Chicago’s Lois Lane brings original tunes and flaming drumset to Chilliwack but calls small-town booking a mistake

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE CHILLIWACK PROGRESS, MAY 27, 1981 By Steve Newton Casanova’s nightclub was the scene last week of three nightly performances by touring Chicago-based rock band Lois Lane. The group, supposedly the top drawing band in the windy city, is not your average club act band and, in fact, has toured with such … Continue reading Chicago’s Lois Lane brings original tunes and flaming drumset to Chilliwack but calls small-town booking a mistake

Sylvia Tyson and her Great Speckled Bird hit Chilliwack for a three-night stand at Huggy’s Cabaret

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE CHILLIWACK PROGRESS, APRIL 8, 1981 By Steve Newton Famous Canadian singer-songwriter Sylvia Tyson visited Chilliwack last Thursday for the first of three nightly performances at Huggy’s nightclub. Five years ago Tyson stepped out of ex-husband Ian’s considerable shadow, and since then has earned the reputation as a crowd-pleasing performer in her … Continue reading Sylvia Tyson and her Great Speckled Bird hit Chilliwack for a three-night stand at Huggy’s Cabaret

Charlie Daniels brings his redneck fiddle noise to my old hometown for the Chilliwack Country Music Festival

@shotbykevin ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 10, 1990 By Steve Newton Whether you’re a big country music fan or just someone who enjoys partying in the sun with several thousand other folks, the Chilliwack Fairgrounds was the place to be over the long weekend. Twenty-four bands performed, much beer was consumed, and it … Continue reading Charlie Daniels brings his redneck fiddle noise to my old hometown for the Chilliwack Country Music Festival

Danny Kirwan’s death revives memories of cruising the Chilliwack strip listening to Fleetwood Mac’s Kiln House

By Steve Newton You may have heard that British musician Danny Kirwan passed away on Friday, at the age of 68. Don’t feel too bad if his name doesn’t sound familiar, but he was a member of Fleetwood Mac between 1968 and 1972. I didn’t know his work all that well myself, even though he … Continue reading Danny Kirwan’s death revives memories of cruising the Chilliwack strip listening to Fleetwood Mac’s Kiln House

Back to the ‘Wack: Newt signs Gord Downie book in Chilliwack

By Steve Newton In case you haven’t heard, my first book came out last month. It’s called Gord Downie, and it’s about a poetic Canadian guy who rocked his ass off for decades and won over his home country before bravely succumbing to brain cancer and winning over his home country even more. When the … Continue reading Back to the ‘Wack: Newt signs Gord Downie book in Chilliwack

Newt rocks out at 60th birthday bash with members of Chilliwack bands Cold Chain, Horsepower, and Concrete Jungle

jet sutherland photo By Steve Newton After 35-plus years of writing about other people rockin’ out on guitar, I finally got off my butt, hopped on stage, and did some half-assed riffing myself. Last night at the Coast Hotel, in the heart of beautiful downtown Chilliwack, B.C., a bunch of old guys who were born … Continue reading Newt rocks out at 60th birthday bash with members of Chilliwack bands Cold Chain, Horsepower, and Concrete Jungle

Back in the ‘Wack Vol. 7: Midnight Smoke says Chilliwack is a “gold mine” for a versatile band

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE CHILLIWACK PROGRESS, MAY 6, 1981 By Steve Newton (In the seventh of a series of stories on local bands, The Progress presents a profile on Midnight Smoke. Next: Homegrown) Midnight Smoke is a longtime Chilliwack band that is currently composed of Peter Priebe on bass and lead vocals, Ed Porter on … Continue reading Back in the ‘Wack Vol. 7: Midnight Smoke says Chilliwack is a “gold mine” for a versatile band

Cold Chain revives the spirit of ’75 at the Chilliwack Senior High 40-year reunion

By Steve Newton Back in January I blogged about the “major concert news” that my old buddy’s cover band, Cold Chain, was gonna play the 40-year reunion for my Chilliwack Senior High School class of 1975. At the time I put a request in for what was probably my fave tune that year, Ian Hunter’s … Continue reading Cold Chain revives the spirit of ’75 at the Chilliwack Senior High 40-year reunion

Major concert news: Newt’s buddy’s band will play the Chilliwack Senior High class of ’75 reunion

By Steve Newton It probably won’t garner as much attention as the announcement of the upcoming AC/DC world tour, but I just found out that my old buddy’s cover band is playing the 40-year reunion for the Chilliwack Senior High School class of 1975. So I guess I’ll go. Here’s the unofficial setlist. The band … Continue reading Major concert news: Newt’s buddy’s band will play the Chilliwack Senior High class of ’75 reunion

Bill Henderson says Chilliwack ripped off its name for the First Nations vibe

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JAN. 6, 2000 By Steve Newton It’s a bit weird coming from a small town that has the same name as a popular ’70s rock band. When you admit to having been born and bred in Chilliwack, there’s always some joker who’ll wonder aloud, “Hey, isn’t that where that … Continue reading Bill Henderson says Chilliwack ripped off its name for the First Nations vibe

Call me a hick from Chilliwack, but I ain’t never seen no spiral haircut before

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, FEB. 6, 1992 By Steve Newton What makes a rock writer desperate to score the reviewer’s assignment for a Red Hot Chili Peppers show? Could it be the group’s incendiary brand of primitive thrash-funk, or the fact that their live appearances are known far and wide for their unbridled … Continue reading Call me a hick from Chilliwack, but I ain’t never seen no spiral haircut before

Strange Euphoria sparks memories of a (Chilliwack) Coliseum concert

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JUNE 25, 2012 By Steve Newton Over the years I’ve heard quite a few folks fondly reminisce about seeing Heart play their high-school gym out in Buttfuck, B.C., back in the year of our lord, 1976. That was the same year that the Ann and Nancy Wilson-led band released its debut … Continue reading Strange Euphoria sparks memories of a (Chilliwack) Coliseum concert

That time Joey Molland told me about the “crooks” that stole a ton of royalty money from Badfinger

By Steve Newton Thirty-five years ago today–on November 26, 1987–I did an interview with Joey Molland of Badfinger. I’ve loved Badfinger ever since I first heard them doing that 1969 song that everybody thought was the Beatles, “Come and Get It”, from the film The Magic Christian. Joey Molland wasn’t in the band then, but … Continue reading That time Joey Molland told me about the “crooks” that stole a ton of royalty money from Badfinger

That time Martha Davis told me that the Motels lost 60 grand a week on their last tour

By Steve Newton I wasn’t a huge fan of new-wave music in the mid-’80s–I was too busy banging my head to Maiden and Priest and Scorps and such–but for some reason in November of 1985 I sat down with Martha Davis for an interview that was never actually published. She was promoting the Motels’ fifth … Continue reading That time Martha Davis told me that the Motels lost 60 grand a week on their last tour

That time back in ’85 when I asked Brian Vollmer if Helix were hometown heroes in Kitchener

By Steve Newton Way back in November of 1985 I interviewed Helix frontman Brian Vollmer. This was right after the band had released its fifth album, Long Way to Heaven, and were quite popular on the Canadian heavy-metal scene. Anybody remember 1983’s “Heavy Metal Love”? At one point in the conversation I asked Vollmer if … Continue reading That time back in ’85 when I asked Brian Vollmer if Helix were hometown heroes in Kitchener

That time I asked Steve Vai if he had any desire, like his buddy Satch, to try his hand at vocals

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with American guitar legend Steve Vai on May 31, 1990, eleven days after the release of his second album, Passion & Warfare–you know, the one with “For the Love of God”. Seven months earlier Vai’s former guitar teacher, Joe Satriani, had released his third album, Flying in … Continue reading That time I asked Steve Vai if he had any desire, like his buddy Satch, to try his hand at vocals

That time I asked Richard Marx if he was hoping to sell nine million copies of his followup to Repeat Offender

By Steve Newton When I interviewed Richard Marx back in November of 1991 he was one of the most popular singer-songwriters around. His self-titled 1987 debut album had sold three million copies, and his 1989 followup, Repeat Offender–the one with “Right Here Waiting”–had moved six million copies. So, doing the math, I asked him if … Continue reading That time I asked Richard Marx if he was hoping to sell nine million copies of his followup to Repeat Offender

That time 21-year-old Devin Townsend told me that he and Steve Vai give each other ulcers

Actual footage of Townsend giving Vai an ulcer By Steve Newton Back in September of 1993 I did my second interview with Canadian metal genius Devin Townsend. He was only 21 at the time, and had recently joined up with guitar virtuoso Steve Vai to record the vocals for Vai’s Sex & Religion album and … Continue reading That time 21-year-old Devin Townsend told me that he and Steve Vai give each other ulcers