Those
who know us know that we love Rock n' Roll and that we have, from time
to time, seen a few of our favourite live acts. Sometimes together,
sometimes by myself, often with Geoff and / or Jonah, and sometimes
with freinds.
These are my (Ken's) memories with input from Bev & Geoff.
1967
The
Paupers - Fair Grounds Arena 1967?
One of the top Canadian bands of the day, featuring drummer Skip Prokop.
The Troggs - Fair Grounds Arena 1968
Complete with striped suits, and fashionably late. Brandon's Bitter End
were the openning act. They did a Troggs cover.
The Guess Who - University Gym - Still doing
covers at this point in
their careers.
Neil Diamond with The Guess Who - Old Arena -
September
I still remember the Guess Who's cover of I'm a Man. We considered Neil
Diamond to be a bit lame.
Lighthouse - Concert
Hall
Great covers of Eight Miles High and Chest Fever. I'd not heard
their album at the time. Bob McBride, the lead singer, was ill and Skip
Prokop, handled the vocals. We didn't notice anything amiss.
Mashmekan - Concert Hall
Impressive - we covered two of their songs in Blind Justice. Their
drummer (Jerry Mercer) later surfaced in April Wine and is with them to
this day. Gaye Harry's vocal quartet was the opening act. She impressed
us
and we asked her to join Blind Justice.
The Ides of March - with Gypsy - Winnipeg Concert hall
We went with Leigh and Carol &??.
The Ides
of
March
were one hit wonders, (Vehicle), they had impressed some friends at the
Led
Zeppelin concert a year or so earlier.
Although their use of horns set them apart from many rock acts. it was
their manic guitarist who stole the show. Attached to his amp by a
super-long curly cord he started the show bounding back and forth
across the stage. Sure enough, in the middle of the first song he
stepped on the cord and disconnected. Wireless rigs soon ended that
problem.
Gypsy impressed us and Blind
Justice
decided to cover "Gypsy Queen" one of their songs.
Murray
McLaughlin with Dan
Hill -
Concert Hall
Bev & I. Dan performed solo with
guitar.
Murray
had his band.
Lighthouse
- Concert Hall
Bev & I went with Leigh and Carol. Well known by now, we'd
heard the albums. The guitar player
impressed us. The opening act was some group from Australia that we've
not heard from since.
Bruce Cockburn with Valdy - Concert Hall
Both performed solo. We went with Leigh and Carol.
1973
Three Dog Night with T-Rex - Wpg Arena
The Dogs openned with the big hit Shambalya and closed with it! T-Rex
was a wall of noise, sound systems hadn't mastered the arena
acoustics.
1976
Sweeny Todd - Fair Grounds
This was post Nick Guilder - with Bryan Adams on
vocals.
The Who - with Mother's
Finest - October 18. Winnipeg Arena
This was a big deal for us.
An
announcement in the paper
alterted us to the fact that the Who were coming to Winnipeg and
tickets were on sale the next day. We had no money on hand so we
borrowed from Donna and Dave and the next morning I went down to the
mezzanine of the Eaton's Store to get tickets. In line nearby was Ken
Daniels, (now a good friend) whom I knew a bit because he was my Psych
101 Lab Instructor a
few years back and I had student taught with his wife, Bev, at Neelin
High.
Set
List...
I
Can't Explain
Substitute
My Wife
Baba O'Riley
Squeeze Box
Behind Blue Eyes
Dreaming From the Waist
Magic Bus
Amazing Journey
Sparks
The Acid Queen
Fiddle About
Pinball Wizard
I'm Free
Tommy's Holiday Camp
We're Not Gonna Take It
See Me, Feel Me
Summertime Blues
My Generation
Join Together
My Generation Blues
Won't Get Fooled Again
Streetheart - Concert Hall
Matt and Spider impressed me with the bass & drum solo in Under My
Thumb.
Trooper - Concert Hall 77
- 78 ?
Trooper in their earliest form, guitar, bass, drums,
and vocal. The only "hit" at this time was "General Hand Grenade".
Within a year the hits started.
1977
Styx with Max Webster at the Keystone Centre - June
11
This was just as "The Grand Illusion" Album was making them big stars.
Max Webster had just had a hit with "Let Go The Line".
The Stampeders with Ian Thomas.
The Stampeders were in their
"Horn Section" phase.
1978
The Eagles with Steve Miller and Jesse Winchester
Assiniboia Downs
Black
Oak Arkansas - Concert Hall 1980?
One hit - Jackie Blue. I went with Jamie Axford.
Chilliwack
with Harlequin and Toronto - Keystone Centre
Chilliwack was near the peak of their popularity, Toronto was
relatively unknown but just had the "Even the Score" hit.
1980
Prism
with Loverboy - Keystone Centre - 1980 Nov. 22
Both solid canadian bands. Loveboy was just becoming a big thing.
1981
August 1
Heart with Blue Oyster Cult, Ted Nugent, Loverboy, The
Rockets - at the Stadium
I went with Lawrence and Sharon. Heart was the big draw and we were
really impressed.
The Stones - Minneapolis Nov
21
Bev and I went with Lawrence and Sharon to Minneapolis in 81 to see the
Stones.
The Lamont Cranston Band & The Stray Cats were also on the bill.
The Stones were great - the video Let's Spend the Night Togerther
documents that tour.
The Stray Cats were interesting, we'd never heard of them.
Set List
Under My Thumb
When the Whip Comes Down
Play Video
Let's Spend the Night Together
Shattered
Neighbours
Black Limousine
Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
(The Temptations cover)
Twenty Flight Rock
Going to a Go-Go
Let Me Go
Time Is on My Side
Beast of Burden
Waiting on a Friend
Let It Bleed
Play Video
You Can't Always Get What You Want
Little T&A
Tumbling Dice
She's So Cold
Hang Fire
Miss You
Start Me Up
Honky Tonk Women
Brown Sugar
Jumpin' Jack Flash
Encore: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
1983
David Bowie - With Rough Trade - Stadium
I went with Lawrence Hicks. I've never forgotten Bowie's stage presence.
Harlequin with Sheriff - Concert Hall
Geoff's first concert.
The Police with The Thompson Twins - Wpg Arena
Geoff's second concert?
Toronto - Keystone Centre - Oct 3, 1983
Orphan with The Tenants - Keystone Centre
I was impressed with Orphan
Northern Pikes with ?? - Manitoba Room? The impressed me, I'm still a
fan.
Neil Young with Johnny Paycheck - Wpg Arena
He toured with the International Harvesters, his country band. I
travelled in with Bill Hillman.
1985
Honeymoon Suite with Glass Tiger
Good
guitar playing in Honeymoon Suite.
Red
Rider Concert Hall
Geoff
got a drumstick. Impressive
sound!
1986
Billy
Joel - Winnipeg Arena
Dec.
8
The
whole family went!
Pretenders
with Iggy Pop Winnipeg Arena March 10
Helix
with Haywire - Winnpeg
Concert Hall Nov. 30
Helix
was Jonah's
favorite band!
Bev
& Geoff saw Cory Heart around
this time
Heart
with Mr. Mister Arena
Dec. 8
I
enjoyed Heart more in 81. Too much
of
a pop show, but the musicianship and singing were excellent.
1988
John
Cougar Mellencamp - Winnipeg
Arena
March 14
Went
with Tim. Excellent sound.
Trooper
with Helix and Brighton Rock -
Keystone Centre
Poor
sound except for Trooper who were
really impressive.
1989
Bev
drove Geoff & Jonah into the city to see;
Bon
Jovi and Skid Row.
1990
Kim
Mitchell with The Pursuit of
Happiness - Keystone Centre - Kim had Matt on drums.
Tom Cochrane & Red Rider with The Northern Pikes -
Keystone Centre
Steve Earle - Manitoba Room - Copperhead Road
tour. Still like his cover of Dead Flowers.
Burton Cummings - Manitoba Room - Went with Bev.
Blue Rodeo with The Skydiggers - Concert Hall
Crash Test Dummies - Concert Hall
1992
Van
Halen with Alice in Chains -Winnipeg Arena ( Thurs Nov
7)
Went with Geoff and Jonah.
Van
Halen - Nov. 7
Tom
Cochrane with Kim Mitchell Keystone Centre - July 8
1993
Guns
n' Roses with The Deadbeat Honeymooners -
Winnipeg Arena - March 24
Sunfest -
Gimli - August 15
Pearl
Jam with Fifty-Four Forty , The Skydiggers,
The Watchmen, The Pursuit of Happiness
Geoff
and I attended the final day with Pearl Jam being the highlight, but
the
other bands were all great.
1994
Pink
Floyd - Winnipeg Stadium
Took a bus tour in myself - very convenient.
Excellent
sound. A concert highlight for me.
Rough
Trade was the opening act for Pink Floyd.
Helix
- At the Unwinder
Went
with Jonah
The
Rolling Stones with Colin James - Winnipeg
Stadium
Kim
Mitchell - Unwinder
Went
with Geoff
1995
Blue
Rodeo - Winnipeg Arena
Went
with Tim & Deb
Another
Roadside Attraction - Assiniboia Downs July
16
The
Tragically Hip with Ziggy
Marley, Blues Traveller, Matthew Sweet, Eric's Trip, Spirit of the
West, The Rheostatics
and the Inbreds
1996
Classic
Rock - Minnedosa. Aug
2000 Lee Aaron, Long John Baldy, Headpins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Starship,
Allanah Myles, Glass Tiger, Arpril Wine, CCR Revisited, Trooper,
Badfinger, Pat Travers, Blue Oyster Cult, Firehouse, John Kay &
Steppenwolf, Stonebolt, Helix, Prism,Chilliwack, Sass Jordon.
AC/DC
- Winnipeg Arena - Aug. 6, 96
Went
with Geoff and Jonah. Mark and Dave
Lee also there. Great guitar sound!
The
Tragically Hip with
Rheostatics - Wpg Arena - Went with Geoff and his friends.
Neil
Young with Moist and Pete Droge and the Sinners
With
Crazy Horse. Great set list,
including a heavy version of Pochahontas. Moist was disapointing, but I
liked Pete Droge.
Neil
dedicated "Why do I (Keep Fucking up) to his former Gym teacher. I
learned later that Neil often meets with his local relatives after
concerts - so I missed an opportunity. (My Grandfather Young was a
cousin of Scott Young - all part of the Cypress River Young
clanß.
Neil references his Cypress River roots on the 2005 album, "Prairie
Wind".
1997
1997
Classic
Rock - Minnedosa. August Long
George
Thorogood,Doobie Brothers,Creedence Clearwater
Revisited,Kim Mitchell,E.L.O.,Nazareth, Hotel Califoria Tribute to the
Eagles, Men Without Shame, Iron Butterfly,Chilliwack,Streetheart,Filthy
Lucre,Chocolate Bunnies from Hell, Goddo,Stampeders, The Hunger,
Toronto, Headpins, Honeymoon Suite.
1998
Classic
Rock - Minnedosa. August Long
Doucette,
Prism, Stampeders, Loverboy, Sammy Hagar,
Zan Zee Band, Frank Soda, Greg Kihn, Lee Aron, Streetheart, Joan
Jett& The Blackhearts, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Heapins, Chilliwack, Ozark
Mountain Daredevils, Def Leppard, Nazareth, 38 Special
1999
1999
Filthy Lucre, Doucette, Prism, Stampeders, Loverboy, Sammy
Hagar,
Zan Zee Band, Frank Soda, Greg Kihn, Lee Arron, Streetheart, Joan
Jett& The Blackhearts, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Heapins, Chilliwack,
Ozark
Mountain Daredevils, Def Leppard, Nazareth, 38 Special,
Men Without
Shame, Bill Wallace, Boogie Nights, The Hunger, Powder Blues, Kim
Cwirko.
2000
Classic
Rock - Minnedosa. August Long
I was
there Saturday playing with Billy for 2 sets on the second
stage.
I think Arpril Wine,
Badfinger, Pat Travers, Blue Oyster Cult, Prism, & Chilliwack might
have been on the main stage - saw bits.
2001
Blue
Rodeo - At the Walker. Oct. 18,2001
Geoff and I went.
Big Sugar Oct. 13 - 2001
We went
with Kelsey and Sandra
2002
Nickelback
Jan 29, 2002 - With Default
Sloan
- (With Staggered Crossing?) - At Le Rondezvous.
Geoff and I.
2004
The
Northern Pikes - July 10, 2004
Great Venue - Great show.
Nickelback
in Brandon - Feb 3. 2004
Aerosmith
with Cheap Trick - May 14.
Went
with Tim and Geoff.
2006
Black Crowes - with Matt Mayes
Went
with Geoff. An example of a band that surpassed my expectations. I like
their records but the live show,
which didn't depend on just the hits, was very good.
Crosby, Stills, Nash &
Young - July 14, 2006
Bev,
Geoff & I. Great show.
The Who
- Oct 3, 2006
I won
tickets to see the Who through KX96 after mastering the skill-testing
question. I felt like Cliff Clavin when he pulled "Post Office" on
Jeopardy.
The
Rolling Stones - Regina Oct 8, 2006 (With Three Days Grace)
Family
road trip to Regina with Geoff and Tim. Carol came to the concert with
us.
2008
Sheryl
Crow Sept. 27, 2008
With Jim Cuddy
Tom
Petty & The Heartbreakers - with Steve Winwood
- June 19
Another
concert highlight for me.
2010
Tom
Petty - June 19
Tom
Petty & The Heartbreakers - the second time in a matter of just
a few years. With Joe Cocker.
Tom
Cochrane & Red Ryder - Manitoba Room
Memorial Cup - May 22
Rockin
On The Range - Aug. 7
Stone Temple
Pilots, Crash Karma, Finger 11, The Trews, Godsmack, Buck Cherry,
Danko Jones.
STP
were great.
2011
Pearl
Jam Sept. 17, 2011
U2 May 29, 2011
Went with Tim, Geoff & Jonah
Video...
2012
Rush
Sept. 26, 2012
Bryan
Adams - MTS Centre June 22