CAN’T STOP ROCK
Just don’t ask CanCon guitar hero turned classic rock radio host about his ’ 80s music video output
Canadian music veteran Kim Mitchell keeps the classic rock flame alive with radio gig, Commodore show.
Kim Mitchell
Friday, 9 p. m. | Commodore Ballroom
Tickets: $ 35 plus charges at livenation. com
If you ask Kim Mitchell, nothing will ever top classic rock.
And don’t worry, grunge fans, your favourite early ’ 90s bands are now — whether you like it not — the classic rock they were railing against back in the day.
“A car at 20 years old is considered classic,” Mitchell said in a recent phone interview from Toronto, where he now works as a classic rock radio host on Q107. “Pearl Jam is classic rock now. Nirvana is classic rock. I think the fabric of classic rock is still expanding: The Trews, Rival Sons, The Sheepdogs and The Black Keys. It’s the same as standards in jazz: It is what it is.
“I guess nostalgia will always be part of a certain age group. I know pop is huge. I love pop. One of my buds, Greg Wells, produced OneRepublic’s Apologize. He did Katy Perry and he plays on her records. I still find the organic and earthiness of ’ 70s classic rock moves me a little bit more. Is that age? No, it’s because it’s so human.”
Now 61, Mitchell knows a thing or two about ’ 70s rock.
Kicking off his career as the frontman for Canadian rock troupe Max Webster from 1973 until 1981, Mitchell went on to be a successful solo artist, co- penning hits like Go For Soda ( from his 1984 album Akimbo Alogo) and Patio Lanterns ( from 1986’ s Shakin’ Like A Human Being), which still resonate with fans today.
As a radio host he has interviewed Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee, among others, and spun countless tunes.
He admitted he still gets a kick from putting on Led Zeppelin IV and listening from top to bottom, something he isn’t so keen to do with some of his past work.
“I can’t listen to Max Webster top to bottom — I can listen to spots,” Mitchell said. “I actually had to listen to the first album ( 1976’ s Max Webster) top to bottom a couple years ago because they remastered it for England. I had a bit of a smile on my face. I don’t know. I’m not sure why I can’t — too young, too new, the wine hadn’t aged.
“The last albums I listened to were some of my solo records: Itch ( 1994) and Ain’t Life Amazing ( 2007) also. I’m proud of the recordings, writing and guitar playing. I can listen to sections of Shakin’ Like A Human Being, which was my most successful solo record ( it went three times platinum in Canada), and a couple things on Akimbo Alogo. It’s kind of cliché but once it’s done, I tend to not go back too much.”
And if there is one area Mitchell absolutely hates to revisit, it’s the videos he made for his biggest songs in the heyday of MTV and MuchMusic.
I still find the organic and earthiness of ’ 70s classic rock moves me a little bit more. Is that age? No, it’s because it’s so human.
KIM MITCHELL
ROCKER
Go For Soda is a classic of the era, with its John Hughes feel and a miniature, long- haired Mitchell popping out of the TV set and performing inside a fridge for a down- in- the- dumps teenage boy. ( Mitchell recently lent the song to an anti- drunk driving campaign.)
“There is nothing worse than ’ 80s rock videos,” Mitchell said. “That’s when they were the most popular, and once in a while one would pop through that was actually OK. Mine were none of those.” He laughed.
“Patio Lanterns — I can’t watch the video any more. But it really did put the record in the Top 5 in Canada.”
Coming back to Vancouver brings up a lot of memories for Mitchell, especially when the words “Commodore Ballroom” are mentioned.
“In Toronto we don’t have a place like the Commodore,” Mitchell said. “You’re lucky to have it. My memories of the Commodore are walking to the place from the hotel and seeing something like ThunderDome: Guys holding hands out with pills in my face. ‘ Holy s---, this is like a weird dream. Am I going to make it to the gig?’ But it was kinda cool at the same time.
“The last time we were there ( six or seven years ago) it was near the end of a tour. And we had so much catering on our bus at this point — deli trays and booze — that we went down a back alley and we opened the doors and handed homeless guys cases of beer and deli food. You could see the look on their faces — ‘ What just happened?’”