April Wine @ Theatre Beanfield

When I found out that April Wine was coming to Montreal, I couldn’t believe that they were still performing let alone still touring.

The band was formed in 1969 and has undergone so many lineup changes that I figured they were going to sound like a cover band.  

April Wine was one of the very first concerts that I attended as a kid at the Montreal Forum and I can still remember that rush.  They were huge in the 80s, and me and my BFF Nina thought we were cool as F cause we got to go to a live rock concert unchaperoned.

When my husband told me he really wanted to go, I was reluctant but then my son said he would come too so I felt nostalgic and ordered tickets.  It’s not very often I get to see bands with my family.

We got to the theatre an hour before the show and were surprised to see so many people already waiting outside. In all the years that I’ve been going to the Corona Theatre (still not used to calling it The Beanfield), I’ve never seen a line that went all the way to the end of the street and around the corner. Also, it was one of those rare moments where I was not the oldest person there. I was lucky enough to have an extra ticket to the sold-out event, since I was reviewing, and brought along a friend who hadn’t been to a concert in quite a while.

At first, I was disappointed that Myles Goodwyn, the original vocalist wasn’t there (he retired in December due to health issues) but as soon as I heard Marc Parent’s voice I was reassured. 

He jokingly admitted that Brian Greenway called him the “rookie” of the band, but he played as though he’s been with them for 50 years. It’s no surprise that his guitar skills and stage presence were also on point as he is also the frontman/guitarist for the house band for the Mont Tremblant Blues Festival and has worked with many other great artists.

There was no opening act, and as soon as they hit the stage, they wasted no time pumping out countless hits.  Starting with “Enough is Enough” and then “All Over Town” and “Could Have Been a Lady.” Songs that I haven’t heard in years, but somehow knew every lyric to, as did the audience.  

I love witnessing that sparkle in a fan’s eye, that second of recognition when they hear the first note of a favourite song and they grin and cheer like happy children anticipating something wonderful. And that’s what I saw all night long as the band gave us everything we wanted and fed off of our excitement.

They each took turns with solos and vocals, and their chemistry was phenomenal.  Even the drummer. Roy Nichol sang, as well as bassist Richard Lanthier. 

One of my favourites was “R&R is a Vicious Game,” where guitarist and oldest member Brian Greenway played some great bluesy harmonica before sharing some heartfelt words about his long career, his losses and loves. 

They closed their set with “Gypsy Queen” one of their biggest hits, and the crowd was ecstatic, begging for more. I honestly wasn’t sure how they were going to top that one and then something miraculous happened. 

Jerry Mercer, their original drummer, at 84 years old, was led onto the stage, and we all gasped. I don’t remember how long his ovation lasted because I was standing for the entire show, but everyone on the second floor of the theatre that was seated got on their feet. We all knew that it was one of those rare and special moments that we would never forget, the kind we would brag about for years.

He sat at the drum kit and proceeded with the intro to “Say Hello,” and we were all kids again. In that magical way that songs can transport you to another time and dimension. I was skipping school with my best friend, driving around in her dad’s Buick, blasting CHOM FM. 

I looked over at my son who was lost in the music, eyes transfixed on the stage, and then I looked at my husband who had the exact same expression, and I realized two things.

Great songs stand the test of time, and you’re never too old to rock.

They closed the show with “Oowatanite,” with Jerry hitting that infamous red fire bell, signalling us that “everything will be all right.”

SETLIST

  • ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
  • ALL OVER TOWN
  • COULD HAVE BEEN LADY
  • FAST TRAIN
  • BIG CITY GIRLS
  • DROP YOUR GUNS
  • BEFORE THE DAWN
  • HOT ON WHEELS
  • WEEPING WIDOW
  • LIKE TO ROCK (DRUMS)
  • R&R VICIOUS GAME
  • ANYTHING YOU WANT
  • SHOTDOWN
  • CRASH & BURN (BASS)
  • JUST BETWEEN U & ME
  • TONITE WONDERFUL NIGHT
  • GYPSY QUEEN
  • SAY HELLO
  • ROLLER
  • OOWATANITE

Review & photos – Annette Aghazarian 

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