Well, it’s been quite the winter so far. But, believe it or not, the freedom of spring is just right around the bend.
Yet, before we all pack away our snowshoes, Old Man Winter will still be hanging around our doors for another few weeks, so we might as well do our best to enjoy his company while we can.
And last weekend, over 1,500 Islanders gathered for a sold-out show at The Charlottetown Civic Centre’s Trade Centre Complex to do just that: Have one huge-ass winter blast.
Hailed in advertising as “P.E.I.’s Biggest Party of the Winter,” Matt Minglewood’s 60th birthday bash certainly lived up to its claims as I can honestly say it was one of the biggest indoor live-band dances I’ve ever attended.
It was the kind of event where you just look around at the sea of people and think, “Man, where the heck did all these people come from?”
But, then again, Minglewood has always had that knack for bringing people of all kinds out of the woodwork.
It began shortly after 9 p.m., as steadily-rising-to-Canadian-blues-legend Matt Andersen took his throne to command the stage for about an hour’s worth of jaw-dropping acoustic guitar and vocal insanity. Energetically executing his blues hits like One Size Never Fits, Ain’t No Sunshine and Mama Rock Me, Andersen predictably blew everyone away once again.
There is nothing else to say but this: Just go see him. He’s a powerhouse. He’s a maniac. He’s Matt Andersen.
I should add at this point that the sound for the evening seemed exceptionally well done, especially considering that putting on a concert in the Civic Centre trade complex is the equivalent to trying to put on a rock show in an empty potato warehouse made solely out of recycled aluminum cans.
John Bulman and his House Front Productions crew did an incredible job of both lights and sound that night — as the stage looked strikingly awesome, featuring dazzling lights galore, framed by three massive video screens that added so much to the visuals of the evening and proved to all that no promoter needs to go off-Island anymore for sound production for an event of this calibre and beyond.
When Joey Kitson, with Big City, stepped onto the stage, the lights were turned up, as was the party meter. As they kicked out tunes like Superstition, Suspicious Minds, Mustang Sally, and Crazy Little Thing Called Love, hundreds soon flocked to the massive dance floor in front of the stage, to groove it up solidly.
Admittedly, what I was most excited about in seeing these guys was actually the rocking out by my guitar teacher from back in the day, M.J. Mullen. I still have much too much to learn, it seems, M.J., particularly in the rock hair and guitar solo rock face expression department. I may call you about lessons for this.
Yet, this was all just the tip of the electric guitar solo iceberg, of course, as it was then time for the birthday boy and his band to rock the stage.
“Oh yeah! This is a showboat reunion!” Minglewood smiled, waltzing up to the mike with guitar in hand to acknowledge the crowd. “All right, let’s get ’er goin’, boys, in the key of C!”
The man of the hour led his four-piece troupe into a sweet, sweet 12-bar blues number to ignite his set into high gear right off the bat.
About 500 people swarmed the dance floor immediately, quickly becoming a wavy sea of happy swaying bodies, hoisted drinks and bobbing heads.
The band, featuring Jim Ralph who pulled out solo after solo of fabulous licks on the keyboard, Grant Leslie on bass, Moon MacInnis on bass, and P.E.I.’s own incomparable Chris Corrigan, sounded just spectacular.
Song highlights of Minglewood’s reunion birthday set included old hits like Me and the Boys and Travellin’ Man, as well as new hits like his song for the Canadian Troops, played on Big Red for us that night: Kandahar (Keep Your Head Down).
The night came to a climax when the show’s emcee, Kerri Wynne MacLeod, led the crowd in the singing of Happy Birthday as she presented a cake to Minglewood on stage.
And finishing up with the return of Matt Andersen and Joey Kitson to perform Can’t You See in a big long jam-out session near the end of the night, Matt Minglewood’s 60th Birthday Bash came to a finale in the same way it began: jaw-droppingly.
Of course, for some, that was brought on by yawning, in that ol’ “show me the way to go home” kinda’ headspace. But, still others, I’m sure, could’ve partied the winter away all night long.
At a glance
‰ What: Still Rockin’: Matt Minglewood’s 60th birthday bash.
‰ Where: Charlottetown Civic Centre’s Trade Centre Complex.
‰ When: Saturday, Feb. 24.
‰ Who: The Matt Minglewood Band, with guests Matt Andersen and Joey Kitson with Big City.
‰ Why: Wouldn’t you have a big bash if you were still rockin’ at 60?
Each week, Todd MacLean brings his readers into the experience of a new musical event, from Island ceilidhs and festivals, to the city’s bar scene and rock concerts.
He loves to hear feedback and suggestions for future musical endeavours .
He can be reached at tmaclean@theguardian.pe.ca or at 626-1242.