Thanks again to James Correa and his crew for assembling this really cool account of what went down at the Corona Theatre in late May (I was tempted to add an In Memorium for the Corona – thankfully they kept the historic sign).
James was working under difficult conditions since the stage lighting was so poor. But after seeing the 50th anniversary print of D.A. Pennebaker’s Ziggy Stardust film – shot in notoriously poor stage light – I told James not to hold back because the music was so good.
Paul Cargnello & The Truth aced it as the house band. Incredibly talented players. Paul has done alright for an NDG activist-shit disturber. He’s comfortable playing almost any style of music. Has been especially prolific in the last couple of years. And is a heckuva band leader. But is he really better looking than Elvis Costello? And I don’t think you’ll see a better pair of socks onstage than Challenger’s.
It’s so cool to see so many Montreal musicians who have been grinding away for decades all have their moments in front of a large and appreciative crowd. If you’re a long time fan of the Montreal music scene you know them all. And if you’re just playing catch up it’s never too late to discover current and back catalogues (Asexuals!). And head out to smaller venues to catch them live.
I especially want to thank Murray Lightburn for providing one of the coolest and most spine tingling moments in any Billy Bob Productions event. Can’t imagine Bryan Ferry sounding better (Andrew Woods reaction to what was happening is priceless). And to the Sam Roberts Band for going as deep as they did. I could watch it again and again and again and again and again.
This film is rocking, joyful and funny. But there’s also a tinge of sadness attached to it since Robbie Robertson passed away while James was prepping to release it. The news of Robbie’s death sent music fans scrambling to yank out The Last Waltz for the umpteenth time and any number of The Band’s brilliant albums that culminated with the movie. I do regret not having cameras rolling when I produced the 40th Anniversary Celebration of The Last Waltz on November 25, 2016 at the Corona. So thanks again to James for keeping so much of the Montreal music spirit alive forever.
Thank you for supporting local music. And don’t miss the final act in this trilogy on Friday November 24 at Club Soda when we present ‘Bang a Gong Montreal’ – a salute to the glam rock era.
In the meantime enjoy and share.
And to Jade and Phoenix – I’m sorry your dad swears a lot.
