It’s a rare opportunity to get to see John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. The classic rock group plays limited dates each month, often sticking to festivals or close to their roots along the U.S. Eastern seaboard. So when the opportunity came up to see them play at the River Cree Resort & Casino in Edmonton, Alberta, myself and a couple of friends hopped in a car and made the 3 hour drive North out of Calgary on Highway 2.

If it had been a 10x longer drive it still would have been worth it.

The show opened with the popular track “Tough All Over“. This was followed, somewhat surprisingly, by their best known song “On the Dark Side“. The logic behind this choice was quickly evident, as the already ruckus crowd rose to their feet, dancing and clapping along.

To say the crowd was warmed up at this point would be an understatement. Powered by both the hit song and the fact that saxophonist Michael “Tunes” Antunes took a walk into the crowd and play his solo on a chair, the roof was blown off the place. When the song was done J.C. addressed the crowd by saying “I can tell it’s going to be one of those nights”.

He was right.

The best way to appreciate what a great catalog of songs J.C. and the Beaver Brown Band have is to see them live. The quality of the music and the playing of the band is remarkable. This isn’t a band that sounds completely different live than from the studio. They obviously did a great job on the albums of capturing what the group does so well on stage. And John Cafferty was spot on with a flawless vocal performance.

It must be said that John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band keeps their bar band roots close at hand, even in a larger venue. That’s not a bad thing though. Indeed, it’s the passion of the band and the sweat and energy of the audience that elevates the performance.

While the whole band sounded great, and J.C. was in complete control of every moment, a special mention needs to be made about Michael “Tunes” Antunes. Not only is “Tunes” a fantastic musician, but he has a charisma that you can’t believe. Or maybe you can, if you’ve seen his key performance as Wendell Newton in the Eddie and the Cruisers feature film, which also showcased so many Beaver Brown songs.

Every time “Tunes” had a chance to shine he did. It was especially touching when he took a moment to give a little speech just before his solo in “Tender Years“. He let us all know how grateful he was to be there, and thanked John Cafferty for his friendship through the years.

Regarding the song “Tender Years” itself? Well, “Tunes” wanted J.C. to know that he had done a rare thing. He had written a Forever Song that will always be played. Then J.C. and “Tunes” embraced, and it was a special moment. Like “Tunes”, I was also grateful to be there.

Special mention should be made also about the River Cree and it’s staff. It’s a wonderful facility and the pleasant and professional staff made the evening a delight, particularly during the meet and greet we got to participate in. I want to personally thank them for their hospitality.

All in all it was a wonderful night, and definitely one of my all time favorite shows. If one of these rare opportunities pops up in the future for you to go see John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band don’t  miss out. It’s one hell of a great show.

Review by Mo Kristiansen. Photos by Brett Monro and Keith Callbeck.

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