North Shore fans of Canadian rock have got a Good Weird Feeling about an upcoming show.
On Saturday, Nov. 23, a supergroup featuring members of some of the country’s favourite musical acts is bringing an evening of familiar hits to the 20th Anniversary Gala of the Kay Meek Arts Centre in West Vancouver.
The evening’s festivities begin with a three-course dinner at 6 p.m., with musical accompaniment by trumpet virtuoso Jens Lindemann and Kay Meek artistic advisor Ian Parker on piano. That part of the celebration is sold out.
But tickets are still available for the 6:30 p.m. cocktail reception and 8 p.m. concert performance by the Trans-Canada Highwaymen.
In the band is North Vancouver’s Craig Northey of Odds, Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies, Chris Murphy of Sloan and Moe Berg of The Pursuit of Happiness.
Organizers say to expect an electrifying set of Canadian classics like "Someone Who’s Cool" (Odds) and "The Old Apartment" (Barenaked Ladies).
The evening will be hosted Lisa Christiansen of CBC’s the Early Edition, alongside West Vancouver storyteller and radio host Grant Lawrence, with special guests the Eagle Song Dancers.
For those drawn in by the concert portion of the evening, Northey said the Highwaymen’s official tagline is “decades old friends from the Canadian Music Wars.”
The group came together through a mutual friend in the comedy TV business. Jim Millan, former stage director for Kids in the Hall, was talking to Berg one day when he suggested the musician gather some friends together for a stage production about life in a band.
Northey also knew Millan from the time when the Odds guitarist-singer was music director for the hit Canadian sketch show.
“Moe thought it was a good idea, so he asked me and Chris and Steve whether we wanted to do something like that, and we ended up putting together a stage show,” Northey said.
The four would play each other’s hits, switching instruments along the way, and then talk in between songs. They also had archival content that would play on screen. That was the band’s first presentation, which they took on a nine-city tour.
“But the way we kicked the whole thing off was just to go out and do a show without any of that stuff,” Northey said. “After that little tour with all the bells and whistles, we thought that first thing we did where we just pressed go was fun too.
“So we started doing gigs that way, and it’s remained that way, where we just play the stuff that people know us for,” he said. “It’s like a ’90s mixtape for a lot of people.”
Northey describes the show as joyful for both the audience and the band.
“A lot of times, people show up not knowing exactly what to expect,” he said. “It just starts and it’s familiar song after familiar song.
“We respect what each other has done and we’re fans of each other, so it’s super fun. And the audience feeds on that,” Northey said. “And we’re pretty irreverent as people. We’re not too serious.”
Kay Meek stands out on the North Shore, where music venues are few and far between, Northey said.
“But it manages to have some really special shows. And anytime you can support something like that – an outlet for the arts – you should,” he said.
Apart from an ongoing tour, the Highwaymen released a Canadiana cover album in October 2023 called Explosive Hits Vol. 1. Northey’s Odds will also play a show with Limblifter at Commodore Ballroom Feb. 21.
20th Anniversary Gala: Cocktail Reception and Trans-Canada Highwaymen
Where: Kay Meek Theatre
When: Saturday, Nov. 23, 8 p.m.
Tickets: Kay Meek website
