In less than ideal conditions, despite rain and wind, Tom Cochrane and Ann Wilson, one half of the Heart duo, proved on a rare visit to Quebec on Monday that just because they turned 70 doesn’t mean they’re ready to give up Nights at the Parc de la Francophonie.
Rarely? Look, unbelievable as it sounds, Tom Cochrane was in Quebec for the first time since… 1999. As for Ann Wilson, it went back to 2014 with her sister Nancy.
Photo Cedric Belanger
Still a Manitoba man who shaped a generation with Life is a Highway, Cochrane thinks “Quebec is the most beautiful city in Canada,” he solemnly proclaimed after driving the machine with a solid The Boy Inside The Man had started.
Besides, you can’t tell on stage that he’s going to be 70. Well backed by his Red Riders and still able to play guitar, Tom Cochrane energetically revisited a dozen tracks to an audience that would certainly have been more popular had it not been for the inclement weather.
Dedicated to the late hockey player Luc Bourdon 15 years ago, Big League had energy, as did the excellent Human Race, which benefited from the contribution of bassist Jeff Jones.
Oddly enough, his womb’s weak link was the rendition of “Life is a Highway,” which was less powerful than the rest of the program.
Tom Cochrane and his musicians on the Parc de la Francophonie stage, Monday night. Photo Cedric Belanger
Ann Wilson: The voice is still there
The 73-year-old Ann Wilson also protests, at least vocally, against the unstoppable scrolling of the calendar pages. Like Alanis Morissette on the Plains last year, her performance was an opportunity to see that her voice has lost little if any strength.
Photo archives, AFP
Wilson even hit notes during an excellent “Magic Man,” a classic “Heart,” and even more so in an energetic reimagining of “Immigrant Song,” one of the two Led Zeppelin borrowings included with “Going To California.” that many youngsters can’t even dream of. to reach.
His other big asset is his band, the Tripsitters. Compensating for the star’s static presence, her inspired play was the essential ingredient in reviving Heart titles like Crazy On You, Alone or Barracuda, rendered with exemplary heaviness.
Aside from a few tracks from her solo repertoire, Ann Wilson chose mainly 1970s material for this gig, which contained fewer songs than originally anticipated. A few titles along the way seemed to soften the sharpness.
Also, a hit or two from 1985’s eponymous album would have been welcome, but replaying These Dreams, Never and What About Love doesn’t seem to be his thing.
Saga: Flash Pass
Two generations of rock artists paved the way for Tom Cochrane and Ann Wilson.
Quebec groups Drogue and Deraps opened hostilities in more classic rock style, then veterans Saga took over for a rare progressive rock concert on the FEQ menu.
Led by the hand and masterful voice of singer Michael Sadler, the Ontario band, given the richness of their repertoire, deserved more time than the evening’s 45 minutes to promote themselves.
Her fans could continue to hear On the Loose and Scratching The Surface, heavyweights they cherished.
Michael Sadler, singer of Saga, Monday night at the Parc de la Francophonie. Photo Cédric Bélanger/Le Journal de Quebec