Oh Canada! (music I have loved)

Today's news headlines disturb me greatly, but I am not here to write about those. I want to write about how fortunate I feel to have grown up in Buffalo, NY, just over the border from Canada, and to have had so many wonderful interactions with Canadians and their music.

In Buffalo, we had the mighty WKBW blasting out 50,000 watts of Beatles in 1964 but we could also receive AM 1050 CHUM blasting out the hits from Toronto. CHUM was tight with the Beatles and sponsored their visits to Toronto in 1964, 1965 and 1966. As a young teen, I loved CHUM and the music it played.

When I was in college, I went three years in a row to the Mariposa Folk Festival on idyllic Toronto Islands. I missed the year Dylan and Joni both showed up, but in other years Mariposa provided my first up close exposure to John Prine, Bruce Coburn, Utah Phillip, Rambling Jack Elliott, Steve Goodman and and so many others. Thanks, Canada!

When the Stones toured behind Exile, I "slept" all night outside Maple Leaf Gardens to get good (well, pretty fair) seats on the floor.

My first Dylan albums were Canadian monos that were being sold for a dollar in downtown Buffalo. Sadly, I gave then to the babysitter at the dawn of the CD era. Dumb.

When Dylan and The Band toured behind Planet Waves in 1974, it was like the Second Coming to me. I was unemployed and still in Buffalo, but I scraped together enough cash for a bus ride to Toronto and a decent ticket. I never would have seen the tour but for my friends in Toronto.

I could go on about my love for Canadian music. I love hearing the Canadian anthem to this day in ballparks and stadiums in Upstate NY and I sing along.

So thank you Canada for Neil, Joni and Leonard, Gordon and for McGarrigle Sisters, Bruce Coburn, Leon Redbone and K D Lang and all the other musicians who performed at Mariposa. I am raising a glass of Labatts Blue to all my Maple Leaf friends on SHMF. Don't for a minute think that we in the US don't love you. We do.

 

Nice post, Taxman.

Being on the Canadian side of the border, I could relay similar stories of shows in Western New York and the music discovered through Buffalo radio stations.

The reference to WKBW's impressive wattage made me smile. On a family trip back from Long Island, New York in the late 70's, we left in the early morning hours and were able to pick up WKBW for the entire eight hour drive.

Seems quaint in the age of satellite radio.

 

I should have included the Barenaked Ladies and the Guess Who in my list of favorite Canadian music.

SHMF, who are your favorite Canadian performers?

 

Too many to list but for starters I will say Sloan, Blue Rodeo, Tragically Hip, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, April Wine, Guess Who, Moxy, Bruce Cockburn, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Rankin Family, Mike Plume Band, Loreena McKennitt.

Almost everybody but Celine Dion.

 

Much appreciated, Taxman.

I love the US, too!

 

The greatest Canada export, in history . . . DON CHERRY!

 

it's Bruce Cockburn and everyone should have this album! One of the best players on the planet

 

As someone who's lived in both Buffalo and Saskatoon, this thread made me smile.

 

Ok. Then there’s Rush, The Guess Who, BTO, April Wine, Gordon Lightfoot and Anne Murray.

 

Many times I want him exported when he does his rants against the European players.

 

I’m talking strictly from a lifelong Boston Bruins fans’ perspective and what he accomplish while there.

 

Or Nickelback

 

I'm always the kind of person who generally doesn't have favourite performers but rather has favourite songs. Having said that, I usually say my favourite Canadian bands are the Staccatos (pre-Five Man Electrical Band) and Strange Advance.

 

Great post. Spent my first 20 years in Toronto and it’ll always be home despite another 30 elsewhere. Adjusting the rabbit ears to get Channel 29 out of Buffalo and breaking news of fires in Tonawanda and that frantic Sabres broadcast song are my cross-border memories.

 

I don't think anyone has dared say the name yet so I'll say it:

Justin Bieber.

But yes, there have also been some great musicians and some great music from Canada. No country is perfect.

 

Avril Lavigne

No, no country is perfect

 

The Payola$! Will somebody please put their albums on CD? All we've ever had are compilations. That just ain't right.

 

The Pursuit of Happiness.

 

Oscar Peterson, Oliver Jones, Molly Johnson, Gil Evans, Holly Cole, Diana Krall, Moe Koffman, Maynard Ferguson, Charlie Biddle

 

I'll also mention The Band (four fifths Canadian, which is close enough for roots rock IMO)

Aside from music, let's not forget the contributions us Canuckleheads have made to the world of comedy as well (SCTV etc). We've left our artistic stamp on the world.

 

I don't think Ian & Sylvia have been mentioned yet - anyway they have now.

 

Yeah, for letting Bieber into the the US, Canada should be forced to take in the entire Carcrashians Family out of the US. Actually, are those Jersey Shore No Talent Reality TV People still around? Then also please send them off to Canada.

 

Dan Aykroyd.
For The Blues Brothers.
For House Of Blues.
For the novelty of being (well actually, with Bob Geldof) the only non American on We Are The World.

 

Tegan & Sara ,

Their show at Freo Arts Center will live long in my memory , twas a beautiful night . Freo Metropolis was great too .

 

Bryan Adams.