Eight Is Enough?

To celebrate learning 600+ plus songs and eight years in existence, cover band Dwayne Gretzky had a special show at The Opera House on Friday. It's been a long time since their $10 cover beginnings at The Dakota Tavern. Now they do sell-out shows in large venues with tickets approaching $50.

We were told beforehand that there would be a film crew tonight. I thought it would the typical indie band arrangement: a couple of buddies with some SLR cameras, perhaps attached to a semi-pro neck or body rig. It turned out to be 6 or more large, professional cameras with some needing 2 operators. There was even a dolly track between the stage and the sold-out crowd. It made the Live at Massey Hall outfit, my only other exposure to concert filming, looked like a home video set-up.

Dwayne Gretzky took the opportunity to play through the "greatest hits" as well as covering new "bucket-list" tracks including In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel) and God Only Knows (Beach Boys). Of the new numbers, the bassist's turn at the mic doing the Golden Slumbers medley (The Beatles) was a highlight. It showed just how passionate and talented this band is. DG has never been a lazy bar band.

The crowd skewed older tonight (from mid-30s to early 60s) and so did the songs. Most were from the 80s or earlier although there were forays into 90s and early aught music. Appropriately enough, they ended their show, 2 sets and a 4-song encore later, with With A Little Help From My Friends. This song was a favourite closer of their early shows but hasn't made a recent appearance. Near the end of their 2nd set, Tyler Kyte thanked their fans for eight years, saying "We'll keep playing if you keep coming out". An approving roar was the answer.