Search Results for: Todd Kerns

Ontario’s Buffalo Brothers pay the price for that sweet Hammond B-3 sound

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 16, 1996 By Steve Newton The members of London, Ontario, rock quartet Buffalo Brothers come from all over the largest of the Canuck provinces. Drummer Glen Gamble grew up in Brantford, bassist Jeff Fountain hails from North Bay, keyboardist Michael Bonnell calls Sault Sainte Marie home, and singer-guitarist Shaun Sanders is … Continue reading Ontario’s Buffalo Brothers pay the price for that sweet Hammond B-3 sound

Whiney False Creek residents put a damper on the Long John Baldry-topped Granville Island Blues Fest

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 26, 1996 By Steve Newton What is it with Vancouver residents who can’t stand the sound of music emanating from an outdoor venue? I remember how the folks living in the Hastings-and-Renfrew area used to beef about the volume of daylong rock concerts at Empire Stadium in the mid-’70s, as if … Continue reading Whiney False Creek residents put a damper on the Long John Baldry-topped Granville Island Blues Fest

Ventures guitarist Don Wilson on the origin and influence of “Walk, Don’t Run”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 13, 1997 By Steve Newton When Ventures cofounder Bob Bogle walked onto a Seattle used-car lot one afternoon in 1959, he wasn’t expecting to form the nucleus of what would become the world’s top-selling instrumental-rock band—he was just looking for some new wheels. Fortunately, he ran into aspiring rhythm guitarist Don … Continue reading Ventures guitarist Don Wilson on the origin and influence of “Walk, Don’t Run”

Blues Traveler’s wheelchair-bound John Popper displays weapons and wicked harmonica in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 20, 1993 By Steve Newton In the liner notes to the new Blues Traveler release, Save His Soul, John Popper is credited with “vocals, harmonica, Irish whistle, acoustic 12-string, electric guitar, 12-gauge shotgun, and 9-mm pistol”. Now, I didn’t see any shotguns or pistols at the Commodore last Thursday (May 13), but … Continue reading Blues Traveler’s wheelchair-bound John Popper displays weapons and wicked harmonica in Vancouver

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers leave Vancouver reeling with a two-hour barrage of cannonball rock

kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 11, 1995 By Steve Newton Some rock bands have a magical way of winning over a crowd straightaway, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are a prime example. I saw them do it back in ’78 at the Commodore on the You’re Gonna Get It tour, and they … Continue reading Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers leave Vancouver reeling with a two-hour barrage of cannonball rock

Ian Moore’s social commentary stings like his Strat on Modernday Folklore

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 28, 1995 By Steve Newton On the cover of Ian Moore’s 1993 self-titled debut, he is pictured hugging his worn Stratocaster, perched on a beat-up Fender amp, a drum kit and large speaker cabinet looming in the background. That simple shot of the longhaired, cowboy-booted dude set the impression of Moore … Continue reading Ian Moore’s social commentary stings like his Strat on Modernday Folklore

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

Jeff Beck freak and knowledge junkie Mark Fitchett leads Cult of the Wrong Note

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 21, 1996 By Steve Newton Everyone’s heard the stories of starry-eyed youths who journey to Tinseltown with visions of glory and not much else, but they might not have heard about the kid from Richmond who hopped a bus for Hollywood with the dream of becoming a professional guitar player. Mark … Continue reading Jeff Beck freak and knowledge junkie Mark Fitchett leads Cult of the Wrong Note

Pete Droge’s Pearl Jam connection led him to Find a Door

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 12, 1996 By Steve Newton When you think Seattle rock, you picture plaid shirts, baggy shorts, vein-bulging vocals, and propulsive guitar noise comin’ at you in heavily amplified blasts. You don’t necessarily envision a guy like Pete Droge, whose rootsy, laid-back style has more in common with Tom Petty’s breezy, melodic … Continue reading Pete Droge’s Pearl Jam connection led him to Find a Door

Punchbuggy’s indie status makes $100 speeding tickets hard to take

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 10, 1996 By Steve Newton It’s times like this—when Punchbuggy’s Jim Bryson calls from the chilly wastelands of Saskatchewan—that I feel good about being an observer of rock instead of a participant. I’m cosy at home while he’s shivering at the side of the Trans-Canada Highway, the intermittent swoosh of passing … Continue reading Punchbuggy’s indie status makes $100 speeding tickets hard to take