Well, what would you like to know that I haven’t already said either on Grant’s or Craig’s shows or posted on this site? Not sure if I have any secrets left.
What would make a California guy born in the early 1950s follow Canadian independent music? Why rock and roll and why Canadian? Long story made very short: growing up in the 1960s, I certainly was raised on rock and roll. What’s to change that interest? However, I honestly thought music had morphed away from what I liked, as I certainly didn’t have any interest in the music my kids listened to. So, I just wallowed in the 60s and 70s music lamenting the loss of youth.
My holiday in Canada in 2003 changed all of that. Through the chain of events of seeing a band play in Charlottetown, getting their new CD, going to their website and seeing that one original song was on a Canadian east coast countdown show, going to that site, and discovering all of this great music – music that I didn’t even know was being made any more. Two acts on East Coast Countdown stirred up enough interest to order their CDs from Canada – Two Hours Traffic’s self titled first full release and Sloan’s CD/DVD greatest hits A Sides Win. It was Sloan’s DVD that really set the hook. Great music, music that I felt was every bit as good as the music of my youth.
After a 900 mile drive to Vancouver to see Sloan live, I was on the main CBC website and did a search on Sloan, hoping to find some news or an interview, but I was directed to a heretofore unknown music site – CBC radio3. It was like being given the keys to Fort Knox. (Hmm. American reference. Hope it works here.) Literally a huge treasure chest of so much incredible music! Never that much into music in my youth – I was more into radio – I have since seen more live acts in the last 3 years than I saw in the previous 30. And it’s all Canadian. Because of this great find, I’m a daily listener to radio3, I purchased an iPod, and music – current music – is now a big part of my life. And I guess it paid off, as I was awarded the 2009 CBC Radio3 Fan of the Year. Pretty amazing since I'm not Canadian and I'm certainly older than most everyone else! And when my daughter gave me an iPhone for Christmas, suddenly I had the ability to take Radio3 with tme whereever I could get a signal.
I sometimes look at it as how I handled the “mid life crisis” of my life – by acting, and thinking so much younger. This great Canadian music – and the fact that my daughter attended my Alma Mater, Oregon State University, as I could go onto campus, and I’d warp back to 1972. I have music that I love and I can recall those wonderful days in college. And hey – what’s one of the symbols for Canada? The beaver? Well, that is also the mascot for OSU. Great match, eh? Go Beavs!
Other stuff: am a dad, have two adult children, and I’m a third generation Californian. And I got my very first passport in 2007 for one primary reason: to go back to Canada. Each time I visit, I sleep on AlexofAnders’ sofa. Maybe I need to call him to check on availability. I joined Facebook to see what the R3-30 Fun Club was all about, and now I’ve got a group of great friends. So you can see where CBC radio3 has led me!
Lee Hower - Sacramento, California
mcfflyer@comcast.net
interests
Canada, Canadian Independent Music, CBC Radio3, Oregon State University, photography, trains, camping.