The Last Rheostatics Show
By Miles Baker
“Well, this is the fake ending of the show – let’s rock.”
- Martin Tielli, before the last song of the first set.
To end the first set of their three-hour-plus concert, the Rheostatics played “When Winter Comes”: a song about Canadian music, its importance, and how much hard work music can be. They dragged the bridge out for a long time, squeezing out every possible note before the quiet resolution. Then the stage went dark and, as Martin Tielli sang “In the blue Canadian winter…”, snow fell from the ceiling of Massey Hall.
I cried a little bit.
On Friday, March 30th, the Rheostatics played their last show ever. It was their first and only time playing Massey Hall, a venue that had eluded them for the past 27 years. With numerous guests and a never-ending list of favourite songs, the show was the most emotional event I’ve ever been to, including weddings and funerals.
The core of the band is an unlikely trio: Martin Tielli, the genius songwriter and eccentric performer; Dave Bidini, the journalist and most politically minded of the band; and Tim Vesley, who seems like he should be playing hockey and not bass guitar. But, like Voltron, together they are more than the sum of their parts.
Together, they were so very Canadian, with songs like “Saskatchewan,” “Northern Wish,” “The Ballad of Wendel Clark,” or the entirety of Music Inspired By the Group of Seven. They sang about our frigid winters, mining strikes, and hockey. But as Canadian as the Rheos were, they never stuck to the gimmick. No reliance on the quaintness of writing about Etobicoke here – they have found the freedom to make a children’s record (The Story of Harmelodia), a soundtrack (Whale Music), and a messed-up experimental music-joke (The Nightline Sessions).
But live is where they cut loose. Despite their greatness, the group’s records often lack the live energy that makes them one of my favourite bands. On stage, Martin would improvise his solos with incredible passion, Bidini would throw in lyrics from the Talking Heads or Bruce Springsteen, and guest after guest would show up onstage, making every show special.
Like the show at Massey Hall.
Even though Martin wasn’t feeling very well that night – he was sick and couldn’t hit the higher notes that he’s usually able to – he soldiered on. To compensate, he was note-perfect on the guitar and he took ample liberties to solo, jump around the stage with his bandmates, and enjoy every last moment. The night ended with the band sitting in the audience with a guitar playing “Record Body Count” from Melville. I’d seen them do this before: Dave had sat on the venue’s bar, belting out the song, the half-drunk audience singing along. This time, it was every single person in Massey Hall singing – knowing it was the last.
Maybe.
Dave and Martin have said that they plan to keep making music together. And sometimes keyboardist/guitarist Ford Pier thinks it’s a sham. They’ve been together too long, he thinks. I hope he’s right.
If not, at least at this show I got to see both old drummers, Dave Clark and Don Kerr, play with them (and both at the same time). I got to hear my favourite songs performed one last time, and I got to see the end of an era in Canadian history.
For your listening pleasure the Rheos gave us permission to accompany the article with an MP3. I have chosen a live recording of “Record Body Count” that appeared on thier album Double Live. Click here and enjoy.
