July 31st

  

 It was on July 31st, 2004 that I saw Misery Signals headline the Yesterday Was Everything Music Festival in Edmonton at the Starlite Room.

 In concert news...Misery Signals will be playing their very last show as a band on Saturday October 19th in Edmonton at Union Hall.

July 30th

  

 On July 30th of 2016 I saw The Tragically Hip play there last ever show in Edmonton at Rexall Place. As good as the show was it was a real emotional one as well knowing that we would never get to see Gord Downie perform again.

July 29th

  

 On July 29th, 1998 I saw Big Sugar play the Shaw Conference Centre here in Edmonton. This was a free show as it was a make up show for a previous show a few weeks before that got cancelled part way through. This was a win to get in show that was a promotional contest put on by Labatt Blue (Out Of The Blue). The show that got cancelled was held at a airplane hangar at the downtown airport. The day of the show it rained like a motherfucker making the outside of the hangar a mud pit which eventually made the inside of the venue a mud pit. And at the venue as part of the promo, Labatt Blue beer was only a dollar a can. The amount of beer consumed at the original event was insane. The hangar venue had all kinds of technical issues with their generator and sound system, to the point where about 5-6 songs into Big Sugar's set they called off the show. Disappointing yes, good time had nonetheless though. Much to my surprise (Out of the Blue) a week after the hangar show I got this letter in the mail for this Big Sugar make up show. Way more organized and civil. And beers were three dollars at this show. Good times!!!

July 28th

  

 On July 28th, 1997 I saw the Bloodhound Gang play The Rev in Edmonton. The band were on tour for their album One Fierce Beer Coaster. This show was insanely awesome!

July 27th

  

 On July 27th, 2013 I was at the second day of the 2013 version of the Interstellar Rodeo held at Hawrelak Parks Heritage Amphitheatre in Edmonton. Sadly this festival is no longer held, having folded in 2019. This was always such a good time and great line ups,like this one.

 Highlights for me at on this day was seeing Mike Plume Band open the days festivities. And my favourite performance of the day was seeing Danny Michel for the first time in concert. Danny had the Garifuna Collective backing him up which was incredible. The whole day was an absolute blast.

July 26th

  

 On July 26th, 1991 I saw the Tragically Hip in concert for the first time of the eighteen times I did eventually see them. This show was at the Edmonton Convention Centre for The Hips Road Apples Tour. Opening the show was the band Flies On Fire. This show was bonkers!

July 25th

  

 Another free show I saw at Klondike Days in Edmonton was Spirit Of The West back on July 25th, 1998.

July 24th

  

 It was on July 24th, 2011 that I saw Big Sugar with opening band Wide Mouth Mason play the Telus Stage at the Klondike Days Exhibition here in Edmonton. A pretty good bill to see for free.

July 23rd

  

On July 23rd, 1994 I saw the band Cry Of Love from Raleigh, North Carolina play Peoples Pub in Edmonton. You might remember Cry Of Love for the song "Peace Pipe" that was big hit on the radio in 1993. If I remember correctly I looked after their merchandise table at this show, hence no ticket stub for this show. Also got a couple of autographs from the band members.

July 22nd

  

 On July 22nd, 1993 I saw The Tea Party play The Bronx in Edmonton. What was super cool about this show was getting to see British folk/blues man Roy Harper open the show. I got to chat with Roy Harper after his opening set and got his autograph.

July 21st

  

 On July 21st, 1995 I was at the Sidetrack Cafe in Edmonton for the first of a two night stand by the Charlie Sexton Sextet show with the Mike Plume Band opening.

July 20th

 

 It was on July 20th, 1988 that I was in Spokane, Washington at Joe Albi Stadium for the Monsters Of Rock Tour. Headlined by Van Halen, other bands on the bill were the Scorpions, Dokken, Metallica and Kingdom Come.

Rolling Stones Live in Vancouver July 5th 2024

  

Well it's been two weeks already since my buddy Buzzard and I made the trip to Vancouver to see The Rolling Stones in concert at BC Place Stadium. The Stones are on tour for their album Hackney Diamonds, their first studio album of new music since 2005's A Bigger Bang. With no Edmonton date announced we decided it was a great chance to see them play live one more time. I remember when I saw The Stones for the first time in 1994 in Edmonton on the Voodoo Lounge Tour, I thought I better see them now, as I may never get to see them again. Well here we are 30 years later and The Stones are still out there kicking ass. Who would have thought!

 Our Friday, the day of the show started with us going down to BC Place Stadium around noon hoping they would have a merchandise tent set up so that we could buy some merch early instead if trying to get a t-shirt at the show that night. Thankfully they did have a merch tent set up so we were able to buy our shit in advance. Which was a great idea on The Stones part and ours. I heard from a couple of my friends that were at the show and tried to buy a t-shirt at the show. They didn't bother after seeing the line ups, would have missed a good part of the show lining up.

 Buzzard and I got to the venue early as we had no idea what getting in would be like with an expected crowd of 55,000, and we figured we would catch the opening act if we could. As luck would have it, it wasn't too bad getting in. Long line up, but it went quick, so that was nice.

 Therefore we were in early, got some beers, found our seats way up in the upper deck and got settled in, in time for opening act Ghost Hounds from Pittsburgh, PA. I had never heard of them before, and since we were there early, we checked them out. Apparently they are a band started by Thomas Tull whom is a billionaire entrepreneur and was originally the guitarist and songwriter. From what I can tell he is no longer in the band. So if you ask me, I would bet he bought his way into having the band he started Ghost Hounds open a few dates for The Stones. But what do I know. Anyways, there music is a mix of blues and soul. To me, I found nothing original or overly great about them. I wasn't impressed, at best a good bar band. A Forty-five minute set was more then enough.

Before opening act.

Ghost Hounds at BC Place.

 After a 45 minute break, it was time for The Rolling Stones. This would be my fourth time seeing the Rolling Stones in concert. The first two times were in October of 1994 in Edmonton at Commonwealth Stadium back to back shows on their Voodoo Lounge Tour and then again in 1997 at the same venue, 60,000 per show on their Bridges To Babylon Tour. So three times in four years, and yet they haven't been back since. Makes no sense to me. Maybe next summer they will come back to Edmonton. So, hence making the trip to Vancouver this time around.

It was now time for The Rolling Stones! When buddy came out and announced The Rolling Stones, I got shivers up the spine, haven't had that feeling in a long time, and I wasn't even on good drugs. Thirty years and here I was seeing The Rolling "Fucking" Stones in concert again, this time touring for their latest release Hackney Diamonds, which in my opinion is a damn good album.

 By the time 9:30 to be exact when the band hit the stage, the crowd had accumulated, to  my guess 55,000 people. To see Mick Jagger (80), Keith Richards (80) and Ronnie Wood (77) come out on stage and hit the chords for the opening song "Start Me Up" the crowd were on their feet from the get go. Is there a better song for The Stones to open with, I think not. While only Mick and Keith are the only originals still in the band, Ronnie has been with them since 1975. To me, Mick and Keith still look the same as when I last saw them in 1997, Ron looks older but hell he is 77 now and beat lung cancer in 2017 and small-cell cancer in 2021. Even at their ages they still kicked ass playing their brand of rock n' roll. Rounding out the band was Darryl Jones on bass, which he has been doing since 1994 after Bill Wyman left the band. On drums now is Steve Jordan taking over for Charlie Watts who passed away in 2021. Steve Jordan previously drummed in Keith Richards band X-Pensive Winos. Steve was great on the drums but it's hard not to miss the laid back drumming style of Charlie Watts. It was good to see Chuck Leavell on keys, Chuck has been touring with The Stones since 1982. There were a couple other members on backing vocals and such. One of the backing vocalists was a lady by the name of Chanel Haynes, and holy fuck can she belt it out. She and Mick on "Gimme Shelter" was really something to see and hear. The lady can sing and really brought out the best in Mick. Mick wasn't going to be shown up by Chanel. Both of them trading off vocals was amazing.

 About half way through the show Mick took a break and Keith Richards took over vocals for not one, not two, but three songs in a row. I wasn't expecting that at all. While his vocals aren't near as strong as Mick's, it was awesome to hear him sing a new song "Tell Me Straight" from Hackney Diamonds. Next up was "Little T&A" and then "Before They Make Me Run". No backing tracks used by The Stones, rough around the edges just the way a live concert is supposed to be.

 The whole two hour show was so fucking good. One hit after another, Keith or Ronnie would hit a chord and almost instantly you knew what song it was, even the new songs they played went over well. Mick still commands the stage like a man in his 30's, very impressive. The stage set up was great, sound was great, the whole damn experience was great. Goodtimes!!!

 A good friend of mine Darryl, who had floor seats for the show knew some guys that did set up and tear down for the show managed to get me a setlist from the show. Checkout the setlist, like I say just one great song after another. Thank you so much Darryl!

Here are some pictures I took at the show.

T-shirt front.

T-shirt back.

Gotta say I'm a bigger fan of The Rolling Stones then I've ever been after seeing them in concert again. The Stones really should come to Edmonton again, maybe next summer. I can guarantee they would sell out Commonwealth Stadium for two nights. Please come back to Edmonton!