The Place, one again was the place to be, Friday, Sept. 23.  While I missed the Good Love and just  missed The Bridgette Yarwood band, I was in time for local Tragically hip tribute “The Hip Trip.”

 guitarist Mark Hall and bassist Jack Horne, took advantage of wireless units by wandering out into the middle of the soon to be filled dance floor.

They played a brief set of Hip hits.

Gabe Thaine did his best  Gord Downie Impression on a set which was mostly the highlights of the Road  Apples CD beginning with  “ Little Bones,” and “Three Pistols.”

They showed the mellower side of the Hip on “ Bobcaygeon” and picked up the tempo for “ Blow at High Dough.”

They wound up their brief set by digging deep on “ I’ll believe In You” form the Hip’s debut “ Up To Here.”

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

Richard Inman and his hot band including drummer Brad Brouwer and fiddle player/ singer Megan Brown  and guitarist Kevin Peters returned to the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Friday, Sept. 23 to play some authentic country music for a good sized audience.

 I only caught the end of the set as  Inman crooned out a song about going back home in his velvety  baritone.

 He ended the set with a cover of the Turnpike Troubadours’ “Easton and Main”

— By RichardAmery, L.A. Beat Editor

There was a lot of fun stuff happening on Friday, Sept. 23, but I was glad I chose to stay   for  “The Gift” at Southminster United Church. The Ian Tyson tribute, lead by keyboardist vocalist Stewart MacDougall and spearheaded by Peter North, featured several of Ian Tyson’s former band mates playing most of of Tyson’s most popular songs.

MacDougall told stories about  playing and writing with Ian Tyson, and a few stories of his history and sang lead vocals.

 Ian Tyson , of course, is a gifted songwriter , who started playing as a folk musician in the ’60 with Sylvia, formed country rock band  Great Speckled Bird in the early ’70s with Sylvia and  got a second  “strong wind” in the ’80s as a purveyor of cowboy poetry, so there was a lot of ground to cover.

 He was an avid chronicler of cowboy life in Alberta so the show reflected all of those phases of his career.

“Alberta’s Child” resonated with the  the audience of approximately 260 people, mostly seniors.

MacDougall noted Tyson turned 89 this week, so the show was really a gift of his music to his long time fans.

MacDougall played keyboards and introduced special guests to shine on Tyson favourites.

A hot band played the music as MacDougall introduced special guests to  take the spotlight for a few songs.

 He introduced Tracy Millar to song’s gorgeous version of Tyson’s signature hit “Someday Soon.”

Myran Szott, played fiddle through out  the show, bowed as he received a polite round of applause for his solo on “ Fifty Years” which MacDougall introduced as showing Tyson’s romantic side.

Telecaster wielding Gord  Matthews deadpanned he still didn’t know what MC Horses meant, so MacDougall explained it  was was the story of  a ranch in Oregon that sold off it’s last horses.

acoustic guitarist Ian Oscar was also a constant throughout the show. He sang a couple more waltz oriented numbers.

 MacDougall welcomed John Wort Hannam to the stage for “Cowboy Pride.“ which he prefaced with a story  about opening for Ian Tyson in Saskatoon and getting caught without pants in Tyson’s dressing room, drinking one of his beer and eating his food as he was afraid he’s spill  on them.

 Amos Garrett, who was an original member of the Great Speckled Bird with Tyson, took a seat and picked up his red telecaster to give a masterclass in making people cry by playing a few tastefully placed notes.

 The first set ended with everybody singing  “Summer Wages.”

 The second set started with a few more waltzs.

 “Elko Blues” was an immediate highlight.

 Tracy Millar returned for another huge highlight “ Navaho Rug.”

John Wort Hannam returned for “ Saddle Bronc Girl” with  a supper catchy riff echoing Tyson’s melody.

Amos Garrett Returned to humble a few people with minimal, but perfect licks as MacDougall sang his co-write with Ian Tyson “ Yellowhead to Yellowstone.”

Garrett played “Lost Herd” and talked a little bit about Great Speckled Bird and playing Japan with Tyson.

 He traded leads with Gord Matthews.

 The show ended with everybody on stage singing “Four Strong Winds,” which each player singing a verse.

— by Richard Amery, L.A. beat Editor

The Pack came back, presumably for the last time to the Slice, Sept. 28.

Vancouver punk/ blues duo the Pack A.D. stopped by  Lethbridge in the midst of their last van tour, in support of their last album “ It Was Fun While it Lasted.” And while we’ll see if this show was in fact the last time in Lethbridge, they killed it in every way, capping off a close to 20 year career slugging it out on the road since releasing their debut CD in 2007.

 They released their last album “ It Was Fun While it Lasted” in 2020, right before the pandemic, but were unable to tour in support of it.

So drummer Maya Miller and guitarist/ vocalist Becky Black are doing it now.

I missed opening acts Mom Bod and surprise late addition Fawns, replacing Hell Diablo, who couldn’t perform owing to illness.

 It has been a while since the Pack played Lethbridge and I forgot how solid they are. Becky Black’s vocals  have improved by leaps and bounds. Maya Miller’s drumming was relentless, allowing Black to lay down rock solid riffs and even the occasional solo. Black howled the lyrics in her huge , ragged, yet melodic voice.

 As expected, they focused on  “ It Was Fun While it Lasted,” but wound up an all too brief set with  songs from their older albums.

 There were  some gang vocals and riffs ranging from blues, some straight ahead punk and veered into sludgy Black Sabbath influenced stoner rock and desert rock.

“Teenage Crime ” from  their 2016 CD “Positive Thinking” was an early highlight.

  “ Animal” from “ Do Not Engage” was a highlight which wound down their show.

 While Becky Black switched guitars, Maya Miller introduced crowd favourite “Woke up Weird” from  2017 ’s “Dollhouse” as  “one of the two slow songs we do.”

 “Cobra Matte” from “ 2010’s “ We Kill Computers was another crowd favourite

They ended their set with “ Yes, I Know” from “Positive Thinking.”

But they were called back for an encore of the apt “ Give Up” from “ it was Fun While it Lasted.”

 Fawns return to the Slice Stage next Wednesday with Vancouver’s “Strange Breed, Wednesday, Oct. 5.

 If you missed them, The Pack AD are playing Dickens Pub in Calgary, Sept. 30.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor