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
Tag: 1991
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
Even Bruce Allen would have loved the Tragically Hip in Vancouver on the Road Apples tour
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 18, 1991 By Steve Newton The first time I heard Bruce Allen’s late-night talk show on CFOX, I heard the Big A comment: “Colin James for five nights at the Commodore? Why?” Was Allen jealous because Loverboy might never have had enough over-19 fans to accomplish the feat? Did he fear that … Continue reading Even Bruce Allen would have loved the Tragically Hip in Vancouver on the Road Apples tour
Divinyls are attracted to the seamier side of things
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 11, 1991 By Steve Newton Mark McEntee first met Christina Amphlett, his partner in the Divinyls, after seeing her perform in a religious choir at the Sydney Opera House. That’s right—we’re talking about the same Christina Amphlett who melts TV sets everywhere by prancing lewdly and lasciviously stroking … Continue reading Divinyls are attracted to the seamier side of things
The Replacements show Vancouver where the heart of rock ‘n’ roll really beats
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 4, 1991 By Steve Newton I felt a tad nerdish, not having seen the legendary Replacements up until last Friday (June 28). I’d heard that these four guys from Minneapolis were capable of heart-stopping performances, tempering thrashy sonic onslaughts with a Beatlesque pop sensibility that couldn’t lose. So … Continue reading The Replacements show Vancouver where the heart of rock ‘n’ roll really beats
Men Without Hats celebrate the good things in life
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 4, 1991 By Steve Newton From the sound of past pop ditties like “Safety Dance” and “Pop Goes the World”, you wouldn’t have expected Men Without Hats to eventually emerge as guitar-oriented hard-rockers. But even though the thundering power chords of the band’s latest single/video, “Sideways”—title track … Continue reading Men Without Hats celebrate the good things in life
That time J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. didn’t feel like doing an interview
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 13, 1991 By Steve Newton J. Mascis is a man of few words—and many pauses, sighs, and yawns. That’s when he’s being interviewed, anyway. In concert, with his band Dinosaur Jr., Mascis creates quite a ruckus, as should be the case when the band plays 86 Street next Saturday (June 22). … Continue reading That time J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. didn’t feel like doing an interview
Doobie Brothers deliver the goods but can’t pull a big crowd in Vancouver on the Brotherhood Tour
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 13, 1991 By Steve Newton Only 4,000 fans showed up for the Doobie Brothers show last Friday, which is not a particularly impressive turnout for any Coliseum act, least of all one that’s sold as many albums as the Doobies. Maybe the general consensus is that the Doobies aren’t hip—or even … Continue reading Doobie Brothers deliver the goods but can’t pull a big crowd in Vancouver on the Brotherhood Tour