Singer, songwriter, lyricist, guitarist emeritus, entertainer Kim Mitchell has been
called a Canadian rock icon (a title he graciously eschews), but what else do you
call someone who has so shaped the face of Canadian music? From the mind & body
astral projection of the heady days of Max Webster, to the carved in granite statements
on Rockland, to the more personal yet still-rockin' journey explored on his latest
disc Kimosabe, Kim Mitchell has been our tour conductor for trips fantastic, guitar-driven
odysseys through life, time and space. His evenings of transcendent party-wonderment
(called, colloquially, "concerts") have touched the lives of several generations
of music fans worldwide. Kim's career path is paved with Gold & Platinum discs,
and Juno Awards. He has the respect of peers, fans, and industry types alike. Just
what does he consider his greatest achievement? "Shoot, that's easy," says Kim,
"it's in the couple of hours we're onstage, being able to take people to another
place, hopefully somewhere different from where their life was a few hours ago through
our music. When that happens, I've accomplished what I set out to accomplish."
Kim Mitchell first appeared on the musical radar as the band leader/front man/writer/guitarist
for the groundbreaking Canadian rockers Max Webster. The all-star lineup consisted
of Mitchell, keyboard whiz Terry Watkinson, bassists Mike Tilka, and later Dave
Myles, and drummer Gary McCracken. They burned their way through five original albums
and became legendary for what their arrival at a venue near you would mean for the
local punters. The band's trademark evocative, provocative, and often bizarre lyric
imagery was provided by the unseen fifth member of Max, compositional collaborator
Pye Dubois. Throughout the late 70's & early 80' Max Webster romped their resplendent
rock across Europe and North America, changing hearts and warping minds, giving
names to those unnamed life conditions, and kicking major of rock & roll party ass
with the gleaming Gucci of raw talent. They meted out a lot of mental liberation
and ass-shakin' joy in their day! But by the early 80's Kim had begun to tire of
the chafing task of keeping such a talented group in its stays, and, made the hard
decision to go solo.
From 1982 to 1986, sporting the image of the leather-jacket & baseball cap clad
Rascal Houdi Deluxe; he took his solo act on the road. Whereas Max Webster had played
clubs, universities & soft seaters, his new act sold hundreds of thousands of records,
taking him to arena rock headlining madness selling out venues at a dizzying pace.
In fact, Kim is the only recipient of the Platinum Ticket award, established by
Kingswood Music Theatre for his ability to surpass the 100,000 mark in seats sold.
King of the Canadian summer party, (ever been to Canada's Wonderland, Billy?) perennial
MuchMusic summer special star, Kim batted singles out of the AM & FM charts such
as Patio Lanterns, Go For Soda, All We Are and Rock N Roll Duty. The release of
Rockland in 1989 seemed to mark a change in the writing style. The focus became
tighter, deeply personal. One track, RocklandWonderland, ostensibly written about
the Canada's Wonderland's Kingswood Music Theatre, contains the lyric:
"And every mind contains another / Earth to earth brother to brother / Listen to
the music listen to the voices / Listen to my guitar"
Credo or battle cry? You decide.
The 90's saw Kim release a live album (the aptly titled I Am A Wild Party), a greatest
hits collection, and in between the touring, record & release three albums of new
material, Aural Fixations, Itch and Kimosabe, each chock-full of his trademark guitar,
and each more personal than the last. But with the 90's came record company fiscal
restraint, and Kim made the decision to tour more & record less. "At the end of
the day, the joy I see in front of me at a live show beats the idea that I'm lining
some record bogue's pockets, and it beats the stress of the studio."
With that in mind, lord, god & master of the Canadian summertime scene, Kim Mitchell
has assembled a set list that, in his words "is a dream to play" featuring classic
Max Webster and Kim Mitchell fan favourites. Kim is accompanied & challenged onstage
by: rock-solid bass-slinger Peter Fredette; drummer Chris Sutherland, whose combination
of driving power and control is impeccable; and last but certainly not least, Gary
Breit of Toronto's acclaimed Breit Brothers, handling his keyboard station as only
he can. Hearing any of these guys' studio work is a musical treat, but only Kim
is canny enough to get them out of the cage and put them onstage where they're free
to turn audience gray matter into a pan-tonal kaleidoscope, and ultimately, into
heat, light and moisture. But don't worry , it all reassembles at the end of the
show of its own accord; just maybe not in the same order. But that's alright, "because,"
says Kim, "that's what we want to do; take the audience out there with us. Shake
up the Lego bricks a little. Make new toys in yer attic."
But enough of the talking! Get out there and do your rock n' roll duty! There's
a wild party coming to a venue near you!
Kim Mitchell Albums & CDs
1984 - Akimbo Alogo (Alert) Platinum
1986 - Shakin' Like A Human Being (Alert/Polygram) Triple Platinum
1989 - Rockland (Alert) Double Platinum
1990 - I Am A Wild Party (Alert) Platinum
1992 - Aural Fixations (Alert) Gold
1994 - Itch (Alert)
1995 - Kim Mitchell Greatest Hits (Alert) Platinum
1999 - Kimosabe (Chinook/Oasis)
Max Webster: Albums & CDs
1976 - Max Webster (Anthem Records) Gold
1977 - High Class In Borrowed Shoes (Anthem Records) Gold
1978 - Mutiny Up My Sleeve (Anthem Records) Gold
1979 - A Million Vacations (Anthem Records) Platinum
1979 - Live Magnetic Air (Anthem Records) Gold
1980 - Universal Juveniles (Anthem Records) Gold
Juno Awards
1983 - Juno Award For Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year
1987 - Juno Award for Album of the Year - Shakin' Like A Human Being
1990 - Juno Award For Male Vocalist of the Year
Noteable Entertainment & Events is a Vancouver based
booking agency, party rental, entertainment services and
event production company. If you are interested in booking Kim Mitchell please
contact us.