SOUNDTRACK: RHEOSTATICS-Alt House, University of Western Ontario, London, ON (January 23 1997).
This show takes place at the University of Western Ontario, an unusual location for the band, but they had an appreciative crowd. There’s a long introduction in which Don Kerr is late to get to the drums. They say that he’s sick and, in fact, they’re all sick, but they don’t sound sick when they play.
The college atmosphere seems to relax them. Indeed, Martin tells a very lengthy story about a painter near his home town in Italy (as an introduction to “Motorino”). He rarely talks much on stage so this banter is a rarity. Dave asks if the fans like the banter. He takes a poll. Songs and banter? Much cheering. No banter. Apparently one vote. Upon hearing that one vote, Dave says, that guy, security! Some fans shout “only banter no music,” but the band doesn’t acknowledge that.
They once again mention martin’s new Chickadee banner and they even throw in some jokes about chickadees in “Four Little Songs.”
This show they explain that they get a little bored playing older songs so they like to mix them up a little. “Record Body Count” sounds rather different and it has a very pretty guitar outro by martin that leads into the intro of “Michael Jackson.”
The opening band was People From Earth, the band that Martin’s brothers were in. I can’t find out much about them and I can’t find any music from them, but I’m very curious to know what they sound like.
This is a really enjoyable show. The recording level is a little too quiet at times, but the sound is quite good.
[READ: February 24, 2014] Keon and Me
This rush of Rheostatics music has had me investigating what the band has been up to since they split up. They have all released some solo records, and Dave Bidini seems to have devoted a lot of his time to writing as well. In addition to his column at the National Post, he has written a dozen or so books. I’ve already read his two earliest books (which were about touring and hockey respectively) and thought I’d read some of his other books too (about baseball, hockey, touring, hockey, hockey, music etc). I thought about reading his third book, but then–amazingly coincidentally–his newest book, Keon and Me was staring at me from a pile of new books at work.
How exciting! Sure it was out of sequence, but that was fine.
The only problem (and the reason I wasn’t too too excited to read it in the first place) was that I had no idea who Keon was. I had gleaned that he was Dave Keon, a hockey player. But I’d never heard of him. It turns out he was the captain of the Toronto maple Leafs in the 70s, during the Leafs’ heyday. Aside from his achievements, which were quite impressive, what was most impressive about Keon was that he only got into one fight in his entire career–and that was in his last game with the Leafs–which garnered him a 2 minute penalty. That’s pretty impressive given that it was the era of goons and thugs when fighting was often more important than hockey.
But this book isn’t really a biography of Keon. Rather, it is a memoir of Bidini growing up and loving Keon. And of his fanaticism to the Leafs (who have sucked ever since Keon left). It is also the story of young Dave Bidini, grade schooler, who was bullied by the classroom thug (and biggest Flyers fan). (more…)
I Just Read About That... 