ENTERTAINMENT
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Winter
      Carnival
      concerts
      highly
      successful
     
     
      Blue
      Rodeo,
      Waltons,
      and
      Road
      Apples
      rock
      the
      Barn
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BY
      KATHRYN
      BROWN
     
    

    
     
      WHEN
      THE
      QUESTION
      AROSE
      IN
      ONE
     
     
      of
      our
      X-Press
      meetings
      as
      to
      who
      would
      be
     
     
      interested
      in
      covering
      Winter
      Carnival
      Barn
     
     
      Events
      (translated:concerts),
      |
      jumped
      at
      the
     
     
      opportunity
      immediately.
      |
      personally
      love
      any
     
     
      chance
      at
      all
      to
      see
      quality
      live
      entertainment--
     
     
      and
      bop,
      party
      and
      have
     
     
      a
      good
      time.
      |
      figured
     
     
      since
      |
      was
      going
      to
     
     
      everything
      anyway,
      why
     
     
      not
      cover
      it
      for
      the
     
     
      paper?
     
    

    
     
      So
      with
      the
      decision
     
     
      made
      and
      the
      “official
     
     
      mission”
      added
      to
      my
     
     
      game
      plan,
      |
      attended
      all
     
     
      three
      concerts
      held
      at
     
     
      the
      Barn.
     
    

    
     
      What
      a
      party!
      |
      had
     
     
      the
      best
      time!
     
    

    
     
      Wednesday
      night
     
    

    
     
      Blue
      Rodeo
      started
     
     
      things
      cooking
      early
      with
     
     
      an
      incredible
      concert.
     
     
      The
      band
      is
      chock-full
      of
     
     
      strong
      talent
      and
      driving
     
     
      energy,
      which
      explains
     
     
      their
      standing
      as
      one
      of
     
     
      Canada’s
      top
      bands.
      The
     
     
      crowd
      of
      about
      four
     
     
      hundred
      moshed,
      bopped,
      and
      danced
      to
      the
     
     
      music
      and
      cheered
      their
      approval.
      .
      Several
     
     
      times
      security
      had
      to
      move
      the
      crowd
      back
      as
     
     
      the
      people
      near
      the
      front
      were
      getting
      too
     
     
      close
      to
      the
      stage.
      From
      my
      perch,
      balanced
     
     
      on
      a
      very
      small
      ledge
      at
      the
      very
      back
      of
      the
     
     
      third
      floor,
      |
      could
      see
      absolutely
      nada,
      nothing,
     
     
      zilch...
      it
      certainly
      sucks
      to
      be
      dry
      sometimes!
     
     
      Oh
      well...Blue
      Rodeo
      was
      called
      back
      twice
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Scott
      MacDonald
      takes
      a
      bite
      out
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1
      LAUGHED,
      |
      CRIED,
      IT
      WAS
      BETTER
     
     
      than
      CATS.
      The
      Road
      Apples,
      a
      Tragically
      Hip
     
     
      cover
      band,
      made
      the
      crowd
      at
      the
      Barn
      on
     
     
      Saturday
      night
      believe
      that
      they
      really
      were
      the
     
     
      Hip.
      The
      Road
      Apples
      are
      one
      of
      the
      best
     
     
      cover
      bands
      that
      |
      have
      ever
      seen,
      but
      of
     
     
      course
      who
      wouldn't
      want
      to
      listen
      to
      the
     
     
      music
      of
      Canada’s
      best
      band?
      Unlike
      some
     
     
      other
      bands
      that
      have
      played
      the
      Barn
      in
      the
     
     
      past,
      the
      Apples
      came
      to
      play
      for
      the
      duration,
     
     
      as
      they
      performed
      all
      night.
      |
      have
      never
      seen
     
     
      the
      Hip
      play
      live,
      but
      being
      a
      fan
      of
      their
      music
     
     
      |
      would
      imagine
      that
      the
      Road
      Apples
      capture
     
    
   
   
    
     
      From
      my
      perch,
     
     
      balanced
      ona
     
     
      very
      small
      ledge
     
     
      at
      the
      very
      back
     
     
      of
      the
      third
      floor,
     
     
      I
      could
      see
     
     
      absolutely
      nada,
     
     
      nothing,
      zilch...
      it
     
     
      certainly
      sucks
      to
     
     
      be
      dry
     
     
      sometimes!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      for
      encores.
      The
      performance
      wrapped
      up
      at
     
     
      12:30
      am
      and
      |
      high-tailed
      it
      home
      to
      study
      for
     
     
      Bio...cops.
     
    

    
     
      My
      enthusiasm
      sagged
      ever
      so
      slightly
      on
     
     
      Friday
      night,
      though.
      |
      got
      to
      the
      Barn
      early
      to
     
     
      get
      seat
      and
      see
      all
      of
      the
      opening
      act,
      but
      no
     
     
      one
      was
      there!
      The
      opening
      act
      started
      about
     
    

    
     
      9:45
      pm
      and
      the
      Waltons
     
     
      performed
      at
      11:00
      pm.
     
     
      Although
      the
      turnout
      was
     
     
      disappointing,
      the
     
     
      {Waltons
      played
      an
     
     
      awesome
      concert.
      It
     
     
      takes
      an
      incredible
      band
     
     
      to
      make
      someone
      who
     
     
      had
      wanted
      to
      go
      home
     
     
      want
      to
      stay
      all
      night.
      They
     
     
      certainly
      won
      me
      back
     
     
      with
      their
      unique
      style
      and
     
     
      excellent
      performance.
     
     
      The
      crowd
      had
      a
      great
     
     
      time
      and
      danced
      all
      night.
     
     
      |
      had
      the
      fortunate
     
     
      opportunity
      of
      talking
     
     
      with
      the
      band
      before
      the
     
     
      show.
      They
      were
      really
     
     
      accommodating
      to
      talk
      to,
     
     
      and
      |
      was
      impressed
      with
     
     
      their
      dedication
      to
      music.
     
     
      This
      band
      hasa
      real
      depth
     
     
      in
      its
      approach
      to
      music
     
     
      that
      seems
      to
      be
      lacking
      in
      other
      groups.
      The
     
     
      musical
      background
      of
      the
      band
      members
      was
     
     
      extremely
      varied,
      ranging
      from
      classical
      Royal
     
     
      Conservatory
      training
      to
      learning
      mostly
      by
     
     
      ear.
      Their
      musical
      influences
      were
      every
      bit
      as
     
     
      diverse--
      from
      music
      teachers
      to
      XTC,
      Billy
     
     
      Joel
      and
      the
      Beatles.
      The
      concert
      wrapped
      up
     
     
      at
      about
      12:45
      am,
      and
      though
      |
      was
      flying
      solo
     
     
      for
      the
      evening
      |
      had
      a
      great
      time.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      lot
      of
      the
      electricity
      that
      they
      generate
      on
     
     
      stage--
      anyone
      who
      saw
      them
      could
      tell
      you
     
     
      that.
      Sure,
      you
      could
      argue
      that
      the
      Road
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Then
      there
      was
      Saturday.
      |
      had
      anticipated
     
     
      anincredible
      timeand
      the
      concert
      far
      surpassed
     
     
      anything
      |
      could
      have
      imagined.
      It
      was
      definitely
     
     
      the
      highlight
      of
      the
      three
      concerts.
      Full
      marks
     
     
      for
      the
      opening
      act,
      the
      Rheostatics.
      They
     
     
      were
      really
      good
      and
      played
      a
      strong
      variety
      of
     
     
      music.
      |
      had
      only
      one
      complaint
      about
      the
     
     
      whole
      evening--
      the
      time
      between
      the
      acts
      was
     
     
      long,
      boring
      and
      monotonous.
      Tapes
      could
     
     
      have
      been
      played
      to
      fill
      the
      time;
      however,
     
     
      when
      the
      Road
      Apples
      took
      the
      stage
      before
     
     
      a
      sellout
      crowd
      of
      four
      hundred
      and
      seventy-
     
     
      five,
      the
      Barn
      went
      crazy.
      As
      Kent
      Driscoll
      so
     
     
      eloquently
      stated,
      “It’s
      a
      fucking
      madhouse
      and
     
     
      |
      hope
      we
      are
      insured!”
      For
      once
      |
      must
      admit
     
     
      |
      was
      happy
      to
      be
      dry.
      |
      had
      a
      great
      view
      of
      the
     
     
      band
      and
      the
      moshing
      and
      knew
      if
      |
      had
      been
     
     
      down
      below
      |
      would
      have
      been
      crushed
      in
      the
     
     
      mosh.
      There
      was
      lots
      of
      moshing,
      slam
      dancing
     
    
   
   
    
     
      reason
      that
      anyone
      came
      out
      to
      see
      them.
      |
     
     
      know
      that
      |
      wouldn't
      have
      bothered
      going
      to
     
     
      see
      them
      do
      any
      of
      their
      own
      stuff.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ...just
      a
      bunch
      of
      Hip-wannabe’s,
      but
     
     
      who
      wouldn’t
      want
      to
      be
      the
      Hip?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Apples
      have
      no
      individuality,
      that
      they
      are
      just
     
     
      a
      bunch
      of
      Hip-wannabe's,
      but
      who
      wouldn't
     
     
      want
      to
      be
      the
      Hip?
      Still,
      the
      basic
      point
      is
      that
     
     
      they
      are
      a
      Hip
      cover
      band,
      and
      that’s
      the
      only
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      large
      crowd
      that
      was
      at
      the
      Barn
     
     
      enjoyed
      the
      show
      very
      much,
      even
      those
      who
     
     
      were
      caught
      up
      slam-dancing
      in
      the
      large
      Mosh
     
     
      pit
      which
      took
      up
      most
      of
      the
      dance
      floor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pe
      npress
      march
      first
      1994
      page
      14
      }
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      body
      swimming,
      At
      least
      one
      small
      fight
     
     
      broke
      out,
      but
      the
      bar
      staff
      dealt
      with
      it
     
     
      promptly
      and
      efficiently.
     
    

    
     
      What
      impressed
      me
      the
      most
      was
      how
     
     
      much
      the
      Road
      Apples
      sounded
      like
      the
     
     
      Tragically
      Hip.
      |
      think
      it
      is
      so
      much
      harder
      to
     
     
      play
      music
      by
      a
      well-established
      and
      very
     
     
      popular
      band
      because
      the
      expectations
      of
      the
     
     
      crowd
      are
      higher.
      This
      band
      played
      their
     
     
      music
      with
      integrity,
      meeting
      the
      challenge
      and
     
     
      then
      some.
      They
      certainly
      brought
      down
      the
     
     
      house.
      Saturday
      night
      was
      a
      party
      that
      was
      too
     
     
      big
      to
      miss!
      The
      band
      played
      on
      to
      well
      after
     
    

    
     
      1:00
      am
      and
      the
      crowd
      roared
      their
      approval.
     
    

    
     
      A
      little
      aside
      for
      all
      those
      who
      may
      or
      may
     
     
      not
      be
      interested:
      |
      have
      heard
      through
      the
     
     
      rumour
      mill
      that
      attempts
      are
      being
      made
      to
     
     
      have
      the
      Road
      Apples
      back
      for
      the
      year-end
     
     
      pub...ponder
      that!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Road
      Apples
     
    
   
   
    
     
      room.
      The
      screaming
      throng
      of
      people
      there
     
     
      thoroughly
      enjoyed
      the
      songs
      played:
      everything
     
     
      from
      “New
      Orleans
      is
      Sinking”
      and
      “38
      Years
     
     
      Old”
      from
      the
      Hip’s
      Up
      to
      Here
      album,
      to
     
     
      “Wheat
      Kings”
      and
      “Courage”
      from
      the
      newest
     
     
      Hip
      delivery,
      Fully
      Completely.
      In
      fact,
      the
     
     
      largest
      cheers
      of
      the
      night
      came
      when
      the
     
     
      opening
      chords
      of
      “Wheat
      Kings”
      sounded
     
     
      out
      on
      the
      Barn
      floor.
      This
      was
      one
      of
      the
      best
     
     
      concerts
      that
      |
      have
      ever
      been
      to,
      at
      the
      Barn
     
     
      or
      otherwise.
      Hopefully,
      the
      Road
      Apples
      wl
     
     
      grace
      PEI
      with
      their
      presence
      again
      in
      the
      nea’
     
     
      future.