Gogo and Marriner Stop Off In St. Albert

A couple of chairs on an unassuming stage, a few guitars scattered around, a case full of harmonicas and a crowd of just over one hundred brave souls sets the tone for the return of live music to the Arden Theatre in St. Albert this past Friday night. David Gogo and Steve Marriner were welcomed with enthusiastic applause as they sat down to play.

From the opening harmonica notes to the final boogie woogie rocking number more than two hours later the stage was rocking, the crowd was bopping and the walls came alive again, To say that the energy in the room was electrifying would be an understatement. Many reviews over the next few weeks are all going to espouse the same sentiment from performers and audience members alike, “Man it’s good to be back here.”

I’m not going to waste your time going through a song by song break down. For one, there was no set list: for another, they didn’t introduce too many of the numbers by title. That mattered little to this reviewer and the audience. We just wanted the music. Our ears were thirsty for amplified sounds that reverberated off acoustic tiles, which were also thirsting to bounce music in our direction. The atmosphere on stage and the interaction with the audience was akin to that of a Blues fest workshop. No agenda, no songs that have to be played and no cares about the outcome. It suited the evening just fine. As Steve Mariner said “The pandemic has destroyed our organizational thought.” David Gogo added, “We are just going to improvise the entire set.” They promised no ‘lock down blues’ and the result was a kitchen party with 150 friends.

If you are still with me, then you probably have a great appreciation for these Canadian Blues greats and want to read more about the show. If you are following along and are waiting for me to tell you more, then your wait is over. Steve Marriner is one third of MonkeyJunk, a powerful multi-award winning blues trio from the Ottawa area. He’s is renowned for his killer harmonica chops, and there was no shortage of his skills at this show. David Gogo has a resume that is as long as the song list on his 16+ Blues albums. He’s opened for the likes of BB King, Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy and many more. He regales us with many stories from the road including having the honour of joining BB King on stage at the infamous Montreux Blues Fest. One is a veteran on the Canadian Blues scene and the other has been making noise for over 25 years Marriner has also been carving the future of blues and creating some new sounds. Both are great friends and have a deep respect for each other.

Steve Marriner

Both have new albums out that they are supporting with this mini tour. David Gogo has a mostly acoustic album that was produced by Steve Marriner called Silver Cup. The story of the silver cup is about an heirloom that’s been in the family for years. You were never allowed to touch the Silver Cup. It was passed down from a Metis builder named James MacKay. For David’s 16th album he wanted an acoustic album because, “I think things are going to be slow opening with the pandemic so I wanted an album I could tour and support either on my own, or with someone like Steve or an upright bass player, but if things do open up, I can bring the whole band along.” Having known each other for quite some time this is the first mini tour they’ve done together. Gogo first teamed up Marriner on stage a few years ago in White Rock BC when Marriner was asked if he knew someone he could team up with. That sparked an interest to work together in the future. “It feels nice to work together.” Marriner adds, “It’s like hanging out. The show is what we would do if we were must hanging out at his house or my place playing songs back and forth telling jokes.” Steve Marriner’s latest is the self produced project called Hope Dies Last. One of the better songs is a message for mental health awareness. He talks openly about losing a close family member to suicide. Marriner almost breaks down on stage telling us the story but he left us with a very important message, “Don’t be afraid of reaching out to someone if you need help, or if you see someone who may need a listening ear.” They both played a couple of numbers from their new albums, or more. Of that I’m not certain. All I know is it was one heck of night of live music. We are slowly getting back to normal.

If you are in western Canada, I highly recommend getting out to see this show. It’s an evening you won’t soon forget. This week they are making their way across BC with two nights at the Ironwood in Calgary. For details visit: David Gogo/Steve Marriner tour