Completely Platinum with Kenny MacLean & Friends

Photo credits to Tanya Humphrey-Anthony

A somewhat tardy celebration of an unforgettable and special concert on November 21, 2008 at the MOD CLUB and of the life and music of an extraordinary man, Kenny MacLean. Apologies if the exact sequence of songs is a bit off,...my enjoyment of the show entirely trumped taking exacting notes....but the magic I describe herein is about as accurate as I could ever hope to be. It was a night I'll never forget as long as I live.

Having managed to bury my extreme embarrassment incurred when meeting the wildly talented and disarmingly warm Kenny MacLean for the first time (http://lizardm33.blogspot.com/2008/11/dont-look-back.html) , I found myself spending the better part of the week allowing the combined stresses of the financial crisis, the harsh reality of my own mini financial Armageddon, the competing demands of family, friends, a rigorous industry course load and a rather complicated romantic carte-du-jour utterly melt away into unbridled anticipation for the extraordinary night that I knew Kenny's Release Party for his new CD "Completely" would prove to be.

I could barely contain it. I made it through a week of the regular drudgery and trials with a big ol' couldn't-be-wiped-off-of-my-face-smile solely on the keen expectation that I was going to top off my week with a Completely Platinum night, and it certainly didn't disappoint. In fact, instead, it left me in awe and grateful for the chance to witness such a fantastic display of raw, visceral and gargantuan talent on stage at the MOD CLUB. It was an unequivocally thrilling and unforgettable performance on so many different levels, and that was even before an extremely sad occurrence followed that made it all so poignant, tragic and historic in one.

My 80's flashback began when Steve Anthony, known most famously (though not exclusively) for being a gregarious Much Music personality / VJ in the late 80's / early 90's, took the stage sporting shorter hair, a handsome crinkled smile and a relaxed GQ look. Gone were the days of the untamed blond mane, the casual prints and the wild antics. The new and improved Steve, exuding controlled charm and wit, invited nostalgia for the dawn of new wave and glam rock when video killed the radio star and simulaneously provoked one to admire how the blast from the past was bringing sexy back.

With an opening remark about his new and somewhat arduous role of providing limo services to his dear friend Kenny MacLean (one could tell by the give away glint in his eye how much fun he was actually having in the process), Steve broke into an introduction of the opening act, a very big favorite of yours truly, The High Rollers. Joy! After a wee bit of a delay, and possibly more bevies than I should have had for fear I'd be forced to leave at some point to attend to mother nature, it was finally show time. My boys were taking the stage, and I knew I was in for some serious fun! Mother nature be damned....I wasn't going anywhere!

The High Rollers (Denis Martel, Joe Power and Sheldon Thomas) are among the surest and most consistent things I know of. I know that without a doubt, whenever, wherever I catch them in action, it's going to be a great show and I'm going to be leaving that night in a fair amount of well-earned and excruciating pain and popping Tylenol pills like they were M&Ms as a result of some very ill-advised, but compulsory dancing of my reconstructed and tippy leg right off. But I've kept on coming back for more for close to a decade now, so you know they're worth every single minute of it.

But one of the hazards of following a band so closely is that you get to know their set pretty well off by heart. You learn every tick, every opening line, and every trick. The High Rollers have never in my life left me disappointed, anything but actually, but it was a complete thrill to show up on November 21st to be treated to a few new tricks that took their set to a whole new spectacular and electric level. I'm close to 10 years in...and I was thrilled speechless.

First, it started with the lights, surround sound and a little smoke for that added touch of mystique....a far cry from what most pubs in T.Dot offer up to their talent. Then it was up to the boys to create their own brand of magic, which they did with the welcome addition of Jason Farrar and by launching into many of my favorites from their set including "The Walrus" and a particularly charged performance of "Ace of Spades". I still haven't figured out how those thundering vocals come out of Joe, but I love every minute of it.

But just as I was getting into their familiar set, they took a turn I wasn't expecting and mixed things up a bit, and introduced to my absolute amazement and incredible elation, some dance and disco. They started their turn of direction slowly with a bang-on cover of "Personal Jesus" which I've still got in my head to this day. Then they got the younger crowd energized and risking whiplash to their head-banging heads to a powerful rendition of "Basket Case". But that's when they brought in their big guns and got the whole place moving with spectacular performances of "Staying Alive" and the closest thing I'll ever see to Queen live with "Bohemian Rhapsody". I kept thinking,..."is this the real life, is this just fantasy...?" Whatever it was, I wish time could have stood still. It was truly astounding. The band was as tight as ever and Denis even somehow managed to channel Freddie Mercury's spirit that night. I'll never forget it.

But folks, that was just the warm up, the opening act. The main event was only just now about to start. I was finding it hard to believe it could get any better, but I knew in my heart of hearts, this show was about to really take off and leave me crying out for more.

It was now that the very charming and exceptionally gifted man I had met a week prior was about to take stage. I may not have put it together who he was at the time, but as he approached the stage this particular evening, I found myself overwhelmed with excitement to see Kenny MacLean in his true element and about to do that which he was very clearly born to do...entertain the masses.

Overjoyed to re-live some of the very best musical memories of my youth and looking forward to having a sneak peak at what lay ahead, I thundered my applause of Kenny as he took the stage, drowned out only by the thundering love he received from the entire audience. It was a booming and beautiful noise and warranted in every possible way.

Kenny joined the High Rollers and launched into a positively supercharged performance of "Whole Lotta Love". Kenny was seemingly possessed with the music itself and lept from corner to corner of the stage, singing, shouting and strutting, making sure everyone could feel the full and nearly nuclear power of his performance.

After this performance, Kenny took the opportunity to chat to the audience a bit and show why it is that everyone who speaks of him speaks not only of his mammoth talent, but also of his warmth, sincerity and unyielding interest in others. Kenny shared with the audience his great excitement that his mother was in attendance along with many others from his circle of dear family and friends. He layered compliment upon compliment to The High Rollers as a band who he clearly loved playing with and counted himself lucky to befriend; from which it was extremely evident that there was much ahead for this prodigious collaboration in the future. And finally Kenny's boundless delight that his former Platinum Blonde bandmate and lead vocalist, Mark Holmes would be joining him later on was at a near fever pitch. This was a musician far less interested in his own brag-worthy accomplishments and talent than a genuinely grounded individual unfalteringly connected to his outside world.

After Kenny had spent some time thanking everyone for coming and sharing his excitement that they were there, he took a trip down memory lane and played his award winning "Don't Look Back". It was such a thrill to hear him (and me boys) play a song that has lingered in the recesses of my minds for years. It was clearly a thrill for him too, since it was no hard task to see that there was a spark in his eye giving evidence to how very much in the moment he really was. For Kenny, it seemed there was no such thing as looking back, it was all about the now and the chance to embrace every glorious minute of it.

Kenny went on to treat everyone to a few of his other amazing numbers, including "In Pieces" and "Clear". His melodies were mesmerizing and his harmonization with the High Rollers was sheer perfection. Cell phones were out in place of lighters as the audience swayed and enjoyed the softer side of Kenny for a while. And that brilliant smile of Kenny's never quit as he clearly loved every minute of it too.

Finally, Kenny also treated everyone to a sneak peak to the great things ahead on his new CD, Completely, from which he performed "Deliverance". Upon hearing this, I quickly jumped outside to the lobby to buy my own copy, only to find out that the CD was not yet available, but that it was in production. Seriously???? I had to wait??? Well, since good things come to those who wait, I took my frustrated ambitions of taking Kenny home with me in the CD player of my car and got myself immediately back inside so I could enjoy the real thing some more....this was too good to miss.

It was at this time, that Kenny almost started to jump up and down with excitement for the next set as he introduced Mark Holmes, former bandmate and dear friend to help cap off the show. When Mark took the stage, he received the same thunderous applause that greeted Kenny a short time ago.

Now the last time I'd seen Mark Holmes, he had a unruly mane of blond highlighted hair cascading over about every inch of his head and face and was leading the way for glam fashion trends with bold colours and styles. Now, a more refined, brunette Mark Holmes took the stage, dressed in a subtle but undeniably mod look with a very tailored black outfit, sporting a sharp black cardigan and looking ever slightly more like a glamed up Mr. Rogers (and yet still devastatingly handsome) than the wild child I remembered tearing up the airwaves and Much Music. But as Mark approached the microphone with an air of staunch confidence, I knew that I had nothing to worry about. He intended to deliver where it counted.

And in the very instant that the crew launched into "Standing in the Dark" I reverted back in time to that teenage girl I once was, playing her newly acquired Platinum Blonde tape in her newly acquired Walkman, over, and over, and over, and, well, you get the idea. There's a reason I had the Walkman. The parental units were a little tired of suffering me using the stereo system in the living room and dancing about in a variety of fashion crimes including leg warmers, off-the-shoulder sweatshirts and teased hair and singing as loudly as I could along with Mark, Kenny and the boys. So with peace restored in the household once again courtesy of my Walkman, I was free to listen to Platinum Blonde as much and as often as my little school-girl heart desired. At home during breakfast, on my way to school, at school, in the Principal's office for having listened to it in class, on my way home and then over to the mall with friends, back home again, during dinner and just about all night long after that or at least as long as the batteries would last. It's amazing that I didn't wear that tape out. By the way, Energizer really does keep going and going....

But I never had the chance to catch the boys live in concert, and imagine my surprise when I fast forward 20 something years, and there they were, or at least some of them were. Unbelievable both to my eyes and my ears, they were there and they were FABULOUS. With incredibly sharp sound and vocals, in tune and in sync, they were more wildly entertaining and better than I could have ever dreamed of when all I used to have to listen to them was the backwards technology of a tape on my very unsophisticated Walkman. Like a fine wine,...time has only enhanced the experience and was it EVER worth the wait.

Just when my wee school-girl heart had started to adjust to the thrills that had ensued, the place erupted with a very familiar and treasured riff from "Doesn't Really Matter". I found myself caught between sheer elation and wishing I had paid due attention to mother nature earlier, because I nearly peed with excitement as the crew were "breaking down the door". The sound was electrifying, and Kenny, Mark and the High Rollers were absolutely on fire! The climax of the number came near the end with a monumental drum feature by Sheldon Thomas, followed by Mark Holmes ripping out the final vocals of "matter, matter, matter, matter....aaaaaahhhhhh"....as only he can do. When it the song was over, a stupefied audience took a silent moment in absolute wonderment and then tore into a deafening applause in recognition of a truly astonishing performance.

The band then thanked everyone and left the stage only to be called back again by endless, ceaseless applause; the crowd screaming out "more, more". Not given to disappointing the fans, the band returned and slid into a phenomenally elegant rendition of the Psychedelic Furs' "Heaven". It was truly an ethereal end to the evening and just as I had expected earlier on....I was simply left crying out for more. Would that it never came to an end.

I have chills still just thinking about it. It is without a doubt a performance of such caliber that I will remember it for as long as I live. It was Completely Platinum.

But sadly, and tragically, it turns out that the night was also Kenny MacLean's last performance; he died the following Monday from natural causes. My only guess is that the show was so spectacular, so gargantuan, that someone upstairs decided it was time to recruit the masterful Kenny into an even bigger act. I hope they know what a special person they just acquired.

From what I understand, Kenny was enjoying an exceptionally happy time with a myriad of exciting projects in the works. As this concert had proven, there were clearly many amazing things still yet to come. But since he was taken far too soon, and before he could do all that he planned, I plan to spend a whole lot of time celebrating and enjoying the musical legacy he's left behind. What a gift he was.

I had only but a moment in his presence and somehow he left enough of a mark on me such that I am greatly saddened for the loss for someone who made a fairly shy woman feel pretty damn interesting. He was singularly unique in his ability to touch you simply with his smile that began as his eyes crinkled up and ended with a full on frontal attack of his pearly whites. The fact that he was musically gifted was really only the icing on the cake of this beautiful and engaging person.

I'll be forever grateful and somewhat baffled by that gift of kindness from Kenny, but I am mostly left with a profound sense of sympathy for the very deep loss that must be felt by those who genuinely knew him and loved him. I cannot imagine what it will be like for them and wish them all nothing but peace and joy in the knowledge that Kenny lived a very large and full life, all the while managing to do it in such a way that we can all be envious of....with joy and with passion for life and music. And somehow, he was one of the lucky ones who managed to leave this world shortly after doing something he lived and breathed for, while surrounded by his family and friends who he held so dear. If you had to go, could there be a better way? I can't imagine many and take some solace in that while imagining him playing on a much larger stage than he ever dreamed.

As for me, I'm going to celebrate Kenny's life, musical gifts and unending spirit by listening for years to come. Kenny MacLean, may you rest in peace and rock through the ages forever! Thank you for the magic!