It's very unlikely that a single Canadian blues band will ever be able to fill a stadium concert arena with 15,000 fans. And even if one could, I doubt that I would want to be in the audience. The intimacy of most blues shows is part of what makes it so appealing.

I was thinking of this as I was sitting amongst 15,000 fans at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto a few days ago. I was there with my teenage daughter and her friend as they excitedly enjoyed their first rock concert. The band was Muse, an alternative rock band from England. Their music is a fusion of many genres including progressive rock, classical and electronica. The show was an extravaganza of big screen towers, individual stages that went up, down and around and an awesome light show.

Being amongst that many people with music blaring out of gigantic speakers surrounded by a never-ending light show is truly a memorable experience but as I watched the show, I could not help but think about my 13-hour blues jaunt just a few days earlier. That is a day that will definitely be stored in my memory for much longer than this arena concert.

I start my day walking to The Duck as I do most Saturdays. I am joined by a good friend and his son, who is here for the weekend to celebrate his 28th birthday. We leave 45 minutes before the matinee is scheduled to start to ensure we get a large table as several more friends will be joining us. The sun is out in full force and the temperature is mild so the walk is even more enjoyable.

The guest this week is Lance Anderson and I found out the night before that Chris Murphy (Alto, Tenor, Baritone Saxophones; played with Jack de Keyzer, Maple Blues Revue, and more) would be joining him and the Mighty Duck Blues Band. Having seen Lance two weeks before, I am primed for another great session of blues sprinkled with a little classic rock, Cajun and lots of Hammond B3.

With the nice weather we anticipate less people than usual and we see this is the case when we arrive; only a handful of people are sprinkled around the venue. We get there before most of the band does and immediately pick a table with great sight lines. My friend pulls out his backgammon board, which he often brings along,  and the three of us take turns playing while watching the band set up. Lance arrives shortly thereafter with his Hammond B3 and two Leslie cabinets (CLICK HERE for some history). The fact that he drives from Orillia with all of this gear on a trailer is another reason to respect this great performer.

The B3 and a Leslie roll in.

My other friends arrive just as the first set starts. Our table is full, the backgammon game is put away and we settle in for what we know will be another impeccable afternoon at The Duck. The first set startswith Chris Murphy, wearing his signature Fedora and red boots, taking the lead. He plays a mean sax and it is a refreshing addition to the Mighty Duck Blues Band. His vocals, although not exceptional, are good and after a couple of songs the band is warmed up and ready for Lance. He joins in and we know the mix of sax and B3 will take the band to another level. The audience is pleased and the applause gets louder after each song. I overhear some first timers say how great this place is as they watch Lance’s hands fly across the keys and how they will be sure to come back.

Lance joins us for a while during the first break. The conversation turns to motorcycles and Lance comments on how bikers seem to gravitate to the B3; something he has noticed at many outdoor festivals. We also talk about the venue and how it has not changed much over the years. It’s been around for decades and has been a popular hang out for many of the neighbourhood residents (and GM workers since the plant is just up the street. The current owner is a retired GM worker).

More and more people trickle in and soon the venue is hopping. During the second break, a friend comes over and asks me if I can snap a picture of the “purple” gang – five people, including Gary Kendall, just happen to all be wearing purple!

  The Purple Blues Cruisers!

We enjoy two more great sets. I’m sorry to see the afternoon come to an end but I know that it’s just the beginning for me. From here, I am going to the Silver Dollar in Toronto to catch the Erin McCallum Band followed by Shawn Kellerman. The timing is perfect as we leave shortly after 7 pm and Erin’s show starts at 8:15.

The Mighty Duck Blues Band with guests Chris Murphy and Lance Anderson
and owner Jack (center) and the soundman, Frank Oliver!

The Silver Dollar Room coins itself  as “Toronto’s Premier Blues Night Club”. It’s not a huge room, and the layout is somewhat awkward, but it offers great sight lines and is definitely blues-friendly with beautiful blues- and music-related murals painted around the perimeter.

We get there shortly after 8:30 and we find parking on the street half a block from the door. Erin is already on stage and we ask some patrons if we can join them at their table just to the right of the stage. As I sit, I see our Roving Reporter, Eric Thom, sitting cross-legged inconspicuously to the left of the stage, shooting pics of Erin and her band. It will be nice to give him a hug and to catch up during the break since I only get to connect with him electronically.

I first saw, and heard of, Erin at the Canalbank Shuffle last fall. At first, I didn’t know what to make of her as she is not your usual Blues Mama-type performer. But in no time, I was totally mesmerized by her performance. Her band is tight and her vocals top-notch. Rather than bore you with my perspective of her performance that night, and because my writing does not come close to the talents of Eric Thom, I’ll let you read his review (CLICK HERE ) of her show that night. His pictures are also much better than mine! Really, folks, if you want to hire a top-notch writer/photographer, contact me and I’ll hook you up with Eric.

I’m not quite sure why there were two separate shows at the Dollar that night but I’m not complaining. I’ve only ever seen Shawn Kellerman as a sideman with other performers so I was very much looking forward to seeing him as the front man with his own band. He’s a killer guitar player and I had a feeling I had yet to see him let loose.

The heroines of this 13-hour journey enjoying Shawn Kellerman!

It was quite the contrast from Erin’s set and it was obvious that many of the patrons had come to see him. He’s a wild man; pure insanity to watch on stage. His style is more hard-rock blues. Personally, his style is not my cup-of-tea but it can’t be denied that this man is truly a talented guitar player. The set was loud for such a small room but the one set was just perfect for me. The show ended at 10:30 and that gave us plenty of time to make our way to Roc N Docs in Port Credit (Mississauga) to finish off our blues pilgrimage with Steve Strongman.

All Shawn Kellerman photos courtesy of Eric Thom - 2010 Copyright

Roc N Docs is another blues-friendly venue. Again, we found a parking spot across the street. The $5 cover charge was reasonable and the place was quite busy. It had been a while since I had been there and I was glad to see some changes to the location of the stage area which originally was right by the entrance and caused major congestion from the dancing patrons and those who stood around to watch the band. Now tables are strewn about in that area and the stage is on the opposite wall. It’s still a little tricky for the servers who need to deliver drinks from the bar to the those sitting at the tables since they have to cut across the dancing area but overall it’s a good change.

Steve and the band were already on stage when we arrived. We made our way to the bar and were very quickly befriended by a nice gentleman who had made his way from Toronto just to catch the live music, although he “didn’t know this was blues.”

Having not danced at the Duck nor the Silver Dollar, we were itching to do so here and it was not long before we found our way to the dance floor; where we stayed pretty much most of the time during the two sets we got to enjoy.

The crowd was a mix of blues fans and out-on-the-town partiers. It’s always interesting to see those that have drunk a little too much when you're only drinking water! At one point a lovely lady, who had been dancing beside us, decided that I wasn’t dancing to her liking and she parked herself smack between my friend and I. She held me by the shoulders and started shaking me from side-to-side and telling me to “shake it up a little, baby.” I quickly asked her to remove her hands but she ignored me and shook harder. Rather than risk a “cat fight”, I simply turned around and made my way to the bathroom (mostly because all that shaking made me want to pee!). When I returned, I found her grinding it up with some guy, who was grinning from ear to ear and probably thinking he had scored big time. Unfortunately, once the song was over, she walked over to the bar and started flirting and grinding with another guy and never gave her first victim another look! Later in the evening she went up on stage between two songs to ask Alec something. He just nodded until she retreated!

Steve Strongman

Alec Fraser

I’ve seen Steve several times and, again, mostly as a guest with other bands, and it was fantastic to see him do his own thing with one of Toronto’s best, Alec Fraser, on bass. Steve is a excellent vocalist and an talented guitar player and having Alec join in with some vocals was a real treat. They rocked the crowd all night; the dance floor never empty. Our Toronto friend danced too and told us how much he was enjoying his evening. Unfortunately, he had a little too much to drink as well and, as much as I hate to say this, I was glad he would be driving home in the other direction. One of the highlights of the evening, besides the dance lessons, was having the band finish the night with AC/DC’s Thunderstruck! I kid you not.

Overall, our third pit stop was a fabulous experience. We rolled into St. Catharines shortly after 3 am. I fell asleep thinking about where our next Blues Cruisers excursion would take us.