[swervedriver]

Did you see Devin Townsend at Rock's Bar & Grill in Regina (as part of JunoFest)?

Please post your reviews, setlists, photos and video links here!

Thanks!

So this was without a doubt the single most amazing live music experience of my life. I will have a recount of the night's events to the best of my abilities when I have more time. Just a couple pics for now:







I'll also have some video footage of this truly unique experience. A million thanks Devy! This was a treat that until announced none of your humble Regina fans ever expected would come our way, and it was beyond all that it could have been.

This may take a few posts for me to sort out lol, especially the setlist as it was haphazard and completely impromptu. He was basically taking requests, which was awesome.

So for those who care to read this we were treated to a set with only Devy and his guitar. I'll start with the venue. The Gaslight Saloon it was formerly know as, and it has been a biker bar for some years until about 6 months ago. This is the first time I've been since the change, and the new owner is trying to turn it into some sort of douche club. Suffice to say any "regulars" there were "distracted" by the music entertainment, and all music played between sets was some terrible dance garbage. An aside is that the owner was talking down to people between sets when nobody was paying attention to him, I'll definitely not be returning to the establishment unless I have no choice (ie another show of this caliber has the misfortune of being booked there). The point of mentioning the venue specifics though is that it added to the performance, as Devy dealt with the obvious distraction of the background in a uniquely Devy way.

The stage at this venue is small, and it has a short catwalk at the front. I believe this has a removable pole for dancers to give you more of an idea of what the feel is like in this dive. There are 2 stools to either side of this catwalk, presumably for... well you get the idea. Well this night they served as my seat for a much more enlightening performance, as my girlfriend and I flanked Devy's left and a good friend and another friend across from us flanked his right. He promptly labeled us as being in "sniffer's row" and warned us of the toxic fumes we were about to be subjected to.

After hammering out some issues trying to get his "goop" balanced he began with a rendition of Hyperdrive, and it was quickly established that this group of metalheads that had bunched up in front of the stage would be singing along the entire night, to his appreciation. I see him smile and he says "nice!" as we all start singing along in the first video I have (again to be posted once I hammer out some of my own issues). There is still the din of the disinterested bar patrons (how any could be disinterested in this is beyond me) in the background, and so he ends this song early with a bellowing "HEEEYYYYYY SHUT THE FUCK UP!" This was the first of a number of different assaults on the background noise throughout the set, all of which were followed by raucous laughter from his loyal crowd.

The setlist as I remember it (I will confer with others to confirm its likely inaccuracy/missing songs/order):

Hyperdrive
Juular
Coast
Ih Ah
Solar Winds
Deadhead
Funeral
Vampira
Bad Devil
Storm

There were interludes and riffs from other songs amidst this but I believe that is all he played of his own material in its entirety.

I have smartphone video (with surprisingly good quality although shouldn't be that surprising I guess since I was parked right next to his feet and acoustic/vocals lend well to not overpowering the sad little mic on a cell phone) of Hyperdrive, Juular, Coast, most of Deadhead and all of Storm. Deadhead being far and away my favourite Devin Townsend song this was easily my highlight of the night, and the reason I didn't get the whole thing was that I just wanted to take it in. But then I realized that I wanted it and started recording right before his screaming (which has etched into my memory forever more). I'm pretty stoked on Storm, I feel like this is a rarity that few ever get to witness.

Apart from the unique acoustic setting in one of the most unlikely venues ever and the obvious excellence that is a Devin Townsend live performance; the banter and showmanship were on full display. He was in rare form (although not rare for him admittedly) and being as cozy as it was everyone could easily hear everything he had to say. He could also hear everything his fans had to say. As I mentioned he was taking requests and doing his best to fill them (Funeral, Vampira and Storm were all requests). I feel bad for the guy who kept asking for Heaven Send. He couldn't play it because of the tuning, he said "It's like a 14 minute song" and the fan replied "Just play some of it! It's a really good song!" The way he had replied made everyone laugh (as many things did throughout the night), another Devy fan genuinely just wanting to hear a song specific to them for one reason or another. I think it struck a chord with everyone else, because nobody laughed at him, more like all laughed in mutual recognition and even a little bit of awe of what we were experiencing, if that makes any sense.

Anyways, more as I remember it and wish to chronicle it, and the videos will also come in time. I'm also gonna find out if anyone else took any video of any of the other songs and how it turned out. I also plan to verify my setlist, I'm sure it's missing something.

I cannot thank Devin enough for this experience. Almost every fan formed a line to meet him and get pictures/autographs etc after his set, to which he graciously obliged. When my turn came I wanted to rant about how 10 years ago his music changed my life and has been anthemic for me ever since, I wanted to tell him I hope his next visit to our town doesn't give him the technical issues he's been plagued with here in the past, I wanted to properly convey to him just how much respect I have for him as a musician, songwriter, and human being. I wanted to tell him about a million things, but all I could really say was thank you for the amazing experience he just gave us all, and ask him if he was coming back. He assured me yes and I'll be counting the days.

Oh I also got my Unplugged album signed, that's going up on the wall! Been awhile since I asked someone for an autograph.

More detail to come!