The Mavericks & Mike Plume Live in Edmonton Oct.19th 2017

Last Thursday my Sweetie Janis and I went to the Mavericks show at the Winspear Centre. Now I had no intention of going to this show, as I really know very little about The Mavericks, but then I heard one of my favorite Canadian artists Mike Plume would be opening the show. Now, I was interested, but wasn't willing to pay the hundred dollars for seats just to see the opener. As much as I like Mike Plume, that was out of my budget, especially with the amount of shows I have been to as of late. But then I got a message from Mike Plume letting me know that I was on the guest list, me plus one. Fuckin' eh, I was going, this totally made my day and was pumped about seeing Plume again, as it had been a while since I last saw him. Now I had to get to know The Mavericks a bit. I went out and bought their latest release "Brand New Day" that came out in March. I also streamed a greatest hits album of theirs. I was surprised at how many of the songs I recognized. I didn't think I knew any of their tunes, but I guess I did. There new album is alright, nothing special, and that's kind of how I felt about the rest of their music as well. Some of it was good, some not so much. From what I was listening to the lead singer of The Mavericks Raul Malo's voice reminded me a bit of Roy Orbison in some of the songs. That I liked and thought this might be a good show after all.

The show with started with Edmonton based singer songwriter and one of my favorite Canadian artists Mike Plume. It was a solo show by Mike and he did not disappoint. Mike opened the show with the song "Red And White Blues". Although it was a short set, I thought his selection of songs was superb. Other songs he played were "On Remembrance Day", "So Long Stompin' Tom", "More Than A Game". Then a song I wasn't expecting at all. Mike had only played maybe two notes when Janis looked at me and said Fiddler's Green, I wasn't so sure but then after a few more notes, hell ya it was, Mike was covering the Tragically Hip song "Fiddler's Green". What a beautiful rendition of the song he did too, amazing! With lead singer of The Hip Gord Downie having just passed away the day before this was a beautiful tribute to the man. There were a few tears rolling down people's cheeks during this one. Mike got a great round of applause after this song. The other two songs he did were "Coming Home Again (Hey Hey What D'Ya Say)" and closing out the set with "8:30 Newfoundland". A great show by Mike Plume. It was nice to see and hear Mike in a different setting other then a bar which is where I have almost always seen him play. He sounded great in the Winspear, crystal clear sound which made his voice sound better then ever. A fabulous opening set. It looked like the crowd really enjoyed his set as I saw quite a few people buying his CD's from the merch table.

Mike Plume at The Winspear.

Janis and I with Mike Plume.

Here is footage of Mike doing Fiddler's Green.


Now it was time for The Mavericks a band from Miami, Florida. The Mavericks play an eclectic combination of music mostly country mixed with Latin and rockabilly. I didn't realize the band has been around since 1989. They are on tour promoting their latest release an album called Brand New Day. An album which I had purchased prior to the show so that I knew what I would be hearing. I thought the album was ok, nothing special but was looking forward to seeing them.

When the band came out on stage I was surprised to see that they were an eight piece band. And a flashy looking band at that, which surprised me. Well I have to say, we didn't last very long. By the fourth song Janis and I were looking at each other, going hmmm I'm not really getting into this. We toughed it out for a few more songs before we made the decision to bail. We just couldn't get into them at all. The audience sure seemed to be enjoying themselves, but us, not so much. I wasn't getting that Roy Orbison feel from lead singer Raul Malo, something that made me like some of their songs. The guitar player for The Mavericks Eddie Perez was a very flashy player, he looked like he should be in a glam metal band, striking all the poses that glam players did in the day, whipping his hair around, jumping around and such, it just seemed really hokey, and the keyboard player Jerry Dale McFadden was also very flashy. He was dressed in a white suit and dancing around, clapping and getting the crowd into the show. To me I just found him kind of goofy. Lead singer Raul was alright, but not enough to keep me interested. It all came off like a big Las Vegas wedding band feel. Now I have no idea what a Las Vegas wedding band is, but if I had to picture one, this would have been it. So after about half a dozen songs, that was it, we were out of there.

Well, we couldn't have timed it any better. As we were leaving, we managed to catch Mike Plume and his brother just as they were packing up Mike's merchandise and getting ready to leave. So we were able to thank Mike for the tickets and have a nice talk with him. We must have chatted for about fifteen minutes or so, with Mike taking the time to have a picture taken with Janis and I. Mike told us some great road stories and about his upcoming album which he is amidst recording, an album he hopes to have out by April. Can't wait to hear the new material. We both mentioned to Mike how much we enjoyed his cover of The Hip song. Mike told us that he had just rehearsed the song the night before and wasn't even sure if he was going to play it or not. When he started the song, he still wasn't sure whether to play it or not, but then said fuck it "I'm going for it", well Mike you pulled it off beautifully, it was a great tribute to Gord Downie. Thank you Mike for being so accommodating and taking the time to talk with us, we both really enjoyed our chat. Thanks again Mike for the guest list spot, much appreciated! Good times!!!

The Mavericks at the Winspear.

In concert news...Mike Plume will be hitting the road in mid November touring with another great Alberta artist Corb Lund. Mike Plume will be opening for Corb on a western Canadian tour hitting smaller towns between Langley, B.C. to Winnipeg, Manitoba. A great double bill of two amazing singer songwriters. Check out Mike's website by clicking here for all the dates. I really wish this tour was hitting Edmonton. But Mike will be playing a hometown show in Edmonton on Sunday December 10th at The Almanac on Whyte Avenue.

Whitehorse Live in Edmonton Oct.14th 2017

A couple of Saturday's ago now my buddy Buzzard, my Cuz and I went to the Whitehorse concert at the Winspear Centre. I was lucky enough to have won two pairs of tickets to this show. The first pair I won through a website called Tunespeak and the second pair I won through the Six Shooter Records site, the label that Whitehorse is signed to.

The pair I won through Six Shooter Records was this.

We have also teamed up with our friends at Big Rock to bring you our special VIP Wheat & Greets. Guests who purchase this offer will be treated to to an intimate acoustic performance by Whitehorse, a signed CD and digital copy of Panther in the Dollhouse, and an exclusive VIP shirt.

So my buddy Buzzard and I were at the Winspear Centre at 5:15pm as per instructions. By 5:30 there were 13 of us ready for the meet and greet. We were taken to the second floor lobby of the Winspear, where we would get our acoustic set, free swag and a beer. Well the beer was a no go because of liquor license or something, that sucked as were both looking forward to having a beer or two. The two ladies that were looking after us handed out the t-shirts to us while we waited for Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland whom make up the band Whitehorse to make their appearance. They made their entrance with acoustic guitars in hand, made some small talk and then played us a song, the song being "Broken" from their first album. The two of them sounded amazing, no microphones or amps, just Luke and Melissa singing and playing. But that was it, one song. I thought this was going to be an acoustic set as per what the VIP Experience was supposed to be. To me a set is at least three songs, but to no avail this time. I would love to have heard them do a few more songs in such an intimate setting. Luke and Melissa did take the time to chat with everyone for about 15-20 minutes telling stories about their kids, road stories and such. Very personable couple and good with everyone, taking pictures and signing the CD's we all got, the new album "Panther In The Dollhouse". I brought along a gig poster and vinyl copy of their first album to get autographed, which they were both kind enough to sign. Luke made the remark "of course the guy in the C'mon shirt has vinyl" when I brought out the vinyl to be signed. After they had signed everything and took photos with all of us they left to get ready for that nights show. We were then all given a Big Rock/Whitehorse pint glass. Just too bad we didn't actually get to use it. All and all a cool contest to win, but if I had paid the hundred dollars they were asking on the site for the VIP Experience, I would have felt ripped off. But I didn't so I can't really complain. So now that the meet and greet was done, we had a few hours to kill before show time, so it was off to meet Cuz at the bar and have a few drinks before the concert.

Picture of Luke Doucet and Melissa McLelland playing the acoustic song.

Buzzard and I with Luke and Melissa.

Free swag.

T-shirt.

Autographed vinyl and gig poster.

Opening the show was Terra Lightfoot. I knew very little about Terra other than she was from Hamilton, Ontario. I was expecting a lady to come out with an acoustic guitar and play some folk songs. Maybe it's the last name that made me think that way, but that wasn't the case at all. Terra came out on stage with an electric guitar and full band in tow. She is on tour promoting her album "New Mistakes" that came out the day before the show. She rocked the show, I was very impressed, she has a great voice and can play a pretty damn mean guitar. She reminded me of a local artist by the name of Kimberley MacGregor. Terra Lightfoot is an artist I will be looking into more.

Terra Lightfoot at the Winspear Centre.

Next up was Whitehorse which is the husband and wife team Melissa McLelland and Luke Doucet, but this time around they are touring with a full band for the first time. They are on tour promoting their fourth full length release Panther In The Dollhouse. This would be my third time seeing them in concert.

This time around Whitehorse had a little poppier sound to them, much like their latest album. Where as before Luke and Melissa had a real folksie Americana sound to them, but with the full band they have a more full sound, still a folk sound on their older music, but the new stuff
has a lot of bounce and seem to have expanded their sound. I really liked the new songs they did live, songs from Dollhouse like "Pink Kimono", "Kicking Down Your Door", "Trophy Wife" and "I Can't Take You With Me". They also did a Little Walter song "My Babe" from their blues cover EP The Northern South Vol. 1 that came out last year. And of course there were some songs from their first two albums.

It was fun to watch and listen to Melissa and Luke perform together. They feed off each other in energy. Melissa has an awesome voice and when they sing together the harmony is sweet sounding and seems so effortless, so much talent between the two of them. Melissa switched between bass and guitar through out the show. Luke's voice was sounding real good and guitar playing was top notch. Whitehorse closed out the show with a great rendition of Neil Young's "Ohio". Overall I thought this was a great show and would go see them again anytime. Good times!!!

Whitehorse at the Winspear Centre.

Reverend Horton Heat Live in Edmonton Oct.8th 2017

Two Sunday's ago my buddy and I went to the last concert of this years edition of the UP+DT Festival, this gig would be the Reverend Horton Heat show at the Starlite Room. There were four bands on the bill but we only caught the last two. That being Mad Bombers Society and the Reverend.

By the time we got to the venue the place was packed, but we managed to get there in time to catch local ska band Mad Bomber Society. I was surprised to see a ska band on this bill, but then it's always good to have a diverse line up. For a band that don't do a whole lot of shows, they sounded really good. Lead singer Rich Bomber sounded great as did the rest of the band, which included a bass player, drummer and two horn players, sadly I don't know the name of these musicians, but nonetheless they all kicked ass. The crowd was really digging the band, dancing and singing along. It was nice to see Mad Bomber Society get such a good response from the crowd. A great performance by them all.

Mad Bomber Society at the Starlite Room.

Now it was time for the last band of this years UP+DT Music Festival the Reverend Horton Heat. This was my second time seeing the Reverend, the last time being in 1994 when they opened for Soundgarden here in Edmonton.

I'm not the biggest fan of rockabilly, psychobilly, or as The Rev calls themselves country-fed punkabilly, whatever you want to call it, I have always had a soft spot for the Reverend Horton Heat, one of the few rockabilly bands I can tolerate. What they do, they do it well. So I was looking forward to seeing them play a headlining show this time. The Reverend Horton Heat who hail from Dallas, Texas is made up of The Reverend (Jim Heath) on guitar and vocals, long time bass player Jimbo (Jimbo Wallace) and newest member Arjuna "RJ" Contreras on drums, who was amazing. Reminded me of John Bonham the size of him and the way he played.

The band opened the show with instrumental song "Big Sky", why is that every rockabilly band has to open with an instrumental. Then into an oldie "Baddest Of The Bad". One song they did that really made me laugh and was happy to hear was "Cowboy Love" from their 1996 album It's Martini Time. They ended the set with the Motorhead song "Ace Of Spades". What bothered me the most during the show was how long Jim Heath's stories were, very long winded to the point that a few people in the crowd myself included were shouting "play a song". I swear about 20 minutes of the hour and a half show was Jim telling stories.

For the encore Reverend Horton Heat did a cover of the Johnny Cash song "Folsom Prison Blues" and then we had to put up with a drum and bass solo, which were a total waste of time and not very good. Between the stories and solos the band could have done at least five more songs. All and all I didn't think it was a great show, it was alright but nothing special. To me I think Mad Bomber Society gave them a run for their money. Good times!!!

Reverend Horton Heat at the Starlite Room.

A big shout out to the organizers, volunteers, bands and venues for what I hope was another successful UP+DT Music Festival.

R.I.P. Gord Downie

Picture taken by me July 30th 2016 in Edmonton at Rexall Place.

What a tough day of work to get through today. I heard the news of the passing of the Tragically Hip's lead singer Gord Downie at the age of 53 on CKUA Radio just as I got to work at 6:45 this morning. While we all knew this day was coming after Gordie announced last May that he had terminal brain cancer, it still didn't make it easy. This was especially hard, I thought Tom Petty and Stompin' Tom were tough deaths to deal with, this one hit me real hard. Though I had never spoke or met the man, it always felt like I knew him like a friend. So when I got home tonight from work it was time to put on a Hip album and let the tears flow, and flow they did and still do as I type this.

I've been following Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip since their first full album release that came out in 1989. I loved all of The Hip albums and Gord's solo albums, but it was always the live performances that really made them so incredible. Not only was Gord an amazing lyricist and poet, but he was also one of the best frontmen of a rock group ever. It was always thrill to see him perform live, his improvising of lyrics in songs, in between song banter and of course his dancing and such on stage. Gord Downie was Canada's Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Tom Waits, Jim Morrison and Bob Dylan all wrapped up in one fabulous human being. Not only was a great front man but he was also a humanitarian.

There isn't another person, whether it being a Prime Minister, actor or athlete that could bring a Nation together like Gord and The Hip could. Last year when The Hip did one last tour (Man Machine Poem Tour) from Vancouver and culminating with the show in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario that was televised live on national TV where over 11 million people in Canada watched that concert. That is absolutely amazing that that many people in a country stopped to watch a live performance. That night has been called the night Canada came to a stand still. Well today I am sure is a day that will go down as the day where the most tears were shed in unison.

I have had many a good times listening to The Hip in all kinds of places, shapes, situations, live shows and sharing the experience with different friends and strangers. if there was anything we could all agree on, it was that The Tragically Hip were a real special band fronted by an even more special man. I was fortunate enough to see the Tragically Hip and Gord 19 times in concert. Seen them with lots of friends and in a lot of different towns, cities and venues. Some of the best times of my life revolved around a Hip concert. A Hip show was always an event and one where you would count down the days til you got to see the Tragically Hip play again. Man, am I ever going to miss that. Thankfully Gord left behind a very nice catalog of music that will live on and be played forever. Thank you Gord for soldiering on even through sickness, to tour one last time and still have the courage to put together new music, having released his solo album "Secret Path" in October of last year and a new one called "Introduce Yerself" that will be released on October 27th.

Mr. Downie you are going to be missed. There will never be another like you. Rest In Peace Gord Downie.

All the times I have seen Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip.

* July 26th 1991 in Edmonton at the Edmonton Convention Centre
* November 28th 1992 in Edmonton at the Agricom
* August 1st 1993 in Edmonton at Clarke Stadium as part of the Another Roadside Attraction Festival
* February 21st 1995 in Edmonton at Northlands Coliseum
* July 15th 1995 in High River, AB as part of the Another Roadside Attraction Festival
* November 12th 1995 in Edmonton at Edmonton Coliseum
* July 19th 1997 in Camrose, AB as part of the Another Roadside Attraction Festival
* March 6th 1999 in Red Deer, AB at the Centrium
* September 21st 2002 in Vernon, B.C. at the Vernon Multiplex
* January 14th 2007 in Edmonton at Rexall Place
* January 16th 2007 in Red Deer, AB at the Enmax Centrium
* July 26th 2008 in Pemberton, B.C. as part of the Pemberton Music Festival
* July 14th 2011 in Edmonton on th Northlands Grounds
* January 23rd 2013 in Edmonton at Rexall Place
* July 27th 2014 Gord Downie & The Sadies in Edmonton as part of the Interstellar Music Festival
* February 12th 2015 in Edmnoton at Rexall Place
* July 28th 2016 in Edmonton at Rexall Place
* July 30th 2016 in Edmonton at Rexall Place
* August 20th 2016 in Kingston, Ontario at Rogers K-Rock Centre

In the words of Gord Downie "Heaven Is A Better Place Today".

Picture taken by me at the final Hip show August 20th 2016 in Kingston, Ontario.

Picture taken by myself on July 27th 2014 when Gord Downie & The Sadies played the Interstellar Rodeo in Edmonton.

Trapped Under Ice Live in Edmonton Oct.7th 2017

After the Change Of Heart show it was a quick scoot next door to catch the last two bands at the Needle Vinyl Tavern. The show at the Needle which were also part of the UP+DT Fest were bands of the hardcore punk genre. I caught the Edmonton band E-Town Beatdown and Baltimore, Maryland band Trapped Under Ice. I had no intention of going to tis show until talking with JFK a few weeks before the show when he told me to come out to the show as he would put me on the guest list for it. I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it as I already was going to a show that night. But after looking at the UP+DT schedule, I saw that I would be able to do both shows that night, so I took him up on his offer. Thank you JFK, much appreciated! So off to the show I go.

I got there in time to catch E-Town Beatdown, a band which JFK (guitar) plays in as well as a buddy of mine guitarist Ben Sir, whom also plays in Worst Days Down. So I was interested in checking them out. While I'm not the biggest fan of hardcore, I did want so hear them live. I thought they were pretty good, the crowd certainly was into them, hometown crowd after all. I didn't know their music at all not owning any of their music, but thought they were pretty good. A tight band, decent vocals and lyrics with a positive message.

E-Town Beatdown at The Needle.

Headliner of the night Trapped Under Ice were up next. I had listened to one of their albums in the week before the show and thought they might be cool to checkout. I'd heard good things about them and didn't mind the album I had listened to. Their music was fast and hardcore to the bone, short songs and lots of breakdowns, which really got the kids doing their weird hardcore dancing of swinging their arms like mad men and swinging their arms. You surely didn't want to get in the middle of that by accident, looked like a karate workout to me. I myself just find the whole hardcore dance thing a little weird, but then I'm old, so I guess it's for the younger crowd. The band had a tonne of energy, and the vocals were actually understandable which I don't always find in a lot of the hardcore music. All and all I thought they were alright, just not really my jam. I'm glad I went to the show, but it's not something I will rush out to purchase or see live again. The rest of the crowd, which wasn't a huge crowd by any means, but those that were there were into it big time. Good times!!!

Thanks again JFK for the invite!

Trapped Under Ice at The Needle.