I didn’t get to a lot of Whoop-Up Days this year, but made a point of catching some of Kim Mitchell’s concert at Exhibition Park, Aug. 25.

 

 Fortunately he played most of the songs I wanted to hear in the last half of his show including a lot of Max Webster songs. He wielded his blue Stratocaster like the seasoned pro that he is. And while he didn’t move a lot during his show, he was definitely lost in the groove, bobbing his head to the beat. He moved occasionally to either side of the stage for a few notes, then back to hi microphone. His band was tight as expected considering they have been playing with him for 30 years as he noted.

 A good sized crowd gathered shoulder to shoulder in front of the stage separated by security and a mound of grass upon which the stage was set.

 I arrived as the bald headed, sunglass sporting Mitchell was winding down an exuberant jam on Max Webster’s ‘Paradise Skies”, then slowed things down a little as he played his haunting power ballad “All We Are.”
 But it was back to the rock as the audience really responded to the Max Webster material, so he played some of their big riff filled, progressive rock tinged classics including a scorching version of one of my favourites “High Class in Borrowed Shoes.”

 He followed that up by telling a story about touring  with Rush and Seeing Geddy Lee and Alex Liefson standing at the side of the stage listening to him play “Battle Scars,” and noting they wanted to record it with him.

The crowd roared as he playing the big, dark, Black Sabbath inspired riff of the song.

The show hit a crescendo as he hit the first note of his first big solo hit “Go For A Soda,” which lead to each of  the band members going for a solo.

 He finished on a high note with “Rock and Roll Duty,” which included big ’80s style thundering  drum solos and a really tasteful guitar solo.

 The crowd roared again as he returned to the stage and launched into  his huge summer hit “Patio Lanterns.” A handful of them climbed the grassy knoll to the front of the stage as security tried to stop them, but Mitchell came to the front of the stage and shook each of their hands before calling it a night.

 

— By Richard Amery,L.A. Beat Editor