An enthusiastic and packed house was on hand at Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown Saturday night when famed Canadian rocker Randy Bachman brought his “Randy’s Vinyl Tap” to the city.
Bachman, backed by two other guitar players and a drummer, took the audience on a road trip through his musical history.
That rich and colourful history had its roots in garage and teen bands in his native Winnipeg, but grew to include his days with The Guess Who (“American Woman”, “No Time”) and later bands, such as the famous Canadian rock and roll band Bachman Turner Overdrive, whose hits inluded “Let It Ride”, “You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet” and “Takin' Care of Business”.
In addition to playing all his famous songs, Bachman described in rich detail the history behind the music. For example, he said many people think “American Woman” was about an individual but rather the woman was the Statue of Liberty and it was an anti-Vietnam war protest song about young Americans being drafted into the Asian conflict.
Earlier Bachman had told the story about how once he and band members were almost drafted into the U.S. military because they had 'green cards' which allowed them to work in the States. But fortunately the band was advised to get across the border into Canada and to stay there until the Vietnam War ended, which they promptly did.
Saturday night’s audience demanded an encore and got one from Bachman and his bandmates.
