Some people have stories about opening for or partying with rock stars*. My handful of interactions with Canadian musicians I’ve admired have been significantly more boring. In chronological order:

• In high school I attended a two-week music camp in Halifax called Summer Rock. In attendance were Joel Plaskett and the rest of Thrush Hermit. I didn’t meet them; they were just there. Also, one of Anne Murray’s kids was in the same music camp, which meant she was there for the final show.
• At a …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead / Explosions In The Sky show in 2002 Danko Jones tried to push me out of the way so he could see the stage better. The man is very very short.
• In the year I lived around Yonge & Bloor in Toronto I’d see Geddy Lee a lot, either walking around Rosedale or occasionally at the Varsity movie theatre. I think I exchanged pleasantries with him in the theatre one time.
• I met Mark Holmes, formerly of Platinum Blonde (though I guess they’re still touring?) when he co-owned the Mod Club in Toronto.
• At a beer & cheese tasting Lindsay and I sat at a table with Nils Edenloff from The Rural Alberta Advantage. It was the first time I worked up the courage to introduce myself and say what a big fan I was.
• Because I was a subscriber and donor to the West End Phoenix I’ve traded circulation/delivery-related emails and texts with Dave Bidini who’s the editor-in-chief of the paper, but also a noted author and guitarist/vocalist in the Rheostatics.
• Dallas Wehrle, bass player for The Constantines, ate dinner in our back yard along with his partner who’s our friend and former colleague.

* I do have a near-miss on this front though: my brother worked with a guy who knew Martin Bulloch from Mogwai, and they got me on the guest list when I saw them in…probably 2001 or so? I thought being on the guest list just meant we had free admission to the show; I didn’t know it also meant I could meet the band. Apparently after we left Marty was wandering around Lee’s Palace looking for us. Dumb Dan. Probably just as well; Mike and I were utterly deaf after that show.