Rush refuses to give John Rutsey his due on Test for Echo tour in Vancouver

@shotbykevin ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 22, 1997 By Steve Newton Although they’ve sold more than 35 million records and been a major force on the hard-rock world for 23 years, it appears as though Rush’s status as an arena-packing concert draw—at least in Vancouver—has slipped a few notches. There were scads of … Continue reading Rush refuses to give John Rutsey his due on Test for Echo tour in Vancouver

Growing up in Buffalo, the Goo Goo Dolls are almost Canadian

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 22, 1999 By Steve Newton “Kick him in the throat!” isn’t quite the phrase you expect to hear from a guy who’s just exchanged wedding vows, but that’s what my brother-in-law Cam was yelling scant hours after tying the knot on a beach in Powell River last month. … Continue reading Growing up in Buffalo, the Goo Goo Dolls are almost Canadian

Yngwie Malmsteen calls Ibanez guitars “a bad copy” of the Strat and says Les Pauls are “furniture”

By Steve Newton Back in 2014 I had a nice little chat with Swedish guitar legend Yngwie Malmsteen, in advance of a Guitar Gods show in Vancouver. I mentioned that the last time I saw him live was on the G3 Tour at Vancouver’s Orpheum Theatre in 2003 or something. We got to talking about his … Continue reading Yngwie Malmsteen calls Ibanez guitars “a bad copy” of the Strat and says Les Pauls are “furniture”

Steve Kilbey says his band feels like the Church again

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 24, 1998 By Steve Newton That big old vinyl collection of mine sure comes in handy sometimes. Up until last week I had no idea that it included anything by the Church, but in preparation for a chat with singer-bassist Steven Kilbey, I took a hopeful meander through … Continue reading Steve Kilbey says his band feels like the Church again

Brother Cane melds Zeppelin-style raunch and southern-rock spirit in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 26, 1995 By Steve Newton When I first heard Brother Cane’s self-titled debut CD three years ago, I was mightily impressed by the Alabama quartet’s bluesy, southern-tinged guitar-rock, spurred on as it was by the multiple talents of Damon Johnson, lead guitarist, lead vocalist, and main songwriter. But aside from the … Continue reading Brother Cane melds Zeppelin-style raunch and southern-rock spirit in Vancouver

Junkhouse at the Town Pump evokes the Beat Farmers’ Glad & Greasy

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 14, 1995 By Steve Newton It’s midnight on a Friday (September 8) at the Town Pump. The brew has been flowing freely for hours already, and the hard-rocking headlining band is about to take the stage. The crowd is definitely stoked for some good old…spoken-word performance? Apparently, Junkhouse … Continue reading Junkhouse at the Town Pump evokes the Beat Farmers’ Glad & Greasy

Dan Wilson’s journey from Trip Shakespeare to Pleasure to Semisonic led to a Great Divide

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 2, 1996 By Steve Newton There are all kinds of stories about bands being threatened by lawsuits over their names, but you can add another one to the list with the case of Minneapolis power-pop trio Semisonic. They were touring Midwest clubs as Pleasure last year when, out of the blue, … Continue reading Dan Wilson’s journey from Trip Shakespeare to Pleasure to Semisonic led to a Great Divide

John Fogerty reveals the full meaning of the mystical phrase yee-haw! in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 28, 1997 By Steve Newton Most of the folks attending John Fogerty’s first Vancouver concert in 12 years last Friday (August 22) must have been aware that he had returned to playing some of his old Creedence Clearwater Revival hits, but nobody knew for sure how enthusiastically the … Continue reading John Fogerty reveals the full meaning of the mystical phrase yee-haw! in Vancouver

A small world helped Brother Cane score tour with Slash’s Snakepit

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 4, 1995 By Steve Newton While more than 40 singers auditioned for the lead-vocalist job in Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash’s solo band, Snakepit, probably just as many bands would have lined up to try out for the prestigious opening spot on that group’s tour. When that bill hits the sold-out … Continue reading A small world helped Brother Cane score tour with Slash’s Snakepit

At 50, southern-rock legend Gregg Allman is Searching for Simplicity

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 12, 1998 By Steve Newton Gregg Allman has released six solo albums over the years, but he never wanders too far away from the southern-rock sound he helped popularize as a founding member of the Allman Brothers. On his latest CD, Searching for Simplicity, Allman doesn’t even try to shake his … Continue reading At 50, southern-rock legend Gregg Allman is Searching for Simplicity

Bittersweet Gin Blossoms encounter UFOs and Alice Cooper in their ‘hood

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 29, 1996 By Steve Newton If there were such a thing as a Webster’s Dictionary of Pop Music, you could probably look up the word bittersweet and find a picture of Arizona’s Gin Blossoms nearby. Like fellow southerner Matthew Sweet and local buddies the Odds—who will tour with the Gin Blossoms … Continue reading Bittersweet Gin Blossoms encounter UFOs and Alice Cooper in their ‘hood

John Fogerty does things his own way on Blue Moon Swamp

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 21, 1997 By Steve Newton David Letterman has never been known to ask his musical guests to return the very next night after a Late Show appearance, but the gap-toothed TV talk-show host broke with tradition a couple of months back when he got John Fogerty to pull off a two-night … Continue reading John Fogerty does things his own way on Blue Moon Swamp

Metallica’s young guns of sonic mayhem slay Vancouver on the …And Justice for All Tour

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 9, 1989 By Steve Newton The Pacific Coliseum may as well have been a Roman coliseum last Wednesday (May 31), because things got about as uncivilized as they’ve ever been in the home of the Canucks. Not since the Broad Street Bullies took their orange jerseys into the crowd to bust … Continue reading Metallica’s young guns of sonic mayhem slay Vancouver on the …And Justice for All Tour