REFRAIN MUSIC

Throw that “45” on the record player, put on your best acid wash jean jacket, make sure your friendship bracelets are secure, and slide on the Ray Ban’s…it’s 1985 all over again…or at least it feels like it. Tonight was another night of the teenage me flashing back to spinning 45’s on my record player and singing along, however badly, to some great tunes. This evening at the Avenir Centre in Moncton (30 minutes from that bedroom with the record player and the 45’s) presented by Evenko we got to see not one but two fantastic popular acts from the 80’s in Glass Tiger & Corey Hart.

Opening the show was a band that has not disappointed any time I’ve seen them in the last few years (or few decades), Glass Tiger are always good. Here supporting both the Hart tour and their new 6 song record aptly named “33” since it’s been thirty three years since the release of their first album, A Thin Red Line. Even more remarkable was the fact that lead singer, Alan Frew, recently had broken his neck in two places, he told us that when he woke up in the hospital and came out from the anesthesia he said, “I’m not skipping the tour”. Thank you very much Mr. Frew! They played all of the favorites and got the small but mighty crowd to sing along with most of them, like “Thin Red Line”, “Diamond Sun”, and a couple from their new album like “This Is Your Life”. The crowd definitely appreciated Mr. Frew’s tenacity in being out on tour while obviously still recovering and the band reciprocated with a wonderful forty five minute set of music and sing alongs.

Corey Hart, I’d heard many times always put on a great show, what followed definitely backed that up. Hart, the Montreal native who was very recently inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, casually strolled on to the stage with a grand smile for the appreciative crowd as the band launched right into the music. He hasn’t toured in 20 years, instead staying home to be a Dad and be there with his kids, he doesn’t look to have missed a beat (no pun intended).

There were a few surprises throughout the show, to learn that he is not only bilingual in English and French, but he’s also fluent in Spanish as a video montage with his son having a father/son moment revealed. There was a secondary stage set up in the floor crowd area that he called his ‘bedroom’, a tribute to his teenage years writing songs and listening to the radio. He received a letter from a young lady who her Mom was a huge fan, and who told Hart her mom would tattoo his signature on her forearm if he signed it for her…and he did, along with “Never Surrender” and he said “Are you sure, you know tattoos kind of hurt right”? There were several surprising and exceptionally done covers as well laced through the set.

Let us talk about the band for a moment, from a kilt wearing guitar player, red hair waving keys slammer, Mohawk sporting drummer, stupendous saxophone player (absolutely execeptional), to background vocals that were rounded out by none other than his wife, Quebec chanteause Julie Masse, they were outstanding. Corey also did a duet with his wife completely in French and it was greatly appreciated by many in the crowd.

Laced with song of the past and some new ones from his current EP, of course near the end of the night, it came down to ‘that song’ that started it all, and with the first note of “Sunglasses At Night” the crowd’s shades went on and 30 years later I can say I finally heard it live. Hart left the stage humble and appreciative, singing a brief chorus of Never Surrender with the crowd before waving goodbye.

Don’t forget, the tour continues across the country and if you get the chance to check it out I definitely recommend it, it’s a great night of music!

Thank you to Corey Hart, Glass Tiger (especially Alan Frew…super trooper!), Evenko, PPR, and the Avenir Centre for yet another wonderful night of music in the city…until next time! ~ J