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We welcome contributions: storiekw@gmail.com  The Storie Family Experience - Ken , Bev, Jonah & Geoff 1967 - 1972 The Paupers - Fair Grounds Arena 1967? One of the top Canadian bands of the day, featuring drummer Skip Prokop. The Troggs - Fair Grounds Arena 1968 Complete with striped suits, and fashionably late. Brandon's Bitter End were the openning act. They did a Troggs cover of the Trogg's current (and last?) hit, Love is All Around. The Guess Who - Brandon University Gym - Still doing some covers at this point. Neil Diamond with The Guess Who - Old Brandon Arena - September I still remember the Guess Who's cover of I'm a Man. Neil Diamond was the headliner but we were there for the Guess Who. Lighthouse - Concert Hall Great covers of Eight Miles High and Chest Fever. I'd not heard their album at the time. Web learned later that their lead singer, was absent with an illness and Skip Prokop, handled the vocals. We didn't notice anything amiss. Mashmakan - Concert Hall Impressive - we covered two of their songs in my band Blind Justice. Their drummer (Jerry Mercer) later surfaced in April Wine and is with them to this day. Gaye Harry's vocal quartet was the opening act. She impressed us and we asked her to join Blind Justice. The Ides of March - with Gypsy - Winnipeg Concert Hall It seems their guitar player was great and a real showman. So some friends and I travelled to Winnipeg a year or so later to see them at the Concert Hall. I love it when a concert offers a surprise - and they often do. Although their use of horns set them apart from many rock acts, it was their manic guitarist who stole the show. Attached to his amp by a super-long curly cord he started the show bounding back and forth across the stage. Sure enough, in the middle of the first song he stepped on the cord and disconnected. Wireless rigs soon ended that problem. It is worth mentioning that the opening act was another band from Minneapolis - Gypsy - who performed a song called Gypsy Queen that so impressed us that our band immediately learned it and added it to our set list. It stands today as a great song, but so many very competent bands just don't come up with enough great songs. (Although I see they were still performing - last time I checked.) Dan performed solo with
guitar.
Murray
had his band. Both has recent hits. Bev & I went with friends, Leigh and Carol. Well known by now, we'd heard the albums. The guitar player impressed us. The opening act was some group from Australia that we've not heard from since. Bruce Cockburn with Valdy - Concert Hall Both performed solo. We went with friends Leigh and Carol. 1973 Three Dog Night with T-Rex - Wpg. Arena The Dogs openned with the big hit Shambalya and closed with it! T-Rex was a wall of noise, sound systems hadn't mastered the arena acoustics. 1976 Sweeny Todd - Fair Grounds This was post Nick Guilder - with Bryan Adams on vocals. The Who - with Mother's Finest - October 18. Winnipeg Arena  This was a big deal for us. An
announcement in the paper
alterted us to the fact that the Who were coming to Winnipeg and
tickets were on sale the next day. We had no money on hand so we
borrowed from (my sister and her husband) Donna and Dave and the next
morning I went down to the
mezzanine of the Eaton's Store to get tickets. In line nearby was Ken
Daniels, (now a good friend) whom I knew a bit because he was my Psych
101 Lab Instructor a
few years back, and I had student taught with his wife, Bev, at Neelin
High. The Who were everything we had hoped to see. Laser light show.
All
the hits. As a child of the sixties I still say that the Stones
were my favourite band to listen to, and the Who were my favourite band
to watch. I believe that in many ways this was the best time to see
them.
I love the earlier stuff but Tommy and Who's Next had such
great songs. Best of both in the set list. Energy of their youth and
maturing songwriting of the early seventies. Set List... I
Can't Explain
Matt and Spider impressed me with the bass & drum solo in Under My Thumb. At the time, Manitoba's best band. Just getting started a s songwriters and their covers of Under My Thumb, Tin Soldier, and Here Comes the Night are examples of the best covers ever. Trooper - Concert Hall 77 - 78 ? Trooper in their earliest form, guitar, bass, drums, and vocal. The only "hit" at this time was "General Hand Grenade". Within a year the big hits started. I saw them several times though the years - alway genuine, never phone it in. A great Canadina band. 1977 Styx with Max Webster at the Keystone Centre - June 11 This was just as "The Grand Illusion" album was making them big stars. Max Webster had just had a hit with "Let Go The Line". Under rated Canadian band.  The Stampeders with Ian Thomas. The Stampeders were in their "Horn Section" phase. 1978 The Eagles with Steve Miller and Jesse Winchester Assiniboia Downs The Eagles at their best. Joe Walsh did "Life's Been Good", a song we had not yet heard. I had Rita Coolidge's album with her version of "Seven Bridges Road" but had never heard their version. Stunning. Openned with "Hotel California".     Black Oak Arkansas - Concert Hall 1980? One hit - Jackie Blue. Chilliwack with Harlequin and Toronto - Keystone Centre Chilliwack was near the peak of their popularity, Toronto was relatively unknown but just had the "Even the Score" hit.  1980 Prism with Loverboy - Keystone Centre - 1980 Nov. 22 Both solid canadian bands. Loveboy was just becoming a big thing. 1981 August 1 Heart with Blue Oyster Cult, Ted Nugent, Loverboy, The Rockets - at the Stadium I went with students / band mates Lawrence and Sharon. Heart was the big draw and we were really impressed. Another band I saw at their peak in terms of performance, although it would have been nice to see them before Roger Fisher left.  1983 David Bowie - With Rough Trade - Stadium  I went with friend and bandmate Lawrence Hicks. I've never forgotten Bowie's stage presence. Earl Slick on guitar. I find it interesting that hearing (and seeing) a live version of a song can sometimes shine a light on it in a way that makes you appreciate it more. That version of "Heroes" stays with me. Harlequin with Sheriff - Concert Hall Geoff's first concert. Age 7. The Police with The Thompson Twins - Wpg Arena Geoff's second concert? Great perfomance.   Toronto - Keystone Centre - Oct 3, 1983 1984 Orphan with The Tenants - Keystone Centre I was impressed with Orphan. Solid first album. Northern Pikes with ?? - Manitoba Room? They impressed me, I'm still a fan. Neil Young with Johnny Paycheck - Wpg Arena He toured with the International Harvesters, his country band. I travelled in with friend Bill Hillman. 1985 Honeymoon Suite with Glass Tiger Good guitar playing in Honeymoon Suite. Red Rider Concert Hall Geoff
got a drumstick. Impressive
sound, especially on highlights from the Neruda album.
1986 Billy Joel - Winnipeg Arena Dec. 8The
whole family went!
Pretenders with Iggy Pop - Winnipeg Arena March 10 Always liked the Pretenders. Iggy had just had a (rare?) radio hit. Had a
visit with my old friend Jim Hayes by the side of the stage. He worked
on lights etc. for many Winnipeg events. Helix with Haywire - Winnpeg Concert Hall Nov. 30 Helix was Jonah's favorite band! Bev & Geoff saw Cory Heart around this time.
Heart with Mr. Mister Arena Dec. 8 I enjoyed Heart more in 81 - big fan of their early albums - but the musicianship and singing were excellent.
Mister
Mister - one Much Music hit - 80's Pop - where are they now? 1988
John Cougar Mellencamp - Winnipeg Arena March 14 Went
with my brother Tim. Excellent sound - great example of how some bands
could navigate the sound in the old arena. Trooper with Helix and Brighton Rock - Keystone Centre Went with Jonah. Poor sound except for Trooper who were really impressive.
1989 Bev
drove Geoff & Jonah into the city to see Bon
Jovi and Skid Row.
1990 Kim Mitchell with The Pursuit of Happiness - Keystone Centre - Kim had Matt Frenette on drums. Kim is
alays great. The Pursuit of
Happiness was a nice surprise. Their radio hits were fun but
their live perfomance was their real strength. Tom
Cochrane & Red Rider with The Northern Pikes -
Keystone Centre - two great Canadian bands at their peak. Steve Earle - Manitoba Room - Copperhead Road tour. Still like his cover of Dead Flowers. Burton
Cummings - Manitoba Room - Went with Bev. Blue
Rodeo with The Skydiggers - Concert Hall Crash Test Dummies - Concert Hall
1992 Van
Halen with Alice in Chains - Winnipeg Arena Another
example of how some bands could deal with the old Arena's accoustics
and some couldn't. Van Halen were great. Alice in Chains, who I've
since come to really appreciate, could not be appreciated in that venue
on that night.
Tom Cochrane with Kim Mitchell Keystone Centre - July 8
1993 Guns
n' Roses with The Deadbeat Honeymooners -
Winnipeg Arena - March 24 Sunfest - Gimli - August 15
Pearl
Jam with Fifty-Four Forty, The Skydiggers,
The Watchmen, The Pursuit of Happiness I've been going to concerts since 1967. Geoff was fifteen and had been going to concerts with me since he was seven. We both loved their debut album, "Ten", but that was about all we knew about the band. It was a fantastic performance that can still be found on YouTube. What sticks out however was their choice of encore songs; The Who's "Baba O'Reilly" and Neil Young's "Keep on Rockin' In The Free World". I have always thought that the songs a band chooses to cover says a lot about who they really are. They referenced their roots while aiming at the future. I was pretty sure Pearl Jam was going to be around for a while. Jump ahead four decades. In the past few years Geoff' and his wife, Kim have travelled to both Minneapolis and Seattle to see them. Better than ever was their opinion.
1994 Pink
Floyd - Winnipeg Stadium Excellent
sound. A concert highlight for me. Another band that would have been
great to see in their earlier days. But in terms of production and
performance this tour stands as a high point.
Rough Trade was the opening act for Pink Floyd. Helix
- At the Unwinder Kim
Mitchell
I don't remember ever seeing Alannah Myles but I do remember seeing Kim with The Pursuit of Happiness??? Last minute change? The Rolling Stones with Colin James - Winnipeg Stadium
Kim Mitchell - Unwinder Went with Geoff Guns
and Roses
In the
old arena the sound quality could depend on where you were seated.
1995 Blue Rodeo - Winnipeg Arena We went with brother Tim & his wife Deb. Another Roadside Attraction - Assiniboia Downs July 16 The
Tragically Hip with Ziggy
Marley, Blues Traveller, Matthew Sweet, Eric's Trip, Spirit of the
West, The Rheostatics
and the Inbreds
1996 Classic
Rock - Minnedosa. Aug Lee Aaron, Long John Baldy, Headpins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Starship, Allanah Myles, Glass Tiger, Arpril Wine, CCR Revisited, Trooper, Badfinger, Pat Travers, Blue Oyster Cult, Firehouse, John Kay & Steppenwolf, Stonebolt, Helix, Prism, Chilliwack, Sass Jordon.
AC/DC
- Winnipeg Arena - Aug. 6, 96 Went with Geoff and Jonah. Friends Mark and Dave Lee also there. Great guitar sound!
The Tragically Hip with Rheostatics - Wpg Arena - Went with Geoff and his friends. Neil Young with Moist and Pete Droge and the Sinners With Crazy Horse. Great set list, including a heavy version of Pochahontas. Moist was disapointing - their sound didn't suit the old Arena accoustics. I liked Pete Droge. Neil
dedicated "Why do I (Keep Fucking up) to his former Gym teacher. I
learned later that Neil often meets with his local relatives after
concerts - so I missed an opportunity. (My Grandfather , W.J. Young was
a
cousin of Scott Young - all part of the Cypress River Young
clan.)
Neil references his Cypress River roots on the 2005 album, "Prairie
Wind".
Classic
Rock - Minnedosa. August Long George
Thorogood, Doobie Brothers, Creedence Clearwater
Revisited,Kim Mitchell, E.L.O.,Nazareth, Hotel Califoria Tribute to the
Eagles, Men Without Shame, Iron Butterfly, Chilliwack,
Streetheart, Filthy
Lucre, Chocolate Bunnies from Hell, Goddo, Stampeders, The Hunger,
Toronto, Headpins, Honeymoon Suite.
1998 1999 Filthy Lucre, Doucette, Prism, Stampeders, Loverboy, Sammy Hagar, Zan Zee Band, Frank Soda, Greg Kihn, Lee Arron, Streetheart, Joan Jett& The Blackhearts, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Heapins, Chilliwack, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Def Leppard, Nazareth, 38 Special, Powder Blues Sammy Hagar and Def Leppard were excellent. The Hip
1999
2000 Classic Rock - Minnedosa. August Long I was
there Saturday playing with Billy for 2 sets on the second
stage. 
2001 Blue
Rodeo - At the Walker. Oct. 18,2001
We went
with friends Kelsey and Sandra
2002 Nickelback
Jan 29, 2002 - With Default. Went with Geoff.  Sloan
- (With Staggered Crossing?) - At Le Rondezvous.
2004 The Northern Pikes - July 10, 2004Great Venue - Great show. |
