Crossing Canada by train: Part 3

We passed the continental divide and entered British Columbia about 25 kilometres west of Jasper at Yellowhead Lake. We saw Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, and two black bears as we followed along the path of the North Thompson River. The train slowed to allow us a longer look at the high and beautiful Pyramid Falls. A lot of the trees surrounding the tracks, both coniferous and deciduous, are tall but don't have wide trunks.

Pyramid Falls

People talk about gaining weight on cruise ships, but I think the chances of doing so are better on the Canadian since you're fed so well and there are fewer opportunities to exercise. And the food for breakfast, lunch and dinner isn't just plentiful, it's delicious. Dinner tonight consisted of tomato florentine soup, salad, duck breast, mashed potatoes and broccoli, with chocolate torte and cheesecake for dessert.

We passed a few small towns and lumber mills and had a half-hour stop in Kamloops to refuel and change engineers at 11:30 p.m. I got up at 6:45 a.m., but missed some apparently spectacular scenery going through deep gorges, tunnels and over trestle bridges. VIA used to go through this area during daylight because it can be so breathtaking, but a company representative told me it stopped about 15 years ago because some passengers were nervous and frightened while crossing some of the bridges. It's a shame.

We followed along the Fraser River and then crossed it in Surrey via the Patella Bridge into New Westminster and then on through Coquitlam and Burnaby to Vancouver. We had the transcontinental breakfast (eggs, toast, potato pancakes, fruit and choice of ham, bacon or sausage) with coffee before we backed into Vancouver's Pacific Central Station at 9:15 a.m. -- a half-hour ahead of schedule.

A city bus ride and short walk took us to the $145 a night Quality Hotel Downtown, where we dropped off our luggage and took two city buses to expansive Stanley Park. We'd visited it in 2003, but didn't go to its aquarium, so that was today's destination. It cost $27 for adults and $21 for seniors. We started with the beluga whale show and also saw otters, harbour seals, sea lions and African penguins outside before moving to the inside exhibits. The Strait of Georgia featured giant sturgeons and other fish; B.C. Coast had wolf eels and more; Tropic Zone was highlighted by small sharks and other coral and reef creatures; and Amazon Rainforest included caiman, exotic birds and butterflies.

We returned outside for the dolphin show and our last stop was the 4D Theatre, where we were given glasses to watch a 3D film that was augmented by sensory effects, including wind, mist, scents and a poke in the back. We  walked back through the park and took the same buses on the return trip to the hotel, where my mother decided she'd had enough after grabbing a tuna submarine at Subway.

I headed to The Railway Club, one of the city's hot spots for live music and microbrews, to meet a friend. We drank pints of Tree Cutthroat Pale Ale, Driftwood Fat Tug IPA, Phillips Hop Circle IPA and Howe Sound King Heffy Imperial Hefeweizen. We eventually moved on to the Cambie Pub, where the selection wasn't nearly as good but the prices were cheap, for two pints. We went to a classier pub, which I don't remember the name of since I guess some of the high-octane brews from The Railway Club caught up with me, for nightcaps before I made my way back to the hotel.

We had enjoyed Granville Island on our previous visit and our hotel was just a short walk and mini ferry ride across False Creek, so we returned to walk around the market, shops, boutiques and park areas before settling in on the patio of the Dockside Restaurant, which offered a lovely view of False Creek and the eastern part of Vancouver. I ordered a flight of six six-ounce glasses of beer and mom got a pint of Jamaican Lager. None of the brew pub's Marina Light Lager, Johnston Street Pilsner, Railspur IPA, Cartwright Pale Ale, Old Bridge Dark Lager, Pelican Bay Brown Ale or Jamaican Lager were particularly good, but the beautiful weather and surroundings made it a nice way to spend an hour.

We caught the ferry back, grabbed our luggage at the hotel and walked eight blocks to the Yaletown Roundhouse Station to catch the Skytrain to the airport. It cost $3.75 and $2.50 for seniors and is one of the major positive spinoffs of the Vancouver Olympics.

The flight back to Toronto wasn't nearly as interesting as the train ride that got us to Vancouver, but the entire journey fulfilled my mother's dream and provided an enjoyable nine-day respite from my job.

Crossing Canada by train: Part 2

We caught the next westward bound Canadian train just before noon and passed numerous green and yellow fields and the odd small town -- including Portage La Prairie, where an old water tower is painted like the world's biggest Coke can. The picturesque Qu'Appelle River Valley made western Manitoba more visually appealing than I thought it would be.

Portage La Prairie's giant Coke can

Potash drives Saskatchewan's economy and we passed two huge mines and plants shortly after we crossed into the province. We made a 20-minute stop in Melville, and my first step down from the train there meant that I've now been in all 10 Canadian provinces (and the Yukon). There wasn't much to see, so I was happy to reboard and keep heading west past more grain elevators and a herd of bison before darkness came down and we made a 30-minute, post-dinner stop in Saskatoon at 11:30 p.m.

The train rolled into Edmonton around 7 a.m. and we stayed there for about 75 minutes, but there was nothing to do or see around the station, so we returned to the train for breakfast and continued the journey -- particularly enjoying the view as we passed Wabamun Lake, one of the most heavily used recreational lakes in Alberta.

It was July 1, and a Canada Day cake was served at 12:40 p.m. The Rockies came into view less than 30 minutes later as the tracks followed the course of the Athabasca River, but the mountains lived up to their name in what was probably the most spectacular and breathtaking section of the train ride. The snow-capped peaks confirmed that I'd made the right choice in deciding to get off the train and stay in Jasper for two days.

Jasper

We arrived at 2 p.m., walked to the end of town to the Tonquin Inn to drop off our bags and then returned to browse through the numerous souvenir shops that abound in the tourist-oriented town of 4,000. After booking a wildlife bus trip for the next day, we had a casual dinner of bison burgers at Olive Bistro & Lounge.

Centennial Park was hosting Jasper's Canada Day celebrations, so I walked down to hear a nifty bluegrass combo called Fiddle River Band and make proper use of the beer garden before deciding I needed better beer and went to the Jasper Brewing Co. brew pub for a sampler tray of six of their products, the best of which were the Rockhopper India pale ale and the blueberry and vanilla-infused seasonal beer. It was nearing fireworks time, so I returned to the park to witness an impressive 10-minute display of pyrotechnics. After a nightcap at Whistle Stop, it was time to walk home.

The next morning began with a walk to the outskirts of Jasper to the Red Squirrel Trail, which went through a forest, past a small lake and then crossed a bridge over the Athabasca River to begin the Old Fort Point Loop. This trail began in a forested area and gradually began sloping upward alongside occasional patches of moss that were a brilliant green. There were gentle slopes and then a steep climb to an area that provided a great view to the north of the mountains, Lac Beauvert, the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and its golf course. I continued on the trail through more forested areas before arriving at a clearing that provided outstanding views of the mountains to the east and south. I had the trails pretty much to myself up to this point, but there were large animal droppings along the way and an adjoining trail was closed because of recent bear sightings, so I rattled my metal cooler bottle to make creatures aware that I was in the vicinity.

I arrived at Old Fort Point, where there never was an old fort. A lot of people just climbed up here from the nearby parking lot and didn't hike the trail. It provided a good vista of Jasper and the surrounding area.

I climbed back down to ground level. It was just past noon and I was feeling energetic, so I decided to take on a longer trail that went along the east side of the Athabasca, which has a steady current flowing north. Two white-tailed deer scampered past about 15 metres from me. The trail alternated between open and forested sections until I came to a short trail that branched east to Lac Beauvert. I walked around the beautiful Jasper Park Lodge, where I'd love to stay if I return and have lots of money.

I returned to the trail along the Athabasca and, while I again spotted lots of recently deposited poop, I didn't see any animals. After reaching where Lodge and Maligne roads meet, I crossed a bridge to the west side of the Athabasca and got on the Bighorn Trail that goes above the highway and railway tracks and heads back south into Jasper. It was more open than forested and was the least interesting part of the hike. I got back into town after hiking more than 17 kilometres in five hours, picked up a ham, egg and cheese sandwich for $3.50 from the Bear Paw Bakery and returned to the Tonquin for a soak in the indoor hot tub.

My mom and I had signed up for an evening wildlife tour through Sundog Transportation and Tours, which cost $65 per person. The driver/guide of the small bus was a wildlife and nature expert who shared lots of her knowledge with us as she drove or stopped to let us observe some of the animals we spotted.

Part of the journey went along the Maligne River, which is at its highest in 20 years and has turned into rapids in many areas while flooding others, including some of the shoreline around beautiful Maligne Lake.

We got within six metres of a large bull elk and three black bears, which was a big treat. We also saw four female elk and four white-tailed deer from a farther distance. Unfortunately we didn't spot any big horn sheep, moose, caribou, wolves, coyote or mountain goats, but it was an educational and enjoyable way to spend three hours.

We arrived back at the hotel just after 9 p.m. and elected to dine at the adjoining Tonquin Prime Rib Village, which served excellent 10-ounce sirloins along with freshly baked bread, baked potatoes and steamed vegetables for $29.

The plan the next morning was to catch a shuttle to the Jasper Tramway outside of town, the longest and highest guided aerial tramway in Canada, which would whisk us almost a kilometre up Whistlers Mountain for great views of the surrounding area. But it was pouring rain, overcast and foggy, which would have made the trip useless. So we stayed at the hotel until the 11 a.m. check-out time, getting the most out of the $245 a night we paid for our room, and took a seven-dollar taxi ride to the train station to drop off our bags.

We walked to the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives, which cost $10 for the two of us. It's small, but features a lot of information and is well put together and was a worthwhile way to spend an hour.

Brunch at Smitty's Family Restaurant provided me with the Texas skillet (a combination of taco ground beef, three scrambled eggs, hash browns, diced tomatoes and green onions) for $12.99, and my mom with her typical bacon and eggs. We returned to the train station, which was late in arriving, but we finally pulled out at 4:20 p.m. Our two-bed berth was somehow double-booked, so we received an upgrade to a private cabin which has its own toilet and sink.

Crossing Canada by train: Part 1

Travelling across Canada by train. To some, it may sound romantic. To others, thinking of how vast the country is, it could seem daunting.

I didn't have any preconceptions before VIA Rail's Canadian pulled out of Toronto's Union Station at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday night earlier this summer en route to Vancouver's Pacific Central Station. I just knew I was fulfilling my mother's dream to make the journey.

And VIA's half-price sale made it much more affordable. My mother's lower sleeping berth cost $1,084 while my upper berth went for $922.

From the moment we entered Union Station's recently renovated Panorama Lounge before boarding, to meeting our porter Ron who oversaw our Sleeper Plus class berths, to our host Vern who served free champagne to passengers in the skyline car as we departed, it was already a more civilized experience than flying.

The immensity of Northern Ontario came into clear focus the next morning at breakfast -- where I enjoyed pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon syrup, thick slices of ham and melon -- and realized we wouldn't cross into Manitoba until 5 a.m. the next day. There wasn't a lot to see from the skyline car where we spent almost all of our time when we weren't sleeping, being very well-fed in the dining car or playing Bingo or sampling free wines in the activity car.

Throughout the day we passed freight trains going in the opposite direction and were surrounded on both sides by forest, with the occasional rock outcropping, river or small lake intermittently coming into view. There were no animals, very few birds and just the occasional sign of potential human habitation via run-down hunting and fishing cabins before we made a 40-minute afternoon stop in the small town of Hornepayne, where we could get out and stretch our legs, smokers could get their fix and I could pay a quick visit to the liquor store for supplies.

We elected to get off for two days in Winnipeg before the next Canadian came to continue our journey, and we made the most of our time in the Manitoba capital. The Marlborough Hotel was built in 1914 and was once one of the city's classiest hotels. It still looks that way from the outside and in the lobby and dining room, but the guest rooms are a bit run-down and in need of refurbishment. But it's centrally located, reasonably priced at $95 a night (including tax) and comes with free wireless Internet and hot breakfast and features an indoor pool with a relatively large waterslide.

Museum of Human Rights

The Museum of Human Rights was supposed to open this summer but is over budget and behind schedule and now isn't expected to open until 2014. But what's completed looks striking. We walked across the Red River via the Esplanade Riel pedestrian bridge to the French-speaking neighbourhood of St. Boniface, where we admired its city hall, fire hall and main cathedral, where controversial Manitoba founder Louis Riel is buried outside in a small cemetery.

We returned to walk around The Forks -- a park, historic and retail/entertainment site where we embarked on a 30-minute, $10 narrated boat ride on the Red and Assiniboine rivers via Splash Dash Guided River Tours that extended from the legislative building to Fort Gibraltar. After a beer on the fifth floor rooftop Tavern United across from the MTS Centre, we dined on ribs and steak on the patio at Moxie's Classic Grill and I later ventured out for a pint of locally brewed Half Pints Little Scrapper IPA at the King's Head Pub.

Two city bus rides the next morning got us to expansive Assiniboine Park, where we spent two hours wandering around the zoo observing a variety of birds, bison, deer, monkeys, lynx, musk ox, kangaroos, camels, zebras, Siberian tigers, stone sheep, takin and more. We continued on through the park's picturesque Leo Mol Sculpture Garden and the English Gardens, past the duck pond and Lyric Theatre and over a foot bridge that returned us to Portage Avenue, where we caught a bus back downtown.

After a pint of Half Pints Stir Stick Stout at the King's Head patio, we wandered around the historic Exchange District, which features numerous well-preserved examples of late 19th and early 20th century Chicago-style architecture. The impressive Manitoba Museum featured a wide breadth of informative and interestingly designed exhibits on the geography and history of the province, and included a beautifully crafted replica of the 17th century ship, Nonsuch.

We stopped at the Winnipeg Free Press Cafe patio for a bottle of Half Pints Bulldog Amber Ale and then browsed in Toad Hall, a large but quaint store with toys, hobby and magic items from 50 countries. A local friend invited us for dinner at his house and we ended the evening with a nightcap at the Marlborough's Regal Beagle pub. Unfortunately, there were no Jack Tripper, Chrissy Snow or Larry Dallas sightings.

Michael Rault - Whirlpool

Michael Rault's Ma-Me-O debut album sat unlistened to in a pile of CDs on my bedroom floor in 2010 before I got around to it because I'd never heard of him before and no-one I knew was talking about him. But I fell in love once I got around to it and it ended up being one of my favourite records of the year.

I saw Rault perform for the first two times during Canadian Music Fest and the North By Northeast Music Festival earlier this year and enjoyed a few songs that weren't on Ma-Me-O. They've just been released on Rault's seven-song Whirlpool EP, which includes two versions of the simple but catchy lead single, "I Want To Love You."

Rault handled most of the instrumentation himself, produced four of the songs and looked to the past to create a timeless sound.

"He Don't Care About You" totally evokes the '60s with a guitar that sounds nasty, but in a good way. "Everyone Must Cry Sometimes" is a ballad that you can dance to. "Fall in Love With Every Girl I See" offers dirty-sounding instrumentation but a melodic tune. "Suckcess" could have been recorded in a garage 45 years ago, and you'll be clapping along with Rault as you listen to it.

In addition to the original numbers, Rault also covers the Staples Singers' "Two Wings" and adds a bluesy twist to the soulful gospel song.

I'd like Whirlpool to be longer, but I'm certainly satisfied with what's been presented and it looks like Rault will be making another appearance on my year-end favourites list in 2012. You can decide for yourself by downloading Whirlpool for free from Rault's Facebook page.

Revisited: Rock star motorcycle accidents

Bob Dylan

Since MSN.ca has removed all of the blogs I wrote for it three times a week from August 2009 to August 2011, I've decided to repost some that I feel may still have some relevance on Steve Says. 

 

I'll be adding these Revisited columns on a semi-regular basis, so please drop by if you're interested.

 

Here we go:

 

From Sept. 5, 2009

 

 

Rock star motorcycle accidents

 

Echo And The Bunnymen keyboardist Jake Brockman died in a motorcycle accident on the Isle Of Man on Tuesday evening, about a month before the sometimes brilliant British band's Fountains album hits stores.

Ironically, original Echo drummer Pete De Freitas died in a motorcycle accident while on his way from Liverpool to London 20 years ago.

This got me thinking about the other rockers who were killed or injured in motorcycle accidents and, since there will be a ton of two- and four-wheeled vehicles on the highway for the always busy Labour Day weekend, I present the following examples to you as cautionary tales to drive carefully:

Duane Allman and Berry Oakley
If it's strange that two Echo And The Bunnymen members perished in motorcycle crashes 20 years apart, it's downright eerie that the only two other rock musicians I could think of who met a similar fate were also in the same group. Allman Brothers Band co-founder and guitarist Duane Allman (ranked as the #2 guitarist of all time behind Jimi Hendrix by Rolling Stone magazine in 2003) was killed in Macon, Ga. when he lost control of his Harley-Davidson while trying to avoid a truck. Bassist Berry Oakley died 13 months later just three blocks away from the site of Allman's accident when he collided with a city bus. A bridge in Macon was named in Oakley's honour in 1998.

Bob Dylan
Mystery still surround's Dylan's July 29, 1966 motorcycle accident while coming over a hill on a highway near his home in Woodstock, N.Y. There are reports that it almost killed him, while others say it was staged to give him time off from a hectic recording and touring schedule and to help him kick a drug habit. Either way, he had a long convalescence period that he used part of to record with members of The Hawks (who soon afterward became The Band) at his home and in the basement of their nearby house known as Big Pink. These demo recordings were released as The Basement Tapes in 1975. Dylan's first studio album after his crash was the sparse, Nashville-recorded John Wesley Harding, which was released in December 1967. It often sounds like Dylan is wearing a motorcycle helmet when you try to make out what he's singing in concert these days.

Billy Idol
I'm not sure if this pop-punk progenitor was wearing one of those fingerless gloves he flaunted in the early '80s or let out a rebel yell when he went through a stop sign and was hit by a car while riding his motorcycle home from a Los Angeles studio in February 1990. The accident nearly cost him his leg, but not his ability to sneer, and prevented him from playing the T-1000 character in Terminator 2: Judgment Day because of his long bedridden recovery.

Steven Tyler
The Aerosmith singer was riding his motorcycle to pick up his daughter Mia from a babysitter on Jan. 24, 1981 when he hit a tree and tore open his heel. The injury took almost a year to heal. You'd think he would have used that time to come up with better songs than those that appeared on 1982's Rock In A Hard Place.

Mark Knopfler
Dire Straits' main man was in dire straits when his Honda collided with a Fiat in mid-morning London, England traffic on St. Patrick's Day in 2003. He broke his collarbone and several ribs and took months recuperating before he could write songs or return to the studio. Most people would have been happier if he returned to Dire Straits.

Seal
The soulful singer was in a motorcycle accident as a child, but it was his lupus that caused his facial scarring and hair loss. Those setbacks haven't prevented him from selling millions of records, dating Tyra Banks and marrying Heidi Klum. Life could be worse.

Ann-Margret
I still get all warm and tingly when I think of Ann-Margret writhing around in baked beans in the 1975 film version of The Who's Tommy, but the actress, dancer, singer and Elvis Presley ex-girlfriend was probably feeling anything but when she was thrown from a motorcycle in Brainerd, Minn. in 2000. She broke her arm and some ribs. Mmm ... baked beans.

Keanu Reeves
The Speed freak and master of gravity-defying acrobatics in The Matrix ruptured his spleen and broke some ribs in a 1988 motorcycle accident and was on crutches for several weeks after breaking his ankle during a 1997 crash. Reeves is on this list because he played bass in the '90s grunge band, Dogstar. I'd probably like to forget about that group as much as Reeves would like to erase his memory of motorcycle injuries.

Gary Busey
You probably think of Busey first as an actor and then as a bit of a whack-job, but he began his entertainment career as a drummer with The Rubber Duck Band, played in a group called Carp which released an album in 1969 through Epic Records, was featured on several Leon Russell recordings, sang "Stay All Night" on both Saturday Night Live and Late Show With David Letterman, continues to write music and was a dead ringer for Buddy Holly when he was nominated for an Academy Award for his incredible portrayal of the legend in 1978's The Buddy Holly Story. Busey wasn't wearing a helmet when he was severely injured in a Dec. 4, 1988 motorcycle accident that fractured his skull and had doctors fearing he suffered permanent brain damage. He was once very outspoken against motorcycle helmets, but is now an advocate of them. Hey, Busey isn't totally crazy after all.

David Hasselhoff
You probably think of Hasselhoff first as an actor and then as a guy who gets drunk, takes off his shirt and lies on a hotel room floor while trying to eat a cheeseburger — unless you live in Germany. The Hoff topped the German pop chart with "Looking For Freedom" in 1989 and had other hits there from the more than a dozen albums he's released. Hasselhoff and ex-wife Pamela Bach sustained minor injuries when he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into a pole in Los Angeles in 2003.

I'll leave you with the best of both worlds. Here's a clip of Hasselhoff showing off both his dulcet voice and motorcycle riding skills.

Get off your seat, it's The Complete Beat

The Specials introduced me to the second wave of ska when I saw the British band perform "Gangsters" and "Too Much, Too Young" on Saturday Night Live on April 19, 1980.

Madness, The Selecter and The Bodysnatchers came on my radar soon afterward, but it was another British band to emerge from the Two-Tone movement that I first managed to see live. The English Beat (it was just called The Beat in its homeland) had just released its third and final album by the time I caught it on April 12, 1983. A band I'd never heard of called R.E.M. opened for The Beat and released Murmur the next day. I became an R.E.M. fan that night, but I was at the University of Western Ontario's Alumni Hall in London, Ont. to see The English Beat.

The group's I Just Can't Stop It debut album was an instant blast of freshness when it came out in 1980, blending ska, rock steady, punk and pop to create a joyful and energetic combination that forced you to move your feet from beginning to end. While a cover of Smokey Robinson's "Tears of a Clown" became a British hit and sped-up versions of Prince Buster's "Rough Rider" and "Whine & Grine" and The Pioneers' "Jackpot" showed that singer/guitarist Dave Wakeling, guitarist Andy Cox, bassist David Steele, drummer Everett Morton, vocalist Ranking Roger and saxophonist Saxa were clever interpreters, the 10 other songs on the LP showed that The English Beat was much more than that.

"Mirror In The Bathroom" got you dancing right from the start and songs including "Twist & Crawl," "Ranking Full Stop" and "Best Friend" kept the momentum going throughout. The multi-racial group also showed its social conscience and unhappiness with what was going on in England at the time with "Stand Down Margaret," which urged prime minister Margaret Thatcher to resign.

It wasn't long before I was sporting a T-shirt with the group's "Beat Girl" logo and looking forward to album two, 1981's Wha'ppen. But The English Beat veered off course from the first album and added samba, calypso and other elements to the mix. I liked it -- especially "Doors of Your Heart" and "Get-A-Job" -- but found it more reserved. Wha'ppen lacked the immediacy of  the first album and, in retrospect, I therefore didn't give it as much time and attention as I probably should have.

Wha'ppen set the stage for The English Beat's last record, 1982's Special Beat Service, which added smoother soul to the mix in places, added more keyboards and made a bigger impact in North America. "I Confess" had a great sensual groove, "Ackee 1 2 3" had a tropical sound, the more reggae-based "Pato and Roger A Go Talk" featured toasting, while "Jeanette," "Sole Salvation," "Spar Wid Me" and "Save It For Later" were all standouts.

I've been revisiting the English Beat catalogue recently since Shout! Factory has packaged and remastered the three albums (with bonus tracks) and two other CDs in a box set titled The Complete Beat. "Tears of a Clown"  and "Ranking Full Stop" weren't included on the original United Kingdom version of I Just Can't Stop It, but were once the North American edition was. Likewise, "Too Nice To Talk To" wasn't included on either version of Wha'ppen but is one of the highlights of the reissue.

"Psychedelic Rockers" is the best of the bonus tracks on Wha'ppen, beating out "Hit It" and "Which Side of the Bed?" for that distinction. "What's Your Best Thing," "March Of The Swivel Heads" (an instrumental version of "Rotating Heads"), "Cool Entertainer" (which sounds a little like "Spar Wid Me") and "A Go Talk" (a version of "Pato And Roger A Go Talk" that drags on too long) are Special Beat Service's bonus tracks.

The two-disc Bonus Beat addition includes 15 12-inch and dub versions of The English Beat songs on the first, and who wouldn't want to hear extended renditions of "Hands Off … She's Mine," "Doors of Your Heart," "Save It For Later" or "Jeanette?" The second CD features sessions recorded for legendary British DJ John Peel in 1979, 1980 and 1982 and four songs captured at the Boston Opera House in 1982. The live performances present a good cross-section of repertoire and give you an idea of what The English Beat sounded like 30 years ago.

I've since seen Wakeling's version of The English Beat several times, I usually talk to him after shows and I interviewed him in 2009, so my fondness for this music hasn't waned. And though I've returned to I Just Can't Stop It more than the other two albums over the years, The Complete Beat is a good reminder of just how good this band was before its members went their separate ways to form General Public (Wakeling and Roger) and Fine Young Cannibals (Steele and Cox) and earn more commercial success.

The package is augmented by a booklet featuring photos and an essay by Alex Ogg, which makes it even more attractive -- especially to folks like me who didn't own any English Beat on CD.

Toronto's Festival of Beer offers large taste of Quebec

Toronto's Festival of Beer was held for the 18th time on the weekend, and I celebrated my 18th time being in attendance.

My friend Jeff and I each purchased our first round of tokens (20 for $20, but I got lots of freebies), and the first brewery booth I came across offering something I hadn't had before was Nickel Brook. A well-balanced and somewhat complex saison with a mildly fruity aroma and flavour got my thumbs up, but I thought the tan-coloured Berliner Weisse might have gone off when I first put my nose above the glass and took my first swallow. It was definitely sour, but the woman who poured it says it was meant to be that way. I'll never order another one.

Cheval Blanc, a Belgian white ale from Montreal that's been available in Quebec for 25 years, is now making its way into Ontario -- and that's definitely a good thing. It has a rich colour and lots of bubbles, which act as a fine introduction to a refreshing and slightly fruity taste experience and a brief finish. It's five-per cent alcohol and a great summer beer.

We next visited the Niagara College Teaching Brewery, where a young woman gave me a temporary tattoo and the guys at the taps first gave me a bitter -- which was okay, but served a bit too cold, which didn't allow all the hoppiness to come to the fore -- and then a pilsner weisse beer combination that lacked the flavour and character I was hoping for. It just sat there and failed to impress.

But there were some tasty treats to be found at the Quebec tent next door, which featured 19 beers from seven of the province's microbreweries courtesy of Keep 6 Imports. (It's also where I met Toronto Star business/beer reporter Josh Rubin. I want his job.) Everything I had here was new to me, but I hope the best of them won't become strangers again.

Dunham Black IPA lived up to its name as the 5.7-per cent ale poured into my glass. There was a coffee aroma and definite hoppiness in the bouquet and flavour, which had a sharpness and a pleasantly bitter finish. Dunham's IPA Belge was also excellent. The 6.5-per cent alcohol Belgian IPA was orange/caramel to look at and had citrus elements in its bouquet and flavour. Dunham's cloudy yellow, 6.5-per cent alcohol Pale Ale Americaine was pleasantly hoppy, but not too much so, and had just the right amount of bitterness.

Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Saison was a six-per cent farmhouse ale with a gold colour and spicy bouquet that extended to the palate, where it was balanced by some nice sweetness. The five-per cent alcohol Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Blanche was decent, but I preferred the Cheval Blanc. Charlevoix La Vache Folle Imperial Milk Stout was the only one of its kind I had, and it was quite satisfying, although the nine-per cent alcohol brew seemed too rich to drink in large volumes. There was some sweet chocolate and roasted malt in evidence and it felt creamy in the mouth.

Hopfenstark Saison Station 7 (a hazy gold saison made with seven herbs) and Hopfenstark Boson D’Higgs (a Berliner Rauch Saison) were both drinkable but not exceptional. The same can be said for the brewery's Framboise, a wheat beer with raspberries.

The straw-coloured, six-per cent alcohol Les Trois Mousqeutaires Hopfenweiss had citrus and banana undertones that made it easy to drink. The brewery's mahogany-coloured Weizenbock wasn't. The wheat interpretation of bock packed a punch with 11 per cent alcohol, but you could taste the booze too much. I prefer strong beers that creep up on you, not knock you over the head.

Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel! Rosee D’Hibiscus is a wheat beer with a distinctive rose colour derived from the addition of hibiscus flowers during brewing. The 5.9-per cent alcohol beer is mildly acidic, but it's the floral aroma and flavour that gives this beverage its uniqueness.

I heard a number of people raving about Les Vergers De La Colline CID Rose, but I didn't share the excitement over the only cider I sampled during this festival. The 6.5-per cent beverage was light pink and slightly bubbly to look at and slightly dry and authentically apple-y to taste.

I could hear Salt-n-Pepa singing "Push It" on stage as I walked to the media lounge to see what free food and beer was available. The food was gone and the beer was Labatt 50. It's my default domestic big brewery beer when I'm out seeing bands and Jeff didn't want his, so I quickly downed two mugs and we hit the home stretch for Great Lakes Brewery's CASKapalooza.

CASKapalooza features 20 one-off casks brewed specially for the event, but the large majority of them seemed to be repeats from past years and (as I've found since it was launched in 2009) they're rarely exceptional. Closing time was rolling around so we finished off our last few samples and made our exit.

See you next year at number 19.

Falling into Bad Habits is a lot of fun

Photos by Jeff Ross.

This article may not mean anything to you if you're not Canadian, but if you grew up in the country (particularly Ontario) and were a teenager 33 years ago, there's a good chance you know and love The Monks' Bad Habits.

The Monks were formed by John Ford and Richard Hudson, who'd made a name for themselves with British prog-folk band Strawbs earlier in the decade and decided to make a new wave-punk album. That didn't sit well with U.K. punks, but Strawbs had a much lower profile in Canada and past associations were no obstacle.

Bad Habits came out of nowhere and went on to sell more than 150,000 copies in Canada within a short period after its release. "Drugs in my Pocket" became a hit (even though there are a lot of other songs on the album that may be better), The Monks played before large crowds and the follow-up album -- Suspended Animation -- was only released in Canada.

That set the stage for the July 26 tribute to Bad Habits at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern, which was put together by Small Sins' Thomas D'Arcy, who recorded a cover of the album (complete with him in a nun's outfit to mimic the original's cover) along with a number of fellow fans and musicians, including Ian Blurton (C'mon, Change of Heart), Chris Murphy (Sloan), John Kastner (Doughboys), Kurt Dahle (New Pornographers) and Ryan Dahle (Age of Electric). The album can be downloaded for free from D'Arcy's website.

The evening began with a set by The Order of Good Cheer, which lived up to the name with with a set of fun power pop and garage rock that was a good fit with what was to come later.

John Ford and his double-platinum award for Bad Habits.

But before the main event, Ford performed a solo acoustic set. I'd seen a guy sitting against the wall earlier who looked like the David Spade film character "Joe Dirt" and said to myself, "There's an '80s burnout who still has enough memory left to be here." I was pretty surprised a half-hour later when I realized that "Joe Dirt" was Ford.

The audience seemed pretty uninterested in the 64-year-old's material, so he threw in an Oasis cover to get its attention, and then followed up by keeping on a roll with the 1974 Hudson Ford hit "Burn Baby Burn," "Big Hit in India" and the title track and "Don't Bother Me -- I'm a Christian" from Suspended Animation. I requested that last one and the final song of his set, Strawbs' "Part of the Union" -- which was a childhood favourite.

The Bad Habits tribute followed and eager fans surged to the front to sing along. Murphy was vacationing with his family in Prince Edward Island so D'Arcy recorded a good-natured "Fuck you, Chris Murphy" message on an iPhone before singing "Love in Stereo" himself.

Grapes of Wrath's Kevin Kane was the first guest and had just the right amount of nasal whine to do "Bad Habits" justice. Chris Colohan from Cursed  sang an aggressive version of "Drugs in my Pocket" that reminded me of what  I probably would have sounded like if I'd been invited on stage.

"Skylab!"

Ian Blurton

Blurton came out for "No Shame" and the volume and intensity were instantly cranked up -- topped off by the guitarist throwing his instrument into an amplifier to end the song.

Ford was presented with a double-platinum award for Bad Habits when he came on stage, and he sang lead on "I Ain't Gettin' Any." Sadly, it could have been my theme song when it came out and still could be all of these years later. Ford stuck around for "Out of Work Musician" before everyone briefly left the stage.

John Ford and Thomas D'Arcy

The group had performed 11 songs, but there was one remaining track that we hadn't heard. The band came out, invited women on stage to dance and launched into the politically incorrect but terribly entertaining "Nice Legs Shame About Her Face."

Facebook chatter has been overwhelmingly positive over the past few days and folks who couldn't make it to the show are asking for another gig. It's worth seeing if it happens.

And if you're still scratching your head and wondering what all the commotion is about, try and find a copy of the original Bad Habits and put it on at a party. Then you'll understand.

Revisited: Celebration means more money for Madonna

Since MSN.ca has removed all of the blogs I wrote for it three times a week from August 2009 to August 2011, I've decided to repost some that I feel may still have some relevance on Steve Says. Since the new Madonna tour has her back in the news again, I thought I'd go back and share my thoughts on her.

I'll be adding these Revisited columns on a semi-regular basis, so please drop by if you're interested.

Here we go:

From Aug. 28, 2009

 

Celebration means more money for Madonna

 

Madonna's "Celebration" single is also the title track of her latest greatest hits package. The collection will be available on Sept. 29 as both a two-CD, 36-song set and a double-DVD compilation with 47 music videos — including 18 that have never been seen before.

The songs were chosen using suggestions from fans responding to Madonna manager Guy Oseary's Twitter page, but with the singer making the final decisions on what was included. Like always, Madonna was in control.

But is Madonna more concerned with music or money these days?

Many of the songs on the Celebration CDs were already included on 1990's mega-selling The Immaculate Collection, and it can't be denied that the '80s were Madonna's peak creative period. "Holiday," "Lucky Star," "Like A Virgin," "Material Girl" and "Into The Groove" are classic pop hits, while "Borderline," "Crazy For You," "Papa Don't Preach," "La Isla Bonita," "Like A Prayer" and "Express Yourselves" aren't far behind.

GHV2 covered Madonna material recorded from 1992 to 2000 and included the high points from that decade, including "Erotica," "Beautiful Stranger," "Ray Of Light" and "Music." All are good, but perhaps only "Ray Of Light" qualifies as great.

But from Madonna's past three albums, notwithstanding the international commercial success of Confessions On A Dance Floor's "Hung Up," it's hard to stack up the material positively against her earlier repertoire.

Celebration will conclude Madonna's 27-year relationship with Warner Bros. Records, before the artist starts her all-encompassing deal with Live Nation that's been estimated to be worth $120 million U.S. over 10 years. It covers future music and music-related businesses, including the Madonna brand, albums, DVDs, touring, merchandising, fan club, website, music-related television and film projects, and associated sponsorship agreements.

"The paradigm in the music business has shifted and, as an artist and a businesswoman, I have to move with that shift," Madonna said in a 2007 statement when the agreement was announced.

"For the first time in my career, the way that my music can reach my fans is unlimited. I’ve never wanted to think in a limited way and, with this new partnership, the possibilities are endless."

Forbes Magazine recently named Madonna the third most powerful celebrity of 2009. She's sold more than 200 million albums worldwide, and Celebration will add handsomely to that total. The Michigan native has branched into films and books while being cited by Guinness World Records as the most successful female recording artist ever. Her Sticky & Sweet Tour, which winds down in Tel Aviv, Israel on Sept. 2, is the most lucrative ever by a solo artist.

But Madonna is 51, her best music seems well in her past, and even her strict exercise regime and more cosmetic surgery won't be able to maintain the sexiness that's been a big part of her appeal forever.

The music industry isn't as lucrative as it was even two years ago when Live Nation signed Madonna, so the company could be hard-pressed to make a healthy return on its investment while its client may be able to buy Malawi instead of merely adopting kids from there.

There's no denying Madonna's place in history, but it may be for her skills as a businesswoman as much as a music artist. She really is a Material Girl.

Revisited: This Beat Goes On helps Canadian music Rise Up

Since MSN.ca has removed all of the blogs I wrote for it three times a week from August 2009 to August 2011, I've decided to repost some that I feel may still have some relevance on Steve Says. I'll be adding them on a semi-regular basis, so please drop by if you're interested.

Here we go:

From Aug. 21, 2009

This Beat Goes On helps Canadian music Rise Up

"Shakin' All Over" was The Guess Who's first hit and was also the title of a CBC documentary on Canadian music in the '60s. Two new productions named after Canadian songs — This Beat Goes On and Rise Up — now do the same thing for the two decades that followed.
 
"This Beat Goes On, which covers the '70s, is really about the birth of the Canadian music industry and the battle for Cancon," said writer, researcher, interviewer and associate producer Nicholas Jennings at the recent Toronto launch party for the shows.  

"Radio resisted and it wasn't pretty for a few years. But by the mid-'70s, an industry had started to take root with studios, labels, managers and agents. And suddenly a whole wave of great music started sprouting up from coast to coast."

A lot of the people who made that music were at the launch party, including Nash The Slash, The Spoons' Rob Preuss and Derrick Ross, Triumph's Mike Levine, The Kings' David Diamond and Mr. Zero, Blue Rodeo's Bazil Donovan, Dan Hill, Kim Mitchell, The Parachute Club's Lorraine Segato and Billy Bryans, The Good Brothers, Bob Segarini, Martha And The Muffins, Downchild Blues Band's Donnie Walsh, Murray McLauchlan and Teenage Head's Gord Lewis. 

"The '80s production, Rise Up, tells the story of how music video revolutionized the music business once again," continued Jennings between well wishes from the friends and associates in attendance at the soiree. "Cancon laid the foundation for the music industry and fostered it, and music television really helped Canadian artists to tour nationwide through the instant exposure they got through video play."

This Beat Goes On and Rise Up each feature about 50 songs, including rare live performance clips and music videos you might have forgotten about, and Jennings interviewed 150 people for the programs. Sound bites from music industry representatives and current artists who talk about the influence of '70s and '80s performers are included along with most of the aforementioned singers and musicians and their contemporaries.

This Beat Goes On, named after The Kings' Bob Ezrin-produced two-part single "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide," opened with a focus on songs that were major international hits, including Terry Jacks' "Seasons In The Sun," Bachman Turner Overdrive's "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet," Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" and Nick Gilder's "Hot Child In The City." (I do killer karaoke versions of those last two, by the way.) More interesting was seeing McKenna Mendelson Mainline perform in a burlesque theatre with strippers, and David Wilcox looking like a bug-eyed Salvador Dali.

This Beat Goes On's second hour is my favourite, as much of it focuses on the punk and new wave scenes that I most identify with. The Demics' "New York City" still gives me chills, Nash The Slash performs with both a fez and a motorcycle helmet over his mummy-like bandaged face, and there are clips of The Viletones, The Diodes, Teenage Head, Pointed Sticks, Martha And The Muffins and Rough Trade.

Bruce Cockburn's reggae-based "Wondering Where The Lions Are" was his biggest hit, but it's good to see that Jamaican immigrant artists like Leroy Sibbles, Stranger Cole, Jackie Mittoo and Willie Williams also get props. On the other hand, I didn't need to hear Dan Hill's "Sometimes When We Touch" or Gino Vannelli's "I Just Wanna Stop" — and don't ever again. The second show ends with the arena rock sounds of Rush, Max Webster, April Wine and Loverboy.

That genre also opens the first hour of Rise Up with more Rush and the introduction of Triumph, but my new wave, alternative rock and reggae yearnings are also satisfied via Doug And The Slugs, The Payolas, The Spoons, The Pursuit Of Happiness, Men Without Hats, The Box, 54-40, Parachute Club (whose signature song is also the title of the show) and, surprisingly, Slow, 20th Century Rebels and Truths And Rights. Bryan Adams, Glass Tiger and Gowan end things with much more mainstream fare.

The last hour opens with the rootsy sounds of k.d. lang from her sorely missed early years, Handsome Ned, Blue Rodeo, Cowboy Junkies and the incomparable Mary Margaret O'Hara (who once told me she'd like to sing backing vocals as I shouted out an Elvis Presley song, and I plan to hold her to it someday). It's also good to see The Grapes Of Wrath, The Northern Pikes and Powder Blues Band, and early Canadian hip-hop is represented by Michie Mee and Maestro Fresh-Wes.

Three giants of Canadian music — Neil Young (with his memorable 1989 Saturday Night Live performance of "Rockin' In The Free World"), Leonard Cohen and The Tragically Hip — end Rise Up and set the stage for a show looking at the '90s.

"What comes across in these shows is that music in Canada serves as the tie that binds this country," said Jennings. "That was very exciting to discover and I hope that's reflected in what people see on the screen.

"There was a lot to shoehorn in, but I hope what people see is a fast, eclectic, fun, genre-hopping, generation-hopping rock and roll circus."

This Beat Goes On and Rise Up are available on DVD.

Wound up by The Millwinders

The Millwinders

This has been a great couple of months for Toronto rockabilly releases. First, The Royal Crowns knocked me out with Volume Three, which made my recently submitted first-round Polaris Music Prize ballot. And now The Millwinders have made a major impression with Ladies and Gentlemen, The Millwinders.

All four members sing and play, and vocalist/bassist/baritone saxophone player Sarah Butler, guitarist/vocalist Johnny Gallagher and guitarist vocalist James "Cricket" Henry each write their own songs as well. Drummer Glenn Kimberley keeps a solid backbeat throughout the 12-song, half-hour album.

Butler shows off her vocal chops in the vintage-sounding opener "Sweet Talk," which also features solid harmonies in the chorus and a nice guitar fill in the bridge. Classic Patsy Cline may come to mind on Butler's "In Time She Will" and "It's Too Late."

Henry is a former member of The Royal Crowns, and the brand of rockabilly he's long been associated with shines brightly through "Forever Time" and the melodic "Ain't No Laughing Matter, while his "High Heeled Hot Rod" should be a dancefloor packer.

Gallagher's "Night Time" and "He'll Leave Tomorrow" are more in an old-school country vein, while his "Something Out of Nothin'" sounds like it could have come from Sun Studios in the late '50s.

Butler's baritone sax plays a big part on the bluesy "Can't Do Nothin'," while there are excellent guitar tones and The Millwinders do the multi-talented James Intveld proud on his "My Heart Is Achin' For You."

I can mentally picture Butler singing "Each Day" in a smoky bar, but the sad reality is that I've never seen The Millwinders perform. Based on the strength of this album, I'm sure it would be a can't miss good time.

Ladies and gentlemen, get to know The Millwinders.

Boat cruise, Yonge Dundas Square and The Great Hall wrap up NXNE

Saturday meant not going to my office and a full day to partake of the North By Northeast Music Festival. And since it was a beautiful day, why not spend three hours of it cruising Toronto's harbour aboard the Captain Matthew Flinders soaking up sun and suds, chatting with folks and enjoying some rock-and-roll below deck.

My invitation aboard the "Bruise Cruise" from M for Montreal came with a free Moosehead beer, which I sipped while wandering around the ship and checking out DJ Jonathan Toubin spinning some great vintage pop, rock and soul 45s, which created a smooth transition for Hooded Fang's performance.

Hooded Fang

The Toronto band's Tosta Mista was my seventh favourite record of 2011 and made my initial ballot for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize to choose Canada's top album. The 25-minute live set lacked some of the subtle exotica lounge charms of the record, but the group's pop hooks and garage rock licks were irresistible.

I went on the deck to talk to friends and have a beer in the sunshine while admiring the view, and I missed Teenanger's performance and the first part of Mac Demarco's set. I wasn't familiar with the artist or his band, but I enjoyed their rootsy rock so much that I was whisked away from a conversation with a lovely woman to take part in a "gay dance party."

Bleached

Bleached was the headliner and I liked the partial set I caught of the three-woman-fronted, garage rock-influenced, pop-punk act in March at the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas. The vocals were mixed too low, but that didn't stop lots of people from dancing. "Think of You" from last year's Searching Through The Past was my favourite, but a new song also caught my attention and a cover of The Ramones' "Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World" was a fitting closer for the Los Angeles combo.

I made a beeline for the LCBO after disembarking and picked up a couple of cans of Denison's Weissbier for my walk up to Yonge Dundas Square to see Hollerado. It's been more than a year since I've seen the band and I was due. I arrived mid-set to hear a new song played in front of a good-sized crowd, which clapped and sang along to "Got To Lose." Singer/guitarist Menno Versteeg shot off a lone confetti cannon in honour of headlining act Flaming Lips, who he called the pioneers of the prank. "Americanarama" and an extended "Do The Doot Da Doot Doo" ended things on a major high.

Hollerado

I wasn't familiar with Oberhofer, so I used the opportunity to go across the street to the Eaton Centre for some delicious Indian food from Amaya and to the LCBO for two more cans of band-watching provisions, and still made it back in time to hear some Oberhofer. The quintet leaned to the enjoyable rather than pretentious side of indie rock, so I was satisfied.

Some of Of Montreal's recorded material had left me wanting, but I thoroughly enjoyed a set in Austin a number of years ago, so staying at Yonge Dundas was the best 7 p.m. option. Flamboyant frontman Kevin Barnes and his collection of psychedelically theatrical bandmates show their rock influences more live than on their records, which I feel can tend to be too artsy and precious. And having a number of dancers who made repeated costume changes enhanced the spectacle considerably (one of them crowd-surfed over us from the stage and we were around the midpoint of the square for the set).

The playfulness and music made Of Montreal a good fit for Flaming Lips, and a song list that included "Miss Blonde Your Papa is Failing," "The Party's Crashing Us," "Forecast Fascist Future," "Plastis Wafers," "Id Engager," "Helmdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse" and more ensured everyone in the ever-growing audience had a good time.

I only had fleeting knowledge of Portugal The Man from a few songs I'd heard online, but the music had a quality roots rock edge to it live. One song segued into The Beatles' "Helter Skelter," which was welcomed and was my favourite part of the performance. I feel no need to acquire any albums or see the band again, but it certainly wasn't a waste of 40 minutes. I like Portugal The Man much more than Portugal the annoying car horn-honking soccer fans that plague my neighbourhood every Euro Cup soccer tournament.

The crowd had filled in the closed down Yonge Street when I made one last trip to the LCBO at 8:25 p.m. Where there was no lineup in the store 90 minutes earlier, I waited for almost a half-hour on this second sojourn. I found out about the stage collapse that killed a man and injured others at the Radiohead concert that was supposed to take place at Downsview Park earlier in the day, and it seemed that many of the more than 40,000 people who had purchased tickets for that show squeezed themselves into Yonge Dundas Square as a consolation prize after that gig was cancelled.

Flaming Lips arrived late and each member came out individually starting at 9:30 p.m., with fur collar-clad singer Wayne Coyne bringing up the rear in his signature giant clear inflatable bubble in which he rolled over the crowd. Once he made it back to the stage, he shot off a confetti cannon, picked up a megaphone and watched the release of giant balloons that were kept aloft by fans throughout the show. It was a rock-and-roll circus.

Female dancers in school girl outfits graced the stage for a brilliant run through "She Don't Use Jelly," and things didn't let up with "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (With All Your Power)."

Coyne then acknowledged the Radiohead tragedy and directed good karma to the man who died and those who were injured, as well as the band. "Peace be with these hearts tonight," he said before a song that sounded a bit like Radiohead's "Karma Police."

"Waiting For A Superman" and some slower and mellower songs with no on-stage antics followed. Coyne seemed to be quite affected by the day's events, which may have drained him and the performance of a little of the normal exuberance seen at Lips' shows, taking away from the spectacle aspect that most Lips shows possess.

After Coyne made another heartfelt tribute to the people at the Radiohead concert, the set ended with "Do You Realize?" and more of a party vibe again as confetti cannons went wild. There was no encore.

A streetcar was waiting at the corner when the show ended at 10:50 p.m., so I hopped on because I thought it would be the best way to get across town to The Great Hall at Queen and Dovercourt. It took an hour because of all the traffic, so I could have made it just as fast by walking all the way.

Teenage Head

The delay made me miss the Celtic punk drinking songs of The Mahones, but I was right in front of the stage when Teenage Head came on and ripped into "Let's Shake." Pete MacAulay is now fronting the band after singer Frankie Venom's 2008 passing and, while he lacks some of the charisma of the band's founder, his voice could handle the band's garage punk material well. He was joined by guitarist Gord Lewis, bassist Steve Marshall and drummer Jack Pedler.

"Picture My Face" was followed in quick succession by "Wild One," "Top Down," "Take It," "Teenage Beer Drinkin' Party," "Bonerack," "Lucy Potato" and "Infected." It's been 35 years since some of these songs were written and they still sound great, and a lot of us old punks were totally in thrall to them. "Disgusteen" was on the set list, but unfortunately wasn't played. I'd seen Sadies bassist Sean Dean on the cruise earlier in the day and he also made it here. I'm glad he shares my fine taste in music.

The Nils

The crowd thinned significantly, but old school ska on the sound system kept me happy until another vintage Canadian punk band, Montreal's Nils, took the stage at 1:10 a.m. Bassist/singer Carlos Soria (who formed the band with his late brother Alex) said he was 15 when he first played on a bill with Teenage Head, and he just turned 50, and then called the Hamilton, Ont. outfit the best band in the world.

There was no classic after classic like with Teenage Head, but The Nils' brand of punky power pop was enjoyable until it abruptly ended just 20 minutes after the band began. The group returned quickly, however, which was a relief since this was the first (and probably last) time I'd see it. But I was shocked and disappointed that the quartet didn't play what's perhaps its best known song, the timeless "Scratches and Needles."

It was almost 2 a.m. and though there were some other bands I wouldn't have minded seeing playing at other bars until 4 a.m., it had already been a full day and I was a 10-minute walk from my house, so I think I made the right decision in ending my NXNE and going home.