IN CONCERT
What: The Northern Pikes
When: Tuesday, Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m.
Where: McPherson Playhouse
Tickets: $44.50 online at rmts.bc.ca, in person at the Royal McPherson box office, or by phone at 250-386-6121
Note: The Northern Pikes also perform Saturday in Nanaimo (Port Theatre), Sunday in Campbell River (Tidemark Theatre), and Monday in Courtenay (Sid Williams Theatre)
If the Northern Pikes have one standout strength, it’s their ability to look at life from the sunny side of the street.
The band from Saskatoon released several radio staples from the late 1980s and early ’90s, including Teenland, Things I Do For Money, She Ain’t Pretty, Girl With A Problem and Kiss Me You Fool — none of which could be classified as gloomy.
But according to singer-bassist Jay Semko, there’s an underlying sense of dread to some of their biggest hits.
“Part of what makes us interesting is that we had this knack for taking some pretty dark and depressing subjects and making pretty good pop songs out of them,” Semko said with a laugh. “There’s always a message below the surface.”
The voice of Semko, who does much of the writing in the group, was paired perfectly on said hits with those of singer-guitarists Merl Bryck and Bryan Potvin.
Three-part harmonies gave the Northern Pikes their calling card, one that has stayed with the group since its formation in 1986. The five-time Juno Award nominees, who called it a day in 1993 before reforming in 2000, still have a strong vocal presence, albeit with a new addition for their current tour.
Singer-guitarist Kevin Kane from the Grapes of Wrath — contemporaries of the Northern Pikes during the early 1990s — has signed on in Bryck’s absence for the band’s 30th anniversary celebration tour, which stops in Victoria next week.
The decision to have Kane join Potvin, Semko and drummer Don Schmid was an easy one. Bryck has not been with the group for seven years, so adding a new voice to the mix was a stress-free decision, Semko said. What’s more, Kane — who joined the Northern Pikes for a one-off show in his hometown of Kelowna last year — has spent the past several years gigging as a duo with Potvin.
“Musically, I really feel the band sounds as good as we ever have,” Semko said. “We’re pretty dead-on right now.”
The revamped quartet is touring to promote the anniversary edition of Big Blue Sky, the band’s 1987 debut. The album has been re-issued with several new additions, including a full album’s worth of unreleased material, along with a live performance from the era. For the tour, which started Oct. 12 in Newfoundland, the band is also screening video footage that’s as old as the album itself.
“Don [Schmid] has been the archivist, and he’s kept track of hundreds of hours of footage that we have,” Semko said. “With the audio-visual elements, fans get a whole new perspective on things. And it’s funny to go back and see the frizzy hair and mullets.”
The first half of the show will see the Northern Pikes play Big Blue Sky in its entirety, followed by second set of hits from elsewhere in their career, along with a few Grapes of Wrath hits. Playing an album in its entirety is like sitting in a time machine for an hour, but in a good way, Semko said.
“People are getting to hear a number of songs we haven’t played for some time, and probably won’t again after this tour. It’s a unique experience.”
Given the testy tone of the band’s 1993 breakup, it’s a miracle they ever decided to reform. Before their reunion in 2000, the core members of the group had not spoken in years. That tour went so well, however, they went back on the road in 2001 and have been gigging and recording regularly in the years since.
While the members are spread out across Canada — Semko lives in Saskatchewan, Potvin lives in Nova Scotia and Schmid lives in B.C. — their synergy in concert remains intact, even on some of the obscure Big Blue Sky songs from 1987. “The songs, for the most part, stand up pretty good,” Semko said.
“There’s a couple of songs that seem to me were written from the viewpoint of a 23-year-old. But some of the others, interestingly enough, have a world weariness to them that makes me think: ‘Wow, I was a cynical kid for a while there.’ That’s what is kind of interesting for me. There’s such a wide range of stuff.”
Many of the band’s familiar songs will sound fleshed-out on this run, in part because of the addition of Kane. His singing and guitar playing is a great contribution, Semko said, but the Northern Pikes have always prided themselves on being confident in concert. He’s simply adding to the riches.
“I love the fact that the Rolling Stones have a studio sound and one that is a little rougher when they play live.
“It’s the same with the Pikes. Some of the songs are true to their studio recordings, but we always enhance.”
