I wonder how many times I can write in this forum about my good fortune before you all start to get bored or worse, resentful.  With apologies, I have to proceed. This weekend past was one for the books.

I exchanged a few emails back and forth with Jim C from Blue Rodeo over the past few weeks as I heard they were coming to town.  I usually ask the band over for fish cakes or ferry a few of them around to a few hidden treasures in the Eastern Avalon area just to be hospitable.  I’ve learned a lot from the gents in BR over the years and I like to return the favour when they are in my backyard.

It’s no secret that I’ve been a huge BR fan for a long time.  Well before GBS ever struck a chord, I used to stand in the dark corner of Trapper John’s on George Street, just to the left of the two video lotto machines, barely in view and earshot of the few stragglers who would turn their ears to the solo dude with the guitar, to hear me stumble through a cover of ‘Try’, or “Rose Coloured Glasses”.   

There’s a real good argument to be made that Jim and Greg Keelor’s partnership has yielded more great songs that any other in Canadian history.  There’s a few Guess Who and Rush fans who’d beg to differ, but I’d put my money on the boy’s tunes any day.

I should also note that the boys in the band are the exception to the “Don’t ever meet your Heroes” rule.  They’ve been supportive, helpful, generous and kind to us ever since they gave us an opening slot on their Eastern Canadian tour way back in the mid 90’s.  They’ve done the same for many others.  

I remember Sara MacLachlan opening for Blue Rodeo many moons ago in a hockey rink in Mount Pearl.  It could have been Timmins, Ontario or Sherbrooke, Quebec, or Nanaimo, BC.  The boys have played them all.  There simply cannot be a band more dedicated to bringing music to Rural Canadians than Blue Rodeo.  They’ve been doing it for almost a quarter century, with no signs of slowing down.

Mile One Stadium had white paper signs taped to the front windows as I approached Blue Rodeo concert on Friday night.  The bold black letters read:

TONIGHTS EVENT IS SOLD OUT

That’s amazing…and very encouraging.  I would do queer things to ensure that GBS could sell out a 6000 seat hockey rink on a freezing day in February in our 25th year.  Looks like I’m still learning from the boys.

In the middle of their standing ovation earning set, Jim and Greg asked me up to sing one of my favourite BR songs, “What am I doing Here”.  I closed my eyes sang as loud as I could, just to try to keep up.  

I woke Saturday morning worried that the weather forecast might, for once, be accurate and blowing snow would ground us in St. John’s.  Me, Sean and Bob had a plane to catch, you see.  A plane to Montreal to sing the National Anthems at the Bell Center at the request of Habs GM, Mr. Bob Gainey, who just happened to having his Jersey retired and raised to the rafters that very evening’s hockey game.


Its no secret that I’ve been a huge Montreal Canadiens fan for a long time.  As kids, myself and brother Bern would do almost any chore asked of us on the weekends to earn the right to stay up late enough to watch Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights.  We never had cable TV, of course, but our Black and White floor model with the rabbit ears made from clothes hangers and wire picked up the signal nicely on most nights.  The game always seemed to feature the Habs vs. Toronto or Boston.  

I loved every shift of every period of every game.  The Montreal Forum was like Narnia to me.  It was my Hollywood.  A place that I knew existed but I would never get to see.  The games were like mass.  The ritual of the opening procession, the standing and facing the Queen, the respectful removal of the gent’s hats, the bowed heads twitching in anticipation as the camera panned the stands.  And the players, marching armies onto opposing sides, eyes closed to ease the nerves and to summon courage and patience.  

The fans, opposing players and officials all pause for the Anthem.  The one time when the whole room is united as the games could not begin with out the ceremonial song.  Roger Doucette was the regular Anthem singer at the Canadien’s games during my childhood and beyond (I wonder what happened to that guy?).  Clad in his black and white tuxedo, he brought a note of formality and class to the evening that I thought the night deserved.  What a gig.  One song and you get to see every Habs home game from ice level.

So, it was with nervous excitement that we gladly accepted Mr. Gainey’s invitation to song the Star Spangled Banner in English and Oh Canada en Francais.  

Here’s a bit of a confession that may surprise some of you.  GBS rarely rehearses.  I can recall less than a half dozen times in our years of touring that we all gathered to do nothing but practice.  We’ve often gathered to write, or to re-arrange traditional songs, but most of our honest to God rehearsal has happened at sound checks or (gasp) right in front of your eyes at gigs.

Last week, leading up to the Anthem gig, we rehearsed three times.  With all due respect to all you Americans readers, risking an off the cuff version of the US Anthem in Montreal, did not bother me one bit.  But I was shite-baked to shag up the French Oh Canada on the hallowed ice surface of Les Canadiens. So I begged Sean, Bob, and Kris to run over it with me numerous times.  (Murray had a gig in T.O. by the way and could not make the last minute anthem call, much to his chagrin)

We sat in the schmancy suite for the Jersey retirement ceremony.  We shared canapés and tipped glasses with Habs legends and witnessed a spectacular moment for the Gainey Family who’ve had more than their share of dark days recently.  

Just before the heading to the ice surface to sing, we were corralled into an alley behind the players’ benches to wait to be introduced.  An official asked us to step aside momentarily.  I was not sure why till one of the Habs, Steve Begin, I believe strides in to the hall way from swinging doors and waits for the rest of the team.  We were standing right outside the Habs dressing room!

Starting goalie Carey Price was next out and bent in deep concentration psyching himself up to lead the team onto the ice.  A few more players strode past when I realized that I might actually get a wink or a nod in with Bonavista, Newfoundland native Michael Ryder, who plays for the Habs, as he marched to the ice.  I turned to Mac Daddy to get him to click on his video camera, but he was way ahead of me.  He captured this:

Deadly.  Full knuckles from Ryder his way to the ice.  Cool grin from Mr. Gainey at the end as well.  He knows childlike obsession for hockey when he sees it.

I can’t say much about the Anthems.  We walked onto the ice, Sean belted out the Star Spangled Banner, and I doted out Oh Canada en Francais, the crowd cheered, and the game was on.  Perfect.

To make the night even cooler, a wonderful coincidence found all my siblings in Montreal for the event.  Little sis Michelle was in town to fulfill her Green Card formalities as she is singing and living in Ft. Lauderdale these days.  Big sis Kim had planned long ago to join her for the weekend.  When I got the Anthem gig, brother Bern was not to be left out.  So all four of Tom and Jean’s kids sat and cheered at the Montreal game on Saturday night.  

Long way from Petty Harbour and the black and white TV.

Cheers,
Alan