson solo twice, but when my first opportunity to see Blackie came during my MBA program I took it and I was not disappoint. I highly recommend seeing them if you get the chance, they are very entertaining and have excellent taste in music. I missed part of the opener (Joel Kroeker) to go get more money to buy a long sleeved t-shirt. I saw Blackie and the Rodeo Kings play a second time with a whole bunch of guests including: Amy Helm, Matt Anderson, and Wil.
• Frank Black: I saw open for Pearl Jam. I never was a big Pixies fan, though I know people who were. It didn't make much of an impression on me playing with his Catholics as I never got around to adding him to this page until many months had passed and a Pixies song came on my iPod.
• Bloom: was a local Kingston band I saw twice while visiting Kev. They were really great live and very popular locally and in the music scene. They played the funk, but they also played just about everything else from Metallica to Stompin' Tom in a medley. They even played two Neil Young songs because I was wearing my "Wanted: Neil Young" t-shirt, "Birds" and "Ten Men Working". It is too bad no album was ever released.
• Blue Rodeo: I saw them play with the Sadies in Stanley park.
• Blues Traveller: I saw Blues Traveller at Another Roadside Attraction. I didn't know anything about the band at the time, never heard any of their songs. I was in the pit, right up front because I wanted to see Spirit of the West and Matthew Sweet and they were in between those two acts. They walked on stage, picked up their instruments, plugged in and played four solos one by each member. They probably planned it but it still was impressive. They are a great live band. They only had 30-45 minutes but they just gaver. Seeing John Popper sing and switch harps live is a must. He's a big guy and he sweats of course and he has that custom vest for his harps. They definitely have a signature sound. Only "Four" garnered huge sales but I'd still go see them again.
• The Briefs: I saw these guys open for the Supersuckers maybe they were labelmates at the time as they were both on SubPop at some point. The only thing I remember about their set is the big "Judy in Disquise" glasses they wore and their line about being sandwiched between "rock royalty and... ...rock royalty".
• Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown: was brought into town for Jazz Fest one year so was EmmyLou Harris for that matter and neither of them are Jazz musicians. I was really upset during Clarence's set. It was at the Commodore on a Friday night or something. There was one young drunk guy who kept heckling Clarence. Clarence took it well but he would scream whenever the songs were slower, I so wanted to beat the shit out of the guy, but I didn't want to get tossed out. It is a sixty year old black guy on a stool during Jazz fest not a punk rock show. Not everyone is R.L. Burnside.
• R.L. Burnside: R.L. really rocks out for a senior citizen seated playing an old guitar. I was lucky enough to see him twice live. He no longer tours. His wildest and most rawkinest days are mostly behind him, but his music has had a profound influence on myself and others such as John Spencer or Iggy Pop. I highly recommend both "An Ass Pocket of Whiskey" and "Too Bad Jim". I also like his live album "Burnside on Burnside". All are available on Fat Possum Records as is memorabilia.

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C

• Cake: I saw play at the Queen Elizabeth Theater, perhaps the only show I've seen there. I don't like theater shows, I prefer no assigned seating and small club shows. Gob opened and they were forgetable, yet I remembered to add them to this web page and forgot the headliners. I frequently forget the bigger names and larger shows and remember less well known acts more vividly. Cake was not a disappointment, though the fact Owen didn't come and he got me into the band, was unfortunant. Who you go to a concert with, affects your enjoyment of the concert. I often have a lot of difficulties finding people interested in seeing shows. The most infamous example was trying to get people from my MBA class to go to the Supersuckers.
• The Calgary Folk Festival: I've now been to twice, but I only got to enjoy it once as I got violently ill the second time and had to take an ambulance to Sheldon M. Chumir Centre. I even missed seeing the Roots, as I was way to ill to even sit up. The year before I did see Emmy Lou Harris.
• JJ Cale: for reasons unkown other than his sheer brilliance and the mellowness of his music, "Naturally" was one of the most played albums at parties at the hash house. I got into JJ Cale through Loaded magazine which highly recommended "Troubadore". I saw him play just once as he rarely tours. He is resting on his lurels somewhat and played something like five songs from "Naturally" including a very well received "Bringing it back from Mexico" as part of his encore. JJ plays without a pic and seeing him along with R.L. Burnside and Bruce Cockburn inspired me to ditch the pic as well. In my journal after seeing the show I wrote "Groove so big you can park a double wide." What more is there to say?
• Cave Singers: saw these fellows at the Biltmore with Mathieson and co. They were alright. They reminded me of the Band which is what I think they were going for. However there are better less hyped roots rock bands out there, including on this side of the 49th. I recommend Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and Luke Doucet and the White Falcon.
• Bruce Cockburn: has been around a long time and I got into him by a typical way for me, but definitely non-traditionally. Someone going by the handle of PopTones over in the Arstechnica forums recommended "Circles in the Stream" as the best recorded live album ever. I'd also seen a TV special on him where Jackson Brown of all people raves about his guitar playing. Blackie and the Rodeo Kings have twice covered him, so when he and Ron Sexsmith played in Stanley Park together how could I not go?
• Jason Collett: I've now seen twice. Neither time did I plan to, maybe I've even seen him more than that, he just doesn't seem to make that big of impression on me. I saw him as part of the Neil Young Project, then a few weeks later I saw him again with my friend Mathieson.
• Corn Sisters: played a free show on the steps of UVIC's Student Union Building I seem to recall. I only caught a few songs, probably had class. However the Corn Sisters consists of Neko Case and Carolyn Mark the former of which found fame solo and as a member of the New Pornographers. She used to be the drummer in Maow! Mint's other all chick punk band from back in the day besides Cub. Maybe it'll impress someone I've seen Neko back in the day I don't know. I just don't know anymore.
• Crash Test Dummies: performed on the lawn of the parliment building during the Commonwealth Games in Victoria. Several of us including Heidi Staats camped out on the lawn for hours waiting for them to come on. There were a number of opening bands and speakers, something like 60,000 people attended this free concert. Driving back to Duncan was a crawl the entire way.

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D

• De La Soul: I was never as big a De La fan as I was into the Tribe. I've always known their stuff and I respect it. I've got them on a number of compilations or sound tracks. They were chosen to headline the second W.O.W. concert partly because Beck wanted $60,000 supposedly and I think it was thought they would bring in the kids. They headlined and the after party was cool. I never went over to talk to the boys, I sat with Keith and Magnus and Kevin and drank my free beer. One of the reasons I was always selected to head up the front of stage security contigent from CFUV, besides size is that I always worked till the end, ie when the barricade and the stage were torn down, instead of rushing off to drink free beer and eat pizza. I treated it as a job with responsibility not a free way to see concerts.
• The Devil Makes Three: I saw the Devil Makes Three with Daniel Romano's Outfit and Kue Varo & The Only Hopes during the Calgary Folk Music Festival's 9th Annual Block Heater. I know this because it took me many months to update this website, but I kept a tab open on my browser so I'd remember the opening acts. The Devil Makes Three was good, they even played a bit of War Pigs introducing it as an English Folk Song.
• DJ Cash Money: I saw "the world's greatest DJ" in Calgary at a place called the Republik. It is one of the few DJ shows I've ever been to. It was written up real cool in a local rag so I thought I had to be there. He won the DMC World Championships in 1988, he taught DJ Jazzy Jeff how to DJ. He's out of Philly or Illidelphia at the Roots likes to style it. He's a very entertaining DJ with skillz but also knows how to rock a party. I don't know what he was doing in Calgary in the late 90s.
• Luke Doucet: I've seen play both solo and with his now defunct band Veal. Both times probably opening for the Rheostatics. They were alright, he is a pretty good guitarist but I had forgotten about seeing him just like I forgot about seeing Beck or any number of other bands. Even going over the ticket stubs, it still doesn't tell the whole story. The reason Luke Doucet is finally being added is his song "Broken One" appeared on a recent Magnet Magazine CD sampler and I really like it. I got to see Luke again and he might have even played with the same bassist as when I saw him all those years before. They did at least one Veal song, but it was from well after I saw Veal play at Vertigo in Victoria.
• Downchild Blues Band: was another gig Thor asked me to go to with him. Gwar and the Downchild Blues Band, Thor has possibly more eclectic taste than me, but if you've ever met Thor this shouldn't come as a big surprise. They weren't bad but I've seen better white blues bands. They have one hit of sorts which was resurrect by an animated movie. The Downchild Blues Band wrote and recorded "Flip, Flap, Fly" back in the day.

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E

• Steve Earle: I've actually seen a couple of times. I've seen him in Ottawa and in Vancouver but always with the Dukes. I've never seen him play solo acoustic or with a bluegrass backing band. Now he seems to tour with a bluegrass band and his regular band and still does the odd song solo and acoustic in the set because he writes and records them that way. Steve is a really interesting musician. He became popular in the 80's on country radio and even crossed over a bit with "Copperhead Road". Then he fell off the map due to excessive drug use. He got cleaned up and returned with a bunch of albums full of well written songs. However radio wasn't really interested in a fat, beared, fourty year old, liberal red-kneck. Luckily his one big crossover hit allows him to tour when he wants and by releasing his own stuff I guess he makes more than enough money to get by. Steve puts on a good show and actually likes to rock out that is why he usually has a band behind him. He does the odd eclectic cover and I own none. His concert tickets aren't cheap either having an older fanbase but it is also really eclectic peppered with bikers and intellectuals. Although he plays with Eric "Roscoe" Ambel now, I've also seen him with Buddy Miller on guitar.
• Electric Six: toured with the Supersuckers and played Calgary in 2024. I didn't remember them from back in the day until I listened to their music anew. I didn't make it to the end of their set and their biggest hit.
• Lindsay Ell: knows my boss somehow. Calgary isn't that big of a town. She even may have had a signature Gretsch Guitar for a while. I saw her play at the Palace Theatre and one thing she did and the Palace allows is she used her wireless rig to play guitar in the balcony surrounded by the fans. Zakk Wylde did the same thing when I saw him play there. I bought one of Lindsay's CDs gave it to my sister.
• Tommy Emmanuel: is one of the best acoustic guitar players around. Though I don't think I could make the switch to using a thumb pick after all these years, I did buy one. He puts on a really great show all by himself.

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F

• 54-40: Any band who names themselves after an American presidential candidate's campaign slogan has balls. Over the years 54-50 has peaked a couple of times. "Shela" was pretty big in Canada, when Hootie and Blowfish covered them that garnered them extra attention, and I remember "Ocean Pearl" was their first and perhaps only top 40 US hit. And just like the Odds they were unable to capitalize on that and become big, like say the Bare Naked Ladies. Sometimes it is better not to become big... They labour on releasing a double live album, but I've kinda lost touch with them as they've mellowed and I've become more of a loner. I know Kev wishes Neil would sing more instead of speaking the lyrics, that was his big complaint about them, I like them more when they rock out than their mellow stuff with the exception of "One Gun".
• Rick Fines played at Blues Odyssey 2006.
• Fishbone: Fishbone was on the W.O.W. concert 2 bill possibly because the head of the student society at the time was a big fan. I'm basing this observation on the fact they never were really really popular and the dude went nuts during their set. Fishbone was OK, I didn't have an uncontrollable urge to see them again or buy their record though. They are on "The tribute to Hard Core Logo" CD with the Pursuit of Happiness, that might be the only track I own of theirs.
• Flogging Molly: headlined a bill with the Supersuckers and it was a great show. I bought two of their albums and a patch just before I left for Japan. They are a really fun band to see live, kinda celtic punk rock to attempt to label them. However they can play a country or soul song or something heavy if they choose. Saw them again when they were a few years older, though Dave was old from the beginning, but I liked them best with the Supersuckers.
• Fox Fest: Kevin and I went to this three day event. It was the summer after Another Roadside Attraction and the summer before Paul and I went to Portland to see Neil Young. Krista and her sister were also there on Saturday. We missed some bands on Friday but saw the Odds and 54-40. Saturday had the most bands, I was most impressed by the Mahones as that was the t-shirt I bought. However other bands I saw for the first time and became into include Big Sugar and the Headstones. I also liked the Tea Party and but was revolted by something I saw in the mosh pit during their set. Sunday we left early, but I dug David Gogo's set. Years later I dug up a review by someone else as I was trying to figure out if I ever saw Skinny Puppy, maybe I have, but maybe not and definitely not at FoxFest in 1996.

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G

• Amos Garrett played at Blues Odyssey 2006.
• Gob: I've seen Gob. I'd forgotten. They opened for Cake. I missed most of their set because Tracy, Owen's girlfriend at the time wanted to talk outside. Who goes to a concert and stays outside to talk? I don't have a high opinion of Gob, they are like a less clever Sum 41, though they predate Sum 41 and are from the left coast.
• David Gogo: is also a product of the harbour city of Nanaimo just like the considerably more famous Dianna Krall. I've never managed to see David again after Fox Fest despite living on the Island for most of my life. I did buy one of his albums and plan to buy another. He is a formidable guitarist but the one album I do have doesn't capture his playing as well as seeing him live. Another great local blues guitarist I have seen is Harry Manx. I got to see David Gogo again at Blues Odyssey 2006.
• Grady: is Gordie Johnson's post Big Sugar project. It is a three piece Texas rock band, they even moved to Austin. Gordie Johnson still produces and plays on other people's stuff including Nashville Pussy who I saw them play with.
• Emm Gryer: I saw her open for Ron Sexsmith. She wasn't the first female singer songwriter on the bill though. She was more famous having released a number of albums and toured with the likes of David Bowie I seem to recall. I actually thought more of the very first woman but I've forgotten her name. She was American and had a heck of a voice.
• Grass City: is a local Vancouver band I saw open for Grady and Nashville Pussy. They have three electric guitar players and a MySpace page, check 'em out.

• John Guliak: was on the Vancouver music scene for a while and at some point I saw him open for somebody. I remember him covering "Loretta", but I can't remember which show that was at. I finally hunted down his album "The Black Monk" which when I heard the Townes Van Zandt cover again, reminded me I should add him to this webpage. He is still performing music, just not based out of Vancouver, according to his MySpace page.
• Gwar: "We are Gwar, we have guitars, we'll eat your car. Gwar! Gwar! Gwar! Gwar! Gwar! Gwar!" Those are the only words to the only Gwar song I know, not that it matters. When they came to town, Thor immediately called me, and I immediately agreed to go. Thor kept getting mad when I said they weren't as good as JJ Cale who I saw literaly days earlier also at the Commodore. He kept saying that I shouldn't even compare the two shows. For additional coolness points not only have I seen Gwar with my friend Thor, Thor the God of Metal opened for them to maximize the cartoon violence onstage. Pictured at right is me in my white t-shirt I wore to the show where Thor and I spent the entire set hugging the security fence at the front of a very rowdy mosh pit.

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H

• Hang on the Box: saw them as part of a five band bill which I blogged about, wasn't impressed.
• Harlan Pepper: opened for Blackie and Rodeo Kings in Courtney.
• Winard Harper: I saw with my buddy Kevin Moore, we were in Seattle to see a Seahawks game so we went out the Saturday night before and on this bar street they have, Kev selected this bar and this gig because the Harper Brothers was one of the first jazz albums he ever bought supposedly. Several other people sat in, Kev is definitely more a Jazz cat than me, he talked to him and piano player afterwards he was impressed by this band. Back in the day I did see a lot of gigs and I definitely like funky drummers so years later I remember to add this show, alas I forget who else played that night.
• Emmylou Harris: is a saint. I'm convinced the reason she has aged so gracefully is that she has such a good soul. She also has excellent taste in songwriters and has made a career mainly out of interpreting other people's work. She has helped out her share of people and sung backup, harmony, or duets with many artists. She also writes her own material and in a piece of triffia I was always going to share with Marlene was, she is the first woman to get her own signature Gibson guitar. I've now seen Emmylou Harris three times.
• Hayden was suppose to be the next big thing, maybe he didn't become the next Beck but he has managed to carve out a career for himself. I saw him back when he just had the one album on an indie which became well known due to Much Music playing the video a lot. In order to see Hayden I had to stand in line for hours, in the snow, in Victoria. The concert was at a little coffee house, and Hayden was battling some sort of throat ailment so the audience had to be deathly quiet. The other thing I remember was who I saw the show with and who got to benefit from my hours in line. That guy turned out to be a bit of a prick, I think he writes for Chart Magazine or something now.
• The Headstones: also called it quits while I was in Japan. I only saw them one more time after Fox Fest. There lead singer, Hugh is the king of phlegm. I can't fathom why you would encourage your audience to spit on you by spitting on them. They are heavier than the average band I listen to. Their cover of the Travelling Willbury's is seminal, but that is the only album of theirs I've felt compelled to buy.
• Kevin Hearn: Kevin is best known as the Bare Naked Ladies keyboard player when they got really big. But he's been on the music scene a long time. I saw him open for the Rheostatics on Halloween Night with Owen at the Commodore. It was a great show. During Kevin's set he broke into "War Pigs", Owen and I went nuts. We knew all the words and I guess the average Kevin Hearn/Rheos fan didn't. He played it on acoustic guitar. The rest of the band looked surprised, especially the really serious looking electric guitar player he had, I don't think he had ever heard the song before. He was seated on a stool and had no clue what had just happened. The drummer was into it, Owen and I digged the drummer Kevin had, he was dressed as a droog from "A Clockwork Orange" and he was just crazy on his kit especially during the surprise Sabbath cover. There was also guest vocalist "Flamie".
• Amy Helm: joined Blackie and the Rodeo Kings on their cross Canada Kings and Queens tour.
• Rich Hope: is one of those guys like Luke Doucet who was in Vancouver in a band and repeatedly opened for out of town bands I liked. Luke Doucet, with and without his band Veal open for the Rheostatics and Rich Hope, with and without his band John Ford opened for Big Sugar. I think I even lived in the same area of town as Rich. Although I didn't mind John Ford especially when they busted out a cover of "White Light/White Heat" at the Commodore, I liked him better solo acoustic when he opened for the psuedo Big Sugar 'Fools on Stools' tour. He actually sat in with Gordie Johnson and Kelly Hope and seemed to be more used to playing accoustic guitar live than Gordie was.
• H.O.R.D.E. Festival: The H.O.R.D.E. Festival never came to Canada so I had to go to the States to see it. It was worth the trip. Neil Young was headlining that year, Blues Traveller wasn't even on the bill. Neither were a bunch of the jam bands that were a staple of the earlier tours. The best sets were turned in by the Ben Folds Five, Squirrel Nut Zippers and Primus.

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I

• Chin Injeti: is a Vancouverite originally in the group Base Is Base which was a staple of Much Music in my youth. I saw him play with John Mann and Tom Wilson, they tried to do a Super Tramp song for the encore which went less than perfectly. Chin is all over the internet.

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J

• Waylon Jennings: was actually the first concert I remember seeing. Yet he never got added to this webpage until years after I put it online. I had already written about seeing Waylon Jennings play at the Pacific Coliseum. This was pre-GM Place pre Expo 86 Vancouver, I went with my family. My dad was a big Waylon Jennings fan, so was James Hatfield's father. This was at the tail end of the Outlaw Country movement during the dark days of the 80's when older country artists were brushed aside and removed from radio station playlists or even dropped from their record lables. It was definitely pre-the Highwaymen. What my mother and I can't recall is who else was on the bill. Whether Willie Nelson or Johnny Cash played that night, or possibly just one of the them is something I'd like to find out for sure, but it was a long time ago, maybe my mom will find the ticket stubs. She keeps a lot of stuff...
• John 5: is now in Motley Crue which I actually thought about seeing but I was never into them and I prefer smaller shows, so when I saw a poster for him playing a club in Calgary I bought a ticket. It was an early Wednesday show and it was honestly really good. John is a very talented guitar player and has a lot of tricks to entertain the crowd. I recommend seeing him if you can.
• John Ford: was a local Vancouver rock band that I saw open for Big Sugar among others. It featured Rich Hope on guitar and vocals, it may have been a contemporary of Veal, but I think Luke Doucet was on to other things, before Rich Hope went out on his own.

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K

• Kaleidescope: was a local benefit concert I helped out with in some small way. It was deemed a success, successful enough that people are plotting a sequal. The bands who played the first Kaleidescope Concert at the Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside were: Boombox Saints, The Left, Rodney Decroo and his Convictions, and Spoon River. More information about those four bands can be found here.
• Kinnie Star: She has gotten a bit more famous since the W.O.W. concert where I saw her. She was probably on the bill to ensure the political support of the lesbian/feminist/women's right portion of student council. She was also a local act where the other two where American. She too is on "The tribute to Hard Core Logo" CD.
• Leo Kottke: played at the Vancouver Island MusicFest. He was actually announced after I'd bought my ticket. I got to stand up front but off to the side for his set. People who arrive early and set up chairs get to be centre stage especially earlier in the evening/afternoon. Leo was alright, but he spent a lot of time tuning his guitar and adjusting the truss rod. I enjoyed Tommy Emmanuel more, who I apparently have not added to this webpage yet.
• Joel Kroeker: I saw open for Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. He is thought very highly of by a number of veteran Canadian musicians. He seems to often crop up on tours opening or playing with people with much bigger names. I liked his solo set especially his Leonard Cohen cover.
• Talib Kweli: came to Calgary during the Stampede, so I saw him in a tent next to a Country bar on a Tuesday. It was just him and his DJ. I was definitely bigger into hip hop in the 90s or earlier, but I never got the first Black Star album until later. Besides that I mainly know him as a guest MC so I was curious how he would be on his own. The answer is he does parts of songs, so he did part of "Old School Rules" off the Dangerdoom album, he even did the "got more cheese than Doritos, Cheetos or Fritos" bars which is off another MF Doom side project. Will Blackstar ever tour again, it is unlikely they'll come to Calgary, but I'd like to see more shows and I prefer small clubs with engaged crowds, but some people definitely knew his lyrics.

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• Cameron Latimer: I saw open for Luke Doucet. I blogged about that show.
• Marlene Lau: I saw Marlene play at a benefit concert while we were both MBA students. She used to be in a hard rockin' all female band outta Calgary by the name of Honeyrocket, but her solo stuff is a bit more mellow or at least it was that night. She even played a song on electric piano.
• Bob Log III: is a great live performer, see him in a small hardscrabbled bar while you still can.
• Nick Lowe: headlined over Ron Sexsmith, but in truth that has happened when I've gone to see Ron before. Nick was good, he and Ron did a number of songs together with Ron even playing lead guitar.
• Luther Wright and the Wrongs: I was suppose to see this band with Pat, as he turned me on to them. But he backed out at the last minute with some lame excuse. I ended up going with a Japanese girl, basically he backed out the night of the concert and I was in Japanese class so I said who wants to go to a concert tonight. She liked the band, she even forced me to dance.

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• The Mahones: I've only seen the Mahones once. They played Vancouver Island several times but fate always conspires against me. Their music is celtic but they use a full drum kit so they are louder than the usual celtic bad. They've undergone some lineup changes over the years since I saw them at Fox Fest. My sister saw them play in Tofino not too long ago and she and her friends were very impressed, they have a lot of energy live and some good original songs as well as a hell of a tin whistle player. I was so impressed with them I bought their shirt over every other band at the three day Fox Fest concert.
• John Mann: is the lead singer and one of the main songwriters of Spirit of the West. I saw him play with Tom Wilson and Chin Injeti while SOTW was on hiatus. Spirit of the West is back together minus Linda but John did the solo thing for a while. His songs are often on unusal topics such as war monuments.
• Harry Manx: is another local show I went to after reading about in the Georgia Straight. He combines accoustic blues slide guitar with Indian influences. He now lives on Salt Spring Island just like Randy Bachman and one of the guys from The Grapes of Wrath. I saw him play at the Silverton Tavern with Owen who went at my insistance, for a bunch of middle aged white guys they really did a rocking version of Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady".
• Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers: were a part of Another Roadside Attraction. In fact they were the second to last band to play, just before The Hip. I wasn't very impressed with them, but I may have a greater appreciation of reggae now than I did then.
• Melissa McClelland: I saw her play with Luke Doucet at the Media Club.
• Buddy Miller: is a very modest and unassuming guy. He doesn't think of himself as much of a guitarist but he held down touring spots in both EmmyLou Harris's Spyboy and Steve Earle and The Dukes. In addition to playing guitar he also sings and writes. I've seen him open for the afore mentioned Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris. He frequently performs with his wife who also is a singer/songwriter. They have released albums as solo artists and now together as a duo. When I first saw Buddy play with Steve in Ottawa he was using a guitar I'd never seen before which I described to my friend and guitarist Kevin. He said it was Italian maybe. I didn't think that was too likely but through the power of the internet I've learned it might have been a Wandre. He had a gear page but it is gone. However, YouTube not has rig rundowns aplenty. In addition to of course playing country licks, Buddy was able to approximate Daniel Lanois's atmospheric guitar playing during the Spyboy tour.
• Moist: I've only seen them play half a song when they opened for Neil Young. This wasn't my fault. Heidi Staats took entirely too much time in getting us to the Edmonton Coleseum.
• Mondo Generator: I saw these guys open for Turbonegro. I was not impressed, I know Nick is a buddy of theirs from back in his Queens days. I've seen Queens live at a little club and my friends were big into the whole stoner/dessert rock scene, but I was not impressed. I prefer people who sing rather than scream. I just wanted their set to end.
• Money Mark: of course opened for the Beastie Boys. I wasn't very impressed, he is better as a sideman. Even then I think he was really drunk that night they turned off his mic during the latter part of the Beasties' set.

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• Nashville Pussy: isn't really my thing, though I do like Turbonegro and the Supersuckers. Some of Nashville Pussy's fans are annoying but the best thing I can say about Nashville Pussy is their guitarist can play and they give the crowd their money's worth.
• The Native Howl: opened for Zakk Sabbath on the Tour Forever / Forever Tour. Maybe I should have gotten a tour shirt, but the merch line was long and it was a Sunday night. The Native Howl itself did well, they had a friend filling in on drums and they feature the banjo. They have dubbed their music "thrash grass".

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• The Odds: I became a big Odds fan when "Good Weird Feeling" came out, I remember the video for "King of the Heap" from back in the day, but I wasn't into them until later. In first year residence at UVIC "Wendy under the stars" was one of our must play party songs. I've seen them several times. I've even worked security at one of their shows, but my security shirt got stolen. I was even on their mailing list, this was back when mailing lists had nothing to do with email. I was sad that they broke up but not before they had one top 40 hit down South. Funnily that is the only CD I don't own. Sometimes when a little local band you like becomes popular they become less interesting too. The Odds had good song writing and good guitar playing that is what set them apart from the masses, that and an odd sense of humor if you pardon the pun.
• The Old 97's: I saw them play an early show at Richard's on Richards with a Korean girl. The first few songs the sound was off, it wasn't until the bassist sang and the lead guitarist changed guitars that they started sounding good. They are a good little band, with some clever lyrics, they play pretty fast for an alt-country/college rock band but they are basically two guitars, a drum and a bass. I like them best when Rhett plays acoustic guitar.

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• Maceo Parker: I'm actually a card carrying funkateer. But I was born too late, in the wrong country, with the wrong color parents to have seen many of the masters live. Too much music is made artificially now. They use computers, overdubs, Pro Tools, and all sorts of other studio trickery. There aren't enough working bands, people who live by their chops, people who earn their money on the road night in night out by putting on a show, at least not in pop music today. There are some, but Maceo Parker is still going strong, he's played with so many people: James Brown, Parliment, Bootsy, etc. He gives you more of what you're funkin' for. Highly recommend live.
• Pearl Jam: I've seen. I often forget some of the bigger bands I've seen. Often because I saw them when they weren't so big or because I wasn't as impressed with them as I was with some less well known acts. Maybe I'd rather spend my time advocating the unpopular but deserving rather than the biggest rock band in the world, well at least at one time. My favourite song of their set was a cover of a Who song, which may have been a bigger influence on them than Neil Young.
• Paul Pigat: I've seen either with or without his band Cousin Harley. This is another example of a great musician I've seen, even lived in the same neighborhood as, went to the same gym, and forgot to include on this list. Even though I told people in Austria and China what a good guitarist he is. It took someone else blogging and tweeting about him for me to remember that yes indeed I saw him play live at a little bar in Vancouver. He made a point of doing a Merle Travis song. I think Spoon River also played that nigh, having seen them before at a benefit concert.
Ariel Posen: is one of the new school musicians where you learn about them through social media. It used to be you read articles in magezines or heard a song on the radio or even MuchMusic. Friends used to tell you about bands or you would just see acts for the first time live. Now people go viral, they appear on podcasts, Ariel seems to have done both. That said he is a very talented guitarist, plays with the slide on his pinky. He even has a signature slide which I bought at the gig. He uses non-standard tunings and often plays a Mule guitar which is made of steel, but is not a steal guitar.
• Primus: Primus Suck!
  I thought for sure Owen and Thor would come when they found out Primus was on the bill. They have been into Primus for so long. I actually enjoyed their set, especially when the moshers chased the hippies out from in front of the stage and started a pit. Right on top of their blankets and Magic the Gathering cards. I think Primus had the only mosh pit of the H.O.R.D.E. festival.
• Public Enemy: I finally got to see in Victoria BC. They were well past their prime. Terminator X didn't even make the trip, having retired to be a farmer or something. Flavor Flav was gooned out of his mind, passed out on stage and couldn't remember the lyrics to his own songs. The Security of the First World was in full effect, and Chuck singled me out as the only person in the audience that was definitely diggin' on the PE back in 86 as I knew all the words to "Rebel without a Pause". Now that Hip Hop has become the music of masses rather than mere noise which it was considered to be when I was kid, I don't have much interest in it. It seems to be pop music with all that entails including easy to rember choruses and packaged acts. "Rebel without a Pause" doesn't have a chorus, and the JB's sample that is looped still sounds like nothing you hear on the radio today. PE will go down as one of the most innovative musical acts of the 80s and early 90s. And Chuck D still gets my vote as best MC of all time, for "kickin' the truth to the young black youth."
• The Pursuit of Happiness: Although I'd long been familiar with the band from the radio but even more so from Much Music, I didn't ever see them live until they opened for the Odds at the W.O.W. concert I was security at. Moe Berg is an interesting songwriter and their lead guitarist is a girl who can really play. They did a cover of "I wanna be sedated" which was a lot of fun. I was down at the front of the stage doing security so I'm well aware of what songs get the moshers going.

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• Queens of the Stone Age: I saw these guys in a little bar in Victoria BC well before they became big, spawned the Eagles of Death Metal and booted out their giant bassist. I can't take all the credit however, Owen and Thor were fans of theirs along with the whole stoner rock/dessert sessions scene. If I'm trying to impress people sometimes I trot out their name as an example of someone I've seen live, as they went on to play stadiums and sell millions of records.

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• Cat Ratusny: I saw Cat play with Marlene Lau at a benefit organized by my MBA classmates. Cat played two sets, though the audience was less attentive and appreciative of her sets than Marlene's. I listened carefully during the first set and even took a picture, but for the second set I probably talked to Marlene's friend Steve. Cat's voice and singing style remind me a bit of Joni Mitchell but her songwriting has a long way to go before it catches up to Joni's.
• The Red Elvises: are still going strong though I think they may have undergone a lineup changes. They are one of the bands you always hear about but never will hear on the radio. They make their money touring and putting on a good show. They are really quirky being a Siberian Surf Rock Band but they are also a lot of fun and I recommend anyone who has a chance to check them out live. I got into them through a soundtrack they did for a B Movie called Six Stringed Samauri.
• The Rheostatics: One of the first Rheos shows I went to they were billed as Canada's Best Band Ever. Which I believe the Toronto Star said of them. That concert was awesome. They played until the manager unplugged the power to the stage, turning on the house lights did not stop them. I went to that concert with Heidi Staats. They had Blue Rodeo's old keyboard player with them, I really like the Rheos with a keyboard player. I saw Kevin Hearn of the Barenaked Ladies sit in with them on Halloween one night and that was a great set. I mean they covered Meat Loaf. That is what makes them so great they are so unpredictable and they are definitely a good live band. I'm not as in to them as I was, I guess I liked their second drummer period best. I eventually got one of their shirts and even interviewed some of the members.

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• The Sadies: are a bunch of really talented Canadian musicians who are always in demand as a backing band, an opening act, or tour mates. They don't really fit neatly into one category but they could right a hit three minute pop song someday... I finally got to see them live, over three years after I first bought tickets for one of their shows. Even the bar the show was supposed to be at, doesn't exist anymore. Why Marlene?
• Ron Sexsmith: Ron is simply one of the most talented people writing songs today. He is an absolutely brilliant songwriter. I've seen Ron at least five times now. Once at Richards' with Emm Gryer, once at the Sonar with Tom Wilson and once opening for Bruce Cockburn in Stanley Park. I also saw him at the Chan Centre at UBC then many years later Mount Royal University with Nick Lowe. Although he perhaps lacks the stage presence of some of the more dynamic acts I've seen, his songs and stories are still entertaining. His audiences always seem to be full of a lot of females, if your goal in going to a concert is to meet chicks I'd have to recommend Ron Sexsmith or the Supersuckers.
• Billy Joe Shaver: was one of the last shows at the Starfish Room. It was an old born again country singer with an all Texas band trying to get hipsters to dance. Despiter famously having an "eighth grade education" Billy Joe has written a lot of songs. He writes about what happens in his life and he's had a rough one. He like Willie Nelson and others could not get a record deal in Nashville but could get a gig as a songwriter as part of the Nashville music machine. Billy Joe had to famously threaten to beat up Waylon Jennings to get him to record his songs, but the resulting album still sounds great today and helped make both their careers.
• Slick Rick: played an early show in Calgary at the Back Alley when he was 59! I don't have much to say abou the warmup acts but Rick's DJ tried to hype the crowd which was smaller and had less lyrics memorized than at the Supersuckers show I saw less than a week earlier. The show started out well enough with "Lick the Balls", the set list leaned heavily towards his first album which I bought on cassette back in 88 or 89. Suprisingly the most popular song was "La Di Da Di" which was never a favourite of mine and maybe is before my time. I was pretty young in 1985. That said the crowd had a lot of younger people but people in their 30s and 40s got a shoutout. Slick Rick took a break and after that he didn't seem to perform as well. He performed for about an hour then plenty of us left the club at 9:30 PM on a Saturday. I got home in time to catch the end of the hockey game. As I observed when I saw Talib Kweli it is hard for some of these rappers to tour with so many songs with guest vocalists. The Roots are scheduled to play Calgary this summer so I have high hopes for that gig. The other things is smaller Hip Hop shows often had no merch. I wore my seventeen year old Undercrown shirt but it is showing it's age. I wore a 23 year old t-shirt a week earlier to the Supersuckers.
• Slow Nerve Action was a name I would always see on posters on Granville Street and Davie when I was on the way to work. Finally one odd night I went to one of their shows down at the Brickyard. They were a Whistler band that billed themselves as porn funk. They had really cool gig posters for a little local band and despite the place being half empty they still put on a fun show. I always meant to see them again with some friends but they went through some lineup changes and I went to Japan. The keys to the band were the lead singer, the bassist, and keyboard player. I think the latter might have left and they added a full time DJ. Their website is long gone in 2024. I wanted to buy their album but they didn't have any copies with them, they actually put the whole thing online, piece by piece but I prefer CDs to MP3s or at least I did when I had my stereo set up. Now that I'm in so much debt I might just have to add some of their free tracks to my iTunes collection. They seem to still be going strong with more tunes than ever, check them out if you get a chance. Next time I see them I have to ask if they nicked their name from an old Chili Peppers song title.
• The Special Guests: I first saw coming back from a Pearl Jam concert, they went to see the show too and were just jamming on the deck of BC Ferries. I talked to the band and since they were from Victoria started playing their CD on my CFUV show. Dave and I eventually went to see them play, I won their CD for knowing they covered Moressy, but Dave made me give it to him...
• Speckled Jim: also played the final Saturday night show at the Cobalt. I liked them best of the three main bands. They are basically a post punk, post new wave, post whatever else, pre grunge rock band , that through the magic of the Vancouver music scene got back together in 2009. The core members were in other Vancity bands that you could have heard playing gigs in Vancity and beyond in the 90s. They reminded me a bit of Elvis Costello and the Attactions perhaps because the leader wore glasses.
• Spirit of the West: Although I think the Rheostatics take the title, Spirit of the West is in the running for band I've seen the most often live. This is partly due to the fact they are a local band who I like but it is also due to the fact they were popular at UVIC and I worked security at a number of their shows. I think I liked seeing them at Another Roadside Attraction the best, just for the sheer mass of people moshing to a tin whistle. Of course I own one of their t-shirts.
• Squirrel Nut Zippers: Even Neil Young was impressed with these guys. Portland was the second stop on the H.O.R.D.E. tour that year and the diverse bands on the bill were probably not yet that familiar with each other. Although I am guilty a bit, I never got into the whole swing revival not enough to take dance lessons or anything, not that there is anything wrong with that. I like the Squirrel Nut Zippers, they are a lot of fun live, though the wind blew back the fake money they tried to throw off stage. What I remember most is the different members playing different instruments and the abundance of big hollow body guitars. My interest in Gretsches likely stems from this concert along with their use by Neil Young and old bluesman.
• Subhumans: headlined the last big show at the Cobalt, Vancouver's Hardcore Bar in the infamous DTES. They're an old school punk band from Vancity, kinfolk to D.O.A. and that lot. People who played the Smiling Buddha back in the day. They are still together and still gig. They were a lot older than the average fan at the show, but there were some old punks there to say farewell to the 'Balt. There set was pretty good, their guitarist and drummer were pretty slick.
• The Supersuckers: If the Supersuckers aren't my favourite band, they are at least one of the best live acts I have ever scene. They are so good I pretty much would go see them everytime they came to town after I saw them the first time. I own several of their shirts as well as other memorabilia. I try to convert the ignorant masses to the Evil Powers of Rock n' Roll. I failed miserably during my MBA career though. Even Marlene Lau wouldn't go to the show with me. Even I didn't go to the show though I was on the guest list, due to personal problems. In 2024, I saw them again, they are now a three piece.
• Matthew Sweet: I still maintain that "Girlfriend" was the best album of the year not "Nevermind" I'm in a minority but "Girlfriend" and much of Matthew's work is top notch. He seems to have gotten lost for a few years, but had a return to form with an obscure Japanese only release called "Kimi ga suki Life". I've seen him play live twice, once at Harpo's and as part of Another Roadside Attraction. His touring guitarist is good, but he's worked with some awesome people in the studio too. He plays a lot of the instruments himself in the studio and thus does a lot of overdubbing including the background/harmony vocals. However live he rawks out though officially he's labelled as power pop. We also seem to share a lot of the same interests. For instance we are both fans of: Russ Meyer, Neil Young, and Japan.

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• The Tea Party: are another band I first saw at Fox Fest, bought one of their albums and played it at Res parties but never managed to see them again. They have a lot of talent and showed imagination using all those middle eastern instruments and it is impressive to see them recreate that stuff live, especially with only three members. All that said they too never made it big and I've lost interest in the band as well. I don't even seem to put their stuff on mixes very often either.
• The Tragically Hip: have alway had a huge reputation but I've never been a big fan of theirs. I respect them, I don't think they lack talent, I just don't think they are all that. I have seen them play live which didn't change my opinion of them. Maybe if I had seen them at a smaller venue than Thunderbird Statium. I don't know I guess I prefer the Rheostatics.
• A Tribe Called Quest: Although their solo careers have fizzled and my interest in hip hop has waned down to almost nothing. Back in the day I was a major hip hop head this was before that term had even been coined. "The Low End Theory" is without a doubt one of the finest Hip Hop albums ever. It was given to me by my buddy Kev for my birthday. I still listen to it pretty regularly and it was one of the ten albums I took to Japan. I saw them play live with the Beastie Boys just before they broke up and I knew almost every song word for word. I have many of their albums but they were all a disappointment after "the Low End Theory". I hear they are getting back together...
• Turbonegro: finally came to Canada, and despite still not having recovered from my MBA I dragged my sick ass to the show. GWAR may have giant fake penises, but Turbonegro they got erection! Before their set I was talking to Kevin also of the Pacific Rim chapter of the Turbojugend and said it wasn't like in Europe as no one was chanting "I got erection". But no sooner than I said that than the chant broke out. Turbonegro has so many songs that are fun to sing along to. Even their new songs off of ReTox were well received. GWAR had a pretty crazy mosh pit filled with tatooed and spiked covered guys, but Turbonegro had chicks and normal looking dudes going crazy. It seemed like every song they played people went nuts to. "Selfdestructo Bust" might have been the craziest until the encores. They played "Are you ready for some darkness?" which is my favourite song, but they didn't play "Good Head". "Dungeree High" was an early highlight but of course in the first of two encores they played "Prince of the Rodeo" and Euroboy climbed into the crowd to play his solo. They had to play a second encore because the crowd of course kept chanting "I got erection". But even after they played that, they had one more surprise, Nick Oliveri from Mondo Generator who was touring with them, came out and they played another song with him on guest vocals (screams). I don't think many people knew what song that was and people had definitely left but the pit still went nuts. Rune Rebellion was the most stylish with his Pith Helment and Pol Pot Pamparius had on the most makeup and he really did look like he was "Zonked out on hashish". Happy Tom is the brains of the outfit and on stage compared to Hank he is subdued. Hank is perhaps the best frontman in Rock and Roll. Tom Wilson swears by the guy from Teenage Head who also got back together and toured recently, but Hank went insane and lived on an island for a few years, now I think the band does a lot less hard drugs, but their show is still crazy and their fans are devout. Kev said before their set it was going to be show of the year, and honestly after years of waiting, Vancouver really went bezerk. Several Turbojugend chapters were present including Comox Valley which apparently has been around since August... Alberta Darkness had the most people in attendence, they are on MySpace. You know you love a band when you drive ten hours or more to see them play. I know I've done it before. I've even flown out of the arctic to see Neil Young and Crazy Horse on their first cross-Canada tour.

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• The Umbrella Collective: were are the Vancouver Island MusicFest when I attended and I caught part of their set. For the Calgary Folk Festival I got there early and sat right in front of the stage they were set to perform on. Then I got sick and had to leave the entire festival. Hopefully they'll be back out West as I thought they were really funky. They have a Facebook page and are on Instagram and YouTube.

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• Vancouver Island Musicfest: it took me thirty years but I finally made it to the Vancouver Island Musicfest for what may have been the last time. I grew up on Vancouver Island, I have many relatives in the Comox Valley but I moved away, so I finally flew back when Lucinda Williams played. Lots of other famous acts have played the festival over the years. The Umbrella Collective impressed me with their set and I even got to the Calgary Folk Festival extra early to try and see them play again. The other act I really wanted to see was Leo Kottke but I actually liked the songwriting roundtable in the barn a lot. Sitting down at a concert on a chair is underrated as you get older. It took me a long time to get around to posting on the Internet, others were quicker.
• Veal: was Luke Doucet's first band, or first band to realese an album perhaps. I definitely saw them play at the SUB at UVIC, I think they opened for the Rheostatics. Lots of Canadian bands got to tour the country opening for the Rheostatics.
• Violent Femmes: are an Ian Moore band. He liked them along with Blossom back in the day. I got into them after their peak popularity but when they came to Vancouver I went. I actually missed the first song or two of their set which pissed me off as it wasn't a cheap ticket. You never hear much about these guys anymore but you still can hear their songs in music soundtracks and at hockey games.
• Volk: opened for the Supersucker and Electric Six at the Dickens in Calgary. They are a two piece and their one guitar was a Gretsch.

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• Loudon Wainwright III: I saw him open for JJ Cale. I thought he was great. I even made a point of buying his latest CD. His set ended extremely oddly. In the middle of a song he said "I can't believe you are here", presumeably to someone in front of the stage at the Commodore and left the stage. One of the oddest endings to a set I've ever seen. I learned of him through Johnny Cash and the Highwaymen as they have both covered him. He writes really long often humerous songs. His son Rufus may be more famous now.
• Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne played at Blues Odyssey 2006.
• Wil: is another artist I missed seeing when he came through town more than once. I finally saw him in Courtney of all places when he played two songs with Colin Linden of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.
• Lucinda Williams: was booked to play the Vancouver Island MusicFest. This was after her stroke and writing her autobiography, so of course I had to return to the Island to see her. Of course her set was great, but I waited too long to write about it. Her band and the tour are detailed elsewhere in depth. She had Benny Blades on drums who I'd seen previously play with EmmyLou and Steve Earle. They rocked pretty hard and even played a bit of "Black Dog" and covered "Keep on Rockin' in the Free World".
• Tom Wilson: I've now seen Tom Wilson perform three times, but I still regret not going to see Junkhouse in Ottawa when I had the opportunity. That was the last concert I missed because no one would go with me. Now I don't miss concerts unless there is some sort of huge problem with my personal life. Tom Wilson is a great singer and a very entertaining performer. He is very funny and self deprecating on stage. His voice is so powerful I even saw him do a song without a mic accapella while opening for Ron Sexsmith. He's also one third of the roots rock super group Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.
• Ken Whiteley played at Blues Odyssey 2006.

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• Year Long Disaster: were the very first band to play the night I saw Turbonegro. They were really, really good. The best unbilled, unknown to me band, I've seen in a long, long time. They had a real good rythm section which allowed their singer/guitarist to play really loose at times. They were just a three piece, and the vocals were a bit hard to follow, but they had a really great sound, heavy yet with musicality. They were way better than the band that followed them, IMHO. They played really long songs, which is a luxury not usually afforded to the opening band. I hope they do well.
• Neil Young: I've now seen Neil Young play live four times. The first time I actually flew out of the arctic to see him and Crazy Horse on their first ever cross Canada tour. That is still my favourite show of the four, though Heidi Staats caused me to miss the majority of the opening act (Moist). I've since seen him as part of the H.O.R.D.E. tour as well as in GM Place and in Duncan. I've quite a collection of Neil Young t-shirts and he probably is my favourite recording artist, though not necessarily my favourite songwriter, singer, or guitarist. Neil's integrity and willingness to take the path less travelled and his continual ability to be relevant and innovative is what makes him the best or at least the most influential or admirable musical artist in my opinion.
• The Neil Young Project: featured a host of artists, the most famous of which was probably Lou Reed and/or Elivs Costello. I liked Eric Mingus and Ambrosia Parsely the best, though I also liked Joan as Policewoman and it was a surprise to see Daniel Lapp up there on stage, local boy done good and all that.

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• Zakk Sabbath: was definitely an impulse purchase. The show was just before Christmas in Calgary at the Palace Theatre and I was worried it wouldn't draw well but it was packed, filled with aging metalheads who could brag about seeing Iron Maiden 23 times. We talked about the massive crowds South American shows draw or how crazy Wacken Open Air would be and how we're probably too old to camp out now. Zakk Sabbath is Zakk Wyld's post Ozzy Black Sabbath project. I wasn't very close to the stage, but then Zakk twice climed into the audience and up into the balcony to play guitar in the crowd. This must be an option offered to artists at the Palace Theatre as I've twice seen it done.
• Zeus: turned out to be quite a fun and versatile band. I enjoyed them more than their more famous friends. I ended up getting their EP on iTunes after one song got stuck in my head.

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