ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 12, 1991 By Steve Newton Usually when this scribbler prepares for an interview, he starts by listening to the artist’s tape or CD, perusing its liner notes, scanning a record company bio, and maybe reading some press clippings. But for a chat with former Grand Funk Railroad singer/guitarist Mark Farner, getting … Continue reading Mark Farner’s current “God rock” set doesn’t include Grand Funk’s “We’re an American Band”
Chrissy Steele hits the perfect volume level for Brian “Too Loud” MacLeod
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 5, 1991 By Steve Newton If you’re a hard-rock kinda person, sometimes it really pays to hang out at Club Soda, along with the folks from Aerosmith and the Scorpions. For local rocker Chrissy Steele, that’s where she first met former Headpins guitarist Brian “Too Loud” MacLeod, who … Continue reading Chrissy Steele hits the perfect volume level for Brian “Too Loud” MacLeod
Trailer Park Boys take a crazed road trip to Chuckleville in Don’t Legalize It
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, APRIL 15, 2014 The first feature film to be spawned by Showcase TV’s low-budget Trailer Park Boys series, 2006’s Trailer Park Boys: The Movie, was freakin’ hilarious. The followup, 2009’s Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day, was possibly the funniest Canadian movie ever made. And now the white-trash shenanigans of petty Nova Scotia criminals … Continue reading Trailer Park Boys take a crazed road trip to Chuckleville in Don’t Legalize It
Steve Miller’s ’70s blues-rock tunes can still pack the joint
photos by the newt During his sold-out gig at Hard Rock Casino Vancouver last night, Steve Miller talked about how he moved to Chicago as a young man and learned all he could about the blues jamming with the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Buddy Guy. That love of the blues came … Continue reading Steve Miller’s ’70s blues-rock tunes can still pack the joint
Steve Earle follows the Copperhead Road to Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, April 21, 1989 How many famous touring stars hang around backstage after a show, tirelessly signing autographs and posing for pictures, till nearly all the hangers-on have snagged their mementos and headed off, leaving the object of their affection looking around and thinking, "Where'd everybody go?" Steve Earle is … Continue reading Steve Earle follows the Copperhead Road to Vancouver
Drive-By Truckers’ new disc dedicated to loveable merch guy Craig Lieske
Any fan of the Drive-By Truckers is aware of how cool their merchandise is. A lot of it has to do with the southern-goth artistry of Wes Freed, whose work has long been a staple of the band's album covers, t-shirts, and posters. I've got one proudly displayed in my home hallway, as a matter of … Continue reading Drive-By Truckers’ new disc dedicated to loveable merch guy Craig Lieske
Neil Finn’s big brother Tim brings a Beatlesque mentality to Crowded House’s Vancouver show
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 5, 1991 By Steve Newton When a band has as much fun on stage as Crowded House usually does, it’s pretty hard for it not to rub off on the audience. At the Orpheum last Sunday (September 1), the four Aussie pranksters could do no wrong with their … Continue reading Neil Finn’s big brother Tim brings a Beatlesque mentality to Crowded House’s Vancouver show
A man named Stick leads Red Deer transplants Mad Duck on the hard-rock trail
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 22, 1991 By Steve Newton Country superstar k.d. lang did hard time in the schools of Red Deer, Alberta, but the town hasn’t exactly spawned a host of well-known recording artists. However, if a singer-guitarist by the name of Stick has anything to say about it, his band will put the … Continue reading A man named Stick leads Red Deer transplants Mad Duck on the hard-rock trail
Guitar legend Buddy Guy strives to keep the blues alive
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 22, 1991 By Steve Newton Blues guitar great Buddy Guy sure has seen some interesting things during his 55 years on this earth. How many players can say that Jimi Hendrix once cancelled a gig to sit at their feet with a tape recorder? “I didn’t know who he was at … Continue reading Guitar legend Buddy Guy strives to keep the blues alive
Don Henley mustn’t die, but a cattle prod might have helped in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 22, 1991 By Steve Newton Don Henley really put his foot in his mouth during his second encore at the Coliseum last Friday (August 16). While rambling on about the new environmental book that he edited, the former Eagle mentioned that, with all the work involved, “I’ve been … Continue reading Don Henley mustn’t die, but a cattle prod might have helped in Vancouver
Circle of Soul brings a Motownish vibe backed by a wall of Marshalls
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 15, 1991 By Steve Newton From the groovy way guitarist/vocalists Joie Mastrokalos and Granville Cleveland mesh musically, you’d expect that the two players would have hit it off, buddy-wise, right from the start. But before they formed Circle of Soul, Mastrokalos once chased Cleveland around the Bay Area … Continue reading Circle of Soul brings a Motownish vibe backed by a wall of Marshalls
Dickey Betts figures Duane Allman is playing “Dreams” in heaven with Hendrix and the guys from Skynyrd
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 8, 1991 By Steve Newton Back in the halcyon days of the early ’70s, there was a choice collection of albums that one gang of air-guitar-playing Chilliwack Junior High rockheads used to foam over. There was Deep Purple’s Machine Head, J. Geils’ Full House, Alice Cooper’s Billion Dollar Babies, Foghat’s Energized, Nazareth’s … Continue reading Dickey Betts figures Duane Allman is playing “Dreams” in heaven with Hendrix and the guys from Skynyrd
Marshall Crenshaw shows Vancouver that life’s too short–and pretty precious too
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 25, 1991 By Steve Newton Balding and bespectacled, Marshall Crenshaw looks more like a mild-mannered librarian (and a couple of rock critics I know) than the type to rip up a nightclub with tune after tune of jarring, picture-perfect pop. But, as the Detroit-bred, New York-based rocker proved … Continue reading Marshall Crenshaw shows Vancouver that life’s too short–and pretty precious too