Record Store Day 2016

One of my favorite weekends of the year has just come and gone and what a weekend it was. I'm talking about Record Store Day which is held on the third Saturday of every April, a celebration of the independent record store. This is a weekend I always save up for starting right after Christmas, and thank goodness I do that as I did spend a pile of money. Not only is it RSD but here in Edmonton, the following day is the Music Collectors show.

So my Saturday started with lining up outside of Blackbyrd Myoozik at 8am, store opened at 10am, I was about twentieth in line by that time. Word was that the first person in line had been there since 5:45am. So a two hour line up for me. By the time the store opened I would estimate about a hundred plus people lined up.

Glad I lined up as I got pretty much everything I was hoping to get and then some. Ya, some of the RSD stuff is over priced, but with the Canadian dollar being what it is, it's no surprise. But at least most of the Record Store Day releases are very limited pressings, so it's worth it the long run. And this one very busy day for the record shops is usually a good way to keep the store afloat after a slow few months after Xmas.

And with record stores disappearing in Edmonton here, you have to get out and support these independent record shops. Record Store Day used to be an all day thing for me, but this year I was done by 10:45. It was only last year that there were three different record stores I would go to within walking distance of my home. This year, only one and that is Blackbyrd Myoozik. In the last year Sound Connection and Permanent Records have both closed there doors, and in the last five years you can add Octopus Ink and Southside Sound, again all within walking distance. I miss being able to make a day of record shopping and seeing local bands play Permanent Records all day. So things were done early for me on this day, which gave me time to go home and listen to all my new purchases.

After Blackbyrd closed they held an after party in the back alley behind the store featuring the local punk band at No Problem.

Here is a list of what I picked up on Record Store Day 2016. Good times!!!

Because I lined up early I was lucky and managed to snag a copy of this years Mystery Single which is a seven inch single which is part of the Side By Side series that they do every RSD. The cover is just black and you don't know what two bands will be on it. The series is always the original song by the band then covered by another band on the B Side.

This years single featured the MC5 song "Rocket Reducer No.62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)" with The Melvins covering it on the B Side, very cool.

* Shawn Colvin & Steve Earle seven inch single. Limited edition of 2000.

* Bob Dylan seven inch EP “Melancholy Mood” that was released as a limited edition 7” vinyl EP for Bob Dylan's recent Japanese tour. This was something that really made me want to line up early and get. It features four songs from his upcoming album Fallen Angels. This is on red vinyl and limited to 7000 copies.

* Another seven inch single in the Side By Side series, this one with the Bee Gees song "Started A Joke", and on the B Side Faith No More covering the song. This FNM version was originally on their 1995 album King For A Day... Fool For A Lifetime. This too is a limited edition release of 5500 on mint green vinyl.

* Also got the Brian Fallon solo (Brian also sings for Gaslight Anthem) ten inch three song EP called Georgia. Limited pressing of 2000.

* Another album I picked up which I have ever only had on CD was the Soul Asylum album Grave Dancers Union. This too is a limited pressing of 3800 and the album is numbered, mine being number 2430. This too is on coloured vinyl, very sharp looking.

* Finally got myself my very first Runaways album, this one being the album And Now... The Runaways. This is a limited pressing of 1000 copies.

* Picked up Volume 2 of the Tom Petty - Kiss My Amps Live. This album features some deep tracks from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers 2013 tour. Limited edition of 7500 copies.

* The last Record Store Day special album I picked up is the Blitzen Trapper album Field Rexx that was originally released in 2004, has now been remastered and available for the first time on vinyl. This too was a limited edition release of 1500 copies.

I also picked up a few albums that I have wanted that weren't RSD releases. Blackbyrd had all their stock on for 20% off, so I got Joel Plaskett's Scrappy Happiness vinyl and Lucero's album Tennessee. So I got lots of new music to listen to on this very successful Record Store Day. Good times!!!

Motörhead Monday

Going back to the 1987 Motörhead album Rock N' Roll with the song "Eat The Rich". I remember when I very first heard this song back in 87' and laughed my ass off at how funny the lyrics were, and still do.
The lyrics I am going with today is the second verse.

"Sittin' here in a restaurant,
Tell the waiter just what you want
Is that the meat, you wanted to eat,
How would you ever know?
Hash browns an' bacon strips,
I love the way that you lick your lips,
No fooling, I can see you drooling,
Feel the hunger grow"

Motörhead Monday

Today's track is the title track from 1983 Motörhead album Another Perfect Day. I had to pull this album out on cassette as it is the only format in which I own this on. Been a while since I have listened to a cassette. This is an album well worth checking out again.

"Out to lunch, speak your piece
Good and drunk, back on the street
What you see is what you get
No matter what you say"

Iron Maiden Live in EDmonton April 8th 2016

Friday night I went to the Iron Maiden concert here in Edmonton at Rexall Place with my buddy RCD. This was my fifth time seeing Maiden in concert and first time in 25 years. My very first concert I ever saw at the Coliseum, which used to be Northlands Coliseum was Iron Maiden back in 1984. This fall there will be a new Coliseum opening here (Rogers Place) so this may very well be the last show I see at the old barn. So I had to go to this show. I grew up as a teen a big fan of Iron Maiden. I'm not the fan of the band as I once was as I haven't bought an album of theirs since 1988's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. So I'm not all that familiar with there newer stuff. This time around the band are on a world tour in support of there latest album The Book Of Souls. I have listened to it, and have to say, it really does nothing for me. But Iron Maiden always but on a big show and is always a spectacle so I bit the bullet and bought a ticket for the show.

Opening the show on this evening was the band The Raven Age which is led by George Harris the son of bassist Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. I was interested in seeing what they were all about having never heard of them before. All I can say about them is they were nothing special to me. How I miss the days of when Maiden brought great opening bands with them on tour. Some of the bands I have seen open for Maiden back in the day were Twisted Sister in 1984, Waysted in 1987, Guns N' Roses in 1988 and Anthrax in 1991. Really wish there had been a better band opening this time. But nope!!! I only watched about 15 minutes of there set and bailed for a drink and smoke.

The Raven Age at Rexall Place.

By the time Iron Madien came on stage the place had filled up with about 14,000 heavy metal fans. The band came out in a blaze of glory, with all the members closing in on the age of 60, they certainly haven't lost any energy. Lead singer Bruce Dickinson still masters the big stage running and jumping all around the place with is voice still very well intact, bass player Steve Harris hasn't aged one bit, he still looks the same as he always has, 63 year old Nicko McBrain on drums sounded great as did Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers. The band opened with "If Eternity Should Fail" the first song from their new album The Book Of Souls. There almost two hour set didn't have as much old material as I was hoping, they did six new songs which did nothing for me, and only one from Powerslave, an album I really like, doing the title track from said album. Only three songs from Number Of The Beast, one from Piece Of Mind and one from their debut album. And that song was "Iron Maiden" a song that Bruce Dickinson wasn't even part of back then. I loved the old stuff but there just wasn't enough of it for me. Though hearing "Children Of The Damned" was very cool. Highlight for me was hearing "The Trooper" and "Powerslave" back to back, that caught my attention but then it was back to a song I'm not that big of fan of.

For the encore they played "Number Of The Beast" which was really good, with a blow up devil making an appearance, and of course Eddie the mascot made his appearance a few times in the course of the night. After Number it was another song "Blood Brothers" that I'm not familiar with and felt like it went on to long. They closed out the show with "Wasted Years" from their 1986 album Somewhere In Time. Bruce also mentioned during the show that this was Iron Maidens 100th Canadian date they have done in the history of Maiden. I'm glad I went to the show but would I rush out to see them again, probably not, but if you are a die hard Maiden fan, and there were lots at the show, I am sure you loved it. Good times!!!

Earlier in the day my buddy Q was at the Edmonton International Airport and snapped these pictures for me of the Ed Force One which is the Boeing 747 that Iron Maiden travel in, which is piloted by the lead singer of Maiden Bruce Dickinson. Thanks for the pictures Q.

Ed Force One at the EIA.

Iron Maiden setlist for Edmonton.

Edit this setlist | More Iron Maiden setlists

Iron Maiden at Rexall Place in Edmonton.

T-shirt front.

T-shirt back.

RIP Merle Haggard

Well this year sure is being hard on musicians, with word of the passing of Merle Haggard today at the age of 79, and on his birthday to boot. This really sucks and is making me feel older as many of these guys I have seen in concert and have hoped to see again.

I remember as child hearing Merle Haggard being played on vinyl by my parents along with Cash, Nelson and Jennings. I know I wasn't a fan of the country music as a kid, but as I got older and went through the ups and downs of what life is, I surely grew to understand what the old time country was really about. Especially the outlaw country music, in which Merle certainly was one. A good buddy of mine Buzzard also got me into the old country music when I was in my early 20's and haven't stopped listening since. Now it's not something I play all the time, but there is a time and place for this stuff, and today is certainly one of them. I am going to pour myself a stiff drink and spin some Merle Haggard in memory of a true legend.

I was lucky that I got to see Merle in concert a few times. The first time was in 2001 at the Coliseum here in Edmonton, row 2 on the floor. This was the perfect time for me to see someone like Merle for the first time, as I was going through a break up of my own at the time. So the tunes really hit the heart. And it was the first time Merle had played in Edmonton in over a decade. A great show it was.

The second time I saw Merle was in 2010 when he played the River Cree Casino on the outskirts of Edmonton. He did two shows that evening, My buddy Buzzard and I attended the late show, and again, he put on an amazing show. So thankful that I had the opportunity to see this original country music outlaw. Rest In Peace Merle, your music will live on.

A couple pictures I took at the show in 2010. Not very good pictures as you can probably tell I took the photos of the screen they had at the venue as my seats weren't the greatest. The very first picture of this post is from the same show, but is actually of him up on stage.

Ron Hawkins Live In Edmonton April 1st 2016

On Friday I was back at the Almanac for another show and this time it was for Ron Hawkins, whom is best known for being the lead singer and songwriter of the very under rated 90's band Lowest Of The Low. I have seen Lowest Of The Low three times previous but the first time I have seen him solo, or more like duo actually, as Ron had another guitar player with him by the name of Brian MacMillan. Being a big fan of LOTL I was really looking forward to this show, as I haven't seen him perform since 2002.

Opening the evening was Ego The Jackal aka musician Connor McGowan who is originally from Ireland but now calls Edmonton home. I had never heard of him before this show, but after looking in to him. He use to be the frontman for the Derry, Northern Ireland rock band Skruff.

Ego The Jackal his newest project is Connor playing solo and playing a folk style of music. His 40 minute set was quite good, as he his a great finger picking guitar player and his voice was very soulful at times reminding me of Ben Harper a bit. He also did a great version of the Springsteen song "Dancing In The Dark". What bothered me during his set and actually this happened through out the night, was all the chitter chattering going on. This also happened at the Plume show last weekend and at another show I was at a few weeks ago. The artist is performing which requires listening, shut the fuck up people. If you don't like the artist or music, have some respect and go outside and talk, or better yet, go to your local watering hole and talk away. But if you have come to a live music venue, do everyone a favour and shut up!!! Overall Ego The Jackal set was pretty good.

Ego The Jackal at The Almanac.

Now it was time for Ron Hawkins and Brian MacMillan to do their thing. By this time the venue was a little over half full. I really thought there would be a better turnout for this Friday evening show. For those that didn't make it, you missed an awesome show. But again, who all knew about the show, as there was no posters or advertising for this show.

I was excited about hearing Ron do some Lowest Of The Low songs, especially tunes from the first LOTL album "Shakespeare My Butt", but Ron is on the road touring for his latest solo album "Spit Sputter and Sparkle", so wasn't too sure how much he would play. As Ron has done a lot of music with not only LOTL, different projects such as his solo stuff, Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails and the Do Good Assassins. I'll be honest and have to admit, I haven't heard much of his other stuff. Well Ron certainly didn't disappoint, he played music from all his bands, but did a lot of his early LOTL tunes. His two hour show just flew by with one great song after another, quite a bit from Shakespeare, such as "Eternal Fatalist", "Salesmen, Cheats And Liars", "Bleed A Little While Tonight", "Rosy And Grey" that song had the biggest and loudest sing-a-long of the evening with everyone singing the verse...
"Well, I've kissed you in France and I've kissed you in Spain
And I've kissed you in places I'd better not name
And I've seen the sun go down on Sacre Coeur
But I like it much better going down on you
Ah, you know that's true"
That was a classic live music experience. Ron even took a request playing the song "For The Hand Of Magdelena". This was an awesome night of music, other then the people talking through out the show. Good times!!!

Ron Hawkins at The Almanac.

Setlist for Ron Hawkins.

Lowest Of The Low have reunited a few times for shows out east, here is hoping that they make their way out west to play some shows, maybe the Interstellar Rodeo.

I had the opportunity to have a brief chat with Ron after the show. I showed him a couple of ticket stubs I had from the LOTL shows I saw in 1994. He was kind enough to autograph them for me.

Seven Inch Sunday (Paul McCartney)

Todays seven inch single is from Paul McCartney, the one time Beatle, as if no one doesn't already know what. Anyways, the single I picked this time is a seven inch that I just picked up last weekend at a record fair here. I bought a used copy of Paul McCartney's second solo album McCartney II for two dollars, much to my surprise in side the record sleeve was this single "Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)" that originally came with the McCartney II album back in 1979. The B side of this single contains nothing, it's just straight black with no grooves, so a single sided single. A Nice score for what I paid for it.

Paul McCartney - Coming Up (Live at Glasgow).