Classic rock is back everywhere, says legendary Canadian guitarist, songwriter, performer and producer Randy Bachman.
Bachman-Turner Overdrive is on the road this spring coast-to-coast across Canada with a stop at the VisitLethbridge.com Arena Apr. 13 with special guests April Wine and Headpins.
“I’ve got family in Lethbridge. I’ve wanted to play there for decades,” adds Bachman. “The heart of rock and roll in Canada are the Lethbridges. That’s where rock and roll lives.”
Winnipeg-born Bachman’s latest lineup includes son Tal, who penned the hit, She’s so High. The band will also be performing hits from The Guess Who, the iconic classic rock group, which Bachman co-founded with Burton Cummings.
The iconic band’s monstrous hitlist includes, Let it Ride, Hey You, You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet and Takin’ Care of Business.
“Everybody is embracing the seventies’ bands again and how great classic rock was. It’s quite incredible. To go and play the music is fantastic,” says Bachman.
Last year, Tal and Randy went to Toronto to see Neil Young and Crazy Horse and a week later saw The Rolling Stones in the United States. “They’re like all 80. I’m 80 and so is Paul McCartney. We’re still rockin’ in the free world and it’s really amazing. You know what’s amazing? The audience is the same age as us. They’re there. Their kids and grandkids are there and everybody’s liking classic rock because it’s enduring music. You can sing along to every single song.”
Growing up, Bachman notes he copied musically what was big in music at the time, which included Elvis, Johnny Cash, Little Richard and The Beatles.
“That goes into your memory bank, and it stays there. But then everybody else comes out and learns from you, but you’ve already learned from Chuck Berry and Bo Diddly.”
“It’s like eating grass-fed beef – whatever they’ve eaten, you’ve eaten,” he jokes.
That’s the great thing about classic rock, Bachman says. “We were all copying The Beatles, Elvis and what was going on, and then copying the power trios – Hendrix, Cream and stuff like that. We all have not gone to the same school together. We live in different areas with different ethnic and regional influences.”
These influences included what radio stations we listened to and what radio stations our parents listened to, Bachman adds. “Classic rock is so diverse.”
Even now, music from the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s is considered classic rock.
“I really feel fortunate to be alive and to be able to go out and play these songs. I’ve got a good 20 songs to play,” says Bachman, adding with this tour the band will be playing smaller markets that often get overlooked.
This year, Bachman is also listening to tracks from BTO: Live at the Budokan 1976 and will release a double vinyl album.
“I’m looking at mixing 18 tracks. We were hot then. We had the number one album and single in the world,” adds Bachman. “At the end of the tour, we did nine days in Japan.”
After the Canadian tour, BTO plans to head to the U.S. and tour with American bands, including Marshall Tucker, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top and The Doobie Brothers.
“All our old buddies from the seventies, they’re all back. Everybody’s rockin’ this summer,” Bachman says.
Because of the Internet, Bachman explains, a lot of fans are sending setlists directly of what they want to hear live, “which is great.”
Check out visitlethbridgearena.ca for more information or to purchase tickets.
