Shelley and I went out to the River Rock Casino ( an altogether horrible sort of Vegas rip-off full of mullet-sporting gambling addicts seemingly on loan from the set of Trailer Park Boys ) to catch Gino last Friday night...
I never did manage to catch him live before; I'm damned glad I finally did. This was no trip down the corridors of nostalgia, nor was it a pitiful rent-rock outing. This man is a superb performer, a great entertainer, still has every bit of the voice ( and most of the hair ) that he always had, and can clearly still write great songs, as was proven by "Venus Envy" from his brand new CD "These Are The Days". He and his exceptionally fine band played pieces from as far back as "Powerful People" and as far forward as "Yonder Tree", including an impressively tight, entirely credible and truly ballsy "Brother To Brother" - Mark Craney would have been proud, methinks!
Anyway, should any of you get the opportunity to catch this act, do so; a true original and, what's more, someone Canada can be truly proud of!
Gino Vannelli
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