MUSIC PREVIEW: Rock and roll, deja vu
Fleetwood Mac, Motley Crue, now John Fogerty at Rexall Place this Sunday. Hello? Didn’t we just do this?
A quick glance at the official record reveals that yes, we did just do this. Those who forget the name of the person who said that those who forget history are doomed to repeat history are … er, doomed to repeat history. This is doubly true in rock ‘n’ roll. Sometimes even trebley. Fogerty was here in 2012, Mac just last year and Crue in 2013. They’ll all be back again, too, legally binding contracts or not.
Classic rock continues to pay the bills for the 69-year-old brainchild behind Creedence Clearwater Revival. What does Fogerty do to keep it fresh? Why, he fires up the Wayback Machine, of course. Following the last tour where he alternated between playing Cosmo’s Factory and Born on the Bayou albums in their entireties, on this “One Extraordinary Year” tour Fogerty will be performing only CCR songs released in the year 1969. That was indeed an extraordinary year for this legendary American band. They released an astounding three albums over a 12 month span: Bayou Country, Green River and Willy and the Poor Boys. The hit singles alone include Born on the Bayou, Bad Moon Rising, Green River, Down on the Corner, Fortunate Son and of course the most covered song in the history of the universe, Proud Mary.
If you were there in ‘69, or just wanted to be, know that there are still tickets to the show, starting at $27 – a bargain for the potent nostalgia in what is shaping up to be (another) Big Year of the Baby Boomers. BUY
Wednesday 19
Tokyo Police Club – One of many visitors from away in town lately – in this case Ontario – this highly-decorated indie pop-rock band is touring behind its latest album, Hot Tonight. With openers Said the Whale and the Pack A.D., at the Starlite Room. Also repeats on Thursday the 20th, tickets are $28.50, BUY
Thursday 20
SonReal – What is it about Canada that produces such eccentric hip hop artists? No Kanye nor Jay-Z he, the Juno-nominated SonReal has been making bizarro-world rhyme waves reverberating from hometown Vancouver for quite some time – with a whole lot of mixtapes, even more videos and just one proper album, The Closers, released in 2012. Imagine Napoleon Dynamite as a rapper. Pawnshop, $17.50, BUY
Friday 21
Animals As Leaders – There is a fine line between progressive metal and jazz fusion, and this Washington, D.C. instrumental band obliterates it deftly with intricate, complicated, speedy music that sounds like the soundtrack to a chase scene in a science fiction movie. More like a heavy metal Uzeb. Anyway, it’s wonderful stuff not marred one bit by the lack of vocals. With the Devin Townsend Project (former Strapping Young Lad), Union Hall, $29, BUY
Lindsey Walker – This local bluesy folky singer-songwriter trained at MacEwan and possessing Serena Ryderian mojo should be in good spirits for this gig at the Artery. It’s her 30th birthday! So she’s throwing a “Lindsey Walker Will Never Die” party with “wine, cats, music and debauchery,” and also with the opening band Almighty Turtlenecks, $10 advance, BUY
Mike McDonald – The frontman of Jr. Gone Wild and former punk rocker proves his folk credibility in a huge way with the release of his new recording, Live at the Blue Chair, an evocative autobiography of an Edmonton music legend. He plays live on this night – where else? – at the Blue Chair Café. Kimberley MacGregor opens. Tickets are $15 at the door.
Arsen Shomakhov – This Russian-born Vancouverite axeman may lack the cool blues nickname, but has copious guitar chops to go with his bluesy passion and a boatload of groovy new material from his latest album, Dynamic. And it is. Big Al’s House of Blues, 9 pm, $15 advance, BUY
Saturday 22
Bombproof the Horses – If you like indie pop – that is, pop music that has yet to become popular, but won’t be long now – check out this local combo whose fuzzy, super-catchy tunes can be heard of their new EP, The Ground The Sky. Free show at the Black Dog at 4 pm. The band also opens for the Grapes of Wrath on Thursday, Nov. 27 at the Mercury Room, BUY
READ MORE ABOUT BOMBPROOF THE HORSES
Shakey Graves – Just hearing about three seconds of this amazing rootsman from Austin, Texas (real name: Alejandro Rose-Garcia) who wound up immersed in New York’s “anti-folk” scene (whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean) is enough to lay waste to the idea that the folk music trend has hit a dead end. This guy is brilliant on all fronts. No surprise the show at the Starlite Room is SOLD OUT.
He is Legend – Ah, this takes us back: Sludgy, grungy, tuneful stoner metal in the vein of Alice in Chains. This North Carolina band is still going strong from its origins in the early 1990s, give or take a hiatus here and there. Hey, we could all use a hiatus. He Is Legend tours North American behind its new album, Heavy Fruit. Pawnshop Live, $18 advance, BUY
