Finally we reach the end – thirty days, no artist repeats, celebrating the best of Canadian rock in the 90s.
Let’s close out 2021 now, shall we?
Day 26 – Sarah McLachlan – Ice Cream
She was one of many acts to perform in the night. It was a CFNY event and I can’t remember the name or the venue for the life of me, but she was backlit with blue lights as she sat on a stool, centre stage, with her guitar.
“Sarah McLachlan,” I told a friend of mine who I knew was also into music.
“Who?” he replied?
Hard to remember a time when she was relatively unknown and up and coming, but I developed a huge crush on her after that first performance I saw. Bought the album the next day.
Chose this song in particular because if there is any day on the calendar that embodies ice cream more than Boxing Day, I don’t think I know it.
Day 27 – Bass is Base – Funkmobile
No particular memory associated with this song, only that it was hella played on MuchMusic back in the day.
The chorus is still catchy AF.
Day 28 – Big Wreck – Blown Wide Open
Sunny days walking around the University Campus, this song seeming to echo from every building. It’s one of those songs with a very specific timestamp in my mind.
Day 29 – Alanis Morissette – You Learn
I was ne of the last to get on the Alanis train, I freely admit it. This album represented such a 180 from her pop career that I had a hard time believing she was legit. The songs are great and I admit this album bangs, but at the time I could not see past my belief that she was just trying to cash in on a popular sound. I don’t think I truly appreciated her until she appeared as God in Dogma, that was when I was, like, okay, she might be cool.
One of the biggest and most popular names I posted about this month, but undoubtedly a huge influence across all rock, not just CanRock, in the 90s and very worthy of a spot.
Day 30
Here we are, and so many bands left to choose from… Leonard Cohen, Cowboy Junkies, Crash Test Dummies, The Odds, See Spot Run, The Inbreds, Wild Strawberries, By Divine Right, Philosopher Kings, Rheostatics, Barstool Prophets (my favourite band name ever)… hell, I could even post one of the four songs I like from the Hip…
So, who is it going to be?
I saved one of my favourite music memories for the end.
Spirit Of The West – Home For A Rest
While not my favourite song from the band (that would be “Political”, released in ’88, so not applicable for this calendar), there is no denying the impact this song has had and how many Canadians identify with it. I’ve been in Memphis, Thailand, Japan, South Africa and Australia and when this song comes on, Canadians hit the dance floor.
But my favourite memory is this one: I’m 18 and standing outside in line to get into the bar My Apartment on Thursday night. No fake ID and this was before every bar ID’d everyone, so I was trying to get in based on my looks and attitude alone, something I had recently “perfected” at the beer store.
I’d never been into a bar before that was not for an all ages concert.
The bouncer doesn’t even give me a second look and we enter. The door swings open and the first thing I see is a bar and people are dancing on top of it, to this song.
Everyone is happy, people are dancing everywhere, swinging each other around by crooked elbows, beer is spilling and there is laughing, dancing and singing everywhere. My emotion in the moment is perfectly encapsulated in the scene where Bart realizes he is going to be working at a Burlesque House.
Taking it all in, I remember thinking to myself, “So, this is what bars are like.”
And yes, at their very best, it is.