Live Shows

I love love love music. It’s such an important layer of my life it’s hard to explain. I try to see a few live shows a year. I keep track to relive the memories down the road. Music has a way of unlocking things you forget about. 

-2022-

The War on Drugs (Harvest Jazz & Blues, Fredericton)

First live show in literally years. It was so good. I’ve only become a WOG fan the last few years and they did not disappoint. Sounded exactly the same as their albums, big sound, very impressive musicians. It felt good to ‘feel’ music again. Crowd was my only complaint. I’ve travelled internationally and have caught covid already. Even so, the crowd made me uncomfortable for some reason. First time in close close quarters with strangers in while. Pandemic messed me up. 

-2020-2021-

Covid ruined everything. Had tickets to Black Keys but got cancelled. 

-2019-

Florence and the Machine (Montreal, May)

Florence is exactly how I imagine she would be and she did not disappoint. We had amazing seats which made it even better. Her stage setup was super chill with a tone of wood tones. She had a big band, two drummers, two keyboards, a cello and even played a whole song with only a harp. Unreal sound. Big big percussion and dramatic keyboard tones was so good live. Her voice may in fact be better live. She never missed a note. Lived up to the hype to say the least. We’ve been enjoying her music for a decade now, was great to finally feel the magic in person.

 

Dan Mangan (Freddy, Jan)

Very cool to see him in a small venue in my hometown. I’ve seen him before but not with his band. The band most def adds to the vibe. They put on a great show. Dan is a fantastic singer/songwriter. Concerts when you know every word to every song are so so good.

 

-2018-

Jack White (Moncton, Nov)

So weird. So loud. Amazing rock show. He was wide ranging. Playing a ton of White Stripes songs and touched every album.

 

Harvest Jazz & Blues (Freddy, Sept)

Sturgil!

 

Jason Isbell (Portland, July)

Missed the start of his set because the lineup was so big. He was smooth and most def can rock. Played mostly upbeat stuff. Amanda Shires (his wife), was bouncing around on the fiddle.

 

Brandie Carlisle (Portland, July)

She sounds even better live which is nuts. Effortless voice so so good. Thompson Point is a great venue.

 

-2017-

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)

Colin James was fantastic.

Dallas Green (Fredericton, May)

A perfect Monday evening show. I saw the full band at the Playhouse a few years ago and it was really good. This show was just Dallas and a buddy came out for a few songs but it was purely an acoustic set. He played songs all across his catalog and played for about two plus hours. It’s almost unreal how powerful his voice is full very little effort. I don’t think his voice cracked once. He might sound better live than he does on his records. The stage show utilized a lot of different lights which was cool and I though the set was the perfect length. While I preferred the show with the full band, this was pretty great. Sipping some wine in a great venue, what more can you ask for?

Justin Rutledge + Basia Bulat (Fredericton, Jan)

Wilmot street church is an amazing venue. Something about the cold weather and low key music that warms the soul. I had never heard of either but started listening to their stuff a few weeks before the show. Basia Bulat was incredible. Her album was so good and her musical talent is impressive to say the least. We still put on her albums regularly.

Donovan Wood + Rose Cousins (Fredericton, Jan)

Came for Donovan but left loving Rose. I’ve been listening to Donovan since he open for Matt Anderson a few months before but Rose was spectacular. Her voice is huge and the piano sounded so good in the church. She did a bunch of great covers too. Really enjoy this show.

-2016-

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)*

Another Harvest year, another great weekend. Classified and Dave Myles had a killer dual set and our new favourite Ria May was fantastic.

Pearl Jam (Quebec City, May)

Cool new arena in Quebec City. We had behind the stage seats but it worked out so great. We had amazing seats. Another marathon set list was on the schedule and they did not disappoint. They went from album to album had me in a trance my the end of it. Essentially a three hour sing along to the best live band on the planet.

Mumford & Sons (Quebec City, June)

Such a good show. We had to walk super far to the venue as it was on the old industrial area. Their were no lines for the vendors or bathrooms. One of the best fun outdoor concerts I’ve been too. The music was so good. Mumford & Sons are some amazing performers. They played new stuff and old. The crowd was chanting along with every line.

The Tragically Hip (Toronto, Aug)

This my go down as my favorite live show. I’ve seen the Hip many times before but this was special because it may be the last. It was also special cause it forced me to rediscover the Hip catalog that had such a major impact on my musical life. As their other shows on this tour, they played clusters of songs from a few different albums. Gord was super into the show and you could see the emotion on his face. So many great songs and the atmosphere was indescribable. So lucky to get to see them on what could be their final tour

 

Matt Anderson with Donovan Woods (Fredericton, April)

Playhouse show so had great seats. Had just started listening to Donovan Woods and didn’t even realize he was the opener. Matt Anderson was fantastic. Such an incredible voice and it sails through the Playhouse. I had been listening to his latest record and was loving all the new tunes.

-2015-

Ben Caplan (Fredericton,Oct)

Wilmot street church was rocking. Caplan is fucking hilarious. His voice is it’s own beast. He went from piano to guitar with ease and has a very energetic vibe. I was new to his music but absolutely loved this show. I became a bigger fan after this.

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)*

So hard to keep track of all the Harvest years, especially when you’re trying to remember a few years later.

Matthew Good (Fredericton, Dec)

The venue at the Exhibition Centre is so brutal. I waited last minute to get tickets as it was on a weeknight and wasn’t’ sure if I had a road dog. My wife came with me and as we were going to buy the $40 x 2 tickets, a roadie was waiting outside the door trying to sell a few. I ended up getting both tickets for $30 so it was all gravy after that. He played some great songs but the atmosphere was so bad. I enjoyed it but didn’t stay until the very end.

The Bahamas (Fredericton, )

Only started listening soon before the show. The lead singer is kind of a strange cat. He didn’t say a word to the crowd for the first five songs. Real chill vibe with these guys and would go see them again.

John Butler (Portugal, July)

This show was amazing for many reasons. For one, we were in fucking Portugal! We found out they were playing here and literally pivoted our itinerary and it ended up being our favorite place of our trip. We stayed in Ericeirca and walked to the venue which was outside on a bluff looking out onto the most incredible ocean view you’ve ever seen. The had a skate half pipe setup and tons of people were ripping on that. There was no lines for anything, which was incredible compared to the festivals I’ve been too. They didn’t play the longest set but we really loved it whole experience.

-2014-

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)*

Another Harvest………..Blues Traveller, Gord Downie & The Sadies, The Wood Brothers, 

Dan Mangan + Blacksmith (Fredericton, Feb)

I love Dan Mangan but wasn’t the biggest fan of the Blacksmith stuff. A few of the songs on the album were good but most of them didn’t do it for me. The show was kind of the same. Seemed like and probably was, a big experiment.

Daniel Langois- (Fredericton, Sept)

Didn’t really listen to him at all. My buddy’s dad is a big fan and I’ve always heard about it him. I really enjoyed it but his music never really stuck with me. I haven’t really listened to it since.

-2013-

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)*

Another Harvest…….Gov’t Mule, JJ Grey & Mofro, Avett Brothers, Record Company. 

-2012-

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)*

Another Harvest…….Tedeschi Trucks, Charles Bradley (RIP), 

Ben Harper (Portland, Oct)

Incredible artist, incredible venue, incredible show.

City and Colour (Fredericton, Feb)

One of the best shows I’ve seen at the Playhouse.

Tom Petty (Halifax, May)

He was on the top of my list for a long long time. He never really came around much so the options never seemed to be there. My buddy and I drove down to Halifax for the night and had floor seats. He played everything. He played solo stuff, covers, big hits, everything. I loved every minute of it.

Grace Potter (Portland, Aug)

This one is special because this was my wife and I’s mini honey moon. We went to Portland for a long weekend and caught Grace at the State theatre. We had the best time. We were singing at the top of our lungs and making the most of the night. We were big Grace fans so knew all of her stuff. I’ll always remember this one.

-2011-

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)*

Another Harvest…Levon Helm, 

Dan Mangan (Fredericton, Oct)

The first time I had seen a show at the Wilmot church. It was great even though we had less than ideal seats. It was a solo show so it was super chill. He did a couple really cool sing along songs that had the whole church humming.

The Black Keys (Montreal, July)

We literally spent the week at concerts and hit this one on the way home. We also saw the Black Keys but it was a shortened show so it worked out. We were so tired and it was tough to get to excited. We had great seats and they were really great. Cage the Elephant opened for them and were really good too. I remember them putting on the Habs jerseys and the place went crazy.

The Black Keys (Ottawa, July)

There was a huge thunder storm going on this night and the show was postponed. When we were walking to the concert grounds people were exiting because the storm was so bad. They ended up coming on late but couldn’t’ go beyond the curfew so only played a mini set. We were ok because we knew we would be seeing them again in a few days.

SoundGarden (Ottawa, July)

Amazing. This might have been the highlight of BluesFest for me. I’m a huge fan and never thought they would do any tours again. The played everything you would have ever wanted.

Ben Harper (Ottawa, July)

He had just released a new album that we listened it to driving up. He was so good. Played the slide the whole time and ended the show with Zeppelin covers.

U2 (Moncton, June)

This one was crazy. The venue was at Magnetic Hill and it had been raining for days. The mud was insane! You would sink a foot easy, anywhere you walk. No footwear would save you from the mud. Once everyone realized there was nothing you could do, you just gave on giving a shit. The show was cool and an huge spider stage.

-2010-

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)

Grace Potter was the big headliner for me as I had just been getting into her music. I think Gord Down and the Sadies played that year as well.

Gord Downie (Fredericton)

This was a very “arty” show at the Playhouse. Gord had an overhead projector and this weird water display thing that he would move around from time to time. I was in the first few rows but didn’t know a lot of Gord’s solo stuff.

-2009-

Pearl Jam (Calgary, Aug)

This was a crazy show. Pearl Jam was the headliners for Virgin Fest which took place at Canada Olympic Park. We stayed in a hotel at the bottom of the hill which was great. COP is on a huge hill so there were no bad views. I remember the beer line being outlandish and Eddie Vedder climbing the stage

-2008-

Neil Young (Calgary, Oct)

This show is so memorable because I never planned or expected to go until the last minute. We had been partying the night before and my friend and I were are just struggling on a Sunday. That evening a friend busts in the door all excited and says “who’s coming to Neil Young with me?”. He had a bunch of tickets that were behind the stage. I couldn’t say know even with the hangover and so glad I went. Nobody was behind the stage but Neil turned around and played five or more songs facing our direction. Neil can shred. I was expecting a quiet little show as Neil was old and didn’t think he was still rocking too hard. He went through string after string cause he was ripping so hard. Amazing show.

The Tragically Hip (Calgary)

One of the only times I’ve seen the Hip in a theatre setting. Really cool venue at U of C and even had an intermission. My two idiot friends who I was with ended up getting locked out during a smoke break or something so I was solo for most of the second half of the show. This was during their “We Are the Same” album which was incredible.

The Stone Temple Pilots (Calgary)

Really cool to say I’ve seen these guys live, especially now since Scott Weiland is gone. This was part of the Virgin Festival and Weiland wore a full three piece suit while he played.

City and Colour (Calgary)

Virgin festival had an amazing lineup. This was about the time “Sleeping Sickness” was a single and Gord Downie came out to sing his part of the song.

The Tragically Hip (Calgary)

Sunday night closing festival act so this absolutely made me die on Monday.

-2007-

Snoop Dog Ice Cube (Fredericton, Jan)

A huge cloud of smoke hits you as soon as you walk into the Aitken Centre. Dirts from all across New Brunswick showed up for this show and there were legit fights in the crowd. One thing that stands out was Snoop wearing a full criped colour tuxedo or something.

-2006-

The Tragically Hip (St Adele, July)

We had rented a house with a bunch of buddies but we were all in separate cars. We got separated for some reason and my group ended up arriving way early. We didn’t know where the rental house was so we went to the venue, which was also a bar. Tons of people were getting an early start in the parking lot so we joined them. In the end, we never even saw the rental place, let alone slept there. We ended up sleeping in my buddies care because he refused to leave it. I feel like there was more to the storey but thats all I can remember. The show was cool. It’s a unique venue because it’s a huge bar and has this open back to a huge stage. Pretty cool to see the Hip in the middle of nowhere Quebec.

-2005-

Pearl Jam (Halifax, Oct)

I had bought tickets for me and my then girlfriend, but we had broken up. It’s a funny storey because she is now by wife but I invited her anyways, cause I really wanted her back. Pearl Jam being anywhere on the East coast seemed like a big deal so it was pretty amazing. I had been a huge PJ fan so this was perhaps the biggest concert of my life to date. This was one of the first shows that only sold beer until the concert started. I remember the men’s bathroom line was insane because it was a new thing so everyone bought beer assuming they could take to seat. Luckily we snuck in a small bottle of fireball to sip during the show. The no booze was funny because Eddie Vedder was drinking the whole time talking about how great our beer was! Kept asking us to cheers! The Metro Centre is small so the crowd sung almost every song. Amazing show, still have the mp3 version.

The Rolling Stones (Moncton, Sept)

This was insane that the Stones were coming to New Brunswick. I believe this may have been the first big ticket concert at that venue. I remember my friends and I linking arms so we could wind our way through the crowd up to the front.

-2004-

-2003-

The Rolling Stones (Montreal, Jan)

One of my first ever concerts of any kind of magnitude. A bunch of hooligans and I took a tour bus up to Montreal and it was wild to say the least.

Pearl Jam (Montreal, Jan)

First PJ show ever. The most important band in my mind at the time so I remember this being so epic. It was the Riot Act tour so that album always takes me back.

 

-2020-2021-

Covid ruined everything. Had tickets to Black Keys but got cancelled. 

-2019-

Florence and the Machine (Montreal, May)

Florence is exactly how I imagine she would be and she did not disappoint. We had amazing seats which made it even better. Her stage setup was super chill with a tone of wood tones. She had a big band, two drummers, two keyboards, a cello and even played a whole song with only a harp. Unreal sound. Big big percussion and dramatic keyboard tones was so good live. Her voice may in fact be better live. She never missed a note. Lived up to the hype to say the least. We’ve been enjoying her music for a decade now, was great to finally feel the magic in person.

 

Dan Mangan (Freddy, Jan)

Very cool to see him in a small venue in my hometown. I’ve seen him before but not with his band. The band most def adds to the vibe. They put on a great show. Dan is a fantastic singer/songwriter. Concerts when you know every word to every song are so so good.

 

-2018-

Jack White (Moncton, Nov)

So weird. So loud. Amazing rock show. He was wide ranging. Playing a ton of White Stripes songs and touched every album.

 

Harvest Jazz & Blues

Sturgil!

 

Jason Isbell (Portland, July)

Missed the start of his set because the lineup was so big. He was smooth and most def can rock. Played mostly upbeat stuff. Amanda Shires (his wife), was bouncing around on the fiddle.

 

Brandie Carlisle (Portland, July)

She sounds even better live which is nuts. Effortless voice so so good. Thompson Point is a great venue.

 

-2017-

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)

Colin James was fantastic. The Revivalists, The Markus King Band, 

Dallas Green (Fredericton, May)

A perfect Monday evening show. I saw the full band at the Playhouse a few years ago and it was really good. This show was just Dallas and a buddy came out for a few songs but it was purely an acoustic set. He played songs all across his catalog and played for about two plus hours. It’s almost unreal how powerful his voice is full very little effort. I don’t think his voice cracked once. He might sound better live than he does on his records. The stage show utilized a lot of different lights which was cool and I though the set was the perfect length. While I preferred the show with the full band, this was pretty great. Sipping some wine in a great venue, what more can you ask for?

Justin Rutledge + Basia Bulat (Fredericton, Jan)

Wilmot street church is an amazing venue. Something about the cold weather and low key music that warms the soul. I had never heard of either but started listening to their stuff a few weeks before the show. Basia Bulat was incredible. Her album was so good and her musical talent is impressive to say the least. We still put on her albums regularly.

Donovan Wood + Rose Cousins (Fredericton, Jan)

Came for Donovan but left loving Rose. I’ve been listening to Donovan since he open for Matt Anderson a few months before but Rose was spectacular. Her voice is huge and the piano sounded so good in the church. She did a bunch of great covers too. Really enjoy this show.

-2016-

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)*

Another Harvest year, another great weekend. Classified and Dave Myles had a killer dual set and our new favourite Ria May was fantastic. Robert Plant, Justin Townes Earle, Levon Helm. 

Pearl Jam (Quebec City, May)

Cool new arena in Quebec City. We had behind the stage seats but it worked out so great. We had amazing seats. Another marathon set list was on the schedule and they did not disappoint. They went from album to album had me in a trance my the end of it. Essentially a three hour sing along to the best live band on the planet.

Mumford & Sons (Quebec City, June)

Such a good show. We had to walk super far to the venue as it was on the old industrial area. Their were no lines for the vendors or bathrooms. One of the best fun outdoor concerts I’ve been too. The music was so good. Mumford & Sons are some amazing performers. They played new stuff and old. The crowd was chanting along with every line.

The Tragically Hip (Toronto, Aug)

This my go down as my favorite live show. I’ve seen the Hip many times before but this was special because it may be the last. It was also special cause it forced me to rediscover the Hip catalog that had such a major impact on my musical life. As their other shows on this tour, they played clusters of songs from a few different albums. Gord was super into the show and you could see the emotion on his face. So many great songs and the atmosphere was indescribable. So lucky to get to see them on what could be their final tour

 

Matt Anderson with Donovan Woods (Fredericton, April)

Playhouse show so had great seats. Had just started listening to Donovan Woods and didn’t even realize he was the opener. Matt Anderson was fantastic. Such an incredible voice and it sails through the Playhouse. I had been listening to his latest record and was loving all the new tunes.

-2015-

Ben Caplan (Fredericton,Oct)

Wilmot street church was rocking. Caplan is fucking hilarious. His voice is it’s own beast. He went from piano to guitar with ease and has a very energetic vibe. I was new to his music but absolutely loved this show. I became a bigger fan after this.

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)*

So hard to keep track of all the Harvest years, especially when you’re trying to remember a few years later. JJ Grey, 

Matthew Good (Fredericton, Dec)

The venue at the Exhibition Centre is so brutal. I waited last minute to get tickets as it was on a weeknight and wasn’t’ sure if I had a road dog. My wife came with me and as we were going to buy the $40 x 2 tickets, a roadie was waiting outside the door trying to sell a few. I ended up getting both tickets for $30 so it was all gravy after that. He played some great songs but the atmosphere was so bad. I enjoyed it but didn’t stay until the very end.

The Bahamas (Fredericton, )

Only started listening soon before the show. The lead singer is kind of a strange cat. He didn’t say a word to the crowd for the first five songs. Real chill vibe with these guys and would go see them again.

John Butler (Portugal, July)

This show was amazing for many reasons. For one, we were in fucking Portugal! We found out they were playing here and literally pivoted our itinerary and it ended up being our favorite place of our trip. We stayed in Ericeirca and walked to the venue which was outside on a bluff looking out onto the most incredible ocean view you’ve ever seen. The had a skate half pipe setup and tons of people were ripping on that. There was no lines for anything, which was incredible compared to the festivals I’ve been too. They didn’t play the longest set but we really loved it whole experience.

-2014-

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)*

Another Harvest………..

Dan Mangan + Blacksmith (Fredericton, Feb)

I love Dan Mangan but wasn’t the biggest fan of the Blacksmith stuff. A few of the songs on the album were good but most of them didn’t do it for me. The show was kind of the same. Seemed like and probably was, a big experiment.

Daniel Langois- (Fredericton, Sept)

Didn’t really listen to him at all. My buddy’s dad is a big fan and I’ve always heard about it him. I really enjoyed it but his music never really stuck with me. I haven’t really listened to it since.

-2013-

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)*

Another Harvest…….

-2012-

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)*

Another Harvest…….

Ben Harper (Portland, Oct)

Incredible artist, incredible venue, incredible show.

City and Colour (Fredericton, Feb)

One of the best shows I’ve seen at the Playhouse.

Tom Petty (Halifax, May)

He was on the top of my list for a long long time. He never really came around much so the options never seemed to be there. My buddy and I drove down to Halifax for the night and had floor seats. He played everything. He played solo stuff, covers, big hits, everything. I loved every minute of it.

Grace Potter (Portland, Aug)

This one is special because this was my wife and I’s mini honey moon. We went to Portland for a long weekend and caught Grace at the State theatre. We had the best time. We were singing at the top of our lungs and making the most of the night. We were big Grace fans so knew all of her stuff. I’ll always remember this one.

-2011-

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)*

Another Harvest…

Dan Mangan (Fredericton, Oct)

The first time I had seen a show at the Wilmot church. It was great even though we had less than ideal seats. It was a solo show so it was super chill. He did a couple really cool sing along songs that had the whole church humming.

The Black Keys (Montreal, July)

We literally spent the week at concerts and hit this one on the way home. We also saw the Black Keys but it was a shortened show so it worked out. We were so tired and it was tough to get to excited. We had great seats and they were really great. Cage the Elephant opened for them and were really good too. I remember them putting on the Habs jerseys and the place went crazy.

The Black Keys (Ottawa, July)

There was a huge thunder storm going on this night and the show was postponed. When we were walking to the concert grounds people were exiting because the storm was so bad. They ended up coming on late but couldn’t’ go beyond the curfew so only played a mini set. We were ok because we knew we would be seeing them again in a few days.

SoundGarden (Ottawa, July)

Amazing. This might have been the highlight of BluesFest for me. I’m a huge fan and never thought they would do any tours again. The played everything you would have ever wanted.

Ben Harper (Ottawa, July)

He had just released a new album that we listened it to driving up. He was so good. Played the slide the whole time and ended the show with Zeppelin covers.

U2 (Moncton, June)

This one was crazy. The venue was at Magnetic Hill and it had been raining for days. The mud was insane! You would sink a foot easy, anywhere you walk. No footwear would save you from the mud. Once everyone realized there was nothing you could do, you just gave on giving a shit. The show was cool and an huge spider stage.

-2010-

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Fredericton, Sept)

Grace Potter was the big headliner for me as I had just been getting into her music. I think Gord Down and the Sadies played that year as well.

Gord Downie (Fredericton)

This was a very “arty” show at the Playhouse. Gord had an overhead projector and this weird water display thing that he would move around from time to time. I was in the first few rows but didn’t know a lot of Gord’s solo stuff.

-2009-

Pearl Jam (Calgary, Aug)

This was a crazy show. Pearl Jam was the headliners for Virgin Fest which took place at Canada Olympic Park. We stayed in a hotel at the bottom of the hill which was great. COP is on a huge hill so there were no bad views. I remember the beer line being outlandish and Eddie Vedder climbing the stage

-2008-

Neil Young (Calgary, Oct)

This show is so memorable because I never planned or expected to go until the last minute. We had been partying the night before and my friend and I were are just struggling on a Sunday. That evening a friend busts in the door all excited and says “who’s coming to Neil Young with me?”. He had a bunch of tickets that were behind the stage. I couldn’t say know even with the hangover and so glad I went. Nobody was behind the stage but Neil turned around and played five or more songs facing our direction. Neil can shred. I was expecting a quiet little show as Neil was old and didn’t think he was still rocking too hard. He went through string after string cause he was ripping so hard. Amazing show.

The Tragically Hip (Calgary)

One of the only times I’ve seen the Hip in a theatre setting. Really cool venue at U of C and even had an intermission. My two idiot friends who I was with ended up getting locked out during a smoke break or something so I was solo for most of the second half of the show. This was during their “We Are the Same” album which was incredible.

The Stone Temple Pilots (Calgary)

Really cool to say I’ve seen these guys live, especially now since Scott Weiland is gone. This was part of the Virgin Festival and Weiland wore a full three piece suit while he played.

City and Colour (Calgary)

Virgin festival had an amazing lineup. This was about the time “Sleeping Sickness” was a single and Gord Downie came out to sing his part of the song.

The Tragically Hip (Calgary)

Sunday night closing festival act so this absolutely made me die on Monday.

-2007-

Snoop Dog Ice Cube (Fredericton, Jan)

A huge cloud of smoke hits you as soon as you walk into the Aitken Centre. Dirts from all across New Brunswick showed up for this show and there were legit fights in the crowd. One thing that stands out was Snoop wearing a full criped colour tuxedo or something.

-2006-

The Tragically Hip (St Adele, July)

We had rented a house with a bunch of buddies but we were all in separate cars. We got separated for some reason and my group ended up arriving way early. We didn’t know where the rental house was so we went to the venue, which was also a bar. Tons of people were getting an early start in the parking lot so we joined them. In the end, we never even saw the rental place, let alone slept there. We ended up sleeping in my buddies care because he refused to leave it. I feel like there was more to the storey but thats all I can remember. The show was cool. It’s a unique venue because it’s a huge bar and has this open back to a huge stage. Pretty cool to see the Hip in the middle of nowhere Quebec.

-2005-

Pearl Jam (Halifax, Oct)

I had bought tickets for me and my then girlfriend, but we had broken up. It’s a funny storey because she is now by wife but I invited her anyways, cause I really wanted her back. Pearl Jam being anywhere on the East coast seemed like a big deal so it was pretty amazing. I had been a huge PJ fan so this was perhaps the biggest concert of my life to date. This was one of the first shows that only sold beer until the concert started. I remember the men’s bathroom line was insane because it was a new thing so everyone bought beer assuming they could take to seat. Luckily we snuck in a small bottle of fireball to sip during the show. The no booze was funny because Eddie Vedder was drinking the whole time talking about how great our beer was! Kept asking us to cheers! The Metro Centre is small so the crowd sung almost every song. Amazing show, still have the mp3 version.

The Rolling Stones (Moncton, Sept)

This was insane that the Stones were coming to New Brunswick. I believe this may have been the first big ticket concert at that venue. I remember my friends and I linking arms so we could wind our way through the crowd up to the front.

-2004-

-2003-

The Rolling Stones (Montreal, Jan)

One of my first ever concerts of any kind of magnitude. A bunch of hooligans and I took a tour bus up to Montreal and it was wild to say the least.

Pearl Jam (Montreal, Jan)

First PJ show ever. The most important band in my mind at the time so I remember this being so epic. It was the Riot Act tour so that album always takes me back.