Review: The Northern Pikes Rock Pinawa to Open their Manitoba Tour

Review by: Brian Adolph

Photo credits: Derrek Owen

The moment The Northern Pikes took the stage in front of an enthusiastic, sold-out crowd, it was apparent that the show would be a departure from a typical EMCA presentation.

Forty years into their careers, these guys still rock—and they weren’t going to pull any punches. This was a surprise, given the folky, acoustic nature of their recent Time to Time release.

Opening with the hard-rocking “King In His Castle” from their 2019 Forest of Love album, the band immediately set the tone for the night. Much of the first set drew from Forest of Love, but there were also crowd-pleasing sing-alongs like “Hopes Go Astray” and “Teenland,” taking the audience back to the band’s early days.

The powerhouse vocals of founding members Bryan Potvin and Jay Semko were on full display, with relative newcomer Kevin Kane (formerly of The Grapes of Wrath) joining in to create the lush vocal harmonies the band is known for. Potvin and Kane’s guitar interplay was a treat to watch, as was Don Schmid’s impeccable timekeeping on a snazzy, crystal-clear drum kit, complete with light-up sticks.

The second set opened with the haunting Grapes of Wrath hit “All The Things I Wasn’t,” and later Kane and the band got the crowd dancing with the G.o.W. anthem “Peace of Mind.” Kudos to The Pikes for keeping the music of this iconic Canadian band alive.

Set two also featured Snow in June hits like “Girl With a Problem” and “Kiss Me You Fool,” the latter morphing into a fun sing-along of “Tonight Is a Wonderful Time to Fall in Love”. The band, of course, wrapped up with the rocking classic “She Ain’t Pretty.”

Interestingly, The Pikes chose a Pink Floyd medley for their encore, drifting through “Time,” “Us and Them,” and “Another Brick in the Wall.” Their love for Pink Floyd shone through, and the crowd loved it.

These veteran rockers still know how to put on an amazing show—and it’s clear they still love doing it.

Don't miss EMCA's next concert: David Francey on Friday, November 8!